North Korea tells U.S. it is prepared to discuss denuclearization - source

[webfact]

North Korea tells U.S. it is prepared to discuss denuclearization - source

By Matt Spetalnick and David Brunnstrom

 

Kim Jong Un looks at a rocket warhead tip after a simulated test of atmospheric re-entry of a ballistic missile, at an unidentified location in this undated photo released March 15, 2016. REUTERS/KCNA

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korea has told the United States for the first time that it is prepared to discuss the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula when North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets President Donald Trump, a U.S. official said on Sunday.

 

U.S. and North Korean officials have held secret contacts recently in which Pyongyang directly confirmed its willingness to hold the unprecedented summit, the official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

 

The communications, still at a preliminary stage, have involved State Department officials talking to North Korea apparently through its United Nations mission, and intelligence officers from both sides using a separate backchannel, the official said.

 

Until now, Washington had relied mostly on ally South Korea's assurance of Kim's intentions.

 

South Korean envoys visited Washington last month to convey Kim's invitation to meet. Trump, who has exchanged bellicose threats with Kim in the past year, surprised the world by quickly agreeing to meet Kim to discuss the crisis over Pyongyang's development of nuclear weapons capable of hitting the United States.

 

But Pyongyang has not broken its public silence on the summit, which U.S. officials say is being planned for May. There was no immediate word on the possible venue for the talks, which would be the first ever between a sitting U.S. president and North Korean leader.

 

The U.S. official declined to say exactly when the U.S.-North Korea communications had taken place but said the two sides had held multiple direct contacts.

 

"The U.S. has confirmed that Kim Jong Un is willing to discuss the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula‎," said a second U.S. official.

 

On Monday, former U.N. ambassador John Bolton is due to begin his new role as Trump's national security adviser, while on Thursday Senate confirmation hearings begin for Mike Pompeo, Trump's nominee for secretary of state. Both have taken hawkish stances on North Korea.

 

Questions remain about how North Korea would define denuclearization, which Washington sees as Pyongyang abandoning its nuclear weapons program.

 

North Korea has said over the years that it could consider giving up its nuclear arsenal if the United States removed its troops from South Korea and withdrew its so-called nuclear umbrella of deterrence from South Korea and Japan.

 

Some analysts have said Trump's willingness to meet Kim handed North Korea a diplomatic win, as the United States had insisted for years that any such summit be preceded by North Korean steps to denuclearize.

 

Tension over North Korea's tests of nuclear weapons and ballistic missile surged last year and raised fears of U.S. military action against Pyongyang.

 

But anxieties have eased significantly since North Korea sent athletes to the Winter Olympics in South Korea in February. The neighbors are technically still at war after a 1950-53 conflict ended with a ceasefire, not a truce.

 

North and South Korea will hold their first summit in more than a decade towards the end of April.

 

Kim met Chinese President Xi Jinping in a surprise visit to Beijing in late March, his first trip outside the isolated North Korea since he came to power in 2011.

 

(Reporting by Matt Spetalnick and David Brunnstromm; Editing by Peter Cooney and Rosalba O'Brien)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters Source:

[BuaBS]

Stupid move Kim . You dug your own grave .

More likely he has gotten China's guaranty they will not let the US interfere in NK , on his trip to Beijing ? Still stupid.

[Redline]

It was KPOP.  He's hooked.  All he can think of are those girls and guys in his room~forget the nukes, he's playing the Myanmar card!

[baboon]

Unfortunately I can see this coming to naught now that Bolton is on board. No way will he stand for any kind of negotiated settlements or thaws in relations.

[ChiangMaiLightning2143]

Kim’s conditions “de nuclearizarion of the Korean peninsula “ will include removal of US forces and nixing joint exercises. Bolton won’t like that but I think my country should agree、and give them full diplomatic recognition. Whatever there weak ass criminal gang of leaders want.

Just let them know that if one shell is lobbed across the border for the next 50 years they will be immediately destroyed.

Truth is one US submarine could flatten the whole of North Korea blowing a partial load of missiles. We do not need to waste money stationing forces there.

[baboon]

35 minutes ago, ChiangMaiLightning2143 said:

Kim’s conditions “de nuclearizarion of the Korean peninsula “ will include removal of US forces and nixing joint exercises. Bolton won’t like that but I think my country should agree、and give them full diplomatic recognition. Whatever there weak ass criminal gang of leaders want.

