Opinion | When North Korea and the US restart nuclear weapons talks, the ‘bold decision’ might be to compromise
- Edward Howell writes that if Pyongyang and Washington want to get past their failure in Hanoi and make this month’s negotiations a success, they must realise the winner does not have to take all
North Korea continues to launch missiles and in doing so it is sending a reminder – nuclear development is not going to let up. In fact, Pyongyang will fine-tune its capabilities.
With every flight, not least in short-range tests, comes another opportunity to refine missile delivery and try out some new technology. With every launch comes another threat to the international community, not least to South Korea.
The announcement last week by first vice-foreign minister Choe Son-hui of North Korea’s renewed interest in dialogue with the United States reinforced leader Kim Jong-un’s policy speech at the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly in April. He said then that it was “essential for the US to quit its current calculation method” and gave US President Donald Trump until the end of the year to make a “bold decision”.
Months later, North Korea is staying true to its word. The end-of-year deadline and the call to the US are still in place and, crucially, Choe warned that “DPRK-US dealings may come to an end” should the US “finger again the worn-out scenario”.
While history has shown that North Korea has frequently reneged on some of its commitments, it has followed through on others. We only have to go back to 1990, when it threatened to pull out of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) should the then-Soviet Union – and its successor state of Russia – establish formal relations with South Korea, to see that.
In March 1993, within two years of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Russia and South Korea, North Korea had threatened to withdraw from the NPT.
