President Donald trump months back, during the election campaign, said that he was not averse to a meeting with the North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. This line of thought has gained urgency as the Korean missile program is moving at a rapid rate. Trump like earlier presidents is in a bind as far as North Korea is concerned. The White House has stated that “all options” are on the table, meaning that military action is on the cards.
There is no doubt that military action can effectively stop the North Korea missile and nuclear program. This is the harsh reality of the Trump administration’s policy of tightening the screws on the North with more sanctions and even asking China to help out have not worked.
Probably they won’t work at all, as the North Korean dictator has his own priorities. CNN International reported that war will have a spin off effect and General Mattis has said that it will bring untold suffering to the Korean people and South Korea, which is an ally of the U.S.
Military option
In a military strike, there is no doubt that North Korea will lose but it will put the lives of 28,000 U.S. soldiers and millions of South Koreans at risk. The North has already said that in the event of a strike their response would be "merciless." This means they will strike with all their power at the South and this will lead to great devastation in South Korea. Is the U.S. ready for that?
What is the choice?
Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu has said that if the choice is between military conflict and talking he would support talking. Many others have agreed with him
Out of box solution
Trump played the China card when he invited the Chinese president to his resort in Florida. He expected China to help stop the North Korean's nuclear program and dangled a lucrative trade deal.
This has not happened because of the simple reason that North Korea is proxy for China and it does not want to defang the North. In such a scenario, Trump has to think out of box solutions to solve the problem. Meeting with Kim Jong Un is one of those solutions. There is no guarantee that direct negotiations will be effective, but it is worth a try.
In addition, many experts feel that the North is looking for legitimacy and has been trying to have a meeting with the US President.
Direct talks will have a side effect and will not find favor with Japan, but Moon may agree.
Face to face meeting?
No U.S. president has ever met with the leader of North Korea but, in May, Trump said he would be willing to meet with Kim "under the right circumstances”. This was a bold statement and worth exploring. A North Korean defector RI Jong Ho has opined that a Trump-Kim meeting is a possibility. One should not forget that Ho Chi Minh fought the U.S. for two decades and today Vietnam is not a friend of China. There is a chance that Donald, in a meeting, could turn on his charm and things may be better. There is no guarantee, but it’s worth a try.
