북미정상회담까지 보름…북미 샅바싸움 돌입 - 봉영식 박사 대담
For more, we have joining us Dr. Bong Young-shik, from the Yonsei Institute for North Korean Studies.
1 - The current word coming out of the North Korea-U.S. negotiations seems to be that the U.S. is demanding the dismantlement of the Yeongbyeon nuclear facility and its subsequent verification, while North Korea has been demanding sanctions relief. Do you think that is a fair assessment?
2 - There is much skepticism about how much Trump will be able to get from Kim Jong-un over the regime's denuclearization, but to counter it the White House issued a press release taking excerpts from an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, titled "Trump Is Serious About Diplomacy With North Korea." Tod Linberg, a research fellow at the Hudson Institute, argues Trump has shown he is fully committed to the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea, and praised his personal approach with Kim. What do you make of this piece, and what should we read from the fact that the White House issued it as a press release?
3 - North Korean state media have not officially acknowledged or mentioned the upcoming summit with Trump. But their media outlets have been calling on the U.S. to carry out corresponding measures to Pyeongyang's preemptive actions, such as the lifting of sanctions. Can we expect North Korean media to continue to call for such measures until the summit?
4 - The Vietnamese foreign minister is in North Korea a three-day trip. He is said to have been invited by his North Korean counterpart. It seems that arrangements are being made for Kim's visit for the summit to become a state visit...
5 - If it does turn out to be a state visit, it will be the first one a North Korean leader has taken since Kim Il-sung in 1964, 55 years ago. How significant is that? What kind of relationship do North Korea and Vietnam have?
6 - U.S. businessman and investment guru Jim Rogers has in the past talked up the investment potential of a unified Korea. And it seems word has reached Kim Jong-un because it is being reported that Rogers has been invited by Kim to visit next month. What do you make of these reports and do you find them credible?
7 - A South Korean delegation of civic group members has made a trip to North Korea today, to discuss possible civic exchanges. It's the first civic exchange between the two Koreas this year, but such activity has dried up somewhat in the last few months. Do you see it picking up again after the U.S. summit?
