Foreign media show mixed reactions to inter-Korean summit results

By Kim Hyun-bin

Foreign media have shown mixed responses to the results of the third inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang.

BBC reported that the recent summit talks have put “diplomatic process back on track” after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressed readiness to shut down its nuclear facility in Yongbyon once the U.S. take reciprocal actions. Yongbyon is where the North is believed to have produced materials to develop its nuclear weapons.

Kim also announced North Korea would permanently close down its main missile test site in Dongchang-ri “in the presence of experts from relevant nations,” which BBC called a major leap forward.

The Independent reported that “The future of the Korean Peninsula has never looked brighter than it does now.”

It said the recent agreements to dismantle border posts, scale back military drills and establish no-fly zones and one of the most significant agreements to jointly bid for the 2032 Summer Olympics could do much to transform North Korea's economy with the help of South Korean conglomerates such as Hyundai and Samsung.

However, not all reports have been positive, with some criticizing the North for exploiting the summit for economic gains.

North Korea has been suffering from a sluggish economy under scores of international sanctions slapped on the regime for its continuous nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile launches.

Some media point out that the North is taking advantage of the bilateral talks, using it as a turning point to revive North Korea's stagnant economy.

Washington Post reported that the summit is what Kim Jong-un needed to show his people that he is a strong leader and the most powerful South Korean business tycoons' visit to Pyongyang could help his efforts to enhance the country's economy.

Reuters reports that many U.S. conservatives are worried that Moon could breach economic sanctions in pursuit of the goal of denuclearizing the North.

Bruce Bennett of the RAND Corporation in California said Moon's strategy could put Seoul at odds with the United States.

“President Moon apparently hopes that President Trump will simply agree with doing what North Korea wants. I think President Moon is taking a serious risk,” Bennett told Reuters.

Fox News reported that the recent agreements made between the two Koreas have put the ball in Washington's court.

In an interview with Fox News, Michael Fuchs, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and former deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said if North Korea is genuinely willing to close down Yongbyon and allow inspectors to watch over, those are just partial steps, but genuine steps forward.

However, the biggest outstanding question is “what price the North Koreans want to extract from the United States,” he added.