Will Kim Jong Un Give Up North Korea's Nukes? History Says No

  • Kim dynasty has pursued nuclear weapons for more than 50 years
  • Giving up arsenal would represent fundamental identity shift
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If U.S. President Donald Trump presses Kim Jong Un to give up his nuclear arsenal when they meet, he’ll be asking the North Korean leader to surrender more than a half century’s labor.

North Korea has as many as 60 nuclear weapons, an achievement spanning three generations of Kims. They’ve repeatedly chosen the bomb as the best guarantee of survival despite decades of negotiations, international sanctions and threats of war.