By Kim Young Shin

The U.S. daily The Washington Post has published an article titled “North Korea is setting the mood for a summit with Trump. And that is progress,” which commented on North Korea’s announcement to stop missile and nuclear weapons tests and to close nuclear test sites.

“There are still many questions to be answered… But for now, it’s striking that previously belligerent North Korea has acted to unequivocally set the right mood for those summits,” it wrote.

“North Korea is claiming victory in its nuclear policy, while the United States is claiming victory in its maximum-pressure policy,” said the expert quoted in the article. “Even if these are very different narratives, it’s a good place to be because you don’t want either side feeling like they’re losing. You want a win-win.”

CNN also reported on the North’s announcement on April 22 and said “the announcement appears to signify a remarkable change in policy for Kim.”

It also quoted a North Korean source who said, “Kim has committed himself to the path of denuclearization and will now focus solely on economic growth and improving the national economy.”



In addition to media, Chinese mouthpieces have welcomed the North’s decision and have emphasized China’s role in the upcoming changes. The national Xinhua News Agency said on April 21 that, “North Korea made it clear that it will never use its nuclear weapons unless they are under threat of a nuclear attack.” It added, “It stated that it will focus on economic development and engage in active and close communication with its neighbors and the international community."

The Global Times, an English-language mouthpiece for the Chinese government, quoted observers in an April 22 article titled “North Korea has great potential for economic growth.” Zhang Huizhi, a professor at Jilin University’s Northeast Asian Studies College, said, “North Korea's expressed an explicit vow to prioritize its economic agenda, and the world should now have more faith in Pyongyang's sincerity to embark on a path to becoming a normal state on the world stage.” He added that, “China, also a socialist nation with successful achievements in its own reform and opening-up, can share its experience with North Korea to help Pyeongyang achieve its economic development goals."

The article quoted Lu Chao, a research fellow at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences. He said that, “This is the first time North Korea has made such a clear promise and shown sincerity, so the U.S. also needs to make a positive response, such as reducing sanctions or suspending its joint military drills with South Korea, to safeguard this hard-fought progress for peace.”

ysk1111@korea.kr