Center for East Asia Policy Studies

It would seem to me that the return of the [USS Pueblo] would be something that Trump would regard as a very, very big win for him. It's possible [the North Koreans] would do it.

[Regarding President Trump's meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this week] If Kim cannot obtain meaningful sanctions relief from the Trump administration, it could hurt him domestically. The risk to him is that the sanctions will remain and they’ll get stronger. Because he has so personally taken ownership of economic development, he has to deliver.

[The messaging surrounding the second summit has moved away from denuclearization and that the change is problematic.] I think there has been a profound shift in talking about peace and normalization with North Korea rather than the nuclear issues. And I think that's really problematic, because the whole point of a summit between the two leaders ... is to get dismantlement and North Korea to completely abandon its nuclear weapons.

[Regarding international inspection of North Korea's nuclear facilities] North Korea does not want people running around their country looking at their nuclear facilities or their missile facilities...[A deal including inspections] would be a big change and a good signpost of North Korean sincerity on denuclearization if they did allow inspectors into their facilities.

[Memo by the North Korean ambassador to the United Nations urgently requesting international food aid] is consistent with Pyongyang’s tactics to weaken the sanctions regime by appealing to humanitarian concerns. Even though the regime imports hundreds of millions of dollars in luxury items, it consistently blames the U.S. and U.N. for its problems.