China: North Korea Committed To Denuclearization

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets President Xi Jinping in Beijing, China, in this photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on January 10, 2019. KCNA via REUTERS

Reuters: South Korea, China urge concessions on both sides to end U.S.-North Korea standoff

SEOUL/SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China and South Korea called for concessions from the United States as well as North Korea, ahead of a possible second summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump, suggesting a U.S. pressure campaign aimed at the North’s denuclearization may be slipping.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in said on Thursday that he would cooperate with the international community to at least partially ease sanctions to allow for some inter-Korean business and tourism ventures, while later noting that Pyongyang needed to take “bold steps” towards denuclearization to win concessions from Washington.

“I think North Korea knows that they clearly have to denuclearize for the easing of international sanctions, and the U.S. also understands that there needs to be corresponding action to expedite the North’s denuclearization,” Moon told reporters at the presidential Blue House.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The Chinese are saying that North Korea is committed Update: N.K. leader reaffirms denuclearization commitment, vows efforts for 2nd summit with Trump (Yonhap) ....

.... North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has reaffirmed his commitment to the denuclearization and vowed efforts to produce good results from his second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, Chinese state media said Thursday.

Kim made the pledge during his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Tuesday, according to Xinhua News Agency. Kim was in China for a four-day trip, his fourth visit to the neighboring ally in about 10 months.

On a side note, check out this column which discusses South Korea’s close encounter (inspection) with North Korea’s utterly abysmal railroad system .... On Point: The Big Story of 2018 is the Trump Administration's Korean Diplomatic Initiative (Austin Bay, Strategy Page).