Op-ed by Yuki Tatsumi on The Second Trump Kim Summit

In Japan

The Second Trump Kim Summit: No Good Option for Japan?

U.S. President Donald Trump just kicked off his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Pessimism around Trump’s meeting with Kim is not new. In fact, the Joint Declaration issued by the two leaders following their first summit in Singapore was heavily criticized as being too aspirational for positive U.S.-North Korea relations without having any concrete details. Since then, skeptics have pointed out that while the United States has undertaken some tension reduction measures, including cancelling large-scale U.S.-ROK joint military exercises, North Korea has not done anything since the Declaration to move toward denuclearization. If anything, critics have argued, the North Korean government repeatedly expressed its determination not to renounce its existing nuclear weapons and capability.

Going into the Hanoi Summit, pessimism had grown deeper among experts not only in the United States but also in Japan. To put it simply, there is a growing concern that Trump will accept whatever Kim Jong Un offers so that he can reach a deal and emerge successful out of the summit. Analysts worry that the next agreement might not contribute to the ultimate end goal –the denuclearization of North Korea – but instead pave the way to provide incentives to North Korea prematurely.

Read the full article in The Diplomat.

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