Great Gesture and First Step: NK will be in Winter Olympics in SK

(Left) SK delegation head: Cho. Myoung-Gyon shakes hands with 

Ri, Son-Gwon, NK delegation head

Kim, Yo-jong and VP Mike Pence

(Pence was seated in front of her)

Update (February 12, 2018) and this pretty startling news: VP Mike Pence (R-IN) signaled a change of direction for U.S. diplomacy with NK on his way back from the Winter Olympic Games. Pence said the U.S. would be willing to talk to North Koreans even without Pyongyang showing signs of disengagement from its nuclear and missile development program, this according to The Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin, who reported on this private conversation with the vice president.

The new strategy involves continuing diplomatic pressure — last week, Pence anticipated a new round of sanctions against the regime — while opening up to dialogue at the same time.

Pence said: “The point is, no pressure comes off until they are actually doing something that the alliance believes represents a meaningful step toward denuclearization. So the maximum pressure campaign is going to continue and intensify. But if you want to talk, we’ll talk.”

FYI: This how I first reacted at various sites about Pence sitting in front of Kim, Jung-un’s sister without so much as a handshake or greeting like that which SK President Moon, Jae-in gladly did when he met her.

In a word, Pence was smug and callous and he blew a golden opportunity to show something other than what he showed towards Kim, Jung-un's sister at the Winter Olympics. Not even so much as a simple greeting her.

I believe he should have greeted her and then moved on. But, he apparently he did not or does not recognize a chance at even simple diplomacy when it presents itself and he sure does not know the Asian mind.

On the other hand, ROK president Moon, Jae-in showed dignity by extending a greeting to Ms. Kim, sitting with her, and having her at lunch. Our Vice President did not show anything except cold arrogance. Now it seems that Kim, Jung-un in the north has invited President Moon to visit and talk. 

Talking does not hurt, but apparently Pence thinks it does. So, this news and Pence’s statement is a bit of a big surprise, but let’s not forget about Trump and Tillerson and lots of backpedaling too okay, 

Cite:

Trump’s administration has often emphasized a change of direction from his predecessor Barack Obama’s “era of strategic patience,” promoting more aggressive rhetoric and increased economic and military pressure.

For example, in the past year, the U.S. has led the U.N. Security Council through several rounds of sanctions aimed to stem trade with North Korea and its access to foreign currency. U.S. forces stationed in South Korea, Japan and the American territory of Guam held some of their biggest military drills to date and flew bombers over the Korean Peninsula.

The White House position on the conditions North Korea would have to fulfill for talks to take place has shifted over the past few months. In April, Trump told Bloomberg he would be willing to meet North Korean leader Kim, Jong-un “under the right circumstances.”

Now some confusion: Trump then mocked Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for wasting his time on talks with North Korea in October.

Tillerson however was the first to anticipate Pence’s change of direction in December, telling an audience at the Atlantic Council on December 12 that a first meeting between the U.S. and North Korea could happen “without preconditions” adding: “Let’s just meet and let’s — we can talk about the weather if you want.”

Then he had to backtrack on that statement a few days later, after White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee-Sanders released a statement saying: “The president’s position on North Korea had not changed.” 

Ouch another Tillerson slap down, and now this from Pence. So, what will be Trump's reaction to this latest, plus, who is talking to whom and what is going here? Do we see (again) the “Art of the Deal” or “Art of Con” in action with Trump?  Quite simply: Who the hell knows?

Meanwhile when asked about progress in inter-Korean dialogue over the weekend, which included Pyongyang inviting President Moon, Jae-in to visit North Korea, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis remained cautious in expressing optimism, pointing to the military parade North Korea held the day before the start of the Olympic Games, while its cheerleaders and orchestra performed in South Korea, told reporters:  “It's too early for me to tell what [Kim, Jung-un] will do, because in the midst of all of this, he ran a military parade that — that highlighted his ballistic missiles. That's a very strange time, if in fact he's trying to show a warming to the country that he has attacked repeatedly as an American puppet, a country that impeached their last president. It's clearly a democracy. It runs its own affairs. So, I — it's just too early to tell.”

