Reuters: North Korea protecting nuclear missiles, U.N. monitors say, ahead of summit talks
UNITED NATIONS/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korea is working to ensure its nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities cannot be destroyed by military strikes, U.N. monitors said ahead of a meeting between U.S. and North Korean officials to prepare a second denuclearization summit.
The U.S. special envoy for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, will meet his North Korean counterpart on Wednesday in Pyongyang to prepare for a summit later this month between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the U.S. State Department said on Monday.Biegun has said he hoped the meeting with new North Korean counterpart Kim Hyok Chol would map out “a set of concrete deliverables” for the summit between Trump and Kim Jong Un.
Biegun, who held talks with South Korean officials in Seoul on Sunday and Monday, said he would be aiming for “a roadmap of negotiations and declarations going forward, and a shared understanding of the desired outcomes of our joint efforts”.
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Update #1: North Korea trying to keep its nuclear missiles safe from US strikes, says UN report (The Guardian)
Update #2: North Korea is making sure its nukes survive if the U.S. strikes (VICE News)
WNU Editor: Until an agreement is reached, North Korea will continue to build and maintain its nuclear force. As for sanctions .... the fact that North Korea must go to extreme lengths to circumvent sanctions means that it is exacting a very high cost on North Korea to get the goods that it wants. In that context, sanctions are working to a certain degree.
