Why North Korea May Give Up Its Nuclear Crown Jewel at Trump Summit
- Aging plutonium plant no longer crucial to Kim’s arsensal
- Closure would provide U.S. leader first tangible win in talks
Source: DigitalGlobe
This article is for subscribers only.
For much of the past four decades, North Korea’s nuclear ambitions have focused on a sprawling complex nestled in the mountains north of Pyongyang. All of that could come to an end after President Donald Trump and leader Kim Jong Un meet next week.
The dismantlement of the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center has emerged in recent months as a potential outcome from a second summit between the leaders planned for Feb. 27-28 in Vietnam. Moon Chung-in, a special adviser to South Korea’s president, told Bloomberg last week that Kim had agreed to close the plant and allow inspectors -- possibly giving the U.S. valuable insights into Kim’s weapons programs.