US and North Korea must put self-gain aside
- Talks between the two in Sweden broke down within hours and they will remain far apart on the issue of Pyongyang’s denuclearisation as long as their approach remains unrealistic
There are often two versions of stories where foreign encounters involving the administration of United States President Donald Trump are concerned. The latest working-level talks between North Korean and American negotiators were dismissed by the former as having broken down in failure, while the latter hailed them as “good discussions”. It cannot be denied, though, that the meeting on neutral territory in Sweden began and ended within hours and no date for a resumption has been set. The sides will remain far apart on how denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula is to be achieved as long as their approach remains unrealistic.
North Korea said nuclear talks with US have broken down
The talks are being driven by Trump’s desire for a deal with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un before he faces voters in November next year. But political gain and egos have no place in diplomacy and certainly not where the nuclear issue is concerned. The American president and Kim have held two summits, one in Singapore last year that resulted in a vague deal as to the way forward, and the other in Vietnam in February that ended early with no agreements. A surprise meeting between the two in June at the Korean truce village of Panmunjom led to talks on October 5 and hopes of a third summit.
But even though the US has accepted Sweden’s offer of more dialogue, North Korea has yet to agree and the negotiating positions of the sides remain unchanged. The US wants comprehensive denuclearisation before it removes sanctions, while North Korea wants the penalties taken away immediately and gradual disarmament. Pyongyang has raised uncertainty about future participation and last Thursday, after a call from five United Nations Security Council members for it to give up its nuclear weapons, warned its “patience is running out” and that it could end a freeze on long-range missile tests.
Just before the latest talks, Pyongyang test-fired a new type of missile able to carry a nuclear weapon that was said to have been launched from a submarine. There is every need for the sides to keep talking and North Korea should agree to more discussions. But both sides also need to be willing to compromise and work for the common good, not simply self-gain.
