US President Donald Trump returned to Washington DC Thursday after his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un collapsed over sanctions, and the two sides gave conflicting accounts of what happened, raising questions about the future of their denuclearisation negotiations.

Trump said two days of talks in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi had made good progress in building relations and on the main issue of denuclearisation, but it was important not to rush into a bad deal. He said he had walked away because of unacceptable North Korean demands.

"It was all about the sanctions," Trump told a news conference after the talks were cut short. "Basically, they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, and we couldn't do that."

However, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told a news conference past midnight and hours after Trump left Hanoi that North Korea had sought only a partial lifting of sanctions "related to people's livelihoods and unrelated to military sanctions".

He said it had offered a realistic proposal involving the dismantling of all of its main nuclear site at Yongbyon, including plutonium and uranium facilities, by engineers from both countries.

North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui told the same briefing she had the impression that Kim "might lose his willingness to pursue a deal" after the U.S. side rejected a partial lifting of sanctions in return for the destruction of Yongbyon, "something we had never offered before".

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders, asked about North Korea's statements, said the president was aware of the comments and the White House had nothing to add to what Trump said at the Hanoi news conference.

 
&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump returned to Washington DC Thursday after his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un collapsed over sanctions, and the two sides gave conflicting accounts of what happened, raising questions about the future of their denuclearisation negotiations.

US President Donald Trump returned to Washington DC Thursday after his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un collapsed over sanctions, and the two sides gave conflicting accounts of what happened, raising questions about the future of their denuclearisation negotiations. Trump said two days of talks in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi had made good progress in building relations and on the main issue of denuclearisation, but it was important not to rush into a bad deal. He said he had walked away because of unacceptable North Korean demands. "It was all about the sanctions," Trump told a news conference after the talks were cut short. "Basically, they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, and we couldn't do that." However, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told a news conference past midnight and hours after Trump left Hanoi that North Korea had sought only a partial lifting of sanctions "related to people's livelihoods and unrelated to military sanctions". He said it had offered a realistic proposal involving the dismantling of all of its main nuclear site at Yongbyon, including plutonium and uranium facilities, by engineers from both countries. North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui told the same briefing she had the impression that Kim "might lose his willingness to pursue a deal" after the U.S. side rejected a partial lifting of sanctions in return for the destruction of Yongbyon, "something we had never offered before". White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders, asked about North Korea's statements, said the president was aware of the comments and the White House had nothing to add to what Trump said at the Hanoi news conference.

Trump returns to White House after summit collapse clouds future of US-North Korea nuclear diplomacy

By Sojin Lim

The summit talks between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, and US President&nbsp;Donald Trump, began in a climate of surprise and expectation in Singapore in June 2018. They have now ended (for the time being) in disappointment in Hanoi, Vietnam, with Trump walking out.

The US president said: “It was all about the sanctions. They wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety and we couldn’t do that … Sometimes you have to walk and this was one of those times.”

But is this the full story? Time will tell.

Either way, when Kim and Trump first met last year in Singapore, it was viewed as a victory for Kim’s gesture politics and a ray of hope for stability in the region. But as the latest round of talks ends prematurely without agreement, it seems Vietnam, the host, is the only winner – thanks to the summit drawing attention to the recent success of that country’s impressive economic development.

But while the US, North Korea and Vietnam have been dominating headlines, where has South Korea – the other principal stakeholder – been? So far, it seems to have been conspicuously absent. Is this because South Korea was not a part of the armistice agreement (between North Korea, the US, China and the UN) that halted the Korean War? Or is it because South Korea ultimately wouldn’t benefit from any North Korea-US agreement?

Certainly, South Korea is an immediate victim of the failed Hanoi summit. As soon as Trump abandoned the talks, the South Korean stock market fell dramatically. If Kim now resumes missile tests, South Korea would be the nation most at threat.

Indeed, even if Trump agrees eventually to lift the sanctions on North Korea, it would likely be South Korea that would have to provide most of the financial support to North Korea. The only immediate benefit for South Korea, if future negotiations between Kim and Trump go well, would be a diminished threat of war.

Not all doom and gloom

But South Korea could also benefit economically – at least in the long term – in a post-sanction environment. It could, for example, reopen the joint Kaesong Industrial Complex, which would benefit some small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in South Korea. South Korea could also expect a rising employment rate, due to more business opportunities with North Korea and beyond, and market expansion through the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund (IKCF). The IKCF was established in 1990 under the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund Act to promote mutual understanding and socio-economic cooperation between the Koreas. Anticipating lifting of sanctions, South Korea increased its IKCF budget to $890.7m in 2019, a 15 per cent increase in 2018.

With sanctions lifted, South Korea could also expect increased trade and tourism profits by linking railways between the two Koreas. Indeed, one of the main reasons why Kim took the train from North Korea to Vietnam was to send a message to South Korea: if South Korea pushes for an end to sanctions, it could run its railways through the north and connect with trade routes in China, Russia and Vietnam.

But these benefits rely on one key caveat: they will only happen if either North Korea or the US gives way to the other. And until that happens, this chicken-or-egg dilemma will worsen relations between the two Koreas.

Will he or won’t he?

It seems unlikely that Kim will surrender his nuclear programme. As the second summit was staged, on February 27, news broke of another well-known nuclear state, Pakistan, reportedly shooting down Indian military aircraft over Kashmir. The Pakistani prime minister, Imran Khan, immediately called a meeting of Pakistan’s National Command Authority and ordered a no-fly zone over the country, later commenting that given “the weapons they (India) have and we have, can we afford a miscalculation?”

The two events may seem unconnected, but it is highly likely that this has reaffirmed to Kim why he needs nuclear weapons. Remaining a de facto nuclear state is key to Kim ensuring his regime’s survival. Nuclear capability is certainly not something he will readily concede.

It is also doubtful whether Trump truly wants to pay too much attention to North Korea’s denuclearisation and economic development. It’s more likely that Trump is using his summits with Kim to strengthen his own domestic standing. Trump announced he was shelving an earlier second summit last year so he could focus on the mid-term elections – a ploy, perhaps, to attract more votes. And it’s perfectly possible now that he’s using the Hanoi summit to distract people from his ongoing scandals at home. Again, on the day Trump met Kim, Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, was giving highly critical testimony to Congress about his dealings with Trump.

And so South Korean president Moon Jae-in seems stuck between North Korea and the US – neither of whom seem entirely committed to their summit’s success. Meanwhile, Moon will face growing domestic criticism from conservatives at home over his growing IKCF budget – and the ongoing lack of results. There is still hope for the Korean peninsula, but it is dwindling. And if Moon is to survive, and South Korea is to benefit, he will have to find novel ways of getting Kim and Trump back to the negotiating table. It will be no easy task.

(Sojin Lim is Senior Lecturer, Deputy Director of the International Institute of Korean Studies, University of Central Lancashire)

(This article was originally published on the Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/north-korea-us-summit-what-its-failure-means-for-the-peninsulas-future-112634">original article)</a>

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

&nbsp;

By Sojin Lim The summit talks between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, and US President Donald Trump, began in a climate of surprise and expectation in Singapore in June 2018.

By Sojin Lim The summit talks between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, and US President Donald Trump, began in a climate of surprise and expectation in Singapore in June 2018. They have now ended (for the time being) in disappointment in Hanoi, Vietnam, with Trump walking out. The US president said: “It was all about the sanctions. They wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety and we couldn’t do that … Sometimes you have to walk and this was one of those times.” But is this the full story? Time will tell. Either way, when Kim and Trump first met last year in Singapore, it was viewed as a victory for Kim’s gesture politics and a ray of hope for stability in the region. But as the latest round of talks ends prematurely without agreement, it seems Vietnam, the host, is the only winner – thanks to the summit drawing attention to the recent success of that country’s impressive economic development. But while the US, North Korea and Vietnam have been dominating headlines, where has South Korea – the other principal stakeholder – been? So far, it seems to have been conspicuously absent. Is this because South Korea was not a part of the armistice agreement (between North Korea, the US, China and the UN) that halted the Korean War? Or is it because South Korea ultimately wouldn’t benefit from any North Korea-US agreement? Certainly, South Korea is an immediate victim of the failed Hanoi summit. As soon as Trump abandoned the talks, the South Korean stock market fell dramatically. If Kim now resumes missile tests, South Korea would be the nation most at threat. Indeed, even if Trump agrees eventually to lift the sanctions on North Korea, it would likely be South Korea that would have to provide most of the financial support to North Korea. The only immediate benefit for South Korea, if future negotiations between Kim and Trump go well, would be a diminished threat of war. Not all doom and gloom But South Korea could also benefit economically – at least in the long term – in a post-sanction environment. It could, for example, reopen the joint Kaesong Industrial Complex, which would benefit some small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in South Korea. South Korea could also expect a rising employment rate, due to more business opportunities with North Korea and beyond, and market expansion through the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund (IKCF). The IKCF was established in 1990 under the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund Act to promote mutual understanding and socio-economic cooperation between the Koreas. Anticipating lifting of sanctions, South Korea increased its IKCF budget to $890.7m in 2019, a 15 per cent increase in 2018. With sanctions lifted, South Korea could also expect increased trade and tourism profits by linking railways between the two Koreas. Indeed, one of the main reasons why Kim took the train from North Korea to Vietnam was to send a message to South Korea: if South Korea pushes for an end to sanctions, it could run its railways through the north and connect with trade routes in China, Russia and Vietnam. But these benefits rely on one key caveat: they will only happen if either North Korea or the US gives way to the other. And until that happens, this chicken-or-egg dilemma will worsen relations between the two Koreas. Will he or won’t he? It seems unlikely that Kim will surrender his nuclear programme. As the second summit was staged, on February 27, news broke of another well-known nuclear state, Pakistan, reportedly shooting down Indian military aircraft over Kashmir. The Pakistani prime minister, Imran Khan, immediately called a meeting of Pakistan’s National Command Authority and ordered a no-fly zone over the country, later commenting that given “the weapons they (India) have and we have, can we afford a miscalculation?” The two events may seem unconnected, but it is highly likely that this has reaffirmed to Kim why he needs nuclear weapons. Remaining a de facto nuclear state is key to Kim ensuring his regime’s survival. Nuclear capability is certainly not something he will readily concede. It is also doubtful whether Trump truly wants to pay too much attention to North Korea’s denuclearisation and economic development. It’s more likely that Trump is using his summits with Kim to strengthen his own domestic standing. Trump announced he was shelving an earlier second summit last year so he could focus on the mid-term elections – a ploy, perhaps, to attract more votes. And it’s perfectly possible now that he’s using the Hanoi summit to distract people from his ongoing scandals at home. Again, on the day Trump met Kim, Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, was giving highly critical testimony to Congress about his dealings with Trump. And so South Korean president Moon Jae-in seems stuck between North Korea and the US – neither of whom seem entirely committed to their summit’s success. Meanwhile, Moon will face growing domestic criticism from conservatives at home over his growing IKCF budget – and the ongoing lack of results. There is still hope for the Korean peninsula, but it is dwindling. And if Moon is to survive, and South Korea is to benefit, he will have to find novel ways of getting Kim and Trump back to the negotiating table. It will be no easy task. (Sojin Lim is Senior Lecturer, Deputy Director of the International Institute of Korean Studies, University of Central Lancashire) (This article was originally published on the Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

What does the failure of North Korea-US summit mean for Korean peninsula

North Korea's foreign minister&nbsp;Ri Yong Ho said that Pyongyang made a "realistic proposal" <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-deal-with-kim-thwarted-by-north-korean-sanction-demands-200231">during Kim Jong-un's summit </a>with US President Donald Trump in Hanoi, Yonhap news agency reported.

In a highly unusual late-night statement at the North Korean delegation's hotel, Ri Yong Ho added Pyongyang was seeking partial sanctions relief, the South Korean agency reported, denying Trump's assertion it wanted them all lifted.

North Korea offered to close Yongbyon nuclear plant for partial sanctions relief, the foreign minister said.

The US-North Korea nuclear summit in Hanoi ended abruptly without a deal on Thursday, with President Donald Trump saying he had decided to "walk" in the face of Kim Jong Un's demands to drop sanctions.

The much-anticipated second meeting between the two leaders was supposed to build on their historic first summit in Singapore, but they failed to sign a joint statement as initially scheduled and the talks ended in deadlock.

"Sometimes you have to walk and this was just one of those times," an unusually downbeat Trump told reporters.

"Basically they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety and we couldn't do that," Trump said before leaving Vietnam aboard Air Force One to head back to Washington. &nbsp;

&nbsp;Trump noted Kim had vowed not to resume nuclear or ballistic missile testing -- something he previously identified as a yardstick for success -- and reiterated their "close relationship".

"We just like each other... there's a warmth that we have and I hope that stays, I think it will," he said.

North Korea's foreign minister Ri Yong Ho said that Pyongyang made a "realistic proposal" during Kim Jong-un's summit with US President Donald Trump in Hanoi, Yonhap news agency reported.

North Korea's foreign minister Ri Yong Ho said that Pyongyang made a "realistic proposal" during Kim Jong-un's summit with US President Donald Trump in Hanoi, Yonhap news agency reported. In a highly unusual late-night statement at the North Korean delegation's hotel, Ri Yong Ho added Pyongyang was seeking partial sanctions relief, the South Korean agency reported, denying Trump's assertion it wanted them all lifted. North Korea offered to close Yongbyon nuclear plant for partial sanctions relief, the foreign minister said. The US-North Korea nuclear summit in Hanoi ended abruptly without a deal on Thursday, with President Donald Trump saying he had decided to "walk" in the face of Kim Jong Un's demands to drop sanctions. The much-anticipated second meeting between the two leaders was supposed to build on their historic first summit in Singapore, but they failed to sign a joint statement as initially scheduled and the talks ended in deadlock. "Sometimes you have to walk and this was just one of those times," an unusually downbeat Trump told reporters. "Basically they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety and we couldn't do that," Trump said before leaving Vietnam aboard Air Force One to head back to Washington. Trump noted Kim had vowed not to resume nuclear or ballistic missile testing -- something he previously identified as a yardstick for success -- and reiterated their "close relationship". "We just like each other... there's a warmth that we have and I hope that stays, I think it will," he said.

North Korea offered to close Yongbyon nuclear plant for partial sanctions relief during Trump-Kim summit: Foreign minister

US President Donald <a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/trump-meets-north-korean-leader-kim-jong-un-in-hanoi-as-second-summit-begins-200106">Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un</a> smiled, shook hands and dined Wednesday in Hanoi, expressing optimism that their highly personal brand of diplomacy will lead to a deal on the totalitarian state's nuclear weapons.

At the start of around two hours of talks and dinner at a luxury hotel in the Vietnamese capital, Trump predicted a "very successful" summit, due to resume Thursday and end in a still unspecified signing ceremony.

The two-day get-together follows up on the leaders' initial historic meeting in Singapore in June, where Trump launched his charm offensive to try and get Kim to give up his nuclear arsenal.

Shaking hands and smiling in front of a bank of a dozen alternating <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-meets-north-korean-leader-kim-jong-un-in-hanoi-as-second-summit-begins-200070">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-meets-north-korean-leader-kim-jong-un-in-hanoi-as-second-summit-begins-200070"> and North Korean</a> flags, they briefly took questions from reporters before starting one-on-one talks, then the dinner.

Critics said the Singapore summit was light on concrete results but Trump said the Hanoi talks would be "equal or better than the first" time. Kim said: "I am certain that a great outcome will be achieved this time that will be welcomed by all people."

The White House said that on Thursday Trump and Kim will meet again one-on-one, before continuing talks alongside advisers throughout the morning.

This will culminate in a "Joint Agreement Signing Ceremony," the White House said without providing further detail.

A press conference is also scheduled before Trump returns to Washington.

But the president has been dogged by scandal at home, where his former lawyer Michael Cohen described him as a "conman" in nationally televised testimony to Congress starting shortly after Trump finished Wednesday's negotiations on the other side of the world.

Asked by reporters if he had any reaction to Cohen's bombshell testimony about hush money payments and murky business dealings in Russia, Trump simply shook his head.

Bidding to make history

Seeking a big foreign policy win to push back against domestic troubles, Trump believes he can make history with North Korea and claims Japan's prime minister has already nominated him for a Nobel Peace Prize.

His goal is to persuade Kim to dismantle his nuclear weapons and resolve a stand-off with the deeply isolated state that has bedevilled US leaders since the end of the Korean war in 1953.

To lure Kim into radical change, Trump is believed to be considering offering a formal peace declaration -- though perhaps not a formal treaty -- to draw a line under the technically still unfinished war.

At the same time, Washington faces mounting pressure to extract significant concessions from Kim, who has so far shown little desire to ditch his nuclear capability.

