[THE INTERVIEW] Victor Cha on what’s at stake if Trump meets Kim

In part two of our interview, the CSIS Korea chair weighs in on the prospects for a Trump–Kim summit and the issues that could define it.

He also notes that Washington's pursuit of denuclearization of North Korea is a long-term goal.

Our correspondent Kim Jung-sil reports.

Victor Cha, Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, says Washington's official stance remains unchanged: the end goal is still the denuclearization of North Korea.

But he warns that's no short-term prospect.

"Stated U.S. policy is that the end game is denuclearization, right? That's our stated U.S. policy. But that's really a long-term goal. I mean given how much North Korea's nuclear program has developed. So the question then becomes, in the interim, what would the United States be seeking?"

In that interim, Dr. Cha says Washington could pursue other priorities and perhaps a diplomatic opening.

He's suggested that if the U.S. President attends October's APEC meeting in Gyeongju, the trip might also take him to Panmunjom, and possibly to talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

"If that (the summit) happened, I just wanted to ask you the real end game for both sides this time?"

"Certainly, I think some form of freeze on the program, some of the initial steps towards denuclearization, would be important. But at the same time, there are other things that I think the United States is concerned about when it comes to North Korea. And one of them, of course, is their deep military relationship with Russia."

He says that relationship now factors directly into Trump's top foreign policy priority.

"This is clearly a priority of the Trump administration to end the war in Europe, and North Korea now plays a role in that. So one wonders whether that will become a high priority issue if President Trump meets the leader of North Korea."

But Pyongyang has set its own terms for any meeting.

In a recent statement, Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korea's leader, rejected any challenge to the regime's "nuclear weapons status".

"She made very clear that any meeting between the two leaders will be as a de facto recognized nuclear weapons state. That's a condition they've laid out for meeting, and it's one theTrump administration has to determine whether they're willing to meet that condition or not."

Dr. Cha says a Trump–Kim meeting could sideline denuclearization issues for others, such as Pyongyang's military ties with Moscow, or stopping North Korea from helping rebuild Iran's nuclear program.

"But as we've seen with this president, like in the end he makes the decision, and as far as we know he won't make that decision till he walks into the room with Kim."

For now, all eyes are on what Trump decides when, and if, he meets Kim.

Kim Jung-sil, Arirang News.