North Korea Claims It Will Allow Inspectors Into Yongbyon Nuclear Facility
Here we go again with pretend denuclearization:
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has expressed a willingness to allow inspectors into the country’s main nuclear complex, a senior diplomatic source said Tuesday, citing a message sent to U.S. President Donald Trump.
Kim earlier expressed a willingness to permanently shut down the site in Yongbyon if the U.S. took “corresponding” measures, but his apparent offer to allow verification has not been reported.
If true, Kim’s offer would mark a significant step toward meeting U.S. demands for full and verified denuclearization, a position Washington has stuck to since a historic Trump-Kim summit in June.
“I understand that Chairman Kim told (South Korean) President Moon (Jae-in) during their summit in September that if the U.S. took corresponding steps he would not only be willing to shut down the Yongbyon nuclear facilities but also allow verification,” the source with knowledge of U.S.-North Korea negotiations told Yonhap. [Yonhap]
You can read more at the link, but if the sanctions are dropped the North Koreans will simply drag out closing down Yongbyon as long as possible until they can kick out the inspectors. By the time they manufacture a reason to kick out the inspectors they will have received their cash infusion from the dropping of sanctions.
It is pretty clear this is a standard North Korean playbook move here, will the Trump administration fall for it?