Washington and Pyongyang disagree even on what denuclearisation means precisely. And while North Korea has now gone more than a year without conducting missile and nuclear tests, it has done nothing to roll back the weapons already built.

From insults to love

A former real estate tycoon who often boasts he is one of the world's best negotiators, Trump is pitching a vision of North Korea as a new Asian economic tiger if it surrenders its nuclear status.

He said the country could quickly emulate the summit's host, Vietnam -- a communist state once locked in devastating conflict with the United States, but now a thriving trade partner.

Trump sent a tweet touting North Korea's "AWESOME" potential if his "friend" Kim takes the non-nuclear route.

And Trump has invested himself personally in the relationship with Kim, creating the diplomatic equivalent of a Hollywood odd-couple bromance.

Before Singapore, they were slinging bizarre insults -- Trump calling Kim "rocket man" and Kim calling him a "dotard."

With North Korea then busily testing missiles and conducting underground nuclear tests, analysts feared the duo were egging each other on towards a catastrophic confrontation.

Now, Trump talks of "love" and claims that his ground-breaking policies defused the threat posed by Kim. 
Critics warn Trump is so keen to score a deal that he could give away too much, too quickly, endangering US allies South Korea and Japan.

In Singapore, Trump took his own generals by surprise when he announced a suspension of military exercises with the South -- something the North badly wanted.

Washington would ideally like Kim to dismantle a key nuclear facility at Yongbyon, allow in international inspectors, or even hand over a list of all his nuclear assets -- something the North Koreans have categorically refused to do.

In return, Trump is believed to be considering dangling relief from tough international sanctions. Opening diplomatic liaison offices is another possible US concession.&nbsp;

Another possibility is a joint declaration to end the Korean War -- a hugely symbolic gesture which some analysts fear would upset the delicate power balance in a region where the US and China are already struggling for influence.

Those pushing for a scaled-back US foreign policy footprint around the world would welcome the gambit.

"If you get an end of war declaration, I think that's really important symbolically because it starts to change the mentality," Daniel Davis, at the conservative Washington-based Defense Priorities think tank, told AFP.

And Trump deserves credit, he said.

"You just can't ignore the fact that he's the only one of the last nine American presidents that has even gotten to this point. No one else has even had the conversations, no one else has had these summits."

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un smiled, shook hands and dined Wednesday in Hanoi, expressing optimism that their highly personal brand of diplomacy will lead to a deal on the totalitarian state's nuclear weapons.

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un smiled, shook hands and dined Wednesday in Hanoi, expressing optimism that their highly personal brand of diplomacy will lead to a deal on the totalitarian state's nuclear weapons. At the start of around two hours of talks and dinner at a luxury hotel in the Vietnamese capital, Trump predicted a "very successful" summit, due to resume Thursday and end in a still unspecified signing ceremony. The two-day get-together follows up on the leaders' initial historic meeting in Singapore in June, where Trump launched his charm offensive to try and get Kim to give up his nuclear arsenal. Shaking hands and smiling in front of a bank of a dozen alternating US and North Korean flags, they briefly took questions from reporters before starting one-on-one talks, then the dinner. Critics said the Singapore summit was light on concrete results but Trump said the Hanoi talks would be "equal or better than the first" time. Kim said: "I am certain that a great outcome will be achieved this time that will be welcomed by all people." The White House said that on Thursday Trump and Kim will meet again one-on-one, before continuing talks alongside advisers throughout the morning. This will culminate in a "Joint Agreement Signing Ceremony," the White House said without providing further detail. A press conference is also scheduled before Trump returns to Washington. But the president has been dogged by scandal at home, where his former lawyer Michael Cohen described him as a "conman" in nationally televised testimony to Congress starting shortly after Trump finished Wednesday's negotiations on the other side of the world. Asked by reporters if he had any reaction to Cohen's bombshell testimony about hush money payments and murky business dealings in Russia, Trump simply shook his head. Bidding to make history Seeking a big foreign policy win to push back against domestic troubles, Trump believes he can make history with North Korea and claims Japan's prime minister has already nominated him for a Nobel Peace Prize. His goal is to persuade Kim to dismantle his nuclear weapons and resolve a stand-off with the deeply isolated state that has bedevilled US leaders since the end of the Korean war in 1953. To lure Kim into radical change, Trump is believed to be considering offering a formal peace declaration -- though perhaps not a formal treaty -- to draw a line under the technically still unfinished war. At the same time, Washington faces mounting pressure to extract significant concessions from Kim, who has so far shown little desire to ditch his nuclear capability. Washington and Pyongyang disagree even on what denuclearisation means precisely. And while North Korea has now gone more than a year without conducting missile and nuclear tests, it has done nothing to roll back the weapons already built. From insults to love A former real estate tycoon who often boasts he is one of the world's best negotiators, Trump is pitching a vision of North Korea as a new Asian economic tiger if it surrenders its nuclear status. He said the country could quickly emulate the summit's host, Vietnam -- a communist state once locked in devastating conflict with the United States, but now a thriving trade partner. Trump sent a tweet touting North Korea's "AWESOME" potential if his "friend" Kim takes the non-nuclear route. And Trump has invested himself personally in the relationship with Kim, creating the diplomatic equivalent of a Hollywood odd-couple bromance. Before Singapore, they were slinging bizarre insults -- Trump calling Kim "rocket man" and Kim calling him a "dotard." With North Korea then busily testing missiles and conducting underground nuclear tests, analysts feared the duo were egging each other on towards a catastrophic confrontation. Now, Trump talks of "love" and claims that his ground-breaking policies defused the threat posed by Kim. Critics warn Trump is so keen to score a deal that he could give away too much, too quickly, endangering US allies South Korea and Japan. In Singapore, Trump took his own generals by surprise when he announced a suspension of military exercises with the South -- something the North badly wanted. Washington would ideally like Kim to dismantle a key nuclear facility at Yongbyon, allow in international inspectors, or even hand over a list of all his nuclear assets -- something the North Koreans have categorically refused to do. In return, Trump is believed to be considering dangling relief from tough international sanctions. Opening diplomatic liaison offices is another possible US concession. Another possibility is a joint declaration to end the Korean War -- a hugely symbolic gesture which some analysts fear would upset the delicate power balance in a region where the US and China are already struggling for influence. Those pushing for a scaled-back US foreign policy footprint around the world would welcome the gambit. "If you get an end of war declaration, I think that's really important symbolically because it starts to change the mentality," Daniel Davis, at the conservative Washington-based Defense Priorities think tank, told AFP. And Trump deserves credit, he said. "You just can't ignore the fact that he's the only one of the last nine American presidents that has even gotten to this point. No one else has even had the conversations, no one else has had these summits."

Trump, Kim express optimism over second summit in Vietnam

More than a dozen prominent Vietnamese political activists say police have stepped up surveillance and prevented them from leaving their homes in Hanoi as the Vietnamese capital hosts a summit between the leaders of the United States and North Korea.

Despite sweeping economic and social reforms in Vietnam, the ruling Communist Party retains tight controls on media and does not tolerate criticism.&nbsp;

Hosting the second summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been seen as a public relations coup for Vietnam and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has said security should be a top priority.

Hanoi has branded itself a "city for peace" for hosting the summit.&nbsp;

Nguyen Chi Tuyen, an activist known as Anh Chi, said security officials had been stationed outside his house for two days.&nbsp;

"They follow me everywhere I go and warn me that I may be detained if I cross the river into the (city) centre," he told Reuters on Wednesday.

Police told him they will guard his house until March 1 and not to take photos of them, he added.&nbsp;

Vietnam`s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump and Kim meet on Wednesday evening at Hanoi`s French-colonial-era Metropole Hotel for the start their second summit in less than a year, seeking to break a stalemate over the North`s nuclear weapons.&nbsp;

Dao Thu Hue, a Chinese teacher at a university in Hanoi known for her anti-communist protests, said police started restricting her movements on Tuesday evening. Her house is often sealed off during major events.

"This time they are tighter and very determined. They don`t say why they are blocking my house, only say `we are following orders`," Hue said.

Bui Hang, an activist based in the southern city of Vung Tau, told Reuters someone had padlocked her door from the outside and glued it in place.

Some other activists said they managed to strike compromises with security officers.&nbsp;

"I have been under guard for several days but there is still room to negotiate," said activist La Dung, speaking as he was riding on the back a local security officer`s motorbike on his way to play a game of tennis.&nbsp;

"They said tennis is OK, but other things is a no," Dung laughed.

Activist Mai Phuong Thao, known as Thao Teresa, said she has been prevented from leaving her house since Monday.

Police looked into her house several times a day to see if she was there or to hear her voice, but she said she has her own way to leave the house when she needs to.

Singer and activist Mai Khoi posted a video of herself on Twitter sticking her middle finger up as Trump`s motorcade was passed on Tuesday night with a caption "Peace on you, Trump!".

Last time Trump was in Vietnam in 2017, she held a poster that said "Piss on you Trump".

She was locked inside her house for several hours after that protest.

More than a dozen prominent Vietnamese political activists say police have stepped up surveillance and prevented them from leaving their homes in Hanoi as the Vietnamese capital hosts a summit between the leaders of the United States and North Korea.

More than a dozen prominent Vietnamese political activists say police have stepped up surveillance and prevented them from leaving their homes in Hanoi as the Vietnamese capital hosts a summit between the leaders of the United States and North Korea. Despite sweeping economic and social reforms in Vietnam, the ruling Communist Party retains tight controls on media and does not tolerate criticism. Hosting the second summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been seen as a public relations coup for Vietnam and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has said security should be a top priority. Hanoi has branded itself a "city for peace" for hosting the summit. Nguyen Chi Tuyen, an activist known as Anh Chi, said security officials had been stationed outside his house for two days. "They follow me everywhere I go and warn me that I may be detained if I cross the river into the (city) centre," he told Reuters on Wednesday. Police told him they will guard his house until March 1 and not to take photos of them, he added. Vietnam`s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Trump and Kim meet on Wednesday evening at Hanoi`s French-colonial-era Metropole Hotel for the start their second summit in less than a year, seeking to break a stalemate over the North`s nuclear weapons. Dao Thu Hue, a Chinese teacher at a university in Hanoi known for her anti-communist protests, said police started restricting her movements on Tuesday evening. Her house is often sealed off during major events. "This time they are tighter and very determined. They don`t say why they are blocking my house, only say `we are following orders`," Hue said. Bui Hang, an activist based in the southern city of Vung Tau, told Reuters someone had padlocked her door from the outside and glued it in place. Some other activists said they managed to strike compromises with security officers. "I have been under guard for several days but there is still room to negotiate," said activist La Dung, speaking as he was riding on the back a local security officer`s motorbike on his way to play a game of tennis. "They said tennis is OK, but other things is a no," Dung laughed. Activist Mai Phuong Thao, known as Thao Teresa, said she has been prevented from leaving her house since Monday. Police looked into her house several times a day to see if she was there or to hear her voice, but she said she has her own way to leave the house when she needs to. Singer and activist Mai Khoi posted a video of herself on Twitter sticking her middle finger up as Trump`s motorcade was passed on Tuesday night with a caption "Peace on you, Trump!". Last time Trump was in Vietnam in 2017, she held a poster that said "Piss on you Trump". She was locked inside her house for several hours after that protest.

Vietnamese activists say police restrict movements during Trump-Kim summit

US President Donald Trump will have a one-on-one meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong during their <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/kim-must-make-meaningful-gesture-to-see-sanctions-ease-trump-198678">summit in Vietnam next week</a>, a US official said Thursday.

The two leaders, who met for the first time in Singapore last June, are due to hold talks in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi on February 27-28.

Trump is seeking to persuade the North Korean leader to abandon his nuclear arsenal.

A US officials said next week's meeting would be "similar in format to what we saw last June in Singapore... there will be an opportunity for the two leaders to see one another one-on-one" before holding meetings with their respective teams.

Stephen Biegun, the US special envoy to Pyongyang, is already in Hanoi holding talks with his North Korean counterpart Kim Hyok Chol.

US officials have declined to speculate on what elements might be included in a joint statement at the end of the meeting.

On Wednesday, Trump again praised his relationship with the North Korean leader but said he would have to make a "meaningful" gesture on the nuclear front if he wants to see sanctions lifted.

US President Donald Trump will have a one-on-one meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong during their summit in Vietnam next week, a US official said Thursday.

US President Donald Trump will have a one-on-one meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong during their summit in Vietnam next week, a US official said Thursday. The two leaders, who met for the first time in Singapore last June, are due to hold talks in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi on February 27-28. Trump is seeking to persuade the North Korean leader to abandon his nuclear arsenal. A US officials said next week's meeting would be "similar in format to what we saw last June in Singapore... there will be an opportunity for the two leaders to see one another one-on-one" before holding meetings with their respective teams. Stephen Biegun, the US special envoy to Pyongyang, is already in Hanoi holding talks with his North Korean counterpart Kim Hyok Chol. US officials have declined to speculate on what elements might be included in a joint statement at the end of the meeting. On Wednesday, Trump again praised his relationship with the North Korean leader but said he would have to make a "meaningful" gesture on the nuclear front if he wants to see sanctions lifted.

Trump and Kim to have one-on-one meeting at Vietnam summit

While South Korea has every reason to be cheerful about the upcoming summit of US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Vietnam, hoping for a peaceful nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, but with North Korean not doing enough to move towards denuclearisation, the hope appears to be impractical.&nbsp;

Despite doing all the hard work for getting them together at Singapore for the first summit, South Korea would have realised, by now, that nothing worthwhile progressed beyond optics of a successful breakthrough.&nbsp;

President Trump in a speech, earlier this month, had announced the summit with the hope that North Korea would comply with the Singapore understanding by North Korea.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had earlier reiterated that sanctions will remain until Pyongyang carries out the complete verifiable denuclearisation commitments made in Singapore.&nbsp;

The US is unlikely to settle down unless the threat to its mainland is eliminated. President Trump is also carrying the baggage of promise to do something, which his predecessors could not do with North Korea; hence with full awareness of reality, he may not pitch high hopes but will have face-saving negotiations with North Korea.

North Korea, on the other hand, had been pursuing a "byungjin" policy of simultaneously developing its nuclear capabilities alongside the economy. With seemingly impractical promises made by North Korea in Singapore to get immediate relief from tough US sanctions, it stands disappointed as it’s smart move did not work. In November 2018, it warned the US that it will seriously consider returning to its erstwhile state policy of building nuclear weapons if the US does not withdraw economic sanctions against it.&nbsp;

North Korea is unlikely to give away its only strategic leverage after witnessing the fate of Iraq, Libya and recently Iraq. Kim's acts can be seen as 'nuclear blackmailing', but it is a feather in the cap of Kim which makes him taller in domestic as well as the global arena. UN reports also indicate that no worthwhile denuclearisation has happened in North Korea. &nbsp;

Expectations of other key players&nbsp;

South Korea will be genuinely looking for peace. Besides the nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, it suits South Korea to have an economically prosperous North Korea.

South Korea's gesture to recommence rail and road transportation between North and South Korea reflects its desire for better relations. China may not necessarily be too happy with Korean bonhomie and if the US obliges (although chances are remote) a US aligned peaceful Korean Peninsula.&nbsp;

China will never like the buffer between its mainland and US Forces in South Korea to go away and Kim to be stripped off all nukes.

China, however, made a smart move by unilaterally commencing logistics support and trade with North Korea. 
 
Japan will continue to be sceptical of North Korea with the threat it poses to it. The Russian concerns will be no different than Chinese regarding the development of THAAD. For any lasting solution China, Japan and Russia will have to be taken on board as the issue has crossed the limit of being a bilateral issue. &nbsp;

Will the summit succeed?&nbsp;

In diplomatic circles, no summit ever fails because minimum it can achieve is to develop better understanding and plan for further negotiations.&nbsp;

Having lost majority in Senate, President Trump will have to address the foreign policy issues to convince his voters for next Presidential elections that he tried his best.

US Defense Intelligence Agency report suggests that Iran and North Korea pose an increasing challenge to the US in space as both countries have developed jamming capabilities, which can also add to the agenda of the upcoming summit.&nbsp;

As a strategic analyst, I do not expect anything concrete coming out of the summit which can amuse the affected parties or the global community, except diplomatic niceties to lower temperatures, but both parties will claim it to be a success.&nbsp;

The fact that President Trump is meeting Kim Jong-un again means that 'nuclear blackmailing' works.

Expectations notwithstanding, it will be a summit which shows the priority of Trump administration, and perhaps the US also wants to give some signal to China by holding the summit in Chinese backyard with one of its closest allies.

The summit is being held at a time when the duration of truce in the trade war between the US and China is shrinking.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

&nbsp;&nbsp;

While South Korea has every reason to be cheerful about the upcoming summit of US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Vietnam, hoping for a peaceful nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, but with North Korean not doing enough to move towards denuclearisation, the hope appears to be impractical.

