Trump to promise nuclear umbrella during his visit to S. Korea

U.S. President Donald Trump who will visit Korea early next month will demand North Korea to fully abandon its nuclear and missile development, while promising to provide a nuclear umbrella to South Korea and Japan, and stressing that Washington is mulling all possible options for Pyongyang including military actions, according to Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun’s Sunday report. Yomiuri quoted Washington that President Trump will announce the issue of North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats as the most important task of his administration and deliver measures to strengthen pressure on North Korea.

Trump, who has been challenging North Korea with his hardline stance, disavowed Iran’s nuclear deal on Friday (local time). “We are totally prepared for numerous things. If something can happen where we negotiate, I'm always open to that,” he told reporters. “But if it's going to be something other than negotiation, believe me, we are ready, more so than we have ever been,” he added, emphasizing his will to respond firmly against North Korean provocations.

Young-A Soh sya@donga.com · Jeong-Hun Park sunshade@donga.com