A Tale of Two Denuclearizations: Trump Wants to Take, Kim Wants to Keep

A Tale of Two Denuclearizations: Trump Wants to Take, Kim Wants to Keep
In this handout image provided by the News1-Dong-A Ilbo, a North Korean soldier explains the demolition process of the Punggye-ri nuclear test facility to the media at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site on May 24, 2018 in Punggye-ri, North Korea. News1-Dong-A Ilbo via Getty Images
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Among the top items on the agenda of the summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un on June 12 is the issue of North Korea’s nuclear weapons, which the United States demands Pyongyang liquidate completely, commonly referred to as “denuclearization.”

Experts have repeatedly warned, however, that Pyongyang has either never clearly defined denuclearization, or worse, that it has a totally different understanding of what the term means.