Sanders "Will meet Kim Jong-un... but only at the final stage of agreement"

Democratic Primary Early Front-Runner Mentions
Distinct North Korea Views Compared to Centrist Candidates Like Biden and Bloomberg

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] Senator Bernie Sanders, who successfully took the lead in the early stages of the U.S. Democratic presidential primary, reaffirmed his willingness to meet North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un if elected president.

As Sanders has emerged as a solid frontrunner through the three recent Democratic presidential primaries, both the South Korean government and North Korea need to pay close attention to his North Korea policy strategy.

On the 23rd (local time), Senator Sanders was asked in an interview with CBS's '60 Minutes' whether he would meet Chairman Kim, to which he replied, "Yes." Sanders had previously given the same response in a New York Times survey related to North Korea diplomacy.

Senator Sanders said, "For me, meeting with hostile people is not a bad thing." His criticism of the past meeting between President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim was aimed at the showy, unprepared nature of the talks, not a rejection of the meeting itself.

Sanders stated, "Unfortunately, I think President Trump went into that meeting unprepared," adding, "It was an opportunity for taking pictures, but I don't think he had the kind of diplomatic groundwork necessary to make the talks successful." He reiterated, "I have no problem sitting down with enemies around the world."

This statement is interpreted as indicating that he would meet Chairman Kim, but only after practical negotiations have nearly finalized a denuclearization agreement. It also implies that even if he meets and negotiates with North Korea, the negotiation style will differ from President Trump's 'top-down' negotiation tactics.

Senator Sanders, who leans progressive socialist, has expressed a more conciliatory North Korea negotiation strategy compared to centrist Democratic presidential candidates. In a New York Times survey of Democratic presidential candidates on the 10th, when asked whether they would continue the personal diplomacy started by President Trump with Chairman Kim, Sanders answered "Yes," unlike former Vice President Joe Biden and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, showing a distinctive stance.

When asked whether he would gradually lift sanctions on North Korea as compensation if North Korea freezes the development (production) of fissile material, the fuel for nuclear weapons, he also answered "Yes." Sanders also said "Yes" when asked if he believes there must be actual disarmament before lifting sanctions on North Korea.

However, regarding the use of military force to preemptively deter nuclear or missile tests by Iran or North Korea, he answered "Yes."

Sanders has consistently emphasized the need for phased negotiations on North Korea's denuclearization. In an August survey by the NYT last year, he pointed out, "In the short term, it does not seem likely that North Korea will give up its nuclear weapons, but in the long term, persuasion is possible," and stressed the need to test proposals with phased procedures that may take some time. In a Washington Post survey last September, he said, "If I decide that meeting with Chairman Kim is the best way to move toward an agreement, I will do so."