Trump administration officials must hold direct talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, in order to convince Pyongyang personally that any military action against the U.S. and its allies would result in its own destruction, a top North Korean diplomat told Congress Wednesday.
Mr. Thae Yong-ho, who was North Korea’s No. 2 diplomat in the United Kingdom before defecting to the West in 2016, told House lawmakers that any U.S.-led effort to stave off war on the peninsula had to include bilateral talks between Washington and Mr. Kim.
“It is necessary to reconsider whether we have tried all non-military options before we decide that military action against North Korea is all that is left,” Mr. Thae told members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
“Before any military action is taken, I think it is necessary to meet Kim Jong-un, at least once, to understand his thinking and try to convince him that he would be destroyed” in Pyongyang engages militarily with the U.S. or its allies in the region, he said.
“Frankly, Kim Jong-un is not fully aware of the strength and might of American military power,” he added.
His comments come as the White House is preparing for a major diplomatic trip to the Asia-Pacific, with planned visits to several countries in the region. During the highly-anticipated visit, part of Mr. Trump’s second overseas trip, he is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping as well as attend a regional economic summit in Vietnam.
China, North Korea’s main trade partner and sole patron in the international community, has been hesitant to push too hard against Kim Jong-un’s regime despite efforts by the Trump White House to persuade Beijing to take a harder line against the North.
• Carlo Muñoz can be reached at cmunoz@washingtontimes.com.
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