North Korea expressed its willingness to hold talks with the United States, raising hope for a breakthrough in the nuclear standoff between the two countries. However, it is still too early to expect both sides to start a serious and meaningful dialogue to discuss the North’s denuclearization.
During a meeting with President Moon Jae-in on the sidelines of Sunday’s closing ceremony for the Winter Olympics, the North’s chief delegate Kim Yong-chol delivered the message of a willingness for talks with the U.S. Kim, vice chairman of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers’ Party, apparently showed a change in Pyongyang’s hard-line stance against any negotiations with Washington.
The shift could be seen as a positive move. It comes amid improved inter-Korean relations during the PyeongChang Olympics. It also stemmed from President Moon’s strenuous efforts to help the South-North detente lead to talks between Pyongyang and Washington.
What’s also noteworthy is the U.S. has hinted at accepting the North’s olive branch, but not without conditions attached. For its part, Washington thinks it is difficult to come to the table unconditionally. In addition, Pyongyang has yet to disclose its genuine intentions or any preconditions for dialogue.
The White House said it would wait and see whether the North’s new overture for talks with the U.S. means it is serious about its denuclearization. Presidential press secretary Sara Huckabee Sanders, however, made it clear that President Donald Trump remains committed to achieving the “complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization” of the peninsula. She also reaffirmed the U.S. will continue a maximum pressure campaign against the North until it gives up its nuclear weapons and missile programs.
Sanders remarks can be interpreted as leaving the door open for talks with the recalcitrant North. She was visiting Korea along with Ivanka Trump, President Trump’s daughter and senior White House adviser, as part of the U.S. delegation to the Olympics closing ceremony.
She implied that dialogue with Pyongyang should be to discuss the nuclear issue. This means the U.S. wants to see the North’s seriousness and sincerity in abandoning its nuclear ambitions before having talks. This might bode ill for negotiations between the two foes even though they have barely managed to begin a dialogue.
For now, it appears to be possible for both sides to have “exploratory” talks to check each other’s true intention. But further progress will depend on whether the North is ready for denuclearization. So it is important for the North to take a sincere step toward this itself.
For a feasible and realistic solution, the U.S. and North Korea need to consider accepting President Moon’s two-phase roadmap for denuclearization. Moon calls for a North Korea nuclear freeze in the first stage and its scrapping in the second stage. This may be a complex process, but maximum pressure and sanctions alone may not be a viable option. We urge both Pyongyang and Washington not to miss this opportunity to find a solution through dialogue.