While South Korea has every reason to be cheerful about the upcoming summit of US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Vietnam, hoping for a peaceful nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, but with North Korean not doing enough to move towards denuclearisation, the hope appears to be impractical. Despite doing all the hard work for getting them together at Singapore for the first summit, South Korea would have realised, by now, that nothing worthwhile progressed beyond optics of a successful breakthrough. President Trump in a speech, earlier this month, had announced the summit with the hope that North Korea would comply with the Singapore understanding by North Korea. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had earlier reiterated that sanctions will remain until Pyongyang carries out the complete verifiable denuclearisation commitments made in Singapore. The US is unlikely to settle down unless the threat to its mainland is eliminated. President Trump is also carrying the baggage of promise to do something, which his predecessors could not do with North Korea; hence with full awareness of reality, he may not pitch high hopes but will have face-saving negotiations with North Korea. North Korea, on the other hand, had been pursuing a "byungjin" policy of simultaneously developing its nuclear capabilities alongside the economy. With seemingly impractical promises made by North Korea in Singapore to get immediate relief from tough US sanctions, it stands disappointed as it’s smart move did not work. In November 2018, it warned the US that it will seriously consider returning to its erstwhile state policy of building nuclear weapons if the US does not withdraw economic sanctions against it. North Korea is unlikely to give away its only strategic leverage after witnessing the fate of Iraq, Libya and recently Iraq. Kim's acts can be seen as 'nuclear blackmailing', but it is a feather in the cap of Kim which makes him taller in domestic as well as the global arena. UN reports also indicate that no worthwhile denuclearisation has happened in North Korea. Expectations of other key players South Korea will be genuinely looking for peace. Besides the nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, it suits South Korea to have an economically prosperous North Korea. South Korea's gesture to recommence rail and road transportation between North and South Korea reflects its desire for better relations. China may not necessarily be too happy with Korean bonhomie and if the US obliges (although chances are remote) a US aligned peaceful Korean Peninsula. China will never like the buffer between its mainland and US Forces in South Korea to go away and Kim to be stripped off all nukes. China, however, made a smart move by unilaterally commencing logistics support and trade with North Korea. Japan will continue to be sceptical of North Korea with the threat it poses to it. The Russian concerns will be no different than Chinese regarding the development of THAAD. For any lasting solution China, Japan and Russia will have to be taken on board as the issue has crossed the limit of being a bilateral issue. Will the summit succeed? In diplomatic circles, no summit ever fails because minimum it can achieve is to develop better understanding and plan for further negotiations. Having lost majority in Senate, President Trump will have to address the foreign policy issues to convince his voters for next Presidential elections that he tried his best. US Defense Intelligence Agency report suggests that Iran and North Korea pose an increasing challenge to the US in space as both countries have developed jamming capabilities, which can also add to the agenda of the upcoming summit. As a strategic analyst, I do not expect anything concrete coming out of the summit which can amuse the affected parties or the global community, except diplomatic niceties to lower temperatures, but both parties will claim it to be a success. The fact that President Trump is meeting Kim Jong-un again means that 'nuclear blackmailing' works. Expectations notwithstanding, it will be a summit which shows the priority of Trump administration, and perhaps the US also wants to give some signal to China by holding the summit in Chinese backyard with one of its closest allies. The summit is being held at a time when the duration of truce in the trade war between the US and China is shrinking. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

What to expect from the Trump-Kim summit II

The choice of Vietnam as host of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/kim-trump-summit-a-remarkable-breakthrough-for-peace-south-korean-president-moon-196694">this month's summit</a> between US&nbsp;President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shows the Southeast Asian nation is headed in the right direction, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said on Tuesday.

Last week, Trump said he would hold his second meeting with Kim in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi on February 27 and 28. That follows an unprecedented June 11 summit of the two leaders in the wealthy city of Singapore.

"This important event has shown that Vietnam's investment environment is good, that Vietnam's development model is going in a right direction and especially that the security and safety in Vietnam is wonderful," Phuc told government officials at the Hanoi Stock Exchange.

"Vietnam will demonstrate its international role and do its best to let the word 'Vietnam'&nbsp;ring out."

Vietnam's foreign minister, Pham Binh Minh, will visit North Korea from February 12 to 14 ahead of the summit.&nbsp;

In a statement on Tuesday, North Korean state news agency KCNA confirmed the Vietnamese delegation had arrived, but did not provide any details of their itinerary or agenda.

As Vietnam prepares for the summit, its reform model is being widely touted as the economic path for impoverished and isolated North Korea to follow.

Last year, US&nbsp;Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said North Korea could follow the example of Vietnam, adding that Trump believed Pyongyang could replicate Hanoi's path to normal relations with Washington and to prosperity.

The choice of Vietnam as host of this month's summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shows the Southeast Asian nation is headed in the right direction, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said on Tuesday.

The choice of Vietnam as host of this month's summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shows the Southeast Asian nation is headed in the right direction, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said on Tuesday. Last week, Trump said he would hold his second meeting with Kim in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi on February 27 and 28. That follows an unprecedented June 11 summit of the two leaders in the wealthy city of Singapore. "This important event has shown that Vietnam's investment environment is good, that Vietnam's development model is going in a right direction and especially that the security and safety in Vietnam is wonderful," Phuc told government officials at the Hanoi Stock Exchange. "Vietnam will demonstrate its international role and do its best to let the word 'Vietnam' ring out." Vietnam's foreign minister, Pham Binh Minh, will visit North Korea from February 12 to 14 ahead of the summit. In a statement on Tuesday, North Korean state news agency KCNA confirmed the Vietnamese delegation had arrived, but did not provide any details of their itinerary or agenda. As Vietnam prepares for the summit, its reform model is being widely touted as the economic path for impoverished and isolated North Korea to follow. Last year, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said North Korea could follow the example of Vietnam, adding that Trump believed Pyongyang could replicate Hanoi's path to normal relations with Washington and to prosperity.

Vietnam says being chosen to host second Trump-Kim summit is positive sign

The agreement for a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/hard-work-still-needed-before-kim-trump-summit-us-envoy-196161">second summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong</a> Un was a "remarkable breakthrough" for peace negotiations on the Korean peninsula, President Moon Jae-in said Monday, but he acknowledged doubts remained over denuclearisation.

The US President and North Korean leader are due to meet in Hanoi from February 27 to 28 following their landmark first summit in Singapore last June.

That meeting -- the first-ever between the leaders of the US and North Korea -- produced a vaguely-worded document in which Kim pledged to work towards "the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula".

But progress has since stalled with the two sides disagreeing over it means and analysts say tangible progress on denuclearisation will be needed if the talks are to avoid being dismissed as "reality TV".

With the high-stakes summit now two weeks away, Pyongyang has yet to provide any official confirmation of the meeting in the Vietnamese capital.&nbsp;

"For us, the era of peace and prosperity on the peninsula has drawn closer," said Moon in his first comments since the summit was announced.

The meeting was a "remarkable breakthrough in the peace process on the Korean peninsula", the South Korean president added. &nbsp;

But he acknowledged there were "still many doubts about whether the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and peace process can be concluded successfully".

The leaders of the two Koreas and the US have persisted in talks over the issue because of "strong confidence in the direction history should take", added Moon, who has taken on the role of middle man between Pyongyang and Washington, trying to bridge the gap on denuclearisation talks. &nbsp;

Security allies Seoul and Washington have at times pursued divergent approaches toward Pyongyang, with the dovish South Korean leader pursuing engagement while the United States insists pressure must be maintained until the North denuclearises.

But Moon expressed gratitude to both Trump and Kim for their "unprecedented, bold diplomatic efforts", saying they were "crossing a sea of deep mistrust".&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The agreement for a second summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un was a "remarkable breakthrough" for peace negotiations on the Korean peninsula, President Moon Jae-in said Monday, but he acknowledged doubts remained over denuclearisation.

The agreement for a second summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un was a "remarkable breakthrough" for peace negotiations on the Korean peninsula, President Moon Jae-in said Monday, but he acknowledged doubts remained over denuclearisation. The US President and North Korean leader are due to meet in Hanoi from February 27 to 28 following their landmark first summit in Singapore last June. That meeting -- the first-ever between the leaders of the US and North Korea -- produced a vaguely-worded document in which Kim pledged to work towards "the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula". But progress has since stalled with the two sides disagreeing over it means and analysts say tangible progress on denuclearisation will be needed if the talks are to avoid being dismissed as "reality TV". With the high-stakes summit now two weeks away, Pyongyang has yet to provide any official confirmation of the meeting in the Vietnamese capital. "For us, the era of peace and prosperity on the peninsula has drawn closer," said Moon in his first comments since the summit was announced. The meeting was a "remarkable breakthrough in the peace process on the Korean peninsula", the South Korean president added. But he acknowledged there were "still many doubts about whether the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and peace process can be concluded successfully". The leaders of the two Koreas and the US have persisted in talks over the issue because of "strong confidence in the direction history should take", added Moon, who has taken on the role of middle man between Pyongyang and Washington, trying to bridge the gap on denuclearisation talks. Security allies Seoul and Washington have at times pursued divergent approaches toward Pyongyang, with the dovish South Korean leader pursuing engagement while the United States insists pressure must be maintained until the North denuclearises. But Moon expressed gratitude to both Trump and Kim for their "unprecedented, bold diplomatic efforts", saying they were "crossing a sea of deep mistrust".

Kim-Trump summit a 'remarkable breakthrough' for peace: South Korean President Moon

Trump to meet Kim Jong-un in Hanoi

North Korea's nuclear programmes remain intact: UN Report

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-sending-military-to-venezuela-an-option-cbs-194884">US President Donald Trump</a> has said he does not always agree with the conclusions of his intelligence chiefs and pointed out past intelligence failures as a reason to reject their assessments of the threats posed by Iran and North Korea.

Trump rebuked his intelligence chiefs last week after his director of national intelligence and leaders of the CIA and FBI testified before Congress on global threats and contradicted the president on Iran, North Korea and ISIS.&nbsp;

During a Congressional hearing last week, top American spymasters Dan Coats, National Intelligence Director, and Gina Haspel, CIA Director, told lawmakers that Iran was abiding by the 2015 nuclear deal.&nbsp;

Trump said he disagrees with the assessment of his intelligence leaders that Iran is abiding by the nuclear deal. He claimed that Iran is going ahead with its nuclear weapons programme.&nbsp;

He also said the national security advisers' false assessment on Iraq led the US to engage in a war that it should never have been.&nbsp;

The US' intelligence services had said that the then Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction that became the basis of the American invasion in the Middle East nation. However, the assessment was later proven wrong, he said.&nbsp;

"I have intel people, but that does not mean I have to agree (with their assessments)...People that said, Saddam Hussein...In Iraq had nuclear weapons...Those intel people didn't know what the hell they were doing, and they got us tied up in a war that we should have never been in," Trump told CBS News in an interview.&nbsp;

As a result of that intelligence assessment under the Bush administration, Trump said the US spent $7 trillion in the Middle East and lost hundreds of lives.

Trump said he disagrees with the assessment of his intelligence leaders that Iran is abiding by the nuclear deal. He claimed that Iran is going ahead with its nuclear weapons programme.&nbsp;

"When I look at Iran, I look at it as a nation that has caused tremendous problems," he said.

In 2015, Iran agreed to a long-term deal on its nuclear programme with the P5+1 group of world powers - the US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany.

It came after years of tension over Iran's alleged efforts to develop a nuclear weapon. Iran insisted that its nuclear programme was entirely peaceful, but the international community did not believe that.

Under the accord, Iran agreed to limit its sensitive nuclear activities and allow in international inspectors in return for the lifting of crippling economic sanctions.

Trump in May last year withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal, calling it "defective at its core".

Trump also indicated that he is not in sync with the assessment of his intelligence chief on the nuclear weapons programme of North Korea.&nbsp;

North Korea is unlikely to fully give up its nuclear weapons, the US intelligence report said.

Asserting that there has been tremendous progress in the ties between the US and North Korea, Trump said both he and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are looking forward to the scheduled meeting between them, the exact date and venue of which will be announced in the next few days.&nbsp;

"He (Kim) is looking forward to it. I am looking forward to it. We have made tremendous progress...(Kim) has a chance to have North Korea becoming an economic behemoth. (North Korea) has a chance to be one of the great economic countries in the world. (Kim) He can't do that with nuclear weapons," he said.&nbsp;

Trump and Kim met in Singapore last June to discuss denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

At the time, Mr Trump claimed this meeting had ended the North Korean nuclear threat.

The two leaders signed an agreement pledging to "work toward complete denuclearisation" but there was no agreed pathway and little progress has been made since then on the issue.

US President Donald Trump has said he does not always agree with the conclusions of his intelligence chiefs and pointed out past intelligence failures as a reason to reject their assessments of the threats posed by Iran and North Korea.

US President Donald Trump has said he does not always agree with the conclusions of his intelligence chiefs and pointed out past intelligence failures as a reason to reject their assessments of the threats posed by Iran and North Korea. Trump rebuked his intelligence chiefs last week after his director of national intelligence and leaders of the CIA and FBI testified before Congress on global threats and contradicted the president on Iran, North Korea and ISIS. During a Congressional hearing last week, top American spymasters Dan Coats, National Intelligence Director, and Gina Haspel, CIA Director, told lawmakers that Iran was abiding by the 2015 nuclear deal. Trump said he disagrees with the assessment of his intelligence leaders that Iran is abiding by the nuclear deal. He claimed that Iran is going ahead with its nuclear weapons programme. He also said the national security advisers' false assessment on Iraq led the US to engage in a war that it should never have been. The US' intelligence services had said that the then Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction that became the basis of the American invasion in the Middle East nation. However, the assessment was later proven wrong, he said. "I have intel people, but that does not mean I have to agree (with their assessments)...People that said, Saddam Hussein...In Iraq had nuclear weapons...Those intel people didn't know what the hell they were doing, and they got us tied up in a war that we should have never been in," Trump told CBS News in an interview. As a result of that intelligence assessment under the Bush administration, Trump said the US spent $7 trillion in the Middle East and lost hundreds of lives. Trump said he disagrees with the assessment of his intelligence leaders that Iran is abiding by the nuclear deal. He claimed that Iran is going ahead with its nuclear weapons programme. "When I look at Iran, I look at it as a nation that has caused tremendous problems," he said. In 2015, Iran agreed to a long-term deal on its nuclear programme with the P5+1 group of world powers - the US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany. It came after years of tension over Iran's alleged efforts to develop a nuclear weapon. Iran insisted that its nuclear programme was entirely peaceful, but the international community did not believe that. Under the accord, Iran agreed to limit its sensitive nuclear activities and allow in international inspectors in return for the lifting of crippling economic sanctions. Trump in May last year withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal, calling it "defective at its core". Trump also indicated that he is not in sync with the assessment of his intelligence chief on the nuclear weapons programme of North Korea. North Korea is unlikely to fully give up its nuclear weapons, the US intelligence report said. Asserting that there has been tremendous progress in the ties between the US and North Korea, Trump said both he and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are looking forward to the scheduled meeting between them, the exact date and venue of which will be announced in the next few days. "He (Kim) is looking forward to it. I am looking forward to it. We have made tremendous progress...(Kim) has a chance to have North Korea becoming an economic behemoth. (North Korea) has a chance to be one of the great economic countries in the world. (Kim) He can't do that with nuclear weapons," he said. Trump and Kim met in Singapore last June to discuss denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. At the time, Mr Trump claimed this meeting had ended the North Korean nuclear threat. The two leaders signed an agreement pledging to "work toward complete denuclearisation" but there was no agreed pathway and little progress has been made since then on the issue.

Trump says he 'does not necessarily agree' with intelligence agencies

As Donald Trump seeks progress with North Korea at a second summit, the United States has a series of cards it can play including easing sanctions, signing a peace declaration or even pulling troops from South Korea.

After the historic handshake between the US president and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore in June, Washington policymakers are adamant on the need for tangible concessions by Pyongyang on its nuclear program at the sequel meeting, which Trump says will take place around late February, with Vietnam the most likely venue.

But much depends on the mercurial Trump, who has declared his outreach to the longtime US adversary to be a diplomatic coup and angrily denounced criticism that his first summit was mere symbolism.

North Korea watchers believe that Kim's primary goal is relief from international sanctions and doubt he will suddenly give up his nuclear arsenal, which his dynastic regime has built for decades even through famine.

The sanctions "are not strong enough to create serious economic problems in the country, but they are strong enough to make economic growth difficult or unachievable," said Andrei Lankov, a professor at Kookmin University in Seoul who studied in Pyongyang.

