Kim Jong Un was ‘sincere’ in denuclearisation talks: former South Korea president

Sub: IR

Sec: Places in news

Tag: denuclearisation of Korean peninsula

Context:

Kim Jong Un offered to give up his nuclear arsenal if the U.S. guaranteed his regime’s survival, according to former South Korean president Moon Jae-in.

Details:

Revelation came in the former South Korean president Moon Jae-in’s memoir “From the Periphery to the Centre”.
Moon facilitated two summits between Kim and then-U.S. president Donald Trump to discuss denuclearisation and sanctions relief.
The second summit collapsed in 2019, leading to a halt in diplomatic outreach and worsening relations between the Koreas.
Kim was aware of international mistrust and questioned how to prove his sincerity to the U.S.
Pyongyang has since declared itself an “irreversible” nuclear power, advanced its weapons development, and strengthened ties with Moscow, violating UN sanctions.
A deal failed because the U.S. demanded complete denuclearisation before sanctions relief.
Analyst Hong Min suggested the only way to verify Kim’s sincerity would have been to strike a deal at the Hanoi summit.

2019 North Korea–United States Hanoi Summit:

Commonly known as the Hanoi Summit
It was a two-day summit meeting between North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. president Donald Trump, held at the French Colonial Hôtel Métropole in Hanoi, Vietnam, during February 27–28, 2019.
It was the second meeting between the leaders of North Korea and the United States following their first meeting in Singapore the year prior.
The White House announced that the summit was cut short and that no agreement was reached.

Nuclear Disarmament or Denuclearization:

Nuclear disarmament is the act of reducing or eliminating nuclear weapons.
Its end state can also be a nuclear-weapons-free world, in which nuclear weapons are completely eliminated.
The term denuclearization is also used to describe the process leading to complete nuclear disarmament.
Disarmament and non-proliferation treaties have been agreed upon because of the extreme danger intrinsic to nuclear war and the possession of nuclear weapons.

Treaties Related to Nuclear Disarmament:

Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT): Signed in 1968 and entered into force in 1970, the NPT aims to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and promote disarmament.
- Binding treaty
- It divides the world into nuclear-weapon states (NWS), recognized as possessing nuclear weapons at the time of the treaty’s signing, and non-nuclear-weapon states (NNWS), which agree not to develop or acquire nuclear weapons.
- It requires NWS to pursue disarmament negotiations in good faith.
Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW): Adopted by the United Nations in 2017 and opened for signature in 2018, the TPNW aims to prohibit the development, testing, production, stockpiling, stationing, transfer, use, and threat of use of nuclear weapons.
- It represents a significant step towards nuclear disarmament, although it has not been signed by nuclear-armed states.
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT): Opened for signature in 1996, the CTBT aims to ban all nuclear explosions for both civilian and military purposes.
- While the treaty has been signed by 185 countries and ratified by 170, it has not entered into force as nuclear-armed states must ratify it to become operational.
Outer Space Treaty: This multilateral agreement entered into force in 1967 and bans the siting of weapons of mass destruction in space.
- All nine states believed to have nuclear weapons are parties to this treaty.

Conflict in the Korean Peninsula:

Rooted in Japanese occupation (1910-1945)
Post-WWII, the Allied powers planned a “four-power trusteeship” at the Yalta Conference (1945)
USSR took control of the north; the south remained under the Allies, mainly the USA
Divided at the 38th parallel, still the official border
In 1948, South Korea and North Korea were established
Conflict arose as both sought territorial and ideological expansion

Korean War

June 25, 1950: North Korea, backed by the USSR, attacked South Korea
UN forces, led by the US, retaliated
1951: US forces crossed the 38th parallel, prompting China to support North Korea
Peace talks began in 1951 to prevent further escalation
India played a key role in peace negotiations
1952: Indian resolution on Korea adopted at the UN
July 27, 1953: Korean Armistice Agreement signed, leading to a ceasefire
Established the Korean DMZ as a buffer zone
December 1991: North and South Korea signed a non-aggression pact

US-North Korea Conflict

During the Cold War, the US extended its Nuclear Umbrella to South Korea and Japan
North Korea withdrew from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 2003
Under Kim Jong-un, North Korea increased nuclear missile testing
March 2017: US deployed THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) in South Korea
The conflict evolved from a North-South Korea issue to a US-North Korea standoff

Source: TH