Korean Denuclearization

Published in La Nacion
(Argentina) on 12 March 2019
by Editorial (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Jane Vogel. Edited by Nkem Okafor.
The expectation of finding a common path toward the central goal of effectively denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula was clearly frustrated this time following the recent summit between United States and North Korean leaders in Hanoi, located in now thriving Vietnam. There was no important progress or agreement on any issues to announce. The joint effort was marked by the color of failure, damaging its credibility.

According to the Americans, the reason for the unexpected breakdown was the unwavering demand from North Korea that the U.S. immediately lift the harsh economic sanctions that are hammering the weak North Korean economy, without offering anything in exchange. This is something that is certainly unusual for international negotiations, which normally entail intense advance work from the respective delegations and reaching well-defined advances prior to the meeting between the top leaders for the parties. Negotiations will now have to continue at a technical level and at a different pace. North Korea, however, may have shed its image as a hermit country in order to pursue its sudden inclination for dialogue.

However, the astonishing sense of failure will not help future negotiations, and reciprocal trust has apparently been damaged by an opportunity that, in all truth, has been wasted. It reached the point that forced the abrupt cancellation of a lunch planned for both delegations in the dining room of the historic Metropole Hotel in Hanoi.

Unfortunately, the dangerous and certain nuclear threat from North Korea remains intact for now, to the concern of everyone. This includes Donald Trump, for whom the outcome was a notorious and unexpected failure; an inconvenient blow at a time when the domestic scene is already campaign driven.


Las expectativas de poder encontrar un camino común que permita alcanzar el objetivo central de desnuclearizar efectivamente la península coreana quedaron esta vez claramente frustradas, tras la reciente reunión cumbre entre los líderes de los Estados Unidos y Corea del Norte en la ciudad de Hanoi, en el hoy pujante Vietnam. No hubo progresos ni coincidencias importantes que anunciar. El color del fracaso tiñó entonces el esfuerzo conjunto y de alguna manera dañó su credibilidad.
Según los norteamericanos, la razón del inesperado fracaso fue la inconmovible exigencia norcoreana de levantamiento inmediato de las duras sanciones económicas norteamericanas que golpean a su débil economía. Sin dar nada a cambio. Algo que ciertamente no es habitual que suceda en las negociaciones internacionales, que normalmente suponen un intenso trabajo previo de las delegaciones respectivas y el haber alcanzado avances bien definidos con anterioridad al encuentro entre los líderes máximos de las partes. La negociación deberá ahora continuar, a nivel técnico y con otro ritmo. Corea del Norte, sin embargo, puede haber dejado ya de ser un país ermitaño y mantener en adelante su repentina vocación de diálogo.
Pero la sensación sorprendente de falta de avances no ayudará en más. Y la confianza recíproca ha quedado aparentemente afectada por una oportunidad que, en rigor de verdad, ha sido desperdiciada. Hasta tal punto que lo sucedido obligó a cancelar abruptamente el almuerzo que había sido previsto para ambas delegaciones en el comedor del histórico Hotel Metropole, en Hanoi.
La peligrosa y cierta amenaza nuclear norcoreana sigue, por ahora al menos, lamentablemente vigente, para preocupación de todos. Incluso de Donald Trump, para quien lo sucedido es un fracaso que, por notorio e inesperado, lo golpea inoportunamente, en tiempos que, en el plano doméstico, ya son electorales.
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