![Rex Tillerson said White House sought for diplomatic solutions over North Korean crisis. [Image Credit: CSIS/ Flickr]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2017/9/30/660x290/b_502x220x82/rex-tillerson-said-white-house-sought-for-diplomatic-solutions-over-north-korean-crisis-image-credit-csis-flickr_1603457.jpg "Rex Tillerson said White House sought for diplomatic solutions over North Korean crisis. [Image Credit: CSIS/ Flickr]")
On Saturday, the White House admitted for the first time that it had direct channels to North Korea, The New York Times reported. This move by the Trump administration sought a viable means of averting a catastrophic military confrontation between the United States and Kim Jong-un’s regime.
Rex Tillerson, the White House Secretary of State, said the goal of the United States government with regard to Pyongyang was to establish peace and stability. He further explained that the purpose of the direct lines of communication to Kim’s regime was to “calm things down.”
A road to pacification: is a dialogue with Kim really possible?
For the past few weeks, the United States and North Korea exchanged fiery threats.
Kim Jong-un declared that the North’s nuclear missile could strike US mainland at any time, while President Donald Trump vowed to totally destroy the communist regime.
With regards to the “track two” talks between the two countries, the North Korean officials showed no interest in serious negotiations so far. In addition, Secretary of State Tillerson gave no comment on what the Trump administration would probably give up if the dialogue started. Not to mention, President Trump made it clear that he was unwilling to concede to Kim Jong-un, CNN reported. On the other hand, the North’s leader had already rejected any dialogue that would require him to absolutely disarm and abandon his nuclear programs.
Denuclearization talks
On Saturday, Heather Nauert, the spokesperson of the State Department, further explained the statements of Rex Tillerson. Nauert said North Korea demonstrated no interest in denuclearization talks in spite of the assurances that the US government would not promote the collapse of Kim’s regime by pursuing regime change or by reunifying the Korean peninsula, or even by rallying US forces north of the demilitarized zone.
Moreover, there is already a long history of diplomatic talks between the US government and North Korea. Nevertheless, both public and covert negotiations mostly ended up in disappointment. But in 1994, a major success came when former President Carter mediated a crisis that appeared to instigate the Korean War.
Michael J. Morell, the former acting director and deputy director of the C.I.A.
, suggested that the White House should withdraw from its fruitless aim of denuclearizing North Korea. He further urged the US government to work on a means that will totally deter Kim Jong-uns’ regime from using nuclear weapons ever again.
