North Korea: Why Donald Trump is just plain wrong

DONALD Trump keeps repeating a huge myth about the North Korean crisis, and used it to call for more action. Here’s why he’s wrong.

US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright visited Pyongyang in October 2000 in a bid to increase diplomatic relations. Picture: AP

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump claims negotiating with North Korea doesn’t work, but as it turns out he’s wrong.

Mr Trump has repeatedly called for less talk and more action to end the North Korean crisis.

The latest of that “action” has come with two US air force strategic bombers giving a show of force, engaging in live-fire exercises with South Korean combat jets, flying along the North Korean border on a significant North Korean national holiday.

Just days ago, Trump tweeted that US administrations have been talking to North Korea for years and it has only made the country look foolish.

Presidents and their administrations have been talking to North Korea for 25 years, agreements made and massive amounts of money paid......

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 7, 2017

...hasn't worked, agreements violated before the ink was dry, makings fools of U.S. negotiators. Sorry, but only one thing will work!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 7, 2017

But as US author and journalist Fred Kaplan points out, Mr Trump’s claim is far from accurate.

Writing in Slate, the author of Dark Territory: The Secret History of Cyber War points out Bill Clinton’s administration did negotiate with North Korea and it worked.

Kaplan outlined three main arguments on why Mr Trump’s statement is wrong.

First he writes that one of those agreements, President Clinton’s Agreed Framework of 1994, did keep nuclear weapons out of Kim regime’s hands for eight years.

Secondly, it collapsed because the US violated the terms.

Lastly he points out North Korea’s biggest advancements actually took place when both George W. Bush and Mr Trump rejected diplomatic avenues.

Ms Albright pictured in Pyongyang with Kim Jong-il during her 2010 visit. Picture: AP

DEAL THAT WENT WRONG

Kaplan explains how in 1993 the two nations clashed as North Korea was preparing to reprocess fuel rods into weapons-grade plutonium.

President Bill Clinton warned removing the rods was grounds for war. However, with the help of former US President Jimmy Carter, who was sent to Pyongyang, the Agreed Framework was signed with Kim Jong-il.

The US agreed to send light-water reactors to the North in exchange for the country singing the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

There was just one problem.

“North Korea kept its side of the bargain,” Kaplan writes.

“The United States did not. No light-water reactors were provided. (South Korea and Japan were supposed to pay for the reactors; they didn’t, and the US Congress didn’t step in.) Nor was any progress made on diplomatic recognition.”

Kaplan wasn’t the only one to point out the problem with Mr Trump’s North Korea myth — others also raised similar counter arguments.

Uh, Kim Jong-un hasn't been in power for 25 years. Might want to try reading up on NK first.

— Ms. Beavenhausen (@mbeavenhausen) October 8, 2017

Really? Well something sure is right we haven't had a World War in 25 years and millions of people haven't died so I'd say different!!!

— Cynthia Barker (@Cynthia20804084) October 8, 2017

And we have not had a war with NKorea during that time. Peace always comes at a price. If billions, well worth it. Don't u understand that?

— Linda K. Castonguay (@caston1949) October 9, 2017

One user also pointed out North Korea has conducted more missile launches under Mr Trump’s presidency than any other.

Yeah, and your failed diplomacy with N Korea is much worse. There have been more missile launches under your presidency than any other!

— TrumpBGone (@WeREqual2) October 8, 2017

Kim Jong-un has conducted 19 missile launches this year alone, which is more than his father did in his entire lifetime.

Kim has already matched his own record for one year set in 2014.

DIPLOMACY PUSH

The war of words between Pyongyang and Washington come amid renewed calls from Mr Carter, and former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright for a more diplomatic approach to the crisis.

Mr Carter said he is willing to meet with Kim in a bid to defuse tensions, according to The Guardian.

The 91-year-old reportedly told South Korean academic Park Han-shik that he is willing to travel to Pyongyang if it meant preventing a second Korean War.

Mr Carter visited North Korea in 1994 and again in 2010, helping to secure the release of US citizen Aijalon Gomes, who was sentenced to jail for entering the country illegally.

Former US president Jimmy Carter receives a bouquet of flowers from a girl upon arrival at Pyongyang airport during a 2010 mission to win the release of an American serving eight years of hard labour in the communist state. Picture: AFP/KCNA/KNS

Mr Carter’s comments did not go down well with the White House, which asked him to avoid discussing the crisis and risk undermining Mr Trump.

Meanwhile, Ms Albright, who visited Pyongyang in October 2000, also appealed for calm.

Ms Albright was the highest level US official to visit North Korea in 50 years when she met then-leader Kim Jong-il as part of an effort to ease tensions between the two nations.

Speaking to CNN’s New Day, Ms Albright last month called for a return to the six-party talks.

The talks, comprising the US, North Korea, South Korea, China, Russia and Japan failed when they first took place a decade ago.

It aimed to encourage North Korea to denuclearise, however multiple US administrations have refused to return to the talks unless Pyongyang gives up its nuclear program.

“There has to be a common approach, and I think we need to figure out how to use that diplomatic tool more effectively,” Ms Albright said.

“But I would never take everything off the table. I think it’s important to have deterrents and keep pushing on this.”

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