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Bloomberg
The commander of US forces in South Korea cited a “palpable†decline in tensions amid US-North Korean peace talks but cautioned there’s little evidence that Kim Jong- un is willing to give up his nuclear arsenal.
“Today is Day 440 since the last strategic provocation†by North Korea through a missile or nuclear test, Army General Robert Abrams told the Senate Armed Services Committee. That’s meant “a marked reduction in tensions†on the Korean Peninsula, he said, and a reduced risk of miscalculation.
While Abrams credited President Donald Trump’s talks with Kim, which will resume in a second summit meeting in Hanoi on February 27-28, as contributing to the improved atmosphere, he offered little optimism that Trump’s efforts will lead to his goal of a nuclear-free North Korea. “I remain clear-eyed,†Abrams said, adding that “little to no verifiable change has occurred in North Korea’s military capabilities.†In a written statement to the committee, Admiral Philip Davidson, commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, was even more direct, echoing a finding by US intelligence agencies that Kim views his nuclear weapons as indispensable to maintaining his autocratic power.
“We think it is unlikely that North Korea will give up all of its nuclear weapons or production capabilities but seeks to negotiate partial denuclearization in exchange for US and international concessions,†he said.
Meanwhile, the US’s top envoy to talks with North Korea gave a cautious view on the upcoming Trump-Kim summit during a closed-door briefing with South Korean lawmakers visiting Washington, the Yonhap News Agency and other South Korean media reported.
Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun told a delegation led by National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang that there might not be enough time to resolve all issues in the two weeks before the summit, Yonhap said, without disclosing how it got the information. He said there was a chance the two sides could agree on a denuclearization timeline, according to Yonhap.
Biegun said that the two parties planned to draft a joint statement and narrow down their differences during the next round of working-level negotiations, the DongA Ilbo newspaper reported. The US Embassy in Seoul said it was able to confirm Biegun’s comments.
At the Senate hearing, Senator Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, said “we have to be skeptical†unless Pyongyang offers a full inventory of its nuclear capabilities.