The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    Kim Min-gyu, Go Bo-gyeol bid farewell to 'The Heavenly Idol'

  • 3

    Han Suk-kyu on return of 'Dr. Romantic' with Season 3

  • 5

    Genesis launches 2023 G90 sedan

  • 7

    Churches, Seoul gov't unite to fight low birthrate

  • 9

    Burnout: Cardiothoracic surgery residents work 102 hours a week

  • 11

    Kakao Entertainment, Colombia Record team up for IVE's North American debut

  • 13

    What's next for Do Kwon?

  • 15

    BTS' Jimin releases solo album

  • 17

    Crypto founder Do Kwon is indicted in US, following Montenegro arrest

  • 19

    Over 70% of firms unwilling to embrace longer workweek

  • 2

    Zoo shares sad story of what caused Sero the zebra to escape

  • 4

    Kim Nam-gil to embark on Asia fan-meeting tour

  • 6

    N. Korea tests 'underwater nuclear attack drone,' cruise missiles for nuclear warhead: KCNA

  • 8

    North Korea will pay price for reckless provocations, warns Yoon

  • 10

    Hybe to sell SM shares to Kakao following failed takeover bid

  • 12

    Kyochon heralds 30,000 won fried chicken era

  • 14

    Second daughter of Daesang chairman promoted to vice president

  • 16

    More companies adopt electronic voting amid increase in shareholder activism

  • 18

    Samsung Electronics chief to attend China Development Forum

  • 20

    Samsung Display strike looms due to deadlocked wage negotiations

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
Sun, March 26, 2023 | 05:43
Oh Young-jin Column
Trump right on spot on North Korea
Posted : 2019-02-08 15:36
Updated : 2019-02-08 18:58
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link
U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un face each other during an extended meeting of their first summit in Singapore, June. The two are scheduled to meet for the second time in Vietnam later this month. Yonhap
U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un face each other during an extended meeting of their first summit in Singapore, June. The two are scheduled to meet for the second time in Vietnam later this month. Yonhap

By Oh Young-jin

By most measures being floated now, the second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un is doomed to fail.

One common feature among those measures is the need for the North to take concrete steps to achieve complete (permanent), verifiable and irreversible destruction of its nuclear program ― C(P)VID ― or FFVD, fully verifiable denuclearization, in the latest version by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

But unless Kim is stupid (obviously he isn't), he won't give up the sword that has taken him so far and will certainly help him further on his survival path.

Even if he is given U.S. security guarantees and bundles of cash from South Korea, the likelihood is that he will hold on to the ultimate weapons as long as possible to squeeze all he can from the situation.

So those who tell Trump what he has to accomplish at the Feb. 27-28 summit in a Vietnamese city are wasting their breath.

In dealing with the North, we ― Korea, the U.S. and the rest of the world ― have accomplished a lot. This time last year, there was a real possibility of a U.S. pre-emptive strike against the North that could have turned into, however lopsided, an exchange of nuclear weapons in an area where the interests of China, Russia and Japan compete with each other.

With the Kim-Trump summit in Singapore last June, the first of its kind, the tension cooled significantly and the negotiating phase has since firmly taken over.

Hanoi selected as venue for 2nd US-North Korea summit: Trump
Hanoi selected as venue for 2nd US-North Korea summit: Trump
2019-02-09 17:01  |  North Korea
'Not yet': No Trump-Xi meeting before March 1 trade talks deadline
'Not yet': No Trump-Xi meeting before March 1 trade talks deadline
2019-02-08 10:05  |  Asia

When Trump announced his second summit with Kim during his delayed State of the Union speech, he pointed to a heavy workload before the North's denuclearization but poignantly reminded us of a war averted. But few give Trump the credit for steering clear of a war that might have killed millions.

In Vietnam, the chance is that the two sides will confirm their differences or the U.S. settles for the North Korean step-by-step, tit-for-tat, piecemeal approach that may take forever.

