By Yi Whan-woo
U.S. President Donald Trump said he pursues a “South Korean model,” not a “Libyan model,” for the denuclearization of North Korea.
Speaking at the White House, Thursday, Trump also said North Korea will be “tremendously industrious” under the “South Korean model” and that Kim Jong-un will receive “very adequate protection” in return for his nation's possible denuclearization.
His remark is seen as a bid to reassure the Kim regime's survival, ahead of their planned June 12 summit in Singapore.
It also came as both the U.S. and North Korea are playing hardball with each other in a possible attempt to take the initiative before the summit.
Pyongyang was apparently infuriated early this week over White House National Security Adviser John Bolton's suggestion of the “Libyan model” for U.S. policy on North Korea.
Calling the suggestion an “awfully sinister move,” North Korea said it would even “reconsider” the summit with the U.S.
Trump downplayed the “Libyan model,” under which Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi _ later killed after his regime was toppled _ conceded to Western demands to give up his weapons of mass destruction in 2003 in return for sanctions relief.
Still, the unpredictable American president warned a “Libyan model” is likely, should he and Kim fail to make a deal.
“The Libyan model isn't the model we have in mind at all while we are thinking of North Korea,” Trump said during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
Calling Kim Jong-un by his initials, Trump said things will be different for the North Korean despot.
“The Libyan model that was mentioned was a much different deal. This would be with KJU, something where he would be there, be in his country, running his country, his country will be very rich, his people are tremendously industrious,” he said.
“If you look at South Korea, this would be really a South Korean model in terms of their industry, in terms of what they do, hardworking incredible people.”
When asked about a security guarantee for the Kim regime, Trump said, “I am willing to do a lot and he is willing to do a lot also, and I think we will actually have a good relationship, assuming that we have the meeting and assuming something comes of it, and he will get protections.”
Regarding the summit schedule, Trump said he knows of no changes and he expects it to be Kim's “best thing he could ever do to make a deal.”
But he left room for the “Libyan model” if things go wrong, stressing the U.S. “decimated” Libya.
“That model will take place if we don't make a deal, most likely,” he said.
Meanwhile, Trump declined to address the possibility of scaling back the 28,500 American troops in South Korea, which the North sees as a threat to its regime.
On Wednesday, North Korea stunned the U.S. by threatening to walk away ahead of the summit if Washington insists on pushing it “into a corner” on nuclear disarmament.
For Seoul, Pyongyang revived its hostile rhetoric over the former's expression of regrets on the latter's decision to call off high-level talks in a follow-up measure to the April 27 summit between President Moon Jae-in and Kim. The high-level talks were initially scheduled for Wednesday.
Trump speculated that Chinese President Xi Jinping may have influenced North Korea following his second summit with Kim from May 7 to 8 in China. His previous meeting with Kim took place in March, also in China.
“I think things changed a little when they met with China. They met the second time. Kim Jong-un had a second meeting with China, which was a little bit of a surprise meeting,” he said.
On Friday, Cheong Wa Dae said it is “only closely watching” the situation.
A spokesman said it is yet to be determined what led Pyongyang to suspend the cross-border dialogue.
Pyongyang cited an ongoing joint Seoul-Washington air exercise, Max Thunder, and the publication of a book by North Korean diplomat-turned-defector Thae Yong-ho as reasons for its suspension of the high-level talks and other dialogues.