Kim Jong-un confirms commitment to denuclearization during summit with Xi Jinping

Posted on : 2019-01-11 16:13 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
N. Korean leader mentions improving relations with US
The Rodong Sinmun
The Rodong Sinmun

During his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un once again confirmed his commitment to denuclearization. Kim also appears to have shared his plan for the denuclearization negotiations with Xi leading up to the second North Korea-US summit and to have put the final touches on that plan. Another notable point was the emphasis on China’s role.

In its coverage of the outcome of Kim’s visit to China on the morning of Jan. 10, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim said during his summit with Xi at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Jan. 8 that North Korea continues to support “the goal of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the faithful implementation of the joint statement produced in its summit with the US in Singapore, and the pursuit of a peaceful resolution through dialogue.”

At the same time, Kim also mentioned “improving relations with the US, difficulties and concerns that have come up in the process of negotiations, and prospects for resolution.”

“The fundamental issues brought up by the North Koreans are appropriate requests. We fully agree with the need for the North Koreans’ reasonable interests to be appropriately resolved. Paying attention to this and dealing with these issues appropriately is the right choice for the related parties,” Xi said in response.

No details have been released about the “prospects for resolution” that Kim reportedly mentioned. But considering that Kim’s quoted remarks about denuclearization reaffirmed the points made in his New Year’s address, some think that Kim proposed a way to break out of North Korea’s deadlock with the US and to move forward to a second summit between the two sides.

This is consistent with remarks that Kim was quoted as making by China’s state-run Xinhua News on Jan. 10: “Efforts will be made so that the second North Korea-US summit will achieve results that will be welcomed by the international community.”

“[Kim] appears to have brought some kind of additional scheme to his discussion with President Xi. The reason that President Xi made clear his plan to visit North Korea is because the two sides reached an understanding about the nuclear issue,” said a former senior official in the South Korean government who is familiar with affairs on the Korean Peninsula.

Kim and Xi apparently discussed US corresponding measures

Kim and Xi also appear to have had a detailed discussion not only about Kim’s plan for denuclearization but also about the US’ corresponding measures. Xi’s remarks about an “appropriate request” and “reasonable interests” that should be “appropriately resolved” are connected with Xinhua News quoting Kim as saying he hopes that “related countries will pay attention to North Korea’s reasonable concerns and respond positively.”

Though these reports did not elaborate on North Korea’s concerns either, in light of the North’s basic stance, including what was expressed in the New Year’s address, this was presumably a reference to the steps the North wants the US to take in exchange for the North’s series of actions. These steps include the US easing sanctions on the North and guaranteeing security for its regime by setting up a peace system.

Kim and Xi were quoted by the KCNA as having “engaged in candid, in-depth communication about jointly guiding research on the process of negotiating denuclearization and on managing affairs on the Korean Peninsula,” which further clarifies the framework shared by the two leaders. The fact that North Korea used the expression “jointly guiding research [with China]” suggests the extent to which China’s role is being emphasized in the denuclearization negotiations.

“The brevity of the meeting means that the issues were worked out in advance by North Korea and China. China may also have gone over [Kim’s visit to China] quite a bit with the US,” said Lee Gwan-se, director of the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University.

China also declared that it intends to be more involved in the North Korea-US denuclearization negotiations. “[China] wants to play an active and constructive role in realizing the peace and stability of the peninsula, its denuclearization and the long-term stability of the region,” Xi said. His remark was inspired by the multilateral negotiations for setting up a peace regime that Kim mentioned in his New Year’s address, some experts believe.

By Kim Ji-eun, staff reporter

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