Perhaps Trump may agree to the declaration of end of the Korean War that was put on hold by a truce in 1953 after a three-year bloodbath. Or he may let the South revive two cash-cow projects for the North ― the industrial park in the North's city of Gaeseong and Mount Geumgang tourism.

In return, the U.S. president may get some vaguely worded promises from his younger North Korean counterpart. Certainly, he will take whatever is achieved out of proportion.

I, for one, would beg to differ from others and wouldn't denounce Trump for underachieving or being hoodwinked. Rather, if he only manages to keep talks with the North going, I would call it a success.

The hard-line policy on the North has not worked. If a hardliner was asked to resolve the North Korean challenge, he or she would be at a loss for what to do or bring the situation to the brink of catastrophe.

Even if we don't want to admit it, the North is nothing short of a nuclear weapon state. Undoing it at this stage, especially for a nation that has been virtually at war with the outside world since its beginning, is next to impossible.

So a new right solution for the North Korean problem starts with seeing it as it is. Then, it is important to change our strategy accordingly. The thrust of that strategy lies in forsaking our erstwhile short-game plan ― looking for a quick fix in the hope that somehow the problem will resolve itself. Repeated failures prove that this won't happen.

The knife that will kill the beast in the North is to force it to bear the burden of its own problems ― controlled economy, repressed population and brutal ruling dynasty.

The North has managed, by and large, to survive so far thanks to its policy of antagonizing its population against outside forces, namely the U.S. and South Korea, and isolating itself. For instance, the rationale of its nuclear armament is to defend itself against the U.S. and to prevent others' intimidation.

Then, isn't it logical to encourage the North to undo its survival strategy for its own downfall? If it passes the test and perseveres, the North will turn into a global citizen, maybe still irresponsible but certainly not rogue.


Oh Young-jin (foolsdie@gmail.com, foolsdie5@koreatimes.co.kr) is the digital managing editor of The Korea Times.



Emailfoolsdie5@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
Top 10 Stories
1Zoo shares sad story of what caused Sero the zebra to escape Zoo shares sad story of what caused Sero the zebra to escape
2Genesis launches 2023 G90 sedan Genesis launches 2023 G90 sedan
3Churches, Seoul gov't unite to fight low birthrate Churches, Seoul gov't unite to fight low birthrate
4North Korea will pay price for reckless provocations, warns Yoon North Korea will pay price for reckless provocations, warns Yoon
5Burnout: Cardiothoracic surgery residents work 102 hours a week Burnout: Cardiothoracic surgery residents work 102 hours a week
6Kyochon heralds 30,000 won fried chicken era Kyochon heralds 30,000 won fried chicken era
7What's next for Do Kwon? What's next for Do Kwon?
8Second daughter of Daesang chairman promoted to vice president Second daughter of Daesang chairman promoted to vice president
9More companies adopt electronic voting amid increase in shareholder activism More companies adopt electronic voting amid increase in shareholder activism
10Over 70% of firms unwilling to embrace longer workweek Over 70% of firms unwilling to embrace longer workweek
Top 5 Entertainment News
1Kim Min-gyu, Go Bo-gyeol bid farewell to 'The Heavenly Idol' Kim Min-gyu, Go Bo-gyeol bid farewell to 'The Heavenly Idol'
2Yoo Yeon-seok threatens to sue people spreading accusations about him Yoo Yeon-seok threatens to sue people spreading accusations about him
3Han Suk-kyu on return of 'Dr. Romantic' with Season 3 Han Suk-kyu on return of 'Dr. Romantic' with Season 3
4Kim Nam-gil to embark on Asia fan-meeting tour Kim Nam-gil to embark on Asia fan-meeting tour
5Lee Som, Ahn Jae-hong to play married couple in Tving's new series Lee Som, Ahn Jae-hong to play married couple in Tving's new series
DARKROOM
  • Turkey-Syria earthquake

    Turkey-Syria earthquake

  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group