North Korea issued new statements on Thursday, condemning the US State
Department in general and Mike Pompeo in particular for “slandering”
North Korea in reports. They warned they don’t foresee improvement in talks while US policy-makers remain so antagonistic.
Perhaps even more concerning, North Korea issued a statement calling for South Korea to stop trying to mediate any talks between North Korea and the US, saying they should mind their own business.
South Korea has long played a major role facilitating US-North Korea
talks, and has generally tried to calm US rhetoric. North Korea calling
on them to stay out of the process suggests either that there is some
direct track that is making progress, or more worryingly, that they
don’t see the point in South Korea trying to get the US back to the
table after the Hanoi summit failed.
Direct talks between North and South Korea have gone quite well over the
past year and a half. The ability of the two Koreas to go any further
is limited, so long as the US keeps opposing further progress.
Once again, Pompeo is the stumbling block to peace. It’s understandable how Trump is led around by the nose by Likudniks and neocons when it comes to Israel and Iran, but there is no reason whatsoever for keeping Pompeo on the team when it comes to negotiating with North Korea. He and Bolton are loose cannons who can’t be trusted to bargain in good faith with anyone.
Also, there is no reason whatsoever for South Korea to keep beating a dead horse trying to involve the USA in negotiations with the North. Moon needs to deal directly with Kim, end the sanctions himself by building trans-Korea railroad, and tell the Americans to take their troops, planes, and ships home immediately, and certainly not keep paying to keep them there.
I’m guessing trump likes pompeo and bolton because they don’t “waste his time” explaining, or informing him of anything. Any rational people left keep talking at him and stuff. Boring.
‘Slandering NK’ has been the status quo behavior for the USG for the last 70 years. Nothing new here except the usual disappointment in politicians who don’t live up to their campaign rhetoric (meaning basically all of them.)
Interesting that NK wants SK to butt out of NK-USA talks, despite the stated fact that their own internal negotiations are going quite well. Perhaps Kim feels he can manipulate Trump directly through flattery or a tit-for-tat financial benefit for the Trump-Kushner clan?