What dictator Kim wants from historic Korean summit

The meeting of the President of the Republic of Korea Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is truly a historic event. The significance of the summit can be seen from the fact that they will be meeting in an act of diplomacy, not seen by the two Koreas in over a decade. What is even more significant is that this is the first time that a North Korean leader will be crossing the military demarcation line that divides the two Koreas and travelling to Panmunjom, which is located within the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ). It’s not just that. Already, other measures have been set up to make the summit a success. A hotline directly connecting the two Korean leaders has been installed and it is supposed to be used by Kim and Moon before they travel to Panmunjom. More importantly, there are hopes that this summit could help the two Koreas to establish a treaty formally ending the Korean War.

True, it is not all out of a sudden that the two Koreas decided to meet and discuss an end to the ongoing rivalry. North Korea’s nuclear programmes over these years and the influence of external powers had continued to hamper the prospect of negotiation between the two sides to improve the relationship. On coming to power, President Donald Trump took note of North Korea’s efforts to enhance its nuclear powers, with his administration issuing a statement in April last year, where it sought to “pressure North Korea into dismantling its nuclear, ballistic missile, and proliferation programmes by tightening economic sanctions and pursuing diplomatic measures with our allies and regional partners.”

Trump also signed into law the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, which imposed new sanctions on North Korea. Enhancing the US’ tough stand against North Korea, Trump administration officials, including the President, have emphasised a possible preventive military attack against it. Addressing the UN General Council, Trump also said that the US would, if necessary, protect itself and its allies, ‘totally destroy North Korea’ and ‘the “Rocket Man” who runs it’. He also mocked Kim Jong Un, saying that the “Rocket Man” is on a suicide mission for himself and his regime.

Unlike in the past, this time, one of the most important things that has alarmed the North Korean regime is the unpredictable behaviour of the US administration. There is an increasing view in North Korea that Trump could launch a military attack on them. Economic sanctions, too, have had a huge impact on Kim regime’s behaviour with even China, a close friend of North Korea, announcing on February 18 the suspension of coal imports from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). As reports suggest, international sanctions have resulted in North Korea facing a possible crisis of foreign cash.

Consequently, these and other factors, have led North Korea to make conciliatory moves towards South Korea. This became evident when for the first time the North and South Korean delegations marched together in the opening ceremonies under a unified Korean flag at the Winter Olympics this year and Kim Yong, Kim Jong Un’s sister, met South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Subsequently, Kim also invited Moon to North Korea for a talk.

It’s not just North Korea that has been making conciliatory moves. Since his inauguration last May, President Moon has maintained that the North Korean nuclear issue should be resolved in a peaceful and diplomatic manner. According to him, a military solution was not an option and there could not be another war on the Korean Peninsula. The US factor was also at play here. When Chuang Eui-yong, the South Korean Nation Security Adviser, led a South Korean delegation to North Korea, Kim and his senior members expressed their desire to hold talks with the US with regard to denuclearisation and improving ties with them. Trump’s decision to meet the North Korean leader in May-June to discuss the longstanding nuclear issue further strengthened hopes about improving the relationship between the two Koreas.

On the heels of these and other positive developments, North and South Korea finally have agreed to hold the inter-Korean Summit. With South Korea choosing ‘Peace, a New Start’ as a slogan for the Summit, one important issue that will come up in the discussion between the two leaders is to include the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and improvement of inter Korean relations. This summit is also seen as an opportunity for many Korean and Korean-American family members divided by the Korean War to reunite with their families.

The pressure on Kim to have a successful conclusion to the summit meeting is immense. A successful meeting with the South Korean leader will help create a conducive atmosphere for the upcoming meeting between Trump and Kim, which in turn could help North Korea to persuade the US to remove economic and other sanctions on them. Thus, in light of a genuine desire of both the Koreas to promote peace and security in the region, it should be hoped that some far-reaching outcomes will emerge out of the summit between Kim and Moon.

The writer is a visiting Fellow, National Chengchi University. Views expressed are personal.