New hopes for US-DPRK relations

The international public has placed high expectations on the positive results that President of the United States (US) Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the Workers’ Party of Korea and Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), can reach in their second high-level meeting in Hanoi. Meanwhile, both the US and the DPRK have broadcast optimistic signals about new steps in bilateral relations.

Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea and Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK, and US President Donald Trump in their bilateral meeting in Singapore last June. (Photo: Reuters)
Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea and Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK, and US President Donald Trump in their bilateral meeting in Singapore last June. (Photo: Reuters)

Right ahead of the second summit between the leaders of the two countries, the White House issued a statement stating that US President Trump is committed to achieving peace for the Korean peninsula, for the US and for the world. Washington considers the event a “great opportunity”, as the Hanoi conference aims to promote the implementation of commitments reached by the two leaders in their first direct meeting in Singapore last June, notably concerning the definite denuclearisation and the establishment of long-term, sustainable peace on the Korean peninsula.

President Trump also stated that if the DPRK sustains its denuclearisation commitment, the US will strive to create economic development options. Washington and its partners are ready to mobilise investment, improve infrastructure, enhance food security, and explore many other areas of cooperation in the DPRK. According to the White House leader, more than anyone else, DPRK Chairman Kim Jong Un will realise that abandoning nuclear weapons will enable the DPRK to promptly have the chance to become one of the world’s economic powers.

The White House reiterated the groundbreaking results achieved at the historic Trump-Kim Jong Un meeting in Singapore last year. Since the Singapore summit, the relations between the US and the DPRK have obtained new strides full of expectations. According to the US side, the DPRK has not conducted nuclear or missile tests for more than 400 days and has pledged to dismantle platinum and uranium enrichment facilities. In his 2019 New Year address, Chairman Kim Jong Un also reaffirmed his commitment to finalising the denuclearisation. The DPRK has also returned the remains of US soldiers who died during the war, and the two sides have pledged greater efforts in this regard.

The DPRK side also broadcast strong messages about Pyongyang’s “willingness to create a new historical page” as stated by an article published in Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the Workers’ Party of Korea ahead of the Hanoi conference. The article affirmed that the DPRK will develop relations with all the countries that respect their sovereignty and are friendly with the DPRK, regardless of the differences in ideology and social system. The article also reported that the DPRK is standing in front of a “historic turning point”, while calling on the DPRK people to exert greater efforts to seize opportunities to accelerate economic development. The DPRK also emphasised that the abandonment of nuclear and missile tests and the destruction of nuclear testing sites are the steps that show Pyongyang’s goodwill to building long-term peace in the region, as well as its responsibility to the international community.

The nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula has existed for the past decade, and there have already been numerous efforts made to neutralise disagreements, towards long-term peace and stability in the region. Therefore, the expectations for the second DPRK-USA Summit in Hanoi are massive. Accordingly, the parties may adopt an agreement in which the DPRK outlines specific steps for denuclearisation, while in return the US will take positive steps, including easing its sanctions against Pyongyang.

In order to find a common voice to solve the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula, perhaps the US and the DPRK still need more time. However, following the breakthrough results of the first summit in Singapore, together with the positive steps of both sides over recent times, the second DPRK-USA summit in Hanoi brings new hopes in building true trust between the two sides, towards the common goal of peace for the region and the world.