"In order to maintain stability in the country and to stay in power, the North Koreans know they will have to end or at least narrow the yawning gap between their economy and the economies of the neighbouring countries, especially South Korea and China," he said.

Complicated options on sanctions

When Kim met Trump, the first-ever summit between the two nations, North Korea was seen as seeking a treaty or at least statement formally ending the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended in an armistice.

But Victor Cha, the director of Asian studies at Georgetown University and former US negotiator with North Korea, said a peace declaration was ultimately symbolic.

"I don't think they would say no to it. A peace declaration would be a sign of non-hostile intent. But they want tangible evidence of non-hostile intent, which would be removing some of the sanctions," Cha said.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has vowed no let-up in sanctions until North Korea denuclearizes. And many US sanctions involve human rights or corruption laws and cannot be lifted without intervention by Congress, which is unlikely to be sympathetic.

But Cha said the United States could offer relief indirectly through South Korea's dovish government, working at the United Nations to remove sanctions that impede the restart of inter-Korean projects such as the Kaesong industrial complex.

The US is already preparing to ease restrictions on humanitarian aid and could offer to exchange liaison offices with Pyongyang, a step before diplomatic relations.

Trump points to North Korea's halt of missile and nuclear tests as progress, two years after fears soared of war. US officials want a full accounting of all North Korean weapons sites as well as inspections.

But experts fear North Korea will agree only on dismantling outdated facilities while keeping its capacities. In 2008, North Korea invited international media to watch as it blew up a cooling tower at Yongbyon, which remains the regime's main nuclear site.

Focus on long-range missiles?

South Korea and Japan have increasingly wondered if Trump -- who has made "America First" his guiding worldview -- would focus on ridding North Korea of its fast-moving program of intercontinental ballistic missiles, which threaten the mainland United States.&nbsp;

Pompeo in recent interviews has described North Korea diplomacy as a way to protect Americans.

"Fairly or unfairly, that's being interpreted by our allies as a potential US willingness to cut a deal that only protects America and disregards the safety of our allies," said Bruce Klingner, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative Washington think tank.

The summit also comes amid a prolonged impasse in negotiations on how much South Korea should pay the United States to maintain its 28,500 troops in the country.

"There are concerns that Trump may be so eager for success that he may agree to sign a peace declaration, signing an ICBM-only agreement and even reducing US forces on the peninsula either in return for perhaps a freeze on Yongbyon production or in response to the ongoing stalemate in Seoul," Klingner said.

Trump is a longstanding sceptic on the cost value of alliances and is demanding more from South Korea.

But any promise by Trump to Kim to pull out troops would likely meet wide opposition in Congress, fury from Japan's conservative government and quiet unease from South Korea, where President Moo Jae-in is more supportive of the US presence than previous left-wing leaders.

And it is not even a given that North Korea would welcome a withdrawal. Lankov said that Pyongyang saw US forces on the peninsula as a counterweight to China -- its closest ally, but which Pyongyang views as a longer-term concern.

As Donald Trump seeks progress with North Korea at a second summit, the United States has a series of cards it can play including easing sanctions, signing a peace declaration or even pulling troops from South Korea.

As Donald Trump seeks progress with North Korea at a second summit, the United States has a series of cards it can play including easing sanctions, signing a peace declaration or even pulling troops from South Korea. After the historic handshake between the US president and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore in June, Washington policymakers are adamant on the need for tangible concessions by Pyongyang on its nuclear program at the sequel meeting, which Trump says will take place around late February, with Vietnam the most likely venue. But much depends on the mercurial Trump, who has declared his outreach to the longtime US adversary to be a diplomatic coup and angrily denounced criticism that his first summit was mere symbolism. North Korea watchers believe that Kim's primary goal is relief from international sanctions and doubt he will suddenly give up his nuclear arsenal, which his dynastic regime has built for decades even through famine. The sanctions "are not strong enough to create serious economic problems in the country, but they are strong enough to make economic growth difficult or unachievable," said Andrei Lankov, a professor at Kookmin University in Seoul who studied in Pyongyang. "In order to maintain stability in the country and to stay in power, the North Koreans know they will have to end or at least narrow the yawning gap between their economy and the economies of the neighbouring countries, especially South Korea and China," he said. Complicated options on sanctions When Kim met Trump, the first-ever summit between the two nations, North Korea was seen as seeking a treaty or at least statement formally ending the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended in an armistice. But Victor Cha, the director of Asian studies at Georgetown University and former US negotiator with North Korea, said a peace declaration was ultimately symbolic. "I don't think they would say no to it. A peace declaration would be a sign of non-hostile intent. But they want tangible evidence of non-hostile intent, which would be removing some of the sanctions," Cha said. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has vowed no let-up in sanctions until North Korea denuclearizes. And many US sanctions involve human rights or corruption laws and cannot be lifted without intervention by Congress, which is unlikely to be sympathetic. But Cha said the United States could offer relief indirectly through South Korea's dovish government, working at the United Nations to remove sanctions that impede the restart of inter-Korean projects such as the Kaesong industrial complex. The US is already preparing to ease restrictions on humanitarian aid and could offer to exchange liaison offices with Pyongyang, a step before diplomatic relations. Trump points to North Korea's halt of missile and nuclear tests as progress, two years after fears soared of war. US officials want a full accounting of all North Korean weapons sites as well as inspections. But experts fear North Korea will agree only on dismantling outdated facilities while keeping its capacities. In 2008, North Korea invited international media to watch as it blew up a cooling tower at Yongbyon, which remains the regime's main nuclear site. Focus on long-range missiles? South Korea and Japan have increasingly wondered if Trump -- who has made "America First" his guiding worldview -- would focus on ridding North Korea of its fast-moving program of intercontinental ballistic missiles, which threaten the mainland United States. Pompeo in recent interviews has described North Korea diplomacy as a way to protect Americans. "Fairly or unfairly, that's being interpreted by our allies as a potential US willingness to cut a deal that only protects America and disregards the safety of our allies," said Bruce Klingner, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative Washington think tank. The summit also comes amid a prolonged impasse in negotiations on how much South Korea should pay the United States to maintain its 28,500 troops in the country. "There are concerns that Trump may be so eager for success that he may agree to sign a peace declaration, signing an ICBM-only agreement and even reducing US forces on the peninsula either in return for perhaps a freeze on Yongbyon production or in response to the ongoing stalemate in Seoul," Klingner said. Trump is a longstanding sceptic on the cost value of alliances and is demanding more from South Korea. But any promise by Trump to Kim to pull out troops would likely meet wide opposition in Congress, fury from Japan's conservative government and quiet unease from South Korea, where President Moo Jae-in is more supportive of the US presence than previous left-wing leaders. And it is not even a given that North Korea would welcome a withdrawal. Lankov said that Pyongyang saw US forces on the peninsula as a counterweight to China -- its closest ally, but which Pyongyang views as a longer-term concern.

Sanctions, peace deal on cards for new US-North Korea summit

Breaking News: Second Trump-Kim meet in February

A top North Korean general will meet the US leadership Friday on a rare visit to Washington, in a sign of progress in arranging a new summit with President Donald Trump aimed at denuclearisation and easing decades of hostility.

Kim Yong Chol, a right-hand man to leader Kim Jong Un, is the first North Korean dignitary in nearly two decades known to have spent the night in the US capital, little more than a year after Trump was threatening to wipe the totalitarian state off the map.

The State Department, which declined to confirm the visit until the last minute after Kim Yong Chol abruptly cancelled his last planned US trip in November, said that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would meet him in Washington at 11.00 am (1600 GMT).

Presuming the lunch talks go smoothly, Kim will then head to the White House to meet Trump, a US source said on condition of anonymity.

Kim and his entourage flew in Thursday from Beijing and, under light snow, made no comment as they exited a motorcade to check in at a fashionable hotel in the lively Dupont Circle neighbourhood.

Trump has repeatedly voiced eagerness to see Kim Jong Un again -- even opining that the two are "in love" -- after their landmark June summit in Singapore, the first meeting ever between sitting leaders from the two countries that never formally ended the 1950-53 Korean War.

Tensions began to abate a year ago with the encouragement of South Korea's dovish president, Moon Jae-in. Trump has repeatedly hailed his diplomacy as a triumph, recently saying there would have been "a nice big fat war in Asia" if it were not for him.

Vietnam ready to host

Trump has said to expect an announcement soon about the second summit. In Vietnam, a government source told AFP that "logistical preparations" were underway to host the summit, most likely in the capital Hanoi or coastal city of Danang, but that no decision had been made.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said that Vietnam was ready to welcome the two leaders, noting that Hanoi has a growing relationship with the United States despite war memories.

"We don't know the final decision. However, if it happens here we will do our best to facilitate the meeting," he said in an interview with Bloomberg TV.

For Trump, the made-for-television summitry with the young and elusive North Korean leader also offers a welcome respite from a steady barrage of negative headlines at home.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller is probing whether Trump's presidential campaign colluded with Russia, and his insistence that Congress fund a wall on the Mexican border has shuttered the US government for nearly a month.

For Kim, the stakes are more existential as he seeks guarantees of the survival of his regime.

Kim, backed by ally China as well as South Korea, is also hoping for an easing of international sanctions, but the United States insists on maintaining maximum pressure until Pyongyang moves forward on giving up its nuclear weapons.

What is 'denuclearisation'?

In Singapore, Kim promised his "unwavering commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula."

But the two sides appear to have different ideas on how to define that, with the United States expecting North Korea to give up nuclear weapons assembled over decades of work and Pyongyang more broadly seeking an end to what it sees as US threats.

"I think there is somewhat of a general consensus of what denuclearization means. I think there is obviously still disagreement on how to get there -- whether denuclearization is the end of the process or the process itself," said Jenny Town, managing editor of the 38 North web journal on North Korea policy at the Stimson Center.

"Realistically, they can talk about it all they want to, they can define the end goal, but if you don't have a common understanding of how to get there, you're not going to reach that common goal," she said.

She noted that Americans have traditionally preferred to hash out the details of agreements before big summits, while the type of leader-driven diplomacy favoured by Trump is more common in Asia.

"People have been very sceptical of this top-down approach, but we won't know unless we try it," she said.

A top North Korean general will meet the US leadership Friday on a rare visit to Washington, in a sign of progress in arranging a new summit with President Donald Trump aimed at denuclearisation and easing decades of hostility.

A top North Korean general will meet the US leadership Friday on a rare visit to Washington, in a sign of progress in arranging a new summit with President Donald Trump aimed at denuclearisation and easing decades of hostility. Kim Yong Chol, a right-hand man to leader Kim Jong Un, is the first North Korean dignitary in nearly two decades known to have spent the night in the US capital, little more than a year after Trump was threatening to wipe the totalitarian state off the map. The State Department, which declined to confirm the visit until the last minute after Kim Yong Chol abruptly cancelled his last planned US trip in November, said that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would meet him in Washington at 11.00 am (1600 GMT). Presuming the lunch talks go smoothly, Kim will then head to the White House to meet Trump, a US source said on condition of anonymity. Kim and his entourage flew in Thursday from Beijing and, under light snow, made no comment as they exited a motorcade to check in at a fashionable hotel in the lively Dupont Circle neighbourhood. Trump has repeatedly voiced eagerness to see Kim Jong Un again -- even opining that the two are "in love" -- after their landmark June summit in Singapore, the first meeting ever between sitting leaders from the two countries that never formally ended the 1950-53 Korean War. Tensions began to abate a year ago with the encouragement of South Korea's dovish president, Moon Jae-in. Trump has repeatedly hailed his diplomacy as a triumph, recently saying there would have been "a nice big fat war in Asia" if it were not for him. Vietnam ready to host Trump has said to expect an announcement soon about the second summit. In Vietnam, a government source told AFP that "logistical preparations" were underway to host the summit, most likely in the capital Hanoi or coastal city of Danang, but that no decision had been made. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said that Vietnam was ready to welcome the two leaders, noting that Hanoi has a growing relationship with the United States despite war memories. "We don't know the final decision. However, if it happens here we will do our best to facilitate the meeting," he said in an interview with Bloomberg TV. For Trump, the made-for-television summitry with the young and elusive North Korean leader also offers a welcome respite from a steady barrage of negative headlines at home. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is probing whether Trump's presidential campaign colluded with Russia, and his insistence that Congress fund a wall on the Mexican border has shuttered the US government for nearly a month. For Kim, the stakes are more existential as he seeks guarantees of the survival of his regime. Kim, backed by ally China as well as South Korea, is also hoping for an easing of international sanctions, but the United States insists on maintaining maximum pressure until Pyongyang moves forward on giving up its nuclear weapons. What is 'denuclearisation'? In Singapore, Kim promised his "unwavering commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula." But the two sides appear to have different ideas on how to define that, with the United States expecting North Korea to give up nuclear weapons assembled over decades of work and Pyongyang more broadly seeking an end to what it sees as US threats. "I think there is somewhat of a general consensus of what denuclearization means. I think there is obviously still disagreement on how to get there -- whether denuclearization is the end of the process or the process itself," said Jenny Town, managing editor of the 38 North web journal on North Korea policy at the Stimson Center. "Realistically, they can talk about it all they want to, they can define the end goal, but if you don't have a common understanding of how to get there, you're not going to reach that common goal," she said. She noted that Americans have traditionally preferred to hash out the details of agreements before big summits, while the type of leader-driven diplomacy favoured by Trump is more common in Asia. "People have been very sceptical of this top-down approach, but we won't know unless we try it," she said.

Kim Jong-un's right hand to meet US leadership in Washington ahead of Trump summit

The United States and North Korea plan to hold <a href="http://www.wionews.com/opinions/what-latest-defection-tells-us-about-hopes-for-peace-on-korean-peninsula-189130">high-level talks in Washington</a> this week to discuss a second summit of their leaders, following a prolonged stalemate in nuclear talks, a South Korean newspaper said on Tuesday.&nbsp;

The meeting, led by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and senior North Korean official Kim Yong Chol, would happen on Thursday or Friday, the Chosun Ilbo said, citing an unnamed diplomatic source familiar with the talks.

Both sides are expected to finalise the date and location of a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-koreas-kim-discusses-expected-summit-with-trump-in-talks-in-china-report-189075">second summit</a> between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and the North`s envoy is likely to meet Trump, the paper said.&nbsp;

There was no immediate comment from the White House. Asked about the report, a State Department official said, "We don`t have any meetings to announce."

If confirmed, this week`s meeting could mean the two sides are nearing a compromise after a months-long standoff over how to move forward in ending North Korea`s nuclear and missile programmes.

Pompeo, who made several trips to Pyongyang last year, sought to meet his counterpart last November, but the talks were called off at the last minute.&nbsp;

Contact was resumed after Kim`s New Year`s speech, in which he said he was willing to meet Trump "at any time," South Korea`s ambassador to the United States, Cho Yoon-je, told reporters last week.&nbsp;

Interim measures

Washington and Seoul have been discussing potential US measures to reciprocate North Korea`s possible steps toward denuclearisation, such as dismantling the Yongbyon main nuclear complex or intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) aimed at the United States, South Korean officials told Reuters.&nbsp;

The United States is considering partially easing sanctions in exchange for the North`s discarding and sending abroad its ICBMs, in addition to a freeze in its nuclear programme, the Chosun Ilbo said, citing the source.&nbsp;

Potential US corresponding action also includes exemptions from sanctions for inter-Korean business and tour ventures and opening a liaison office as a prelude to a formal launch of diplomatic relations, Seoul officials said.&nbsp;

"Those ideas are being discussed as interim measures, not as an end state, in order to expedite the denuclearisation process because the North wouldn`t respond to any demand for a declaration of facilities and weapons," a senior South Korean official said, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.&nbsp;

"The end goal remains unchanged, whether it be complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation, or final, fully verified denuclearisation."&nbsp;

The official said a second summit between Trump and Kim might happen in late February or early March, though "No one knows what Trump is thinking."

Kim renewed his resolve to meet Trump again during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing last week.

Trump also said this month he had received a "great" letter from Kim and would probably meet him again in the not-too-distant future.&nbsp;

"At the second summit, they`ll probably focus on reaching a possible interim deal rather than a comprehensive roadmap for denuclearisation," said Cheong Seong-chang, a senior fellow at South Korea`s Sejong Institute.&nbsp;

"Whether Pyongyang is willing to abolish ICBMs, in addition to disabling the Yongbyon complex, would be key, and if so, the North will likely demand sanctions relief in return."

The United States and North Korea plan to hold high-level talks in Washington this week to discuss a second summit of their leaders, following a prolonged stalemate in nuclear talks, a South Korean newspaper said on Tuesday.

