hankyoreh

US President Donald Trump conducts an interview with Bloomberg at the White House in Washington DC

US President Donald Trump said on May 1 that he would be willing to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un “under the right circumstances.” It was Trump‘s first explicit mention of his willingness to have a summit with North Korea since taking office.

Speaking in an interview with Bloomberg at the Oval Office on May 1, Trump said, “If it would be appropriate for me to meet with [Kim Jong-un], I would absolutely, I would be honored to do it.”

“Most political people would never say that, but I’m telling you under the right circumstances I would meet with him. We have breaking news,” he continued.

During his election campaign last June, Trump said he would be willing to have dialogue with Kim over “a burger” - part of an election strategy aimed at setting his approach apart from the hard-line North Korea policy of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. When asked about the possibility of meeting with Kim in a Feb. 23 Reuters interview conducted just after North Korea launched a medium-range ballistic missile, Trump that he did not want to rule it out, but that it was “very late.” The message suggested that he was not closing the door on the possibility of meeting, but that he was also skeptical. In contrast, the latest remarks could be taken as more proactive and specific, even with the “under the right circumstances” disclaimer.

Whether Trump’s remarks were rooted in advanced tactical considerations or made off the cuff without calculation, they do appear to offer Pyongyang an appealing rationale for returning to the table for dialogue, with the US President himself sending a signal that he recognized the Kim regime. Also notable was the use - whether intentional or by mistake - of the phrase “honored,” which suggests Trump’s attempt at the utmost political decorum.

Under its North Korea policy approach of “maximum pressure and engagement,” the Trump administration has intensified its pressure on Pyongyang while also consistently sending the message that it wants to negotiate North Korea’s denuclearization. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who hinted at the possibility of direct dialogue with North Korea on Apr. 27, followed it up before the UN Security Council on Apr. 28 by mentioning the possibility of economic aid in exchange for denuclearization. Trump’s remarks appeared consistent with this approach.

For a North Korea-US summit to actually happen, the “right circumstances” mentioned by Trump would need to be met. Speaking a regular briefing on May 1, White House spokesperson Sean Spicer said, “There’s a lot of conditions that I think would have to happen with respect to [North Korea’s] behavior and to show signs of good faith.”

“Clearly, conditions are not there right now,” he added.

At the same time, Spicer also suggested that as conditions for a meeting, North Korea would have to refrain from provocative actions and be “serious about completely dismantling its nuclear capability.” His remarks make it clear that Washington is considering a summit with Pyongyang at some point on its Korean Peninsula denuclearization road map, but that there would need to be progress on the denuclearization issue.

Some are concerned the abrupt changes from Trump - who said he would be “honored” to meet Kim after mentioning the possibility of a large-scale clash - could get in the way of garnering widespread US support for his North Korea policy. Spicer appeared to blanch when asked at the briefing how a meeting with Kim would be an honor for Trump when North Korea is currently posing a threat.

“[Kim is] still a head of state. So . . . there is a diplomatic piece to this,” he answered.

By Yi Yong-in, Washington correspondent

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]