North Korea and the United States are apparently building up mutual trust as they proceed with follow-up dialogue to a denuclearization agreement reached between their leaders in Singapore last month.
Doubts remain strong about the North’s commitment to complete denuclearization. There also have been news reports about a possible rift in ongoing negotiations since the two sides failed to make a breakthrough during U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s trip to Pyongyang from July 5 to 7.
The North recently accused the U.S. of making a “gangster-like demand,” but this was largely viewed as a tactic to secure more concessions as both sides are engaging in a tug-of-war over concrete denuclearization steps.
Pyongyang never mentioned a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula although it was included on the joint statement issued by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore. The North wants a security guarantee from the U.S. in return for complete denuclearization.
Against this backdrop, Trump on Thursday tweeted a letter to him from Kim, claiming it was a “very nice note” and there was “great progress being made!”
The letter, dated July 6, referred to the joint statement as “the start of a meaningful journey” and that the strong will, sincere efforts and unique approach of Kim and Trump to open up a new future between their countries “will surely come to fruition.”
“Wishing that the invariable trust and confidence in Your Excellency Mr. President will be further strengthened in the future process of taking practical actions, I extend my conviction that the epochal progress in promoting the DPRK-U.S. relations will bring our next meeting forward,” the letter read.
Also on Thursday, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said North Korea offered to hold a dialogue at Panmunjeom, Sunday, over repatriating remains of U.S. troops who died during the 1950-53 Korean War.
She said Kim Yong-chol, vice chairman of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party Central Committee, and Pompeo agreed to meet with their respective teams to “move forward with the repatriation of American service members’ remains.”
“We will be ready,” Nauert said.
The North Korean leader promised during the Singapore summit to return the remains.
The two countries initially agreed to hold the talks on Thursday at Panmunjeom during Pompeo’s Pyongyang visit. But the North did not show up without making any notification in advance.
A South Korean government official said Friday the North was not fully prepared for returning the remains and it later asked the United Nations Command for understanding through a telephone line at Panmunjeom.
Meanwhile, President Moon Jae-in said Thursday the denuclearization talks between North Korea and the U.S. are “are now on the right track,” brushing off concerns over their confidence-building approach.
“No one can be sure of a positive outcome yet, but I carefully predict that North Korea-U.S. negotiations may produce enough success if the North implements its complete denuclearization and the international community join their efforts to guarantee North Korea’s security,” Moon was quoted as saying by his top press secretary Yoon Young-chan.
The remark was made during Moon’s meetings with Singaporean President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Moon wrapped up his three-day tour of Singapore and returned home, Friday.
He referred to Pyongyang’s latest criticism of Washington as “something that could happen” as a strategy.
“There are mixed views but I believe the two sides have entered a normal process and that practical working-level negotiations have been launched,” Moon said.
He assessed that Pompeo’s Pyongyang trip has confirmed there are no differences between North Korea and the U.S. over denuclearization and they now have a better chance to remove Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions.