The United States and North Korea plan to hold high-level talks in Washington this week to discuss a second summit of their leaders, following a prolonged stalemate in nuclear talks, a South Korean newspaper said on Tuesday. The meeting, led by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and senior North Korean official Kim Yong Chol, would happen on Thursday or Friday, the Chosun Ilbo said, citing an unnamed diplomatic source familiar with the talks. Both sides are expected to finalise the date and location of a second summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and the North`s envoy is likely to meet Trump, the paper said. There was no immediate comment from the White House. Asked about the report, a State Department official said, "We don`t have any meetings to announce." If confirmed, this week`s meeting could mean the two sides are nearing a compromise after a months-long standoff over how to move forward in ending North Korea`s nuclear and missile programmes. Pompeo, who made several trips to Pyongyang last year, sought to meet his counterpart last November, but the talks were called off at the last minute. Contact was resumed after Kim`s New Year`s speech, in which he said he was willing to meet Trump "at any time," South Korea`s ambassador to the United States, Cho Yoon-je, told reporters last week. Interim measures Washington and Seoul have been discussing potential US measures to reciprocate North Korea`s possible steps toward denuclearisation, such as dismantling the Yongbyon main nuclear complex or intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) aimed at the United States, South Korean officials told Reuters. The United States is considering partially easing sanctions in exchange for the North`s discarding and sending abroad its ICBMs, in addition to a freeze in its nuclear programme, the Chosun Ilbo said, citing the source. Potential US corresponding action also includes exemptions from sanctions for inter-Korean business and tour ventures and opening a liaison office as a prelude to a formal launch of diplomatic relations, Seoul officials said. "Those ideas are being discussed as interim measures, not as an end state, in order to expedite the denuclearisation process because the North wouldn`t respond to any demand for a declaration of facilities and weapons," a senior South Korean official said, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. "The end goal remains unchanged, whether it be complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation, or final, fully verified denuclearisation." The official said a second summit between Trump and Kim might happen in late February or early March, though "No one knows what Trump is thinking." Kim renewed his resolve to meet Trump again during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing last week. Trump also said this month he had received a "great" letter from Kim and would probably meet him again in the not-too-distant future. "At the second summit, they`ll probably focus on reaching a possible interim deal rather than a comprehensive roadmap for denuclearisation," said Cheong Seong-chang, a senior fellow at South Korea`s Sejong Institute. "Whether Pyongyang is willing to abolish ICBMs, in addition to disabling the Yongbyon complex, would be key, and if so, the North will likely demand sanctions relief in return."

US, North Korea to hold talks this week after nuclear standoff: Report

By Sojin Lim

News broke in early January that North Korea’s acting ambassador to Italy, Jo Song-gil, is in hiding and reportedly is seeking asylum in an “unidentified Western country”. The possible high-level defection came as a surprise, especially as US president Donald Trump recently confirmed his desire to have a second US-North Korea summit, and South Korean president Moon Jae-in is soon expecting a visit from the North’s leader, Kim Jong-un. At time of writing, the North Korean leader was in China on an unannounced visit to see president Xi Jinping.

When Kim Jong-un sent handwritten letters to Moon and Trump on New Year’s Eve, he seemed to be promising that the three countries could continue their dialogue over the Korean peninsula’s peace process. But why is Jo Song-gil seeking asylum if Kim Jong-un really is open to change in North Korea? Is he making his escape for personal reasons – or is it an indication that things are as bad as ever in Pyongyang?

Whatever the reason, Jo Song-gil’s defection could impact the ongoing negotiations. He could, for example, share sensitive information with the US and South Korea about the real denuclearisation situation in North Korea – and this could make Kim Jong-un less willing to engage.

And the negotiations are already fragile. Over the past 12 months, there have been repeated promises – and cancellations – made by all sides. It certainly remains to be seen whether the three countries will meet as suggested – and whether it will amount to any more than “gesture politics” if they do.

On one level, things do look different to the past, when little tangible progress was made. South Korea’s Moon Jae-in is a proactive leader, and Kim Jong-un is young, ambitious and eager to make his own mark. Both Kim Jong-un and Trump are also deeply unpredictable, however.

But there are other factors to consider, too, not least North Korea’s sharp economic downturn. This has, in fact, given many North Koreans wider access to information from outside the country, partially thanks to a growing number of defectors communicating with those who remain and the outside world. Kim Jong Un’s “equal emphasis” (Byungjin) policy, which focuses on both military and economic development, has also given impetus to his willingness to talk with Moon and Trump.

But even if the willingness is there, North Korea’s regime cannot upend nearly 70 years of history in a day. It will be a long process.

Bargaining chip

Although Kim Jong-un’s current performance on this issue is occasionally more promising than that of his father or grandfather, the truth is that he cannot abandon his nuclear programme until he can see an alternative way of guaranteeing the security of his regime.

After all, North Korea’s nuclear programme has so far worked well as a bargaining chip in international negotiations – although the current UN sanctions are an exception. Indeed, North Korea’s nuclear threats and long-range missiles have strengthened the county’s hand against the US, while without them, North Korea has almost nothing to offer as a concession.

Nor should we forget the role the North Korean media plays. By showing images of Kim Jong-un shaking hands with world leaders, it has become part of his survival strategy, bolstering his strongman image among both ordinary North Koreans and his government. Any meeting Kim Jong-un agrees to should, at least partly, be seen in this light.

Ultimately, there have been no significant changes in North Korea’s nuclear programme (besides demolishing some old or disused facilities). Nor will it be possible to achieve completely irreversible denuclearisation as long as North Korea retains its theoretical nuclear know-how. At the same time, while North Korea tends to highlight its will to halt rather than dismantle its nuclear capability, the US wants more before it invests economically.

So how to move forward? And how can negotiators overcome the current chicken-or-egg dilemma: denuclearisation first or economic support first?

The answer is twofold. First, we need something truly imaginative. Perhaps the US can find a solution by transforming the nuclear sites in North Korea into special industrial clusters and providing some of its military capability in exchange for nuclear disarmament. In this way, North Korea can attract private investment from the US, while easing its security concerns.

In the end, however, foreign policy objectives on the peninsula will need to be realistic. As mentioned before, a truly denuclearised North Korea will never happen as it will retain its theoretical nuclear knowledge. It will be far more practical, then, to find a common ground of mutual interests.

Accountability 
 
Second, there needs to be a sense of “mutual accountability”. The traditional definition of accountability has three stages: responsibility, answerability, and enforceability.

The “responsibility” stage can take the form of policy dialogue and trust building. Plenty of dialogue occurred during the six-party talks held intermittently since 2003 between North Korea, China, the US, South Korea, Japan and Russia – but they appeared to fail to build any meaningful trust. The latest rounds of dialogue between the US and the two Koreas will also fall at this hurdle unless they find a novel way forward.

Consequently, the dialogue must be based on mutual understanding and openness. The rest of the world must understand that North Korea is a fragile state, which cannot overcome the denuclearisation problem on its own – especially given its vulnerable financial situation. After all, it’s not just the US that doesn’t trust North Korea; North Korea doesn’t trust the US either, especially following the toppling of Saddam Hussein in Iraq and Muammar Gaddafi in Libya.

But that is just the first step. The “answerability” stage will require much greater information sharing and transparency. The international community is so suspicious of the sincerity of Kim Jong-un’s denuclearisation process because of that country’s poor level of openness and the limited access to solid information from within North Korea. Once North Korea opens its borders, there will be simultaneous achievements in terms of both denuclearisation and economic development.

All parties need measurable and transparent indicators of progress. But if agreements aren’t kept, a move can be made towards “enforceability”, including convening inspection panels or enforcing a compliance review process. Kim Jong-un’s father and predecessor, Kim Jong-il, for example, faced international sanctions along with the removal of food aid even during a famine period when he left the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 2003.

2019 may yet bring a way forward. But unless there is a foundation of mutual understanding, defectors such as Jo Song-gil may offer the only tangible insight into what’s really going on in North Korea.

(Sojin Lim is Deputy Director of the International Institute of Korean Studies, University of Central Lancashire)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/north-korea-what-latest-defection-tells-us-about-hopes-for-peace-on-peninsula-109447">original article)</a>

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

&nbsp;

By Sojin Lim News broke in early January that North Korea’s acting ambassador to Italy, Jo Song-gil, is in hiding and reportedly is seeking asylum in an “unidentified Western country”.

By Sojin Lim News broke in early January that North Korea’s acting ambassador to Italy, Jo Song-gil, is in hiding and reportedly is seeking asylum in an “unidentified Western country”. The possible high-level defection came as a surprise, especially as US president Donald Trump recently confirmed his desire to have a second US-North Korea summit, and South Korean president Moon Jae-in is soon expecting a visit from the North’s leader, Kim Jong-un. At time of writing, the North Korean leader was in China on an unannounced visit to see president Xi Jinping. When Kim Jong-un sent handwritten letters to Moon and Trump on New Year’s Eve, he seemed to be promising that the three countries could continue their dialogue over the Korean peninsula’s peace process. But why is Jo Song-gil seeking asylum if Kim Jong-un really is open to change in North Korea? Is he making his escape for personal reasons – or is it an indication that things are as bad as ever in Pyongyang? Whatever the reason, Jo Song-gil’s defection could impact the ongoing negotiations. He could, for example, share sensitive information with the US and South Korea about the real denuclearisation situation in North Korea – and this could make Kim Jong-un less willing to engage. And the negotiations are already fragile. Over the past 12 months, there have been repeated promises – and cancellations – made by all sides. It certainly remains to be seen whether the three countries will meet as suggested – and whether it will amount to any more than “gesture politics” if they do. On one level, things do look different to the past, when little tangible progress was made. South Korea’s Moon Jae-in is a proactive leader, and Kim Jong-un is young, ambitious and eager to make his own mark. Both Kim Jong-un and Trump are also deeply unpredictable, however. But there are other factors to consider, too, not least North Korea’s sharp economic downturn. This has, in fact, given many North Koreans wider access to information from outside the country, partially thanks to a growing number of defectors communicating with those who remain and the outside world. Kim Jong Un’s “equal emphasis” (Byungjin) policy, which focuses on both military and economic development, has also given impetus to his willingness to talk with Moon and Trump. But even if the willingness is there, North Korea’s regime cannot upend nearly 70 years of history in a day. It will be a long process. Bargaining chip Although Kim Jong-un’s current performance on this issue is occasionally more promising than that of his father or grandfather, the truth is that he cannot abandon his nuclear programme until he can see an alternative way of guaranteeing the security of his regime. After all, North Korea’s nuclear programme has so far worked well as a bargaining chip in international negotiations – although the current UN sanctions are an exception. Indeed, North Korea’s nuclear threats and long-range missiles have strengthened the county’s hand against the US, while without them, North Korea has almost nothing to offer as a concession. Nor should we forget the role the North Korean media plays. By showing images of Kim Jong-un shaking hands with world leaders, it has become part of his survival strategy, bolstering his strongman image among both ordinary North Koreans and his government. Any meeting Kim Jong-un agrees to should, at least partly, be seen in this light. Ultimately, there have been no significant changes in North Korea’s nuclear programme (besides demolishing some old or disused facilities). Nor will it be possible to achieve completely irreversible denuclearisation as long as North Korea retains its theoretical nuclear know-how. At the same time, while North Korea tends to highlight its will to halt rather than dismantle its nuclear capability, the US wants more before it invests economically. So how to move forward? And how can negotiators overcome the current chicken-or-egg dilemma: denuclearisation first or economic support first? The answer is twofold. First, we need something truly imaginative. Perhaps the US can find a solution by transforming the nuclear sites in North Korea into special industrial clusters and providing some of its military capability in exchange for nuclear disarmament. In this way, North Korea can attract private investment from the US, while easing its security concerns. In the end, however, foreign policy objectives on the peninsula will need to be realistic. As mentioned before, a truly denuclearised North Korea will never happen as it will retain its theoretical nuclear knowledge. It will be far more practical, then, to find a common ground of mutual interests. Accountability Second, there needs to be a sense of “mutual accountability”. The traditional definition of accountability has three stages: responsibility, answerability, and enforceability. The “responsibility” stage can take the form of policy dialogue and trust building. Plenty of dialogue occurred during the six-party talks held intermittently since 2003 between North Korea, China, the US, South Korea, Japan and Russia – but they appeared to fail to build any meaningful trust. The latest rounds of dialogue between the US and the two Koreas will also fall at this hurdle unless they find a novel way forward. Consequently, the dialogue must be based on mutual understanding and openness. The rest of the world must understand that North Korea is a fragile state, which cannot overcome the denuclearisation problem on its own – especially given its vulnerable financial situation. After all, it’s not just the US that doesn’t trust North Korea; North Korea doesn’t trust the US either, especially following the toppling of Saddam Hussein in Iraq and Muammar Gaddafi in Libya. But that is just the first step. The “answerability” stage will require much greater information sharing and transparency. The international community is so suspicious of the sincerity of Kim Jong-un’s denuclearisation process because of that country’s poor level of openness and the limited access to solid information from within North Korea. Once North Korea opens its borders, there will be simultaneous achievements in terms of both denuclearisation and economic development. All parties need measurable and transparent indicators of progress. But if agreements aren’t kept, a move can be made towards “enforceability”, including convening inspection panels or enforcing a compliance review process. Kim Jong-un’s father and predecessor, Kim Jong-il, for example, faced international sanctions along with the removal of food aid even during a famine period when he left the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 2003. 2019 may yet bring a way forward. But unless there is a foundation of mutual understanding, defectors such as Jo Song-gil may offer the only tangible insight into what’s really going on in North Korea. (Sojin Lim is Deputy Director of the International Institute of Korean Studies, University of Central Lancashire) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

What latest defection tells us about hopes for peace on Korean peninsula

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-koreas-kim-discusses-expected-summit-with-trump-in-talks-in-china-report-189075">Kim Jong Un's train left Beijing </a>on Wednesday after the North Korean leader visited his key ally on a trip seen as a strategy session ahead of his expected summit with Donald Trump.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/kim-jong-un-seeks-to-up-ante-with-xi-summit-analysts-189006">Kim arrived in Beijing on Tuesday </a>for his fourth visit to Pyongyang's sole major diplomatic friend, reportedly visiting a factory and meeting President Xi Jinping.

The North Korean leader's <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/kim-jong-un-on-4-day-visit-to-china-to-meet-president-xi-report-188901">motorcade was spotted arriving at the Beijing </a>central railway station early afternoon, and the train departed shortly after on a day-long ride back to the northeast border, according to AFP journalists.

The unannounced trip was largely shrouded in secrecy. Beyond confirming his presence in Beijing, no details have been provided by either North Korea or China on his schedule.

Kim met for one hour with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday - believed to be the North Korean leader's birthday - and the two later dined with their wives at Beijing's Great Hall of the People, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency.

The meeting focused on Kim's expected meeting with Trump, according to Yonhap.

In a New Year speech, Kim warned that Pyongyang may change its approach to nuclear talks if Washington persists with sanctions.

Relations between China and North Korea had deteriorated in recent years over Pyongyang's nuclear activities, but Kim has made sure to keep Xi informed about his dealings with the United States and South Korea as ties appear to have warmed.

"In order to resist the high pressure of the US, he must communicate with Xi in advance to see what steps he can take to deal with Trump," Beijing-based independent political commentator Hua Po told AFP.

"Kim needs the support of Xi so as to ask the US to make substantial steps, such as providing assistance to North Korea and normalising relations with North Korea," Hua said.

Kim chose China for his maiden official trip abroad last year before holding meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Trump.

Trump said Sunday that the United States and North Korea are negotiating the location of their next summit.

Discussions between the US and North Korea over Pyongyang's nuclear arsenal have stalled since Kim and Trump's high-profile summit in Singapore in June where they issued a vaguely worded declaration about denuclearisation.

The United States insists that United Nations sanctions must remain in place until North Korea gives up its weapons, while Pyongyang wants them immediately eased. China also wants the sanctions to be relaxed.

But Chinese officials also likely want to impress on Kim — who has so far pursued only limited reforms to his statist economy — the benefits the giant Communist country has enjoyed in its transformation from an impoverished nation to economic powerhouse.

Yonhap, citing unidentified sources, reported that Kim toured a factory operated by medicine firm Tongrentang for about half an hour in an economic zone in the Chinese capital.

He then went to the Beijing Hotel where he was expected to have lunch with Xi before his departure.

"For North Korea itself, 2019 is his strategic turning point. If he wants to shift his focus to the development of the economy, he needs China's cooperation," said Lu Chao, a North Korea expert at China's Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences.

"China will also introduce some successful experiences to Kim to help North Korea achieve economic transformation and realise the denuclearisation of the peninsula as soon as possible," Lu told AFP.

In the New Year speech, Kim focused on North Korea's moribund economy, saying that improving people's lives was his top priority and tackling energy shortages was an urgent task.

Hua, the Beijing-based analyst, said changes in the economic model will affect politics, "which poses new challenges to his control over the country."

