Washington officials are dragging their feet over the big and evident changes in Korea, partly because they are acting defensively against criticism that they’re being taken in by Kim. They should put these critics in their place, and it wouldn’t take much to do it, only a few intelligent statements. The U.S. shouldn’t interfere in the remarkable events that the Koreans are engineering on their own.
Conditions in Korea are not the same as in the past when negotiations and agreements fell apart. There are two new leaders involved, from South and North. They are staking a great deal of personal political capital on their rapprochement. They are moving fast to create a totally new situation. Their statements have been extraordinary. They really do not need Washington to be upping the ante and demanding improbable concessions, which is what some of the foot-dragging entails. There are those in Washington who are suspicious and/or do not want to see a united Korea that’s an independent Asian player. These retrogressive people need to be marginalized. Trump et al shouldn’t be on the defensive.
There is much to lose if U.S. officials throw sand in the gears of cooperation between the two Koreas. There is much to gain by staying back and letting them work out their own settlement. Look how much has already been accomplished.
5:37 pm on April 29, 2018
