At first glance, the leadership of North Korea may appear undaunted to strike the US mainland with its nuclear missile. But on a closer look, experts suggested that the communist dictator might be anxious after all in waging war against the United States, CNN reported.
The hawk-dove game between the US president and the North’s leader drastically escalated in recent months. However, in the midst of the seemingly unrelenting public name-calling and the fiery exchange of threats between Trump and Kim, the top officials of the communist regime made several attempts to conduct meetings with Republican analysts covertly, CNN reported.
This was an attempt by North Korea to gain a better understanding of the confusing messages from the Trump administration.
‘Track two’ talks
In spite of Trump's fiery rhetoric and tougher UN sanctions, Kim Jong-un’s regime showed the international community its reluctance to be on the negotiating table over its nuclear weapons program. North Korea even grew defiant in the wake of the successive ballistic missile launches and nuclear test it conducted.
However, in the middle of the bluster, North Korea made attempts to engage in "track two" talks secretly. This method would facilitate dialogue beyond any formal diplomatic channels. It was no longer surprising for intermediaries to contact ex-officials or American scholars with political ties whenever a new administration would assume office, Business Insider reported.
The White House was, of course, aware of the occurrence of these meetings. And according to experts who were engaged in "track two" talks, the Trump administration was provided with all information gathered during these talks, Business Insider reported.
Moreover, government officials from North Korea began outreaching ex-US officials in January.
This followed the inauguration of President Donald Trump. They aimed to gain a deeper understanding regarding how the new policies of the Trump administration would significantly differ from the policies of the Obama administration.
According to Douglas Paal, the North Korean officials wanted to get a beat on President Trump, but that did not actually happen, CNN reported.
Douglas Paal, a member of President Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush's National Security Council, was contacted on numerous occasions by North Korean officials this year.
Deciphering the North’s move
Bruce Klingner, a former analyst at the Central Intelligence Agency, believed that North Korean government officials were trying to put together what they could learn about the new US policy under the Trump administration.
Being the top expert on North Korea at the conservative-leaning Heritage Foundation, Bruce Klingner was invited to visit Kim’s regime for meetings, but he declined the invitation. Nevertheless, Klingner participated in several conferences with North Korean government officials.
In addition, Bruce Klingner emphasized that the efforts of North Korea’s officials to get in touch with Republican analysts were probably the result of confusion over the messaging of the Trump administration. This followed the absence of a formal diplomatic dialogue with the United States.
Although the "track two" talks could definitely provide significant opportunities for both parties to acquire vital information, Klingner stressed that Kim’s regime should pass through official diplomatic channels in communicating their messages. Doing so could actually signify their sincerity to negotiate with the United States government directly.
Moreover, some experts said the North Korean officials were continuing to contact the American analysts because President Donald Trump apparently caught the North’s leader off guard with his bluster, CNN reported. But the real concern was what actually could happen next.
