Trump Supports Sending Food Aid to North Korea

In a move that is a break with recent US policy toward North Korea, President Trump has expressed support for South Korea sending food aid into the impoverished country in an attempt to prevent mass starvation.

Trump spoke with South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in about the possibility over the phone, and expressed support for the idea, saying it would be a “positive step.” North Korea is always short of food, but the UN has warned this year is particularly rough because of the worst harvests in a decade.

Though the US has at times given food to North Korea, or at least acquiesced to other people doing so, in recent years the policy has centered around giving North Korea nothing, and then playing up the starvation as proof that the Kim family doesn’t care about the people.

President Trump has followed that trend up to now, rejecting the idea that North Korea would get anything until they give the US everything they want with respect to denuclearization. Easing sanctions, or even just giving them enough food to avoid starving to death is going to be politically controversial, as hawks will spin it as Trump rewarding the North Koreans without achieving disarmament.