Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Monday 30 april 2018

North Korea offers to give up nukes if U.S. vows not to attack

By KIM TONG-HYUNG expressed genuine interest “Once we start talking, the Scientists, said Kim’s com- Moon, Kim denied that he
Associated Press in dealing away his nuclear United States will know that ments were significant be- would be merely clearing
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — weapons. I am not a person to launch cause they are his most out damaged goods, say-
North Korean leader Kim But there has been skepti- nuclear weapons at South explicit acknowledgement ing the site also has two
Jong Un told his South Ko- new tunnels that are larger
rean counterpart at their than previous testing facili-
historic summit that he ties, Yoon said.
would be willing to give up Some analysts see Moon’s
his nuclear weapons if the agreement with Kim at the
U.S. commits to a formal summit as a disappoint-
end to the Korean War and ment, citing the lack of
a pledge not to attack the references to verification
North, Seoul officials said and timeframes and also
Sunday. the absence of a definition
Kim also vowed during his on what would constitute a
meeting with South Korean “complete” denucleariza-
President Moon Jae-in on tion of the peninsula.
Friday to shut down the But Patrick McEachern, a
North’s nuclear test site in former State Department
May and disclose the pro- analyst now with the Wash-
cess to experts and journal- ington-based Wilson Cen-
ists from South Korea and ter, said it was still meaning-
the United States, Seoul’s ful that Moon extracted a
presidential office said. commitment from Kim to
While there are lingering complete denucleariza-
questions about whether tion, which marked a sig-
North Korea will ever de- nificant change from Kim’s
cide to fully relinquish its previous public demand to
nukes as it heads into nego- expand his arsenal of nu-
tiations with the U.S., Kim’s In this April 27, 2018 file photo, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, and South Korean President clear weapons in number
comments amount to the Moon Jae-in shake hands after signing on a joint statement at the border village of Panmunjom in and quality.
North’s most specific ac- the Demilitarized Zone, South Korea. “The public conversa-
knowledgement yet that Associated Press tion should now shift from
“denuclearization” would speculation on whether
constitute surrendering its cism because North Ko- Korea, the Pacific or the yet that denuclearization North Korea would con-
weapons. rea for decades has been United States,” Kim said, means surrendering his nu- sider denuclearization
U.S. national security ad- pushing a concept of “de- according to Yoon. clear weapons. to how South Korea and
viser John Bolton reacted nuclearization” that bears Yoon also quoted Kim as “Questions remain about the United States can ad-
coolly to word that Kim no resemblance to the saying: “If we maintain fre- whether Kim will agree to vance this denucleariza-
would abandon his weap- American definition. The quent meetings and build discuss other nuclear tech- tion pledge in concrete
ons if the United States North has long vowed to trust with the United States nology, fissile material and steps in light of North Ko-
pledged not to invade. pursue nuclear develop- and receive promises for missiles. However, they im- rea’s reciprocal demands
Asked on CBS’ “Face the ment unless Washington an end to the war and a ply a phased process with for concrete steps toward
Nation” whether the U.S. removes its 28,500 troops non-aggression treaty, then reciprocal concessions,” an eventual peace agree-
would make such a prom- from South Korea and the why would we need to live Mount said in an email. “It ment,” McEachern said in
ise, Bolton said: “Well, nuclear umbrella defend- in difficulty by keeping our is not clear that the Trump an email.
we’ve heard this before. ing South Korea and Ja- nuclear weapons?” administration will accept North Korea has invited the
This is — the North Korean pan. The closing of the nuclear that kind of protracted pro- outside world to witness the
propaganda playbook is During their summit at a test site would be a dramat- gram.” Analysts reacted dismantling of its nuclear fa-
an infinitely rich resource.” truce village on the border, ic but likely symbolic event with skepticism to Kim’s cilities before. In June 2008,
“What we want to see from Moon and Kim promised to set up Kim’s summit with previously announced plan international broadcasters
them is evidence that it’s to work toward the “com- Trump. North Korea already to close down the test site were allowed to air the de-
real and not just rhetoric,” plete denuclearization” of announced this month that at Punggye-ri, saying the molition of a cooling tower
he added. the Korean Peninsula but it has suspended all tests of northernmost tunnel had at the Nyongbyon reactor
Seoul officials, who have made no references to ver- nuclear devices and inter- already become too un- site, a year after the North
shuttled between Pyong- ification or timetables. continental ballistic missiles stable to use for under- reached an agreement
yang and Washington Kim also expressed opti- and plans to close its nucle- ground detonations any- with the U.S. and four other
to broker talks between mism about his meeting ar testing ground. way following the country’s nations to disable its nucle-
Kim and President Donald with Trump, Moon’s spokes- Still, Adam Mount, a se- sixth and most powerful test ar facilities in return for an
Trump that are expected in man Yoon Young-chan nior defense analyst at the blast in September. aid package worth about
May or June, said Kim has said. Federation of American In his conversation with $400 million.q