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Still working my way through the Kim Yo Jong statement, but this is interesting. In this telling of the Hanoi deal, “partial” sanctions relief would have won basically partial nuclear concessions—Yongbyon here is just the “central nerve,” but not the whole system.
And, of course, she calls it a “pipedream.” That bit of this statement will probably age reasonably well.
A lot of this statement is, IMO, as much for the Biden team as it is for the administration. We should see more of this.
More language on Hanoi: US “had the possibility to first disable our nuclear mainstay and mess up our long-term nuclear programme”.
Strategic patience DPRK style: will wait for a bona fide gesture from the US lifting “hostility” before resuming negotiations. (Note: this is preceded with “I believe,” so not a hard and fast thing.)
Denuclearization: a tango for two.
Arms control? Risk reduction? Mutual restraint? Whatever you want to call it, it’s here.
