The historic discuss between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un was held in Singapore in June 2018.

Seoul:

North Korea desires to reopen nuclear talks with america if Donald Trump is re-elected as president and is working to plot a brand new negotiating technique, a senior North Korean diplomat who not too long ago defected to South Korea instructed Reuters.

The escape of Ri Il Gyu from Cuba made headlines globally final month. He was the highest-ranking North Korean diplomat to defect to the South since 2016.

In his first interview with worldwide media, Ri mentioned North Korea has set Russia, the U.S. and Japan as its high overseas coverage priorities for this 12 months and past.

Whereas bolstering relations with Russia, Pyongyang was eager to reopen nuclear negotiations if Trump – who engaged in each fiery brinkmanship and unprecedented diplomacy with North Korea throughout his earlier time period – gained re-election in November, Ri mentioned.

Pyongyang’s diplomats have been mapping out a method for that state of affairs, with the aim of lifting of sanctions on its weapons programmes, eradicating its designation as a state sponsor of terrorism and eliciting financial help, mentioned Ri.

His feedback sign a possible about-face from the North’s present stance after current statements ditching the potential for dialogue with the U.S. and warning of armed confrontation.

A summit between North Korean chief Kim Jong Un and Trump in Vietnam in 2019 collapsed over sanctions, for which Ri partly blamed Kim’s resolution to entrust “inexperienced, clueless” army commanders with nuclear diplomacy.

“Kim Jong Un would not know a lot about worldwide relations and diplomacy, or how one can make strategic judgment,” he mentioned.

“This time, the overseas ministry would positively achieve energy and take cost, and it will not be really easy for Trump to tie North Korea’s fingers and ft once more for 4 years with out giving something.”

RUSSIAN TIES, JAPAN AID

By forging nearer ties with Russia, North Korea acquired assist with its missile know-how and economic system. However an even bigger profit may very well be to dam further sanctions and undercut current ones, Ri mentioned, including it might increase Pyongyang’s bargaining energy in opposition to Washington.

“The Russians received their very own fingers soiled by partaking in illicit transactions and, because of that, North Korea not must depend on the U.S. to carry sanctions, which basically means they stripped the U.S. of 1 key bargaining chip,” he mentioned.

In Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has mentioned he desires to satisfy Kim, however the problem of Japanese nationals kidnapped by North Korea within the Seventies and 80s has lengthy been a stumbling block.

In response to Ri, Kim would search to carry a summit with Japan, aiming to get financial help in return for concessions on the abductee problem.

Tokyo believes 17 of its residents have been kidnapped, 5 of whom returned to Japan in 2002. Pyongyang sees the difficulty as settled, having admitted to kidnapping 13 Japanese nationals and saying these unaccounted for had both died or their whereabouts have been unknown.

Ri mentioned Kim could be keen to alter that place, established below his father Kim Jong Il, in an effort to get hold of financial help.

“They’re saying that the difficulty was resolved, however that is simply to spice up negotiating energy till he makes concessions at a summit,” he mentioned.

RESENTMENT AND DEFECTION

Having studied at a French faculty in Algeria and lived in Cuba alongside his late father, who was a state media reporter, Ri says he had imagined a life in South Korea since his childhood, however by no means acted to flee till he was bullied by a diplomatic colleague for refusing his demand for bribes.

Then the defining second got here when Pyongyang immediately refused his request to get medical therapy in Mexico, at his personal expense, for a ruptured disc in his neck.

“That exploded all of the resentment I had been harbouring in the direction of the regime,” he mentioned.

The COVID-19 lockdown deepened hardships at dwelling and for these stationed abroad, with most phone traces to Pyongyang lower to forestall any info from spreading within the exterior world, Ri mentioned.

Monetary troubles have additionally compelled North Korea to close down a dozen of its 54 diplomatic missions.

“Once they started reopening and summoning these working overseas in early 2023, they requested to deliver every little thing from used toothbrushes to spoons again dwelling, saying there’s nothing there,” he mentioned.

Ri had additionally witnessed – and in his job tried to impede – the launch of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Cuba, a Chilly Battle-era ally of North Korea.

“I had executed every little thing to dam that from taking place, however establishing relations with Cuba was the very best factor South Korea had executed since final 12 months,” he mentioned. “It was a mannequin instance of how the tides of historical past have turned, and the place a standard civilisation of the worldwide neighborhood is headed.”

(Apart from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is printed from a syndicated feed.)