"For this point, he must ask for advice from China."

The visit coincided with negotiations between US and Chinese officials in Beijing to resolve a bruising trade war between the world's two biggest economies.

Some analysts say China could use its cooperation on the North Korean issue as a bargaining chip in the US trade talks.

But Hua said Kim's visit would have a "limited" effect on the trade negotiations.

"The Sino-US trade negotiations are a matter between China and the US. The weight of North Korea is limited and cannot play a decisive role," he said.

Kim arrived in Beijing on Tuesday for his fourth visit to Pyongyang's sole major diplomatic friend, reportedly visiting a factory and meeting President Xi Jinping.

Kim Jong Un's train left Beijing on Wednesday after the North Korean leader visited his key ally on a trip seen as a strategy session ahead of his expected summit with Donald Trump. Kim arrived in Beijing on Tuesday for his fourth visit to Pyongyang's sole major diplomatic friend, reportedly visiting a factory and meeting President Xi Jinping. The North Korean leader's motorcade was spotted arriving at the Beijing central railway station early afternoon, and the train departed shortly after on a day-long ride back to the northeast border, according to AFP journalists. The unannounced trip was largely shrouded in secrecy. Beyond confirming his presence in Beijing, no details have been provided by either North Korea or China on his schedule. Kim met for one hour with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday - believed to be the North Korean leader's birthday - and the two later dined with their wives at Beijing's Great Hall of the People, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency. The meeting focused on Kim's expected meeting with Trump, according to Yonhap. In a New Year speech, Kim warned that Pyongyang may change its approach to nuclear talks if Washington persists with sanctions. Relations between China and North Korea had deteriorated in recent years over Pyongyang's nuclear activities, but Kim has made sure to keep Xi informed about his dealings with the United States and South Korea as ties appear to have warmed. "In order to resist the high pressure of the US, he must communicate with Xi in advance to see what steps he can take to deal with Trump," Beijing-based independent political commentator Hua Po told AFP. "Kim needs the support of Xi so as to ask the US to make substantial steps, such as providing assistance to North Korea and normalising relations with North Korea," Hua said. Kim chose China for his maiden official trip abroad last year before holding meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Trump. Trump said Sunday that the United States and North Korea are negotiating the location of their next summit. Discussions between the US and North Korea over Pyongyang's nuclear arsenal have stalled since Kim and Trump's high-profile summit in Singapore in June where they issued a vaguely worded declaration about denuclearisation. The United States insists that United Nations sanctions must remain in place until North Korea gives up its weapons, while Pyongyang wants them immediately eased. China also wants the sanctions to be relaxed. But Chinese officials also likely want to impress on Kim — who has so far pursued only limited reforms to his statist economy — the benefits the giant Communist country has enjoyed in its transformation from an impoverished nation to economic powerhouse. Yonhap, citing unidentified sources, reported that Kim toured a factory operated by medicine firm Tongrentang for about half an hour in an economic zone in the Chinese capital. He then went to the Beijing Hotel where he was expected to have lunch with Xi before his departure. "For North Korea itself, 2019 is his strategic turning point. If he wants to shift his focus to the development of the economy, he needs China's cooperation," said Lu Chao, a North Korea expert at China's Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences. "China will also introduce some successful experiences to Kim to help North Korea achieve economic transformation and realise the denuclearisation of the peninsula as soon as possible," Lu told AFP. In the New Year speech, Kim focused on North Korea's moribund economy, saying that improving people's lives was his top priority and tackling energy shortages was an urgent task. Hua, the Beijing-based analyst, said changes in the economic model will affect politics, "which poses new challenges to his control over the country." "For this point, he must ask for advice from China." The visit coincided with negotiations between US and Chinese officials in Beijing to resolve a bruising trade war between the world's two biggest economies. Some analysts say China could use its cooperation on the North Korean issue as a bargaining chip in the US trade talks. But Hua said Kim's visit would have a "limited" effect on the trade negotiations. "The Sino-US trade negotiations are a matter between China and the US. The weight of North Korea is limited and cannot play a decisive role," he said.

Watch: North Korea's Kim ends China visit after meeting President Xi

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed an<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/kim-jong-un-seeks-to-up-ante-with-xi-summit-analysts-189006"> expected US-North Korea summit in talks </a>in Beijing on Tuesday, Yonhap news agency said, days after Kim warned he may take an alternative path if the United States does not ease sanctions.&nbsp;

Kim's visit to China, confirmed by North Korean and Chinese state media, comes amid plans for a second summit with US President Donald Trump aimed at denuclearising the Korean peninsula.

South Korea's Yonhap, without identifying its sources, said the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/kim-jong-un-on-4-day-visit-to-china-to-meet-president-xi-report-188901">two leaders held talks</a>&nbsp;for an hour in which they discussed the second US-North Korea summit and strengthening bilateral ties.

The meeting was followed by a dinner hosted by Xi and his wife, Yonhap said.

Kim held three summits last year with Xi, his most important ally, before and after summits with Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

Kim and Trump pledged to work towards denuclearisation at their landmark June summit in Singapore, but the agreement was short on specifics. Negotiations have made little headway since.

"Kim is eager to remind the Trump administration that he does have diplomatic and economic options besides what Washington and Seoul can offer," Harry J. Kazianis, Director of Defence Studies at the US-based Centre for the National Interest, said in an e-mailed statement.&nbsp;

"In fact, during his New Year`s Day speech, Kim`s `new way` that he referred to may well have been a veiled threat to move closer to Beijing. That should make America quite concerned."&nbsp;

Kim left for China on a private train on Monday afternoon accompanied by his wife, Ri Sol Ju, and senior North Korean officials, including Kim Yong Chol, a key negotiator in talks with the United States, and foreign minister Ri Yong Ho, North Korea`s state-run KCNA news agency said.&nbsp;

China`s official Xinhua news agency confirmed that Kim was visiting from Monday to Thursday at Xi`s invitation.

The visit coincides with what South Korean officials say is Kim`s 35th birthday on Tuesday.

Kim`s visit to North Korea`s most important economic and diplomatic ally follows reports of advanced negotiations for a second summit between Washington and Pyongyang aimed at resolving the standoff over North Korea`s nuclear and missile programmes.&nbsp;

Kim said in his New Year speech he was ready to meet Trump any time to achieve their common goal of denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. But he warned that he may seek an alternative path if US sanctions and pressure against the country continued.

`GOOD PARTNER`&nbsp;

In an interview with CNBC on Monday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo praised China`s support for resolving the North Korean crisis and said he did not think the US trade dispute with China would affect this.

Kim`s visit comes as a US delegation opened a second day of talks with Chinese counterparts in Beijing aimed at ending the trade war between the world`s two largest economies.&nbsp;

"The Chinese have been very clear to us that these are separate issues," Pompeo said.

"Their behaviour has demonstrated that as well and we appreciate that. China has actually been a good partner in our efforts to reduce the risk to the world from North Korea`s nuclear capability; I expect they will continue to do so."

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang, asked during a daily briefing whether there was a connection between Kim`s visit and the possibility of another meeting between Kim and Trump, said China believed contact between the United States and North Korea was important.&nbsp;

"China has always supported both sides to continue to hold talks and to reach a positive outcome," Lu said.&nbsp;

Shi Yinhong, an international relations professor at Renmin University in Beijing, said Kim`s trip would have no direct influence on the progress of trade talks.&nbsp;

While no details were released about an agenda in China, Kim has been seeking relief from sanctions, a peace declaration to formally end the 1950-1953 Korean War and more investment.&nbsp;

Ties between China and North Korea, which had frayed as Pyongyang stepped up its missile and nuclear tests up to late 2017, warmed over the past year as Kim engaged with China, South Korea and the United States.

 
&nbsp;

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed an expected US-North Korea summit in talks in Beijing on Tuesday, Yonhap news agency said, days after Kim warned he may take an alternative path if the United States does not ease sanctions.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed an expected US-North Korea summit in talks in Beijing on Tuesday, Yonhap news agency said, days after Kim warned he may take an alternative path if the United States does not ease sanctions. Kim's visit to China, confirmed by North Korean and Chinese state media, comes amid plans for a second summit with US President Donald Trump aimed at denuclearising the Korean peninsula. South Korea's Yonhap, without identifying its sources, said the two leaders held talks for an hour in which they discussed the second US-North Korea summit and strengthening bilateral ties. The meeting was followed by a dinner hosted by Xi and his wife, Yonhap said. Kim held three summits last year with Xi, his most important ally, before and after summits with Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Kim and Trump pledged to work towards denuclearisation at their landmark June summit in Singapore, but the agreement was short on specifics. Negotiations have made little headway since. "Kim is eager to remind the Trump administration that he does have diplomatic and economic options besides what Washington and Seoul can offer," Harry J. Kazianis, Director of Defence Studies at the US-based Centre for the National Interest, said in an e-mailed statement. "In fact, during his New Year`s Day speech, Kim`s `new way` that he referred to may well have been a veiled threat to move closer to Beijing. That should make America quite concerned." Kim left for China on a private train on Monday afternoon accompanied by his wife, Ri Sol Ju, and senior North Korean officials, including Kim Yong Chol, a key negotiator in talks with the United States, and foreign minister Ri Yong Ho, North Korea`s state-run KCNA news agency said. China`s official Xinhua news agency confirmed that Kim was visiting from Monday to Thursday at Xi`s invitation. The visit coincides with what South Korean officials say is Kim`s 35th birthday on Tuesday. Kim`s visit to North Korea`s most important economic and diplomatic ally follows reports of advanced negotiations for a second summit between Washington and Pyongyang aimed at resolving the standoff over North Korea`s nuclear and missile programmes. Kim said in his New Year speech he was ready to meet Trump any time to achieve their common goal of denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. But he warned that he may seek an alternative path if US sanctions and pressure against the country continued. `GOOD PARTNER` In an interview with CNBC on Monday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo praised China`s support for resolving the North Korean crisis and said he did not think the US trade dispute with China would affect this. Kim`s visit comes as a US delegation opened a second day of talks with Chinese counterparts in Beijing aimed at ending the trade war between the world`s two largest economies. "The Chinese have been very clear to us that these are separate issues," Pompeo said. "Their behaviour has demonstrated that as well and we appreciate that. China has actually been a good partner in our efforts to reduce the risk to the world from North Korea`s nuclear capability; I expect they will continue to do so." Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang, asked during a daily briefing whether there was a connection between Kim`s visit and the possibility of another meeting between Kim and Trump, said China believed contact between the United States and North Korea was important. "China has always supported both sides to continue to hold talks and to reach a positive outcome," Lu said. Shi Yinhong, an international relations professor at Renmin University in Beijing, said Kim`s trip would have no direct influence on the progress of trade talks. While no details were released about an agenda in China, Kim has been seeking relief from sanctions, a peace declaration to formally end the 1950-1953 Korean War and more investment. Ties between China and North Korea, which had frayed as Pyongyang stepped up its missile and nuclear tests up to late 2017, warmed over the past year as Kim engaged with China, South Korea and the United States.

North Korea's Kim meets with China's Xi, discusses expected summit with Trump: Report

Watch: WION Your Story, 8th January 2019

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-us-president-trump-discuss-indo-pacific-and-afghanistan-in-phone-call-188905">PM Modi, US President Trump discuss Indo-Pacific and Afghanistan in phone call</a>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump had a telephonic conversation last evening in which both exchanged New Year greetings and expressed satisfaction over the progress in India-US strategic partnership.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/kim-jong-un-on-4-day-visit-to-china-to-meet-president-xi-report-188901">Kim Jong-un on 4-day visit to China to meet President Xi: Report</a> 
 
Kim Jong-un is on a four-day visit to China to meet President Xi Jinping, Chinese and North Korean state media said Tuesday, after a special train was reported to have been seen crossing the border.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/france-to-introduce-new-law-to-curb-unauthorised-demonstrations-pm-edouard-philippe-188896">France to introduce new law to curb unauthorised demonstrations: PM Edouard Philippe</a>

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on Monday announced plans to ban participation in unauthorised demonstrations as the government scrambles to try to end weeks of violent "yellow vest" protests.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/meghalaya-over-2-lakh-litre-water-pumped-out-in-efforts-to-rescue-trapped-miners-188885">Meghalaya: Over 2 lakh litre water pumped out in efforts to rescue trapped miners</a>

Coal India Limited (CIL) on Monday started pumping out water from the old shaft at around 3.30 pm as part of the ongoing operations to rescue the miners who have been trapped in a mine at Ksan near Lyteiñ River in East Jaintia Hills.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/liverpool-knocked-out-of-fa-cup-by-wolves-188887">Liverpool knocked out of FA Cup by Wolves</a>

Premier League leaders Liverpool paid the price for fielding a weakened side as they were knocked out in the third round of the FA Cup following a 2-1 defeat by Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday.

PM Modi, US President Trump discuss Indo-Pacific and Afghanistan in phone call Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump had a telephonic conversation last evening in which both exchanged New Year greetings and expressed satisfaction over the progress in India-US strategic partnership.

PM Modi, US President Trump discuss Indo-Pacific and Afghanistan in phone call Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump had a telephonic conversation last evening in which both exchanged New Year greetings and expressed satisfaction over the progress in India-US strategic partnership. Kim Jong-un on 4-day visit to China to meet President Xi: Report Kim Jong-un is on a four-day visit to China to meet President Xi Jinping, Chinese and North Korean state media said Tuesday, after a special train was reported to have been seen crossing the border. France to introduce new law to curb unauthorised demonstrations: PM Edouard Philippe French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on Monday announced plans to ban participation in unauthorised demonstrations as the government scrambles to try to end weeks of violent "yellow vest" protests. Meghalaya: Over 2 lakh litre water pumped out in efforts to rescue trapped miners Coal India Limited (CIL) on Monday started pumping out water from the old shaft at around 3.30 pm as part of the ongoing operations to rescue the miners who have been trapped in a mine at Ksan near Lyteiñ River in East Jaintia Hills. Liverpool knocked out of FA Cup by Wolves Premier League leaders Liverpool paid the price for fielding a weakened side as they were knocked out in the third round of the FA Cup following a 2-1 defeat by Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Kim Jong-un is on a four-day visit<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/kim-jong-un-the-rational-actor-who-made-history-this-year-184965"> to China to meet President Xi Jinping</a>, Chinese and North Korean state media said Tuesday, after a special train was reported to have been seen crossing the border.

The North's leader, accompanied by <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-will-grant-kim-jong-uns-wishes-after-denuclearisation-south-korea-president-181032">his wife Ri Sol Ju and several senior</a> officials set off from Pyongyang station on board his private train on Monday, the Korean Central News Agency reported.

China's official Xinhua news agency also confirmed the visit.

The trip is at Xi's invitation and set to run over four days, KCNA added, with Kim slated to return on Thursday.

China is the isolated, nuclear-armed North's key diplomatic ally and main source of trade and aid, and the visit is likely to heighten speculation about a potential second summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump.

Kim - whose birthday is reportedly on Tuesday, although that has never been confirmed by Pyongyang - visited China three times last year to pay his respects to Xi.

Until his first trip in March, Kim had not met Xi for more than six years after inheriting power from his father, as relations between the neighbours, once described as close as "lips and teeth", deteriorated.

But a whirlwind of diplomacy enveloped the Korean Peninsula last year, with Kim also meeting the South's President Moon Jae-in three times, and culminating in his high-profile Singapore summit with US counterpart Donald Trump in June.

None of Kim's 2018 trips to China was announced in advance, and the earliest indications of the first one - before Kim met either Moon or Trump - came when his train was spotted in Beijing.

The South's Yonhap news agency cited an informed source late Monday saying that a special North Korean train had been seen crossing the border and was expected in Beijing Tuesday morning.

In the Chinese border city of Dandong, dozens of security vehicles and officials blocked the roads around the train station on Monday before the train passed through, Yonhap reported, before reopening them afterwards.

Japan's Kyodo news agency added that hotel guests in Dandong had not been allowed to enter rooms facing the river that forms the border on Monday afternoon, in what it cited sources describing as "an apparent move to prevent the train from being seen".

Officials from the presidential Blue House in Seoul were said to be monitoring the situation.

At the Singapore summit, Kim and Trump signed a vaguely-worded pledge about the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, but progress has since stalled amid disagreements over what that means, with meetings and visits cancelled at short notice.

Negotiations were underway on the location of their next meeting, Trump said Sunday, while remaining evasive on its timing.

The US president said last week he had received a "great letter" from the North Korean leader but declined to reveal its contents.

"We are negotiating a location," he told reporters. "They do want to meet and we want to meet and we'll see what happens."

Washington is demanding Pyongyang gives up its nuclear arsenal before any relief from economic sanctions is granted, while the North is insisting on immediate concessions from the US.

