Name: Is a committed denuclearization of North Korea possible? | DW News
Uploaded: 2021-03-17T18:45:12.000Z
Duration: 4 min 20 s
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Secretary of State Antony Blinken has landed in South Korea on the second stop of the tour to reset relations with Asian allies.

Blinken arrived in Seoul from Japan, pushing the Bike Administration's agenda to keep a lid on the growing power of China.

He also reaffirmed Washington's commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

But ahead of his trip, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong un warned Washington not to interfere in the region.

Let's get more now from correspondent Frank Smith.

He's standing outside the defence ministry in Seoul and is covering Blinken.

What can we expect from this meeting today?

Well, they're going to talk about a few things.

First off, they just concluded 10 days of military exercises.

These were command post exercises, which took place indoors, largely computer simulated, although they did, um, utilized a number of troops both South Korea and the US They want to conduct probably some more training outdoors now.

Those large scale outdoor exercises that would involve aircraft and heavy munitions and tens of thousands of troops on each side had been particularly thorny and in aggravating North Korea and that's why they have largely been toned down.

They're also going to talk about what's called the Op Con transfer, which would give South Korea control over its own troops during wartime.

But that's been held up because of the ongoing tension here on the Korean Peninsula.

Okay, so it sounds like there's a lot of focus on defense issues.

S is also urging its allies in the region to help it push back against China.

Are the interests of America and its allies there, particularly South Korea, fully aligned in this regard include?

No, they're not exactly on the same page.

Um, South Korea's largest trading partner is China by far, and it doesn't want to antagonize Beijing and jeopardize that trade.

Back in 2016 2017, South Korea deployed the American Anti Ballistic Missile System fad terminal, high altitude area defense in a place called Sangju in the middle of the peninsula.

Beijing reacted with unofficial sanctions against South Korea's entertainment and tourism industry.

Certainly President Moon Jae in here in South Korea doesn't want to see that kind of retaliation repeated if it was to put more pressure on Beijing over issues that are perhaps more important to Washington now.

This is the Biden administration's first Cabinet level visit to the Korean Peninsula.

It follows for turbulent years of the Trump presidency, during which Trump tried to engage with North Korea.

Where do things stand now between Washington and Pyongyang?

Well, you know recently, just a day or so ago, Kim Jong un that's the ruler of North Korea, his sister or sorry, his sister, Kim Yo Jong.

I'm told the US to not make a stink regarding any activity by North Korea or military exercises by North Korea indicating a thaw in sort of any potential for talks.

In fact, the Biden administration early on reached out to North Korea to try to bring them to the negotiating table.

But because of the downfall, in terms of you know, the so called love affair between Kim Jong UN and former U.

S President Donald Trump, the failure of the Hanoi summit in Vietnam to to really break through the ongoing sanctions against North Korea.

 Pyongyang doesn't seem to be really interested in talking Frank, thank you very much. 

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Is a committed denuclearization of North Korea possible? | DW News

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