U.S. explores possibility of reviving North Korea dialogue

The Trump administration has been quietly holding discussions and consulting outside experts as it weighs options for potentially restarting dialogue with North Korea, according to the U.S. political news outlet Axios on April 27 (local time). Meanwhile, North Korea formally confirmed for the first time its leader Kim Jong Un’s decision to send North Korean troops to Russia.

“We are convening agencies to understand where the North Koreans are today. A lot has changed in the last four years. We are evaluating, diagnosing, and talking about potential avenues, including engagement,” a senior U.S. official told Axios.

A former senior U.S. official said members of the administration were engaged in some “initial planning,” aware that it might take only “one flowery letter” from Kim to capture Trump’s attention—“then you’re off to the races.”

North Korea on Monday confirmed for the first time that it has sent troops to Russia. “Based on the analysis and judgment that the current war situation constitutes the triggering of Article 4 of the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation, Kim Jong Un has decided to participate with our armed forces and has notified the Russian side,” the Central Military Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea said in a written statement released through the state-run KCNA news agency.

In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin also issued a statement thanking Kim Jong Un. “Our Korean friends acted out of a sense of solidarity, justice, and genuine comradeship,” Putin said. “We highly appreciate this and are sincerely grateful to Chairman of State Affairs Comrade Kim Jong Un, as well as to the entire leadership and people of the DPRK.”


Ji-Sun Choi aurinko@donga.com