Korean Issue: What the Sides Bargain for?

• 05.17.2018, 13:10
•  America,  Asia,  World

NBC Bay Area

Ahead of the most anticipated meeting of the US President Donald Trump and Supreme Leader of North Korea Kim Jong-un on June 12, the sides continue to engage in “remote negotiation” publicly declaring about their expectations and demands from the negotiations. Below let us see what is the main bargaining points between the Korean sides and the US.

From the US side it seems that the main bargaining chip to motivate the North Korea’s denuclarization  is economic tools. Particularly, the US high level officials often speak of possible economic investment of the US companies in North Korea in case they concede on its nuclear weapon program. After two meetings with Kim Jong-un, the US State Secretary Mike Pompeo noted that the US would not be willing to invest taxpayer dollars to help the country, but was willing to "lift sanctions" to pave the way for private American investment in North Korea's energy, agriculture and infrastructure sectors, ABC news reports. 

Other main cards used by Trump are a possible peace treaty, diplomatic recognition and a promise not to overthrow the regime.

In its turn, North Korea seems to be motivated in this prospect the proof of which can be considered the symbolic actions taken by them such as the declaration of North Korean officials dismantle its nuclear test site and invite foreign journalists to observe, as well as free three US citizens imprisoned in North Korea.

As for the North Korea, they seem to continue to insist on their demand of the US troops withdrawal  as a condition for peace. The US stance on this demand was recently expressed by the US President Donald Trump, who on the occasion stated: “troops are not on the table,” but added: “At some point into the future, I would like to save the money,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

The reason behind Trump’s such words are very interesting to analyze. The thing is that  currently negotiations are ongoing between the US and its regional ally South Korea on the terms of the US military base there. The Pentagon wants South Korea  to bear half of stationing costs, which exclude soldiers’ wages. To inform based on the 1966 agreement between the sides the South Korea grants the US free use of land for its military bases. Complaining on the terms of the agreement Trump previously noted: “We get practically nothing for the roughly $1.2 billion a year the U.S. spends to station forces there, and has said allies should pay 100% of costs, “ the Wall Street Journal reports. 

According to Trump, Seoul should pay for a $1 billion US missile-defense system, and threatened to abandon their bilateral free-trade pact. “So we lose money on trade, and we lose money on the military,” he said.

Thus, concluding we can state that here we also normally deal with the complicated interests of the sides involved. And although there seems to be a commitment from the sides to engage in negotiations, before the meeting all the sides will utmost try to uphold and fulfill their interests.