Reaching a deal on Korean Peninsula will require a scarce commodity: trust
Kim Jong-un’s pledge to dismantle his nuclear test site may be a ruse meant to convince the world he is ditching his nukes when he is not, writes Michael Schuman
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has pledged to dismantle his nuclear test site, and supposedly, he is even inviting the international press into his usually off-limits kingdom to witness the extravaganza. The gesture is meant to prove he is serious about eliminating his weapons programme — and he wants all the world to see it. But be warned: This could be a show of the dog-and-pony variety. Some experts claim the site has already been pulverized by previous tests and is now of little use. If that is the case, Kim’s move, at best, may be merely symbolic; at worst, it could be a ruse, meant to convince a hopeful world that he is ditching his nukes when he is not. How can we know what the truth really is? And here we find the one factor that may kill off any nuclear deal with North Korea: verification. The US and South Korea will need to be assured the North Koreans are doing what they say they are doing. Any agreement will have to include some sort of process to inspect Pyongyang’s nu...
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