Trump says he will make deals with N. Korea if re-elected

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that he would make deals with North Korea if re-elected, speaking at a press briefing at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. This demonstrates that he is willing to resume talks with his North Korean counterpart but eliminates the possibility for the “October surprise.”

In a response to a question about possible meddling of Russia and China in this year’s U.S. presidential election, President Trump said “If and when we win, we will make deals with Iran very quickly. We’ll make deals with North Korea very quickly.” He then went on to say, “If I didn’t win the election in 2016, our country would now be — maybe it would be over by now, but in war with North Korea,” adding that Washington has a great relationship with Pyongyang that could not be achieved by the previous administration.

Speaking to Fox News on Wednesday, President Trump also said North Korea, Iran and China would have come to the negotiating table if it were not for the presidential election, suggesting his re-election is a critical factor in negotiations with these nations. These recent remarks are seen as efforts to keep situations under control and prevent provocations from hostile countries like North Korea.

Meanwhile, Washington is making continuous efforts to bring North Korea back to the negotiating table amid the stand-off. Japan’s Kyodo News reported Sunday that the U.S. government is discussing opening liaison offices with Pyongyang where government officials of each country would be assigned to work as de facto ambassadors.


lightee@donga.com