Trump administration has let nuclear threat increase since last leader-level meeting

Washington (January 7, 2019) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the East Asia Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement about media reports about potential locations where President Donald Trump might hold a second meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Senator Markey has been a long-time proponent of direct engagement with the Kim regime.

“The first summit in Singapore made clear that President Trump is more interested in pretending he has addressed the North Korea threat than actually doing so,”said Senator Markey. “That meeting between the leaders presented an opportunity to make meaningful progress toward denuclearization, but President Trump was content to declare victory with nothing more than a broad joint statement that left too many unanswered questions.

“Since the Singapore meeting, the North Korean nuclear threat has only increased, as the Kim regime continues to produce fissile material and ballistic missiles. It defies belief that Kim Jong Un is serious about denuclearization when these activities continue and when not a single inspector – American or otherwise – has been allowed to examine any of these sites.

“I continue to support direct senior-level engagement. But strong economic pressure backed by thoughtful, sustained diplomacy, not political theater, is the only way to truly reduce the North Korea threat.  With the right approach, including close coordination with Congress, I am cautiously optimistic that we can still make tangible progress toward denuclearization.”

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