Trump says he won’t hold summit with Kim Jong-un until after presidential election, CNN reports

Posted on : 2020-02-12 17:26 KST Modified on : 2020-02-12 17:26 KST
US president turns attention toward re-election campaign
US President Donald Trump gives a press conference at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 22.
US President Donald Trump gives a press conference at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 22.

US President Donald Trump told foreign policy advisers that he does not wish to pursue another summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un until after the presidential election this November, CNN reported on Feb. 10.

Trump expressed his disappointment late last year after the collapse of working-level talks in Stockholm on Oct. 5, which came eight months after the two leaders’ summit in Hanoi, the network reported, citing accounts from two sources. As diplomatic efforts between North Korea and US have bogged down, Trump has reportedly turned his focus to his re-election campaign and is less motivated to take action on North Korea-US issues.

According to an US administration official, Trump’s key advisers have also shown almost no desire to negotiate with Pyongyang, with the potential benefits of resuming dialogue vastly outweighed by the attendant risks. The same official further said that Pyongyang is clearly uninterested in resuming negotiations, as it recognizes little possibility that Trump will take the initiative in relieving the sanctions against North Korea.

Participants in Trump’s campaign do not view North Korea issues as being “crucial” to his re-election chances either, the report said, adding that it was “noticeable that Trump did not mention the country in his State of the Union speech this week.”

An official closely acquainted with the North Korean negotiation process described it to CNN as “dead,” noting that the administration has completely stopped issuing “special circumstance permits” for travel to North Korea.

Despite Trump’s lack of interest, administration officials have openly signaled their readiness to negotiate. On Feb. 5, White House National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien expressed that Trump would attempt to pursue negotiations with Pyongyang regardless of the election.

“My hope is that North Korea will come back to the table,” O’Brien said. But with no indication of preliminary measures from the US to resume negotiations, the message appeared intended to lay the blame for the current impasse at North Korea’s feet.

By Jung E-gil, senior staff writer

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