My conclusion to this: The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. South Korea’s presidential Blue House also had no immediate comment. 

I have always said: Talking does not hurt – not one bit – surely not hurting as much as nuclear explosive, right?

So, stay tuned on this new development … updates forthcoming I am sure. 

Thanks for stopping by.

Original post starts from here:

Background here from The Salt Lake Tribune, in part:

North Korea has conducted more than 20 ballistic missile tests during 2017 and its most powerful nuclear explosion to date. Its more recent missile test in late November fired a projectile that experts say could carry a nuclear warhead to the U.S. Eastern Seaboard.

SOS Rex Tillerson said the North’s growing capabilities were a “direct threat to our security and the security of the entire world. We do not regard this claim as an empty threat. We do not want war, but will use all necessary measures to defend against North Korean aggression, and our hope remains that diplomacy will produce a resolution.”

That Tillerson tone was significantly different from the tone he struck three days earlier – to wit:

On December 12 (BTW: Hanukkah celebration day), Tillerson said at the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington: “We are ready to have the first meeting without preconditions.” He also called it “unrealistic to expect North Korea to enter talks ready to relinquish a weapons of mass destruction program it invested so much in developing, although that remained the ultimate goal.”

The White House quickly distanced itself from Tillerson’s remarks on the very next day (December 13) when NSC spokesperson said that “North Korea must not only first refrain from provocations but take sincere and meaningful actions toward denuclearization” for any talks to happen. The spokesperson, who was not authorized to be quoted by name and requested anonymity further said that given North Korea’s most recent missile test, now was not the time for any talks.

Then it appeared that Tillerson and Trump again clashed as before on North Korea – one being speculation and questions about Tillerson, the former ExxonMobil executive’s future as top diplomat.

Recall that back in October, Trump tweeted that “Tillerson was wasting his time trying to negotiate with the North.” That followed Tillerson’s talk about Washington maintaining back-channel communications with Pyongyang.

Now, North and South Korea have agreed to walk together at the Olympic winter games to be held in South Korea at Pyeongchang (Kangwondo province) which is located some 65 miles Northeast of Seoul.

My 2 cents:

This gesture to me (and to many other Asian watchers I am sure) proves that Kim, Jung-un is reaching out and wants to talk and this is his opening show of that stance.

Yet, Trump can’t seem to see that is the Asian way to approach a long-term problem – ease one’s way into the room, shake hands, do a few unrelated things (like the Olympic showing) and then get to more serious topics – again: that the Asian mindset way of diplomacy – not brute force or resistance as Trump wants to show – that generally does not work, and rightly so.

This move by the North participating in and allow athletes to go South is a great gesture on Kim’s part … we must take that for what it is: an important first step. Someone who knows anything about Asia, Korea in particular, and their way of dealing in just about anything needs to enlighten Trump about their way of doing things and that my friend is truly called diplomacy.

We shall see. Tillerson was on the right track and now seems to have been railroaded by Trump via his NSC and those remarks above. That is not helpful in any shape, form, or fashion as the old expression says.

Under this scenario that Trump wants and that Tillerson has backed down from that he held originally, then if Tillerson had any loyalty to the country and indeed to the world as a whole and not just to Trump, he would resign. 

But, he won’t – the greed for power in a high position seems to do that even to honest and hardworking people under Trump and we see it daily – this is the most recent and most-serious issue vis-à-vis the nuclear war hanging over the world’s head all based on the ignorance and arrogance of both Trump and Kim – at least Kim is making an effort with the winter Olympics participation.

As I said: That is the Asian way of thinking and of course, Kim is Asian – ergo: if Trump remains hard nosed then all bets are off – the case will be closed and that would be awful in more ways than I can count.

Stay tuned and as always thanks for stopping by.