Trump open to talks with Kim — but only after ‘FULL DENUCLEARISATION'

The White House on Friday in a statement confirmed that it “remains open to engaging” with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to achieve a “fully denuclearised North Korea”. This development comes a day after the Trump administration's crackdown on illicit funding loops of North Korea. The statement is coherent with the objectives of the first term, where Trump held three high-level summits with North Korea to pursue denuclearisation, though these talks failed without any concrete progress.

"President Trump in his first term held three historic summits with North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un that stabilised the Korean Peninsula and achieved the first-ever leader-level agreement on denuclearisation," said a White House official to Yonhap News Agency. The three meetings happened in Singapore in 2018, Hanoi in February 2019, and Panmunjom in June 2019, respectively.

Notably, on July 24, the US Department of the Treasury sanctioned the Korea Sobaeksu Trading Company and three individuals, Kim Se Un, Jo Kyong Hun, and Myong Chol Min, allegedly linking them with illicit funding of Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programs.

In June, Trump seemed optimistic to get "the conflict solved" with North Korea, if there is one, hinting at the possibility of a dialogue. The administration seems to be taking a dual approach, on the one hand remaining open to diplomacy and on the other hand pressuring it through sanctions and enforcement actions.

How did North Korea respond?

North Korea did not respond positively to Trump's overtures. Late in June, North Korean diplomats refused a letter from Trump displaying a strong pushback against any renewed communication. Meanwhile, Kim Jong Un has repeatedly denounced the US, South Korea and Japan military partnership. It vowed to modernise its missiles and increase its nuclear arsenal. Analysts suggest that North Korea is less interested in US engagement, with strong diplomatic relations with Russia and China.