President Trump said Thursday that he would accept a gradual dismantling of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program instead of immediate denuclearization.
“Physically, a phase-in may be a little bit necessary,” the president said on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends.” “It would have to be a rapid phase-in. We are going to see. I would like to have it done immediately.”
Mr. Trump is still hoping to proceed with a planned summit June 12 in Singapore with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, although a top North Korean diplomat again threatened Wednesday night to cancel the meeting.
During a meeting Tuesday with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Mr. Trump also suggested he’d consider something less than an immediate dismantling of North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction.
“All in one would be nice,” Mr. Trump said. “You do have some physical reasons that [North Korea] may not be able to do exactly that.”
North Korea on Thursday carried out what it said was the demolition of its Punggye-ri nuclear test site, setting off explosions that were witnessed by foreign journalists. The planned closing was previously announced by Mr. Kim.
Bruce Klingner, a national-security specialist at the Heritage Foundation who served as CIA deputy division chief for the Koreas, said the demolition is “yet one more move in Kim’s charm offensive.”
“There is little reason to think this gesture is any more than the regime giving up what it no longer needed,” Mr. Klingner said. “The Trump administration’s approach to North Korea should not change: Kim may have blown up a testing site, but Trump should not blow up the maximum pressure strategy that has brought Kim to the table.”
CNN reported that North Korea destroyed “at least three nuclear tunnels, observation buildings, a metal foundry and living quarters” at the Punggye-ri site.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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