Guess Who Knows Both President Trump And Kim Jong Un?

The United States vowed Friday there would be no let-up of pressure on North Korea until it takes concrete steps to end its nuclear program after Donald Trump agreed to meet Kim Jong Un in a stunning diplomatic gamble.

Given the accounts of Trump’s response to Chung Eui-yong’s announcement of Kim Jong-un’s invitation – an eager and immediate “Yes!” – it is far from clear that the administration is prepared for the road it’s about to head down.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has often been publicly contradicted by the White House over North Korea, including on Thursday when just hours before the announcement of a summit he said “we are a long ways from negotiations”.

Kim had “committed to denuclearization” and to suspending nuclear and missile tests, Chung said.

“We must avoid repeating mistakes of the past, but I hope the USA will accept our judgment on Kim and not pass up this opportunity”, Chung told Trump, according to Yonhap. “I don’t know yet, until we are able to meet ourselves face to face with representatives of North Korea, whether the conditions are right to even begin thinking about negotiations”. Veteran diplomat Chris Hill, the chief US negotiator in the last set of serious negotiations with Pyongyang, on MSNBC called the announcement “extraordinary”.

Gold prices extended losses into a thirdsession on Friday as the dollar strengthened against the yen onhopes of easing tensions between the United States and NorthKorea and ahead of USA non-farm payroll data later in the day. Few analysts expect Kim to give up North Korea’s nuclear deterrent, which he sees as vital to his regime’s survival. But … this briefing strongly suggests that the White House sees what happened yesterday as a major mistake or misstep that they are now trying to moonwalk back as quickly as possible.

Without an understanding of the diplomacy that brought North Korea to dialogue or the deeper history of the USA role on the Korean peninsula, I fear that the Trump administration will not fully appreciate what it will take to convince North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons.

“I hope the United States and North Korea can start to get in touch and dialogue as soon as possible, and strive to obtain positive achievements”, said Xi, according to Xinhua. Some are heralding this as a breakthrough, while others claim that it is giving North Korea exactly what it has always wanted – to be treated as a global equal to the US.

No sitting US president has met a North Korean leader, let alone one who has called the commander-in-chief a “mentally deranged dotard”. “It won’t. The North will want the U.S.to commit to ending the hostile policy in totality”. This seems to have come as quite a surprise and Mr. Chung said he had to get sign off from the South Korean President.

North Korea still produces propaganda declaring its continuing dedication to the “treasured sword” of its nuclear programme.

“Unfortunately, he said, “this possibility is made easier by accepting the invitation prior to the customary staff work that usually precedes a summit”.

In a notably restrained tweet, Trump hailed “great progress” in the push to persuade Pyongyang to end its nuclear weapons program, adding that “sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached”.

He continued, “We’ve been saying for some time that we’re open to talks“. But Kim is not inviting Trump so that he can surrender North Korea’s weapons. I’m looking forward to bringing more basketball diplomacy to North Korea in the upcoming months.

“The North Koreans are coming to the table despite the United States making zero concessions”, Pence said in a statement.

Previous North Korea leaders sought face-to-face meetings with sitting American presidents but they refused, partly over fears they could serve as propaganda for a regime accused of shocking human rights abuses against its own people.