Summit deal to focus on give-and-take over Yongbyon complex

Hanoi (VNA) – Whether the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea leader Kim Jong-un is ready to give up his Yongbyon nuclear complex or not, and what US President Donald Trump will give in return will be the center of their Hanoi declaration, Yonhap News reported.

At the close of their second summit in Hanoi, the two leaders are expected to adopt a declaration that many anticipate will put their countries' checkered relationship on an uncharted yet promising trajectory.

The focus of their talks will be how to flesh out the agreement they signed in their historic first meeting in Singapore last year. At that time, they agreed to work toward the "complete denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula, establish "new" bilateral relations and make joint efforts to build a "lasting and stable peace regime" on the divided peninsula.

The Hanoi declaration is expected to detail on how the two countries can make progress on the denuclearisation front. Speculation has been growing that the DPRK’s pledge to freeze or dismantle key facilities in the Yongbyon nuclear complex, or give up its future nuclear arms would make it into the declaration.

Meanwhile, the US-based media outlet Vox said that the DPRK may agree to stop producing materials for nuclear bombs at the Yongbyon complex. In return, the US would loosen economic sanctions against the East Asian country so that inter-Korean economic projects can move forward.

Yonhap quoted Moon Chung-in, special foreign policy adviser for RoK President Moon Jae-in, as saying that if the DPRK agrees to permanently dismantle the Yongbyon complex, it would "sufficiently" deserve the partial lifting of sanctions.

He once told reporters after a forum in Washington that the US may well give partial sanctions relief if the DPRK permanently dismantles the Yongbyon complex because it is the first step towards an irreversible denuclearization phase. However, he said that complete sanctions relief may be difficult.

Other U.S. concessions may include increased humanitarian aid and an easing of restrictions on its citizens' travel to the DPRK.

On the "new relations" part, the Hanoi declaration could include an agreement to install a U.S. liaison office in Pyongyang and a DPRK one in Washington. The establishment of such offices is seen as an initial process toward normalizing bilateral ties.
Also, Vox reported that the two countries may reach consensus on the signing of a peace declaration to symbolically end the 1950-53 Korean War.

As another concession, the DPRK may agree to repatriate more remains of US troops who died during the Korean War, according to Vox. Last year, it returned the remains of 55 US service members.-VNA