Culminating in late 2017, Pyongyang carried out six atomic blasts and launched rockets capable of reaching the entire US mainland, but has now carried out no such tests for more than a year.

Kim Jong-un is on a four-day visit to China to meet President Xi Jinping, Chinese and North Korean state media said Tuesday, after a special train was reported to have been seen crossing the border.

Kim Jong-un is on a four-day visit to China to meet President Xi Jinping, Chinese and North Korean state media said Tuesday, after a special train was reported to have been seen crossing the border. The North's leader, accompanied by his wife Ri Sol Ju and several senior officials set off from Pyongyang station on board his private train on Monday, the Korean Central News Agency reported. China's official Xinhua news agency also confirmed the visit. The trip is at Xi's invitation and set to run over four days, KCNA added, with Kim slated to return on Thursday. China is the isolated, nuclear-armed North's key diplomatic ally and main source of trade and aid, and the visit is likely to heighten speculation about a potential second summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump. Kim - whose birthday is reportedly on Tuesday, although that has never been confirmed by Pyongyang - visited China three times last year to pay his respects to Xi. Until his first trip in March, Kim had not met Xi for more than six years after inheriting power from his father, as relations between the neighbours, once described as close as "lips and teeth", deteriorated. But a whirlwind of diplomacy enveloped the Korean Peninsula last year, with Kim also meeting the South's President Moon Jae-in three times, and culminating in his high-profile Singapore summit with US counterpart Donald Trump in June. None of Kim's 2018 trips to China was announced in advance, and the earliest indications of the first one - before Kim met either Moon or Trump - came when his train was spotted in Beijing. The South's Yonhap news agency cited an informed source late Monday saying that a special North Korean train had been seen crossing the border and was expected in Beijing Tuesday morning. In the Chinese border city of Dandong, dozens of security vehicles and officials blocked the roads around the train station on Monday before the train passed through, Yonhap reported, before reopening them afterwards. Japan's Kyodo news agency added that hotel guests in Dandong had not been allowed to enter rooms facing the river that forms the border on Monday afternoon, in what it cited sources describing as "an apparent move to prevent the train from being seen". Officials from the presidential Blue House in Seoul were said to be monitoring the situation. At the Singapore summit, Kim and Trump signed a vaguely-worded pledge about the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, but progress has since stalled amid disagreements over what that means, with meetings and visits cancelled at short notice. Negotiations were underway on the location of their next meeting, Trump said Sunday, while remaining evasive on its timing. The US president said last week he had received a "great letter" from the North Korean leader but declined to reveal its contents. "We are negotiating a location," he told reporters. "They do want to meet and we want to meet and we'll see what happens." Washington is demanding Pyongyang gives up its nuclear arsenal before any relief from economic sanctions is granted, while the North is insisting on immediate concessions from the US. Culminating in late 2017, Pyongyang carried out six atomic blasts and launched rockets capable of reaching the entire US mainland, but has now carried out no such tests for more than a year.

Kim Jong-un on 4-day visit to China to meet President Xi: Report

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he had received a "great letter" from Kim Jong Un, after the North Korean leader warned <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/after-pyongyangs-warning-trump-says-looks-forward-to-new-meeting-with-kim-187846">Pyongyang may change its approach</a> to nuclear talks if Washington persists with sanctions.

"I just got a great letter from Kim Jong Un," Trump told a cabinet meeting, reiterating that he still expected to hold a second summit with the North Korean leader, after the pair signed a pledge on denuclearization of the Korean peninsula in Singapore last June.

"We really established a very good relationship," Trump said. "We'll probably have another meeting."

Trump has cast his first summit with Kim as a major diplomatic victory, and on Wednesday repeated his claim that there would be a "big fat war in Asia" had they not sat down to talk.

But progress has stalled since the Singapore summit with the two sides disagreeing over the meaning of their vaguely-worded declaration, and the pace of US-North Korean negotiations has slowed, with meetings and visits cancelled at short notice.

Speculation about a second Trump-Kim summit has meanwhile ebbed and flowed, with the US president saying that he hoped it would take place early this year.

In a brief tweet on Tuesday, Trump said he "look(s) forward to meeting with Chairman Kim who realizes so well that North Korea possesses great economic potential!"&nbsp;

The North is demanding relief from multiple sanctions imposed over its banned nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, and has condemned US insistence on its nuclear disarmament as "gangster-like."

In his New Year speech Kim called for the sanctions to be eased, saying that the North had declared "we would neither make and test nuclear weapons any longer nor use and proliferate them," and urged the US to take "corresponding practical actions."&nbsp;

Culminating in late 2017, the North has carried out six atomic blasts and launched rockets capable of reaching the entire US mainland, but has now carried out no such tests for more than a year.

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he had received a "great letter" from Kim Jong Un, after the North Korean leader warned Pyongyang may change its approach to nuclear talks if Washington persists with sanctions.

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he had received a "great letter" from Kim Jong Un, after the North Korean leader warned Pyongyang may change its approach to nuclear talks if Washington persists with sanctions. "I just got a great letter from Kim Jong Un," Trump told a cabinet meeting, reiterating that he still expected to hold a second summit with the North Korean leader, after the pair signed a pledge on denuclearization of the Korean peninsula in Singapore last June. "We really established a very good relationship," Trump said. "We'll probably have another meeting." Trump has cast his first summit with Kim as a major diplomatic victory, and on Wednesday repeated his claim that there would be a "big fat war in Asia" had they not sat down to talk. But progress has stalled since the Singapore summit with the two sides disagreeing over the meaning of their vaguely-worded declaration, and the pace of US-North Korean negotiations has slowed, with meetings and visits cancelled at short notice. Speculation about a second Trump-Kim summit has meanwhile ebbed and flowed, with the US president saying that he hoped it would take place early this year. In a brief tweet on Tuesday, Trump said he "look(s) forward to meeting with Chairman Kim who realizes so well that North Korea possesses great economic potential!" The North is demanding relief from multiple sanctions imposed over its banned nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, and has condemned US insistence on its nuclear disarmament as "gangster-like." In his New Year speech Kim called for the sanctions to be eased, saying that the North had declared "we would neither make and test nuclear weapons any longer nor use and proliferate them," and urged the US to take "corresponding practical actions." Culminating in late 2017, the North has carried out six atomic blasts and launched rockets capable of reaching the entire US mainland, but has now carried out no such tests for more than a year.

Trump received 'great' letter from North Korea's Kim, says still expects to hold second summit

The popularity rating of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-koreas-kim-wants-more-summits-with-moon-jae-in-next-year-south-korea-president-office-187315">South Korean President </a>closed 2018 at its worst, amid an economic slowdown in the country and an alleged case of spying on civilians by a former official in the presidential office, a report said on Monday.

Support for Moon Jae-in stood at 45.9 per cent, according to the survey conducted by Realmeter, the Yonhap news agency reported.

The decline comes at a time when South Korea is experiencing an economic slump and has been marked by the recent publication of reports that a former researcher collected information on civilians while working for the presidential office.

Moon's approval rating soared to over 70 per cent in the first week of January, when the thaw in relations between the two Koreas began to develop after the conciliatory New Year message from North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un and reached a peak of 77.4 per cent just after the inter-Korean summit on April 27.

The popularity of the president fell to 53.1 per cent in mid-September due to signs of economic slowdown in the country. The forecasts for economic growth for the fourth-largest economy in Asia for this year have been cut to 2.7 per cent, below the 3 per cent predicted by the government at the beginning of the year.

Although Moon's popularity rating shot up again to 65.3 per cent two weeks later, after the third summit between Moon and Kim held in Pyongyang, the rating has been in continuous decline since October.

The index dropped below the 50 per cent barrier at the end of November, in the midst of the slowdown in the economy, reaching its current level, the worst since Moon became president in May 2017.

Support for Moon Jae-in stood at 45.9 per cent, according to the survey conducted by Realmeter, the Yonhap news agency reported.

The popularity rating of South Korean President closed 2018 at its worst, amid an economic slowdown in the country and an alleged case of spying on civilians by a former official in the presidential office, a report said on Monday. Support for Moon Jae-in stood at 45.9 per cent, according to the survey conducted by Realmeter, the Yonhap news agency reported. The decline comes at a time when South Korea is experiencing an economic slump and has been marked by the recent publication of reports that a former researcher collected information on civilians while working for the presidential office. Moon's approval rating soared to over 70 per cent in the first week of January, when the thaw in relations between the two Koreas began to develop after the conciliatory New Year message from North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un and reached a peak of 77.4 per cent just after the inter-Korean summit on April 27. The popularity of the president fell to 53.1 per cent in mid-September due to signs of economic slowdown in the country. The forecasts for economic growth for the fourth-largest economy in Asia for this year have been cut to 2.7 per cent, below the 3 per cent predicted by the government at the beginning of the year. Although Moon's popularity rating shot up again to 65.3 per cent two weeks later, after the third summit between Moon and Kim held in Pyongyang, the rating has been in continuous decline since October. The index dropped below the 50 per cent barrier at the end of November, in the midst of the slowdown in the economy, reaching its current level, the worst since Moon became president in May 2017.

South Korean president Moon Jae-in's popularity ends 2018 at its lowest rating

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/kim-jong-un-the-rational-actor-who-made-history-this-year-184965">North Korean leader Kim Jong Un</a> said he wants to hold more summits with <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/inter-korea-summit-moon-jae-in-kim-jong-un-in-mountain-show-of-unity-166755">South Korea's Moon Jae-in</a> next year to achieve the goal of denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, Moon's office said on Sunday.&nbsp;

Kim sent a letter to Moon on Sunday to commemorate the dramatic detente they engineered this year, including three summits, after years of confrontation marked by a series of the North's nuclear and missile tests.

Kim was sorry his plan to visit Seoul this year did not take place as agreed at their third summit in Pyongyang in September, expressing his "strong resolve" to make it happen in the future while monitoring the situation, Moon's office said.

&nbsp;

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he wants to hold more summits with South Korea's Moon Jae-in next year to achieve the goal of denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, Moon's office said on Sunday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he wants to hold more summits with South Korea's Moon Jae-in next year to achieve the goal of denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, Moon's office said on Sunday. Kim sent a letter to Moon on Sunday to commemorate the dramatic detente they engineered this year, including three summits, after years of confrontation marked by a series of the North's nuclear and missile tests. Kim was sorry his plan to visit Seoul this year did not take place as agreed at their third summit in Pyongyang in September, expressing his "strong resolve" to make it happen in the future while monitoring the situation, Moon's office said.

North Korea's Kim wants more summits with Moon Jae-in next year: South Korea President office

North Korea on Tuesday hit back at a latest UN resolution that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-sanctions-top-kim-jong-un-aides-over-north-korea-rights-183017">condemned Pyongyang's rights abuses</a>, calling it a "serious... provocation" that would undermine peace efforts on the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/historic-inter-korean-summit-when-the-two-koreas-met-186132">Korean peninsula</a>.

The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-condemns-us-sanctions-warns-denuclearization-at-risk-184559">UN General Assembly</a>&nbsp;last week adopted a resolution — which passed by consensus without a vote — condemning the "systematic, widespread and gross" human rights violations in the isolated North.&nbsp;

The impoverished but nuclear-armed nation, ruled by the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/east-asia/denuclearisation-includes-eliminating-us-nuclear-threat-in-korean-peninsula-north-korean-state-media-185456">Kim family </a>through three generations, has been accused of state-sanctioned abuses including torture, rape and extrajudicial killings.&nbsp;

It marked the 14th consecutive year the UN has passed such a document. The North has constantly denied any rights abuses in the country and labelled the UN criticisms as smear campaigns aimed at undermining its leadership.&nbsp;

The North's state-run Rodong newspaper slammed the latest resolution as a "serious political provocation against the (North) and a vicious move to tarnish its international image".

"The wicked intention of the US... in getting vocal about the non-existent 'human rights issue' of the DPRK is to broaden the scope of the sanctions and pressure and escalate them," it said in an editorial, using the North's official name.

The editorial also lashed out at a "thoughtless"<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pictures-with-kim-jong-un-mask-pulled-down-from-social-media-after-backlash-in-south-korea-183853"> South Korea</a> for backing the UN bill — a move that would be "tarnishing the atmosphere of improving the north-south ties".

Washington had separately sought to organize a Security Council meeting on human rights in the North but gave up on the option earlier this month because it was unsure of the support it would get from partners.&nbsp;

But the US hopes to hold the meeting next month with the arrival of new non-permanent council members that could be more favourable to doing so.

The South's President Moon Jae-in has advocated dialogue with the North to nudge it to denuclearisation negotiations and has met with its leader Kim Jong Un three times this year.&nbsp;

Kim also met with US President Donald Trump in a historic summit in June but progress has stalled with both sides accusing each other of dragging their feet and acting in bad faith.

North Korea on Tuesday hit back at a latest UN resolution that condemned Pyongyang's rights abuses, calling it a "serious... provocation" that would undermine peace efforts on the Korean peninsula.

North Korea on Tuesday hit back at a latest UN resolution that condemned Pyongyang's rights abuses, calling it a "serious... provocation" that would undermine peace efforts on the Korean peninsula. The UN General Assembly last week adopted a resolution — which passed by consensus without a vote — condemning the "systematic, widespread and gross" human rights violations in the isolated North. The impoverished but nuclear-armed nation, ruled by the Kim family through three generations, has been accused of state-sanctioned abuses including torture, rape and extrajudicial killings. It marked the 14th consecutive year the UN has passed such a document. The North has constantly denied any rights abuses in the country and labelled the UN criticisms as smear campaigns aimed at undermining its leadership. The North's state-run Rodong newspaper slammed the latest resolution as a "serious political provocation against the (North) and a vicious move to tarnish its international image". "The wicked intention of the US... in getting vocal about the non-existent 'human rights issue' of the DPRK is to broaden the scope of the sanctions and pressure and escalate them," it said in an editorial, using the North's official name. The editorial also lashed out at a "thoughtless" South Korea for backing the UN bill — a move that would be "tarnishing the atmosphere of improving the north-south ties". Washington had separately sought to organize a Security Council meeting on human rights in the North but gave up on the option earlier this month because it was unsure of the support it would get from partners. But the US hopes to hold the meeting next month with the arrival of new non-permanent council members that could be more favourable to doing so. The South's President Moon Jae-in has advocated dialogue with the North to nudge it to denuclearisation negotiations and has met with its leader Kim Jong Un three times this year. Kim also met with US President Donald Trump in a historic summit in June but progress has stalled with both sides accusing each other of dragging their feet and acting in bad faith.

North Korea say UN resolution on rights abuse 'serious provocation'

North Korea's commitment to the "<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-condemns-us-sanctions-warns-denuclearization-at-risk-184559">denuclearisation</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-condemns-us-sanctions-warns-denuclearization-at-risk-184559"> of the Korean peninsula</a>" also includes "completely eliminating the US&nbsp;nuclear threat to Korea," North Korean state media said on Thursday.

US President Donald Trump and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/after-north-korea-reportedly-tests-new-high-tech-weapon-us-says-confident-kim-will-fulfill-denuclearisation-promise-177629">North Korean leader Kim Jong Un</a> issued a joint statement after their historic meeting in Singapore in June that reaffirmed the North’s commitment to "work towards complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula" and gave US guarantees of security to North Korea.

Conflicting or vague views of what exactly "denuclearisation" means, however, have complicated negotiations that now appear stalled.

Thursday's commentary, released by North Korea's state-run KCNA news agency, is one of the clearest explanations since the June summit of how Pyongyang sees denuclearisation.

"When we refer to the Korean peninsula, the term encompasses the area of DPRK plus South Korean territory where US nuclear weapons and other forms of aggression forces are deployed," the editorial said, using the initials of North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"When we refer to the 'denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula' as well, it should be correctly understood as removing all nuclear threat factors from not only the North and the South but from all neighbouring areas."

North Korea rejects American calls for it to unilaterally denuclearise, and Washington should abandon the "delusion" of forcing Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapons "via pressure and oppression," the article said.

The United States has said that it will not lift sanctions on North Korea until more progress has been made toward the verifiable denuclearisation of North Korea.

Washington has also rejected any suggestion that it would reduce its military presence in the region as part of a deal with North Korea, but in a surprise move after the summit, Trump announced that the Pentagon would cancel most of its largest military exercises conducted with the South Koreans.

The exact definition of denuclearisation is likely to be raised again as Trump has said he is working to meet again with Kim sometime early next year.

"It is obvious that denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula is a joint business that cannot be achieved unless both Korea and the United States strive together," the KCNA commentary said.

"In this sense, the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula should be defined as 'completely eliminating the US nuclear threat to Korea' before it can eliminate our nuclear deterrent."

The United States deployed nuclear weapons in South Korea from 1958 to 1991. Since they were withdrawn, the United States has extended its "nuclear umbrella" of support to Japan and South Korea using bombers and submarines based elsewhere.

