'Many people feel Trump could have driven a harder bargain' – NZ academic describes Trump, Kim declaration as 'disappointing'

June 13, 2018

University of Otago’s Professor Robert Patman says North Korea’s pledge to denuclearise is “open-ended” time wise.

Delving into the small-print of yesterday's US, North Korea joint declaration will reveal America disappointingly gave up more than the rogue Asian state, says a New Zealand international relations expert.

University of Otago Professor Robert Patman has described the joint document for the complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula as "quite disappointing" in substance, but it may be significant in forming some sort of relationship between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un.

"It seems on the face of it that America has made the more substantive concession which was to suspend military exercises with South Korea," Professor Patman said.

"In return the North Korean dictatorship has pledged in an open ended fashion to denuclearise.

"But the demand before the summit from the Americans was they wanted verifiable and irreversible signs of dismantling nuclear weapons in North Korea, and there's nothing in the document that backs that up.

"The North Korean dictator can go back home and say he's got lots of wiggle room."

Professor Patman said what Kim Jong Un has essentially pledged is the same as previous North Korean leaderships in 1994 and 2005.

But, the summit itself will likely have some positive constraints on the North Korean dictator just by the fact he has now met President Trump in person, Professor Patman said.

"The fact that Mr Trump has met with Kim Jong Un, does act as a certain constraint of Kim Jong Un. I mean I think it will be difficult now, even for a dictator in a fit of anger like he has in the past."

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