North Korea begins key summit ahead of US deadline
December 29, 2019
Talks between Pyongyang and Washington have stalled since a summit between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump in February. North Korea's deadline for the US to change its stance on stalled nuclear talks is approaching.
Image: Reuters/KCNA
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Saturday convened a high-profile ruling party summit in Pyongyang ahead of a year-end deadline for Washington to shift its stance on North Korea's nuclear program.
North Korea's state news agency KCNA said that "national defense" was among the main topics in the meeting.
The ruling Workers' Party of Korea will also "discuss important matters arising... in the building of the state and national defense," KCNA added.
The meeting, which will continue for several days, comes after widespread speculation that the communist country is preparing to test an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) as a "Christmas gift" for the United States.
US-North Korea talks on the peninsula's denuclearization have been deadlocked since Kim and US President Donald Trump met in Vietnam in February this year.
The two sides disagree on the steps towards the easing of tensions, with Kim demanding the Trump administration lift sanctions against his country in exchange for his moratorium on ICBMs.
Earlier this month, Pyongyang's vice minister of foreign affairs conveyed the December 31 deadline for the US to offer concessions.
North Korea is under heavy US and UN sanctions over its controversial nuclear program. Russia and China – North Korea's main ally – also favor the lifting of sanctions to de-escalate tensions.
Although, there hasn't been an ICBM launch since the start of talks, North Korea has fired multiple short-range missiles into the sea in the past few months.
'Handshake for peace' – Trump crosses into North Korea
US President Trump and North Korean leader Kim have met once again, this time in the Demilitarized Zone. In a largely symbolic meeting, Trump and Kim hailed their personal close relationship amid stalled nuclear talks.
Image: Reuters/U.S. Network Pool
Third Kim-Trump meeting
It was the third meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un in just over a year. The first Trump-Kim summit took place in Singapore in June last year. A meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam, was held in February 2019. Both meetings failed to provide a clear roadmap for North Korea's denuclearization.
Image: AFP/Getty Images/B. Smialowski
Making history
Trump made history on June 30 with his latest encounter with Kim. He's the first sitting US president to visit the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that divides South and North Korea. Trump briefly crossed into North Korea as he shook hands with Kim. He said he was "proud to step over the line."
Image: AFP/Getty Images/B. Smialowski
Watching over the North
Prior to his meeting with Kim, Trump flew to the DMZ with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. The US president met with South Korean and American troops as he watched over North Korea from a military post in the DMZ. US presidents in the past have visited American troops on the South Korean side but not set foot in the DMZ.
Image: Reuters/K. Lamarque
'Great friendship'
From calling Kim Jong Un "little rocket man" to someone he has a "certain chemistry" with, Trump has come a long way in his dealing with North Korea. On June 30, he once again emphasized his personal ties with the North Korean dictator. Kim, too, hailed his "wonderful" relationship with Trump, saying the latest meeting would enable nuclear talks.
Image: AFP/Getty Images/B. Smialowski
'In no rush'
Washington and Pyongyang blame each other for the impasse over nuclear talks, but Trump is hopeful for a breakthrough. Although his previous two meetings with the North Korean leader didn't yield any result, Trump said he was "in no rush" to defuse tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
Image: picture-alliance/Yonhapnews Agency
Regime survival
Experts have warned that North Korea may never agree to fully give up its nuclear ambitions, which they say Pyongyang views as vital for regime survival. In March, new satellite imagery suggested that North Korea started rebuilding a rocket launch site before Kim and Trump's Vietnam summit in Feruary. The site had been dismantled last year as part of Kim's denuclearization pledge.
