Trump weighs letting N. Korea keep nukes, offering incentives to stop building new bombs: Politico

▲ U.S. President Donald Trump (L) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un shake hands at the inter-Korean border truce village of Panmunjom on June 30, 2019. (Yonhap)

Trump-N Korea policy

Trump weighs letting N. Korea keep nukes, offering incentives to stop building new bombs: Politico

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 (Yonhap) -- Former President Donald Trump is considering a negotiation plan under which North Korea freezes its nuclear program in return for sanctions relief and some other form of aid, U.S. media outlet, Politico, reported Wednesday, citing three people briefed on it.

Politico published the article on Trump's thinking as he is seeking to win a second White House term in the November election next year, which is expected to be a rematch between him and incumbent President Joe Biden.

One of the ideas that Trump is weighing would involve enticing the North to freeze its nuclear program and stop developing new weapons in return for relief from economic sanctions and some other form of assistance, the outlet said. It would also require verification to ensure the North delivers on its end of the deal.

Politico raised the possibility that Trump could seek the North's denuclearization as a long-term goal.

Part of Trump's motivation for the idea would be to focus on the "larger task of competing with China" while avoiding "wasting time on what he sees as futile arms talks," the outlet said.

The idea, if pushed for, could cause friction with Seoul as South Korea has long been pursuing North Korea's complete denuclearization while seeking a credible nuclear deterrent provided by the United States.

During his presidential term from 2017-2021, Trump sought leader-to-leader diplomacy with the North, which led to three face-to-face meetings between him and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

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