01.07.2019
By Gim Minjeong
Chairman Gim’s invitation appears to be proposal in response to President Trump invitation to the White House. If talks were to be concluded in Pyeongyang and the White House, they are likely to be recorded as a singular instance case in the history of world diplomacy.
The entire world’s attention has been focused on Panmunjeom this weekend. When North Korea, the US and South Korea met in front of the “house of liberty” venue on the DMZ as a precursor to full-fledged summit talks, there was strident competition amongst the media who were competing to record the historical “surprise meeting” with cameras. And at the very moment when the three countries’ heads of state, their various security personnel, and world media were tangled together, Chairperson Gim made a surprise offer: President Trump was invited to Pyeongyang. Gim said: “When President Trump comes to Pyeongyang, it will be a huge event within world diplomacy.” As soon as Gim finished speaking, a North Korean translator relayed the invitation to Trump. Although Trump did not respond, he could be seen nodding. He then caused his own surprise by saying: “I’m inviting Chairman Gim to the White House right now.”
North Korea and South Korea’s heads of state [Gim and Mun Jaein] have both been offering significant concessions in theory; negotiations for denuclearisation are expected to resume in the future, but it is unclear whether the proposals of the two leaders will actually come to fruition. But as Gim says, if talks happen at the White House and in Pyeongyang, they will be a truly significant event in world politics.