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Opinion

Editorial: Third U.S. -North Korea summit should bear fruit

While it was indeed a moment that marked history, it seems no real diplomatic progress has yet been made.

When U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, met for the third time — this time in Panmunjom at the Military Demarcation Line on the Korean Peninsula — Mr. Trump became the first sitting American president to set foot on North Korean soil.

The image of the two leaders shaking hands at the symbolic site that divides Korea into North and South should have been sufficient to stage a spirit of détente. However, the only agreement made, in a meeting that lasted less than an hour, was to resume deadlocked working-level talks for the denuclearization of the North.

This is a sudden and unexpected meeting that had no sustained negotiations before it took place. Some say that it is unreasonable to ask for concrete results.

If, though, this latest summit ends up bearing no fruit, Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim will not be able to avoid criticism for their “political theatrics.” The significance of the meeting can only be recognized after substantial progress toward denuclearization has been made.

Both leaders must have had their own ulterior motives for holding this talk now.

Mr. Trump, who is seeking re-election next fall, needs tangible accomplishments. We can say that one of them is his initiative to have opened the door for the first U.S.-North Korea summit in history last year.

The meeting between Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim was surely timed to coincide with the start of the Democratic primary. The U.S. administration may also want to send the message to Iran, with which it has a hostile relationship, that amicable talks are possible if they would agree to discuss their nuclear development program.

For Mr. Kim, the meeting may help fortify his standing at home.

Following the third top-level meeting, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that working-level talks would resume around the middle of this month. Disposing completely of North Korean nuclear arms will require careful discussions and agreements, with a solid relationship of trust being established at the same time. However, a wide gap currently exists between the two nations over the definition and approach to “denuclearization.” There is no telling what will unfold in the future.

After the meeting, Mr. Trump expressed his intention to “maintain” sanctions against North Korea. However, he also mentioned the possibility of reconsidering this policy depending on the course of the negotiations. His comments have generated concern that the United States may make a concession to the North, agreeing to the idea of a phased denuclearization while simultaneously lifting sanctions. The basic stance of ensuring that North Korea’s nuclear arsenal has been completely dismantled before the sanctions are lifted, which Japan has supported, could be undermined.

In the past, North Korea continued to secretly pursue its nuclear and missile development activities despite agreements to freeze the program in return for food assistance and removal of economic sanctions. We should bear in mind that these negotiations for denuclearization could all be for naught if easy concessions are made.

We also cannot overlook Mr. Trump’s remark reiterated after the meeting. He said that the short-range missile launch by the North in May is “not considered a problem,” implying that the United States is unconcerned unless North Korea holds long-range missiles which could reach the U.S. mainland.

However, the threat to Japan and other countries will not go away. The abduction issue of Japanese nationals by North Korea still lingers, and regional tensions in East Asia continue. There are limits to what the bilateral talks between the United States and North Korea can accomplish.

The path to the denuclearization of North Korea is uncertain if the situation continues to fluctuate depending on the personal relationship between Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim. Japan should work together with neighboring countries like South Korea, China, and Russia to help realize this goal of denuclearization and build peace on the Korean Peninsula, starting by helping to bring the Korean War to an official end.

(Originally published on July 2, 2019)

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