North Korea is Ready to Talk

This weekend, top North Korean diplomat Choi Son Hui said Pyongyang is willing to negotiate with the Trump Administration “if the conditions are set.”

She did not outline these “conditions,” but such a meeting would be the first since 2008 – when six nations attempted (but failed) to discuss North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. 

According to BBC’s Korea correspondent Stephen Evans, Pyongyang would probably need to agree to relinquish or limit its nuclear program in order for the US to participate in negotiations. 

In early May, President Trump called Kim a “smart cookie” and said he would be “honored” to meet the North Korean leader. “If it would be appropriate for me to meet with him, I would absolutely, I would be honored to do it. If it’s under the…right circumstances.”

No sitting US president has ever met with a North Korean leader while in power. 

President Trump and Sec. of State Rex Tillerson have repeatedly stated that “all options are on the table” when it comes to stopping Pyongyang’s nuclear program – a threat that had the Kim regime vowing to retaliate with a nuclear counterattack.

More recently, the North has accused the CIA of conspiring to assassinate Kim and has threatened to “ruthlessly punish” four recently detained US citizens.

Author’s Note: This is happening very quickly. North Korea is coming to the bargaining table and the US did it while keeping the threats going. If talks do occur, we will go in with a strong hand, without any concessions. 

Compare this stance to the nuclear deal with Iran (JCPOA), where we shelled out $100 billion for the worst possible agreement. 

Editor’s note: This is quite a feat. For the last thirty years, we have not had any reasonable contact with North Korea. Not only did Trump do this in his first 100 days, he did it on our terms.