The United States and North Korea

Summary

One of the notable international political issues that can be noted within the last few years has been the strained relationship between the United States and North Korea explicitly focusing on the subject of nuclear weapons. North Korea has maintained its stand on the fact that it has the freedom of having to engage in nuclear weapon development and testing, which is an issue that has raised serious concern on the international community (Riley-Smith, 2018). However, United States President Donald Trump and North Korean President Kim Jong-un held talks that played a critical role in highlighting the generosity of the relationship between these two countries focusing on the controversial issue of nuclear weaponry.

In an article, North Korea's Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump sign denuclearization agreement in Singapore, Matt (2018) focuses on the happenings within this meeting between the two leaders with the focus being towards understanding the context of the meeting. From the article, it is clear that the meeting was a critical element in defining the political standoff between these two countries. Additionally, it is clear that the meeting helped in ironing out some of the contentious issues arising between these two countries with the focus being towards building that progressive avenue for positive outcomes. Ultimately, this seems to suggest that indeed it becomes much more comfortable for the two countries to rely on a positive relationship touching on this particular meeting.

Matt (2018) examines the discussion surrounding the idea of denuclearization, which was a critical topic of discussion during the meeting in which both leaders agreed that indeed they would work towards ensuring that North Korea is declared a nuclear-free country. From the meeting, it is clear that the general views of both nations were shaped by their engagement with this meeting described as the ‘meeting of the millennium.’ The long-term expectation from the conference is that North Korea would cease its approaches towards nuclear weapons development and testing.

Buncombe (2018) points out that the meeting between the leaders from these two countries can be seen from the perspective that North Korea was facing increased sanctions due to its engagement in nuclear weapons development and testing. Such sanctions create a situation where it becomes somewhat challenging for the country to trade with other countries around the world. Matt (2018) points out that the sanctions imposed by the United States on North Korea affected its economic structure significantly. The sanctions reduced the country’s ability to export and import products while taking into account that the country was facing sanctions that touched on its business approaches.

Reaction

The issues surrounding the nature of the relationship between the United States and North Korea have been signed while reflecting on the fact that this has affected not only the United States but also affects other western countries. The fact that North Korea was involved in nuclear weapons development and testing must be seen as a critical security concern for the people considering that this acts as a severe platform for conflict. From that view, it is essential to appreciate the fact that both leaders took the proactive approach allowing them to meet and discuss the issues surrounding political tension.

Dealing with the issue should not only be a matter of interest for the two leaders but should also be considered from the perspective of the people of both countries. When engaging in discussions, both Presidents Trump and Kim Jong-un must take into significant consideration the interests of their citizens and the international community as a whole. That means that the leaders must be willing to structure their discussions from the perspective that this would pave the way for better outcomes from an economic perspective. It is evident that the people of North Korea are facing severe financial challenges due to the sanctions imposed by the United States on the country.

Thus, this means that reaching a consensus will not only be of value in building a positive relationship between these two countries but will also work towards ensuring that the citizens in both countries can experience an improvement in their economic outlook. The outcome of this is that it will play a critical role towards creating that progressive avenue from which to ensure that the world is considered as a safe place, as North Korea would avoid engaging in nuclear weapons development.

The meeting continues to have vital interests not only for the two countries but also for the international community, which has also been affected significantly by the standoff between the two countries. President Trump must appreciate the fact that the United States, being one of the developed countries in the world, carries a significant amount of opinion on such matters. Thus, this means that President Trump should not seek to advance his political agenda or expectations through the meetings with President Kim Jong-un. Instead, both presidents must be willing to set precedence in their discussions with the focus being on how they would be able to improve the world making it a better place.

References

Buncombe, A. (2018). History made as the meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un goes 'better than anybody could have expected .' Retrieved from https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/trump-kim-jong-un-meeting-us-north-korea-singapore-latest-a8394466.html

Matt, D. (2018). North Korea's Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump sign denuclearization agreement in Singapore . Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-12/donald-trump-kim-jong-un-singapore-summit/9859210

Riley-Smith, B. (2018). Trump-Kim summit: Donald Trump vows to 'end war games' in 'new history' with North Korea . Retrieved from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/06/11/donald-trump-kim-jong-un-summit-live-latest-news-updates-us/