With Bolton gone, expectations of US-N Korea ties change

Frank Smith
Press TV, Seoul

At the United Nations General Assembly on Monday, North Korea’s ambassador blasted the United States for its aggressive policies and called on Washington to restart negotiations on the demilitarization of the Korean Peninsula and sanctions relief.

In the past year, the US implemented further sanctions against North Korea, as South Korea deployed more advanced US-made weapons. John Bolton, the former US national security advisor, who was recently fired, continues to promote fear of North Korea.

Bolton is widely seen as the architect behind the all-or-nothing deal that led to the collapse of the summit in Hanoi this February. With Bolton gone, prospects have changed.

US President Donald Trump recently met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, with the two agreeing to transform relations with North Korea. President Trump also said he would implement a new method in dialog with Pyongyang.

Despite the mixed messaging coming out of the US and North Korea, South Korean President Moon continues to push for engagement and trust-building with Pyongyang. President Moon has restated his goal to turn the heavily-fortified inter-Korean border, the DMZ, into a land-mine-free peace zone, which could then be designated a UNESCO world heritage site.

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