Just let them know that if one shell is lobbed across the border for the next 50 years they will be immediately destroyed.

Truth is one US submarine could flatten the whole of North Korea blowing a partial load of missiles. We do not need to waste money stationing forces there.

I think you are on to something. Carrot and stick, as opposed to Bolton's 'stick', which is guaranteed to piss them off.

What in God's name was Trump thinking when he appointed this troglodyte unless he wants it kicking off all over the world every 5 minutes? 

[mrwebb8825]

On 9/4/2561 at 6:41 AM, webfact said:

U.S. and North Korean officials have held secret contacts recently in which Pyongyang directly confirmed its willingness to hold the unprecedented summit, the official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Wish there was a way for President Trump and company to find out who this and the "2nd official" were and have them shot. There's a reason the contacts have been secret. When you give this kind of information to the "bleep" media there's an excellent chance that they'll find some way to screw it up by fabricating stories and/or dredging up the past 1-sided deals that were handed to his father and grandfather.

As for appointing Bolton and Pompeo, President Trump is taking steps to assure that Kim doesn't go home with a big wet kiss, a hand job and a pocket full of money like Clinton's deal with his father. This time there won't be any; "You give me now and I promise, in just a few short months I will..." crap.

I'd give him a few truck loads of food at the DMZ and maybe another visit from the K-Pop stars but that's all until a united team of nuclear inspectors and a united team of deconstruction experts are allowed unfettered access to shut down and remove all uranium from the country.

I'd start easing sanctions as each shipment of missiles and uranium leave the country and I sure as hell wouldn't give it to China to hold. I'd bring it back to the states where it started from before HC sold it to Russia who sold it to Kim.

[baboon]

35 minutes ago, mrwebb8825 said:

As for appointing Bolton and Pompeo, President Trump is taking steps to assure that Kim doesn't go home with a big wet kiss, a hand job and a pocket full of money like Clinton's deal with his father. This time there won't be any; "You give me now and I promise, in just a few short months I will..." crap.

I'd give him a few truck loads of food at the DMZ and maybe another visit from the K-Pop stars but that's all until a united team of nuclear inspectors and a united team of deconstruction experts are allowed unfettered access to shut down and remove all uranium from the country.

I'd start easing sanctions as each shipment of missiles and uranium leave the country and I sure as hell wouldn't give it to China to hold. I'd bring it back to the states where it started from before HC sold it to Russia who sold it to Kim.

What Trump is ensuring by appointing Bolton is that there is a high chance of talks collapsing in acrimony. Bolton will not give them an inch and was dead set against the 1994 Agreed Framework. He is one of the worst possible people to have on board if Trump really wants to reach a deal.

[watcharacters]

4 minutes ago, baboon said:

What Trump is ensuring by appointing Bolton is that there is a high chance of talks collapsing in acrimony. Bolton will not give them an inch and was dead set against the 1994 Agreed Framework. He is one of the worst possible people to have on board if Trump really wants to reach a deal.

 

 

Let's hope for a good outcome.

 

At some point survival of the planet will depend on it.

 

  edit:   ChiangMaiLightning21   please explain about which country you think should agree.   

 

 think my country should agree

edit:  ChiangMaiLightning21    Please let us know to what country you refer.    Your country?

Edited April 11, 2018 by watcharacters

[baboon]

1 minute ago, watcharacters said:

 

 

Let's hope for a good outcome.

 

At some point survival of the planet will depend on it.

 

 

Problem is, what the likes of you or I would consider a good outcome is at variance with what the hawks consider to be a good outcome...

[watcharacters]

2 minutes ago, baboon said:

Problem is, what the likes of you or I would consider a good outcome is at variance with what the hawks consider to be a good outcome...

 

Somehow I'd hope most people on the planet would like to live a peaceful and fun life.   

Naturally there are variations but I'd think it comes down to this simple ideal.

[evadgib]

The UK has sent a third Royal Navy warship to the Asia-Pacific to support allies in the region.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/royal-navy-ships-fulfil-international-duty-in-asia-pacific

[baboon]

14 minutes ago, evadgib said:

The UK has sent a third Royal Navy warship to the Asia-Pacific to support allies in the region.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/royal-navy-ships-fulfil-international-duty-in-asia-pacific