OPINION:
The Ulchi Freedom Shield — the annual joint military drills between the U.S. and South Korea focusing on countering the drone and cyberattack threat from North Korea — ended today, after just five days.
Earlier this week, President Trump reportedly cut short the exercises, which were scheduled to continue through Aug. 27. North Korea last week said this year’s drills were of a “more serious provocative nature and dangerousness than last year.”
On Wednesday, Mr. Trump told reporters he would meet with Mr. Kim later this year.
Although North Korea routinely criticizes the annual event, earlier this month it went on to say that the U.S. is pursuing a new nuclear strategy that lowers the threshold of using nuclear weapons and pushes global security “to the brink of a nuclear war.”
Pyongyang’s usual response to these exercises is the launching of short-range ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan. So this year it was no surprise when North Korea launched two ballistic missiles, saying the U.S.–South Korea drills were a “rehearsal for an aggressive war.”
What was different this time was North Korea’s statement that the U.S., South Korea and Japan formed a “nuclear alliance” to which North Korea would respond to by building a new, higher level of nuclear deterrence.
This all comes at a time when North Korea is providing Russia with combat troops, artillery shells and ballistic missiles for its war with Ukraine — while enhancing its relationship with China. The money North Korea receives from Russia is in the billions, with likely Russian assistance to North Korea’s nuclear, missile and satellite programs.
Although North Korea has refrained from a seventh nuclear test (probably at the urging of China) it is building more nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles to deliver nuclear and conventional warheads.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un recently displayed to the world a new uranium enrichment facility with cascades of apparent new centrifuges to enrich uranium. This was in addition to the new uranium enrichment facility at the nuclear complex in Yongbyon.
It was the issue of North Korea’s non-declared uranium enrichment sites that led to the failure of the 2019 Hanoi Summit. When Mr. Kim offered to halt activities at Yongbyon in return for a lifting of the sanctions imposed on and after 2016, Mr. Trump responded by requesting that North Korea declare “all” nuclear sites. Mr. Kim refused, and that ended the Hanoi Summit.
Prior to and after that summit, North Korea has threatened to use tactical nuclear weapons in any conflict with South Korea. This is reminiscent of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin threat to use nuclear weapons in its war with Ukraine, a conflict that North Korea joined as an ally of Russia.
Hopefully, Ukraine will continue to receive the military support it needs from the U.S. and NATO so it can protect its people and country from a revanchist, Pyongyang-backed Russia.
The threats by Messrs. Kim and Putin to use nuclear weapons — with North Korea’s emphasis on building even more — is concerning. Any use of nuclear weapons would be tragic for the world.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, continues to reach out to North Korea for talks that would lead to peaceful coexistence between the North and South. To date, North Korea’s response has been disappointing. But President Lee persists, knowing that an emboldened North Korea, now aligned with Russia, could incite conflict on the Korean Peninsula.
Such conflict could bring instability to the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia.
Having negotiated with North Korea for over 10 years, I know that the country wants a normal relationship with the U.S., one that would give it international legitimacy and access to financial institutions.
Now is the time for Mr. Trump to meet with Mr. Kim. Such a meeting would deescalate North Korea’s tension with South Korea and the U.S. and give the U.S. the opportunity to move in a different direction with North Korea. The goal: getting North Korea to halt its nuclear and missile programs in return for the easing and lifting of sanctions and a dialogue to normalize bilateral relations.
North Korea is a de-facto nuclear weapons state and recognizing it as such should not be difficult. Getting it to implement a moratorium on its nuclear and weapons programs would be progress. Sanctions relief and a path to a normal relationship with the U.S. could convince Mr. Kim that a moratorium would be in North Korea’s interest.
Our goal should continue to be the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, though we must realize that this could take years to achieve. Getting North Korea to halt its nuclear and missile programs and refraining from fomenting conflict with South Korea are achievable goals, assuming a willingness to be flexible on sanctions relief and relations normalization.
President Trump is right to be planning a meeting with Mr. Kim. Doing so is in the interest of world peace.
• The author is the former associate director of national intelligence. All statements of fact, opinion or analysis expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official positions or views of the U.S. government. Nothing in the contents should be construed as asserting or implying U.S. government authentication of information or endorsement of the author’s views.
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