To the South:
"We Will Enshrine the Doctrine of Two Hostile States in Law"
On September 21, North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong Un reaffirmed that the prerequisite for North Korea-U.S. dialogue is the abandonment of denuclearization. It is also noteworthy that he took a flexible stance regarding the possibility of meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju.
According to the Korean Central News Agency on September 22, Chairman Kim stated at the 13th Session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly held at the Mansudae Assembly Hall in Pyongyang the previous day, "I still personally have good memories of the current U.S. President Trump," adding, "If the United States gives up its unrealistic obsession with denuclearization and, based on an acknowledgment of reality, seeks genuine peaceful coexistence with us, there is no reason why we cannot stand face-to-face with the United States."
However, he also emphasized, "We will never give up our nuclear weapons," and stated, "There will be no negotiations such as exchanging anything with hostile countries in return for lifting sanctions."
Regarding the new administration's three-stage denuclearization proposal, Chairman Kim said, "It is a mere copy transcribed from the homework book of our predecessors who dreamed of disarming us," and declared, "We will clearly establish in law that we and South Korea are two heterogeneous states separated by a border and can never become one."
In response, the Presidential Office stated, "The government has made it clear that it respects the North Korean regime, will not pursue unification by absorption, and has no intention of engaging in hostile acts," adding, "With a long-term perspective, we will work to eliminate hostility and promote the development of peaceful relations between the two Koreas through tension reduction and restoration of trust." The Presidential Office also added, "We will continue efforts to support North Korea-U.S. dialogue and to establish a nuclear-free and peaceful Korean Peninsula."
Meanwhile, Hong Min, Senior Research Fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, commented on the possibility of a surprise meeting between Chairman Kim and President Trump, saying, "This speech made it clear that the condition for North Korea-U.S. talks is the abandonment of denuclearization by the U.S.," and predicted, "Since denuclearization is a firm principle for the United States, it does not seem likely that talks will be realized at the APEC summit."
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