PYONGYANG, North Korea (CNN) – Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong-un were all smiles as they waved to crowds in the streets of Pyongyang. But behind the optics, they face tough negotiations. Especially on the issue of ending North Korea’s nuclear program.
It’s a flight that takes just over an hour, but one a South Korean president has not made for 11 years. Moon Jae-in received a warm welcome from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un the third time the men have met, this time the first lady’s accompanying from the start. A North Korean military honor guard replicated what greeted Kim Jong-un at April’s summit on the south side of the DMZ. These two leaders know the power of a good image and this was one of them. Driving through the streets of Pyongyang, Mr. Moon barely stopped waving. Thousands of residents lining the streets chanting “unification,” as they had likely been told to.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said, “It’s an enthusiastic welcome and our citizens are hoping for a greater result at a faster rate like the results we achieved this year.”
South Korean President Moon Jae-in said, “Because the spring in Panmunjom has led to autumn in Pyongyang. We need to reach a good outcome.”
But the smiles and hugs were accompanied by an article in the state-run newspaper saying the US is totally to blame for the deadlocked negotiations, stubbornly insisting on nuclear disarmament first, other issues later, a reminder to President Moon, the chief negotiator between Washington and Pyongyang, the two positions are far apart. Although the article was careful to blame conservative politicians for “gangster logic,” and not Trump himself. Three days of pomp and ceremony, meetings, dinners, concerts between two leaders who appear to have built a rapport. Kim Jong-un said after three meetings he and President Moon have become really close. He also said it’s thanks to Moon that the US-North Korean relations are improving
Warm words between the leaders, side-visits for the first ladies and the business chiefs, we’ll just have to wait and see if any of this is accompanied by agreements or concessions.
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