North Korea has drastically changed its tune after a two-day visit from South Korea, promising it would not use nuclear or conventional weapons against Seoul and even expressing the possibility of holding denuclearization talks with the United States.
Furthermore, South Korea’s presidential national security director Chung Eui-yong said the Hermit Kingdom went so far as to say it’d be willing to give up nuclear weapons if the military threats against them stopped.
"The North side clearly affirmed its commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and said it would have no reason to possess nuclear weapons should the safety of its regime be guaranteed and military threats against North Korea removed," Chung said in a statement, Yonhap News Agency reports.
“It made it clear that while dialogue is continuing, it will not attempt any strategic provocations, such as nuclear and ballistic missile tests,” the statement continued.
Chung, who led a 10-member South Korean delegation to Pyongyang for the two-day visit, said the North is ready to have “heart-to-heart” talks with the U.S. about the regime’s potential denuclearization and normalization between the countries. […]
North and South Korea agreed to hold summit talks in April at the border. The leaders will establish a “hotline” communication channel to lower military tensions, Chung added. (FoxNews.com)
The rhetorical reversal from North Korea may have more to do with sanctions against the regime taking their toll rather than anything else.
Kang Seok-ho, of the Liberty Korea Party, has said the dictator is struggling to keep his regime afloat, according to FoxNews.com.
"I received an analysis that, if international sanctions against the North continue like this, all of North Korea's foreign currency earnings and overseas assets will be frozen, and its dollar [reserves] will dry up around October," Kang said. "At a time like this, our government should further strengthen cooperation with the international community on sanctions against the North."
Update: President Trump has responded.
"Possible progress being made in talks with North Korea. For the first time in many years, a serious effort is being made by all parties concerned. The World is watching and waiting! May be false hope, but the U.S. is ready to go hard in either direction!" he tweeted.
Possible progress being made in talks with North Korea. For the first time in many years, a serious effort is being made by all parties concerned. The World is watching and waiting! May be false hope, but the U.S. is ready to go hard in either direction!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 6, 2018
We will see what happens! https://t.co/Y1qxoAUfd9
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 6, 2018
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