In the eternal poker game that is Korean politics, President Trump has folded on a planned June 12 summit meeting with North Korea. Because they are lying. And because he can read them like a book. He knows they offer something, try to win some favors, and then take the offer off the table. It’s how they have always played their cards. In this case, Trump went first and secured the goodwill release of three American hostages.
Trump’s withdrawal from talks pre-empted North Korea from making the same move. This blew up North Korea’s plan to either pull out of the talks and blame the U.S., or have Trump cancel and act like they were the reasonable party.
Ahead of the proposed summit, many in the media praised North Korea for offering to dismantle a nuclear test site and signing a “denuclearization” agreement with South Korea.
The acts were hailed as “unprecedented” and a sign North Korea wanted “peace.”
In reality, there is nothing “unprecedented” or “historic” about North Korea’s so-called “denuclearization agreement” and its “dismantling” of a nuclear test site was just a propaganda scam. In fact, that blown-up Punggye-ri tunnel – now all over the news – was actually a defunct part of Kim Jung Un’s nuclear testate and no longer useful.
At no time did North Korea ever entertain the idea of “denuclearization.”
THEY WEREN’T DISMANTLING THEIR NUCLEAR TEST SITE
The regime’s heavily-used underground nuclear test site at Punggye-ri was rendered nearly unusable after a September 2017 detonation caused tunnel collapses that reportedly killed hundreds of slave laborers. This was the site that when the United States offered to hold talks with North Korea, the regime offered to “dismantle” it in a heavily-propagandized event held for the world media.
However, Chinese government observers had already reported that any further testing at the site would cause a catastrophic collapse, and possibly send radioactive debris into the atmosphere.
North Korea would not confirm the report, but tellingly, after that September 2017 collapse, no further tests were conducted. And now, they have been imploded in a sign of “good faith” by a lying psychopath well-versed in pulling the wool over the world’s eyes. He knows they were no longer fit for purpose.
North Korea claims the offer is a sign they are committed to peace, but not only is the site unusable, the regime’s successful miniaturization of a nuclear warhead means no further testing is necessary.
The dictatorship previously possessed between 20 and 30 large nuclear warheads.The tests at Punggye-ri were part of North Korea’s program to develop a powerful nuclear weapon that was small enough to be delivered by missile. Their previous weapons were larger and required a traditional bomber airstrike. Lobbing a missile at the USA was always their plan. And now, except for the heat shields necessary for atmospheric re-entry, they are in a position to do that.
The United States confirmed in August 2017 North Korea had either developed or would soon develop such a miniaturized warhead. Testing stopped a month later.
SIGNING A “DENUCLEARIZATION AGREEMENT” NEVER HAPPENED
The offer of talks started weeks ago when North and South Korea signed what the media called a “denuclearization agreement.”
The media claimed the event had never happened before, would end North Korea’s nuclear program and put an end to the Korean War.
None of that is true.
In reality, nothing in the agreement required North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons. The text simply said both countries would talk to China and the U.S. about “denuclearization,” without defining that term.
North Korea defines “denuclearization” as the removal of U.S. nuclear weapons from the region, while keeping their own.
Just three days before signing the “denuclearization agreement,” Kim Jong Un announced to his government he would push ahead on North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, boasting “…the building of a nuclear force…is a political event of historical significance in accomplishing the socialist cause…”
In fact, this was the fourth time North Korea signed a deal described as a “denuclearization.”
North Korea signed agreements in 1992, 1994 and 2005, which specifically required them to give up their nuclear program.
WHAT NOW?
So why did Kim Jong Un try to, once again, scam the world with fake “denuclearization” offers?
His grandfather, Kim Il Sung, built the nation. His father, Kim Jong Il, built the military.
Since taking power, Kim Jong Un has stated he wants his legacy to be the development of a powerful socialist economy.
But Trump’s sanctions, and decision to leverage China into applying their own, has left North Korea’s already-feeble economy teetering.
North Korea, once brutally colonized by Japan, was built on the myth that the United States will invade at any moment and inflict upon the Korean people unspeakable acts of torture, rape and occupation.
Their nuclear weapons program is sold to the people as Kim’s bold master stroke to keep the invaders at bay and protect his people.
Kim will not give up nuclear weapons without first securing economic aid. In the past they have signed denuclearization agreements, greedily snatched the economic aid offered in return, and then reneged on the agreement.
The fake denuclearization agreement was Kim’s ploy to, once again, pull the same stunt.
With Trump’s withdrawal of talks, the scam may not now work. The world awaits as the cards are drawn for the final hand. Trump has always been about the details of the deal – not a deal for a deal’s sake.
By Donny Ferguson.