At a press briefing in Washington on Tuesday, US State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said he would not "split words" when asked about whether the promise of "denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula" means only North Korea or the broader region.

"We are focused on the denuclearisation of North Korea," Palladino said. "We remain confident and we look forward to the commitments that Chairman Kim and that President Trump have made."

North Korea's commitment to the "denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula" also includes "completely eliminating the US nuclear threat to Korea," North Korean state media said on Thursday.

North Korea's commitment to the "denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula" also includes "completely eliminating the US nuclear threat to Korea," North Korean state media said on Thursday. US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un issued a joint statement after their historic meeting in Singapore in June that reaffirmed the North’s commitment to "work towards complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula" and gave US guarantees of security to North Korea. Conflicting or vague views of what exactly "denuclearisation" means, however, have complicated negotiations that now appear stalled. Thursday's commentary, released by North Korea's state-run KCNA news agency, is one of the clearest explanations since the June summit of how Pyongyang sees denuclearisation. "When we refer to the Korean peninsula, the term encompasses the area of DPRK plus South Korean territory where US nuclear weapons and other forms of aggression forces are deployed," the editorial said, using the initials of North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "When we refer to the 'denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula' as well, it should be correctly understood as removing all nuclear threat factors from not only the North and the South but from all neighbouring areas." North Korea rejects American calls for it to unilaterally denuclearise, and Washington should abandon the "delusion" of forcing Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapons "via pressure and oppression," the article said. The United States has said that it will not lift sanctions on North Korea until more progress has been made toward the verifiable denuclearisation of North Korea. Washington has also rejected any suggestion that it would reduce its military presence in the region as part of a deal with North Korea, but in a surprise move after the summit, Trump announced that the Pentagon would cancel most of its largest military exercises conducted with the South Koreans. The exact definition of denuclearisation is likely to be raised again as Trump has said he is working to meet again with Kim sometime early next year. "It is obvious that denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula is a joint business that cannot be achieved unless both Korea and the United States strive together," the KCNA commentary said. "In this sense, the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula should be defined as 'completely eliminating the US nuclear threat to Korea' before it can eliminate our nuclear deterrent." The United States deployed nuclear weapons in South Korea from 1958 to 1991. Since they were withdrawn, the United States has extended its "nuclear umbrella" of support to Japan and South Korea using bombers and submarines based elsewhere. At a press briefing in Washington on Tuesday, US State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said he would not "split words" when asked about whether the promise of "denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula" means only North Korea or the broader region. "We are focused on the denuclearisation of North Korea," Palladino said. "We remain confident and we look forward to the commitments that Chairman Kim and that President Trump have made."

Denuclearisation includes eliminating US nuclear threat in Korean Peninsula: North Korean state media

In Pics: In a first, Korean soldiers cross border peacefully

By John Feffer

Remarkable changes are taking place on the Korean peninsula. The two Koreas are actually starting to demilitarise the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Just in the last couple weeks, they have taken down 22 guard posts, demined the Joint Security Area, and established a no-fly zone about the peninsula’s dividing line. They’ve pulled back from confrontation along their maritime boundary. North Korea has shut down its coastal artillery units and the two sides have discussed a plan to reduce a large number of artillery positions near the border.

One key indicator of the seriousness of these changes: speculators are driving up the price of land near the border on the South Korean side. Even in a slow-motion reunification scenario, this farmland will become increasingly valuable. The two Koreas have also revived plans to reunify economically, step by step. At the third inter-Korean summit, the leaders of the two countries agreed to relink, finally, the railroad and the roads, and to restart the shuttered Kaesong industrial complex, which married North Korean labour with South Korean capital and managerial skills. Also on tap is the resumption of tourism projects that have brought large numbers of South Koreans to select locations in the north.

All of this has been met with deafening silence in the United States. Worse, the big Korea news this week is, once again, about what the perfidious North Koreans are doing to reinforce the Cold War, not dismantle it. But maybe this silence is a good thing.

Much ado about missiles

A new study by Beyond Parallel, a project of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC, has made headlines with its revelations of a network of hidden missile bases in North Korea. The report identifies 13 out of 20 undeclared ballistic missile operating bases and, in the first of a projected series, provides considerable detail about one of these at Sakkanmol.

The report confirms what many skeptics have long maintained: North Korea is not serious about dismantling its nuclear complex. NBC’s article on the report includes this ominous quote from retired General Barry McCaffrey: “It looks as if it is a political charade, and it’s a dangerous one. In the short term, North Korea is the most consequential threat to US national security we’re facing.…They have nuclear weapons, they have delivery systems, they are not going to denuclearize. So I think the outcome of all of this is we’re loosening the economic constraints on these people and we’re kidding ourselves.”

That all sounds convincing. Except that all of this news coverage neglects to point out the obvious: North Korea never promised to eliminate its missile program.

The negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang have focused on the nuclear complex — just as the negotiations did between Iran and the United States that culminated in the 2015 nuclear deal. Missiles are not nukes. Even if an ultimate deal addresses Pyongyang’s missile program, the two sides are nowhere near signing an agreement. So, North Korea is not violating anything, not going back on its word, not engaging in any kind of charade. It’s not as if the United States has altered its security posture in the region, outside of cancelling a couple military exercises.

Moreover, this missile complex is nothing new. According to the Beyond Parallel report, the base at Sakkanmol hasn’t had any serious upgrade since 2011. True, it’s a secret base. But North Korea hasn’t provided an inventory of its nuclear or missile complex. Secrecy, as anyone in the CIA or NSA can tell you, is an indispensable part of military strategy. For a country that is so clearly outgunned like North Korea, secrecy is one of its asymmetric advantages. Indeed, no one knows if the country can deliver whatever nuclear weapons it might have. The base at Sakkanmol, meanwhile, is for short-range missiles. So, the major target would be South Korea. But the South Korean government is not up in arms over the report. “There is nothing new,” said a government spokesman, since North Korea “has never signed any agreement, any negotiation that makes shutting down missile bases mandatory.”

The Beyond Parallel report contains much useful research. It’s the media coverage of the report that’s problematic. Journalists are missing the real news of the two Koreas dismantling Cold War structures on the peninsula in favour of information that reinforces the narrative that North Korea is ultimately untrustworthy.

How to help Korea 
 
Donald Trump is focused on getting a Nobel Peace Prize for nearly consummating his love affair with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The foreign policy community in Washington — along with the US media and punditry class — is focused on proving itself right that the current peace efforts are a chimaera. Members of Trump’s administration, like National Security Adviser John Bolton, have adopted a wait-and-see attitude. They believe that Trump will eventually realise the folly of his overtures, which will create a policy vacuum that they will rush in to fill with their regime-change strategies.

Don’t expect much of a difference now that the Democrats control the House. The party has roundly criticized Trump’s summitry and has consistently pushed for more sanctions, not fewer. In this dismal context, watching the two Koreas inch incrementally closer together is like sitting in the audience of a performance of Romeo and Juliet. You know the ending, and it’s far from happy. So, is there any way of altering the current script to avoid a tragedy?

Here’s the good news: It wouldn’t take very much to push the US-North Korean negotiations forward. All the Trump administration has to do is offer to reduce some economic sanctions in exchange for a specific ask, for instance, an inventory of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal and complex.

This might seem like arms control 101. Unfortunately, the US position has been all or nothing, not give and take. That’s the subtle shift that has to take place before any further, substantial dismantlement of the Cold War on the Korean peninsula can take place. And given the pushback from the foreign policy community, Congress, and even members of Trump’s own administration, this shift will likely have to come from the president himself.

It’s a terrible thing to have to depend on Donald Trump for anything. But if the White House can reduce one of the principal barriers to inter-Korean reconciliation, then Koreans themselves can continue to change the facts on the ground — step by step, without international fanfare — in such a way that outsiders will have to follow the Korean lead rather than the other way around.

By the time journalists have figured everything out what’s going on, perhaps the two Koreas will have managed to end the Cold War, not just rhetorically but physically — and without getting permission from their patrons. Instead of a preemptive attack, it will be preemptive peace. In this chaotic and increasingly frightening world, that will surely be something to celebrate.

(John Feffer is the director of Foreign Policy In Focus at the Institute for Policy Studies)

(This article was originally published on Fair Observer. Read the <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/asia_pacific/north-korea-south-korea-cold-war-end-asia-pacific-news-16550/">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

By John Feffer Remarkable changes are taking place on the Korean peninsula. The two Koreas are actually starting to demilitarise the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Just in the last couple weeks, they have taken down 22 guard posts, demined the Joint Security Area, and established a no-fly zone about the peninsula’s dividing line.

By John Feffer Remarkable changes are taking place on the Korean peninsula. The two Koreas are actually starting to demilitarise the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Just in the last couple weeks, they have taken down 22 guard posts, demined the Joint Security Area, and established a no-fly zone about the peninsula’s dividing line. They’ve pulled back from confrontation along their maritime boundary. North Korea has shut down its coastal artillery units and the two sides have discussed a plan to reduce a large number of artillery positions near the border. One key indicator of the seriousness of these changes: speculators are driving up the price of land near the border on the South Korean side. Even in a slow-motion reunification scenario, this farmland will become increasingly valuable. The two Koreas have also revived plans to reunify economically, step by step. At the third inter-Korean summit, the leaders of the two countries agreed to relink, finally, the railroad and the roads, and to restart the shuttered Kaesong industrial complex, which married North Korean labour with South Korean capital and managerial skills. Also on tap is the resumption of tourism projects that have brought large numbers of South Koreans to select locations in the north. All of this has been met with deafening silence in the United States. Worse, the big Korea news this week is, once again, about what the perfidious North Koreans are doing to reinforce the Cold War, not dismantle it. But maybe this silence is a good thing. Much ado about missiles A new study by Beyond Parallel, a project of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC, has made headlines with its revelations of a network of hidden missile bases in North Korea. The report identifies 13 out of 20 undeclared ballistic missile operating bases and, in the first of a projected series, provides considerable detail about one of these at Sakkanmol. The report confirms what many skeptics have long maintained: North Korea is not serious about dismantling its nuclear complex. NBC’s article on the report includes this ominous quote from retired General Barry McCaffrey: “It looks as if it is a political charade, and it’s a dangerous one. In the short term, North Korea is the most consequential threat to US national security we’re facing.…They have nuclear weapons, they have delivery systems, they are not going to denuclearize. So I think the outcome of all of this is we’re loosening the economic constraints on these people and we’re kidding ourselves.” That all sounds convincing. Except that all of this news coverage neglects to point out the obvious: North Korea never promised to eliminate its missile program. The negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang have focused on the nuclear complex — just as the negotiations did between Iran and the United States that culminated in the 2015 nuclear deal. Missiles are not nukes. Even if an ultimate deal addresses Pyongyang’s missile program, the two sides are nowhere near signing an agreement. So, North Korea is not violating anything, not going back on its word, not engaging in any kind of charade. It’s not as if the United States has altered its security posture in the region, outside of cancelling a couple military exercises. Moreover, this missile complex is nothing new. According to the Beyond Parallel report, the base at Sakkanmol hasn’t had any serious upgrade since 2011. True, it’s a secret base. But North Korea hasn’t provided an inventory of its nuclear or missile complex. Secrecy, as anyone in the CIA or NSA can tell you, is an indispensable part of military strategy. For a country that is so clearly outgunned like North Korea, secrecy is one of its asymmetric advantages. Indeed, no one knows if the country can deliver whatever nuclear weapons it might have. The base at Sakkanmol, meanwhile, is for short-range missiles. So, the major target would be South Korea. But the South Korean government is not up in arms over the report. “There is nothing new,” said a government spokesman, since North Korea “has never signed any agreement, any negotiation that makes shutting down missile bases mandatory.” The Beyond Parallel report contains much useful research. It’s the media coverage of the report that’s problematic. Journalists are missing the real news of the two Koreas dismantling Cold War structures on the peninsula in favour of information that reinforces the narrative that North Korea is ultimately untrustworthy. How to help Korea Donald Trump is focused on getting a Nobel Peace Prize for nearly consummating his love affair with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The foreign policy community in Washington — along with the US media and punditry class — is focused on proving itself right that the current peace efforts are a chimaera. Members of Trump’s administration, like National Security Adviser John Bolton, have adopted a wait-and-see attitude. They believe that Trump will eventually realise the folly of his overtures, which will create a policy vacuum that they will rush in to fill with their regime-change strategies. Don’t expect much of a difference now that the Democrats control the House. The party has roundly criticized Trump’s summitry and has consistently pushed for more sanctions, not fewer. In this dismal context, watching the two Koreas inch incrementally closer together is like sitting in the audience of a performance of Romeo and Juliet. You know the ending, and it’s far from happy. So, is there any way of altering the current script to avoid a tragedy? Here’s the good news: It wouldn’t take very much to push the US-North Korean negotiations forward. All the Trump administration has to do is offer to reduce some economic sanctions in exchange for a specific ask, for instance, an inventory of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal and complex. This might seem like arms control 101. Unfortunately, the US position has been all or nothing, not give and take. That’s the subtle shift that has to take place before any further, substantial dismantlement of the Cold War on the Korean peninsula can take place. And given the pushback from the foreign policy community, Congress, and even members of Trump’s own administration, this shift will likely have to come from the president himself. It’s a terrible thing to have to depend on Donald Trump for anything. But if the White House can reduce one of the principal barriers to inter-Korean reconciliation, then Koreans themselves can continue to change the facts on the ground — step by step, without international fanfare — in such a way that outsiders will have to follow the Korean lead rather than the other way around. By the time journalists have figured everything out what’s going on, perhaps the two Koreas will have managed to end the Cold War, not just rhetorically but physically — and without getting permission from their patrons. Instead of a preemptive attack, it will be preemptive peace. In this chaotic and increasingly frightening world, that will surely be something to celebrate. (John Feffer is the director of Foreign Policy In Focus at the Institute for Policy Studies) (This article was originally published on Fair Observer. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Is Korea’s cold war about to end?

A US think tank has said that it had <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/kim-pompeo-agree-to-2nd-us-north-korea-summit-at-earliest-date-170028">identified at least 13 of an estimated</a> 20 undeclared missile operating bases inside North Korea, underscoring the challenge for American negotiators hoping to persuade Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons and long-range missiles.

In reports released by the Washington, D.C-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, researcher Joseph Bermudez said maintenance and minor infrastructure improvements have been observed at some of the sites, despite the ongoing negotiations.

The sites identified in the CSIS report are scattered in remote, mountainous areas across North Korea, and could be used to house ballistic missiles of various ranges, with the largest believed to be capable of striking anywhere in the United States.

Sakkanmol, the site closest to the border with South Korea and its capital Seoul, appears to be "active and being reasonably well maintained," the report found.

None of the missile bases have been acknowledged by North Korea, and analysts say an accurate disclosure of nuclear weapons and missile capabilities would be an important part of any denuclearisation deal.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump had pledged to work towards&nbsp;denuclearisation at their landmark June summit in Singapore, but the agreement was short on specifics and negotiations have made little headway.

North Korea has said it has closed its Punggye-ri nuclear testing site and the Sohae missile engine test facility. It also raised the possibility of shuttering more sites and allowing international inspections if Washington took "corresponding measures," of which there has so far been no sign.

A US think tank has said that it had identified at least 13 of an estimated 20 undeclared missile operating bases inside North Korea, underscoring the challenge for American negotiators hoping to persuade Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons and long-range missiles.

A US think tank has said that it had identified at least 13 of an estimated 20 undeclared missile operating bases inside North Korea, underscoring the challenge for American negotiators hoping to persuade Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons and long-range missiles. In reports released by the Washington, D.C-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, researcher Joseph Bermudez said maintenance and minor infrastructure improvements have been observed at some of the sites, despite the ongoing negotiations. The sites identified in the CSIS report are scattered in remote, mountainous areas across North Korea, and could be used to house ballistic missiles of various ranges, with the largest believed to be capable of striking anywhere in the United States. Sakkanmol, the site closest to the border with South Korea and its capital Seoul, appears to be "active and being reasonably well maintained," the report found. None of the missile bases have been acknowledged by North Korea, and analysts say an accurate disclosure of nuclear weapons and missile capabilities would be an important part of any denuclearisation deal. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump had pledged to work towards denuclearisation at their landmark June summit in Singapore, but the agreement was short on specifics and negotiations have made little headway. North Korea has said it has closed its Punggye-ri nuclear testing site and the Sohae missile engine test facility. It also raised the possibility of shuttering more sites and allowing international inspections if Washington took "corresponding measures," of which there has so far been no sign.

Video: North Korea still maintaining ballistic missile sites, declares US think tank

North Korea running secret missile programme: New York Times

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