Lawmakers on Congress’ foreign affairs and armed services committees reacted with caution and skepticism to news late Thursday of a possible summit between President Trump and North Korea leader Kim Jong Un.
The Republican chairmen of House Foreign Relations and Senate Foreign Affairs credited U.S. and international sanctions against the regime with forcing Kim to the negotiating table, but said only time will tell whether the North is legitimately interested in giving up its nascent nuclear arsenal.
“Kim Jong Un’s desire to talk shows sanctions the administration has implemented are starting to work,” said Ed Royce, R-Calif., chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “We can pursue more diplomacy, as we keep applying pressure ounce by ounce. Remember, North Korean regimes have repeatedly used talks and empty promises to extract concessions and buy time.”
North Korea signed a 1994 framework agreement with the Clinton administration aimed at heading off its nuclear program. But the regime was later found to be cheating on the deal and it was canceled by the George W. Bush administration.
Just last year, the North tested intercontinental ballistic missiles that put major U.S. cities within range and is believed to be on the verge of perfecting the technology.
Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., the Senate Foreign Relations chairman, said “skepticism and caution are critical” as the Trump administration moves forward with any dialogue.
The summit offer by Kim was announced Thursday evening at the White House by South Korean national security adviser Chung Eui-Yong. It came about after the South held meetings with Pyongyang following a seeming thaw in relations during the Olympics.
“While U.S. policy toward North Korea has failed for decades, it is clear that a series of sanctions recently put in place by Congress and the administration are having a real impact,” Corker said. “As the administration begins to work through the important details of such a meeting, we must continue to apply maximum pressure to the regime in Pyongyang.”
Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said “caution and skepticism” are always warranted when dealing with North Korea, an isolated communist regime that is charged with oppression and torture of its people, global cyber attacks, and trade in dangerous weapons technology.
“Time will tell if North Korea matches its words with actions,” Reed said. “And we, along with our partners, must hold them accountable and ensure they comply with their international obligations to dismantle their nuclear weapons program.”
Trump, who accepted Kim’s summit invite on the spot, has brought a new and unorthodox approach to the North, including public taunts by calling the North Korean leader “Little Rocket Man.” The regime has sought a meeting with U.S. presidents for years but the offers had been rejected by past administrations.
One risk of any summit is that Kim will try to manipulate Trump, warned Sen. Lindsey Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
“A word of warning to North Korean President Kim Jong Un — the worst possible thing you can do is meet with President Trump in person and try to play him,” Graham tweeted. “If you do that, it will be the end of you — and your regime.”
Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, applauded the approach and credited the president for a breakthrough in relations.
“Tonight makes it clear that President Trump’s tough talk, campaign of maximum pressure and aggressive sanctions are working against North Korea,” Inhofe said. “Kim Jong Un’s willingness to refrain from future missile and nuclear testing and come to the table to talk about denuclearization, even during the annual U.S.-South Korea military drills, is a tangible first step.”
