North Korea has long way to go to denuclearize, but Yongbyon offer 'significant': ex-CIA official
Andrew Kim, former head of the Central Intelligence Agency's Korea Mission Center, speaks to reporters at Stanford University on Friday (local time). Yonhap
North Korea has a long way to go to dismantle its nuclear weapons program, but the offer to shut down its Yongbyon facility is a "significant" step, a former U.S. intelligence official said Friday (local time).
Andrew Kim, who retired in December as head of the Central Intelligence Agency's Korea Mission Center, said North Koreans had complained to him that they weren't getting due credit for the steps they had taken to honor their denuclearization commitment after the first U.S.-North Korea summit in June.
"I personally heard from North Korean officials, and they claimed that their concessions were much more valuable than the reciprocal action the U.S. has taken so far," Kim said during a lecture at Stanford University. "They said this was part of their commitment to build trust with the U.S. and denuclearization."
U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un agreed at their first summit in Singapore to pursue complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in exchange for American security guarantees.
To flesh out the deal, the two leaders are set to meet again in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Feb. 27 and 28.
"I personally believe that North Korea still has a way to go and needs to further demonstrate its sincerity about dismantling key strategic weapons and production infrastructure," the former CIA official said.
As a key member of the U.S. team handling preparations for the Singapore summit, Kim accompanied U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on all four of his trips to Pyongyang last year.
During that time, North Korea halted its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile tests, destroyed its nuclear testing site in Punggye-ri and dismantled parts of a missile engine test facility.
"I know that there was a meaningful kind of step they took. But as much credit as they want, I think they have to do a little more," Kim said.
On one offer, however, the former spy found reason to be hopeful.
"I remember they once again tabled the Yongbyon nuclear facility as a topic for negotiation, which I believe is significant," he said, recalling his fourth trip in October. "The U.S. government assesses that if the Yongbyon nuclear research facilities are shut down, it would significantly reduce their capability to produce nuclear weapons. That's a certain percentage, but it is significant."
North Korea has said that the Yongbyon shutdown is conditional on "corresponding measures" from the United States. (Yonhap)