North Korea signals readiness for talks if Trump wins presidency
If Donald Trump becomes the President of the USA, North Korea is ready to resume talks on nuclear weapons, Reuters learned from a high-ranking North Korean diplomat who defected to South Korea.
In July North Korean diplomat Ri Il Gyu defected from Cuba to South Korea. He is the most senior figure from the world's most isolated country to successfully escape since 2016.
In his first interview with the media, Ri said that North Korea has designated Russia, the USA, and Japan as its main priorities in foreign policy for this year and the coming years.
Pyongyang is eager to resume nuclear negotiations with the USA, especially if the Republican candidate wins the November elections. Kim Jong Un met Trump in Vietnam in 2019.
Back then, the talks on disarming Korea did not yield the expected results. According to Ri, negotiations broke down due to U.S. pressures and sanctions. Kim Jong Un partially blamed the collapse of the talks on the "inexperienced, clueless" military commanders who led the discussions.
Kim Jong Un doesn't know much about international relations and diplomacy, or how to make strategic judgment, said the former diplomat.
Ri noted that the Koreans have learned from that meeting. This time, they will be better prepared and will not be intimidated by Trump. They are ready to make concessions on their nuclear programme, but in return, they expect the sanctions on their country to be lifted.
This time, the foreign ministry would definitely gain power and take charge, and it won't be so easy for Trump to tie North Korea's hands and feet again for four years without giving anything, Ri told Reuters.
