Bolton: "1st North Korea-US Summit Proposed by Jeong Eui-yong to Kim Jong-un"

"Trump Did Not Want to Accompany Moon at Panmunjom"
"Trump Said, 'If You Don't Pay $5 Billion, Get Out of Korea'"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Baek Jong-min] Former U.S. National Security Council (NSC) advisor John Bolton claimed that the idea for the first North Korea-U.S. summit was initially proposed not by Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, but by Chung Eui-yong, Director of the South Korean Presidential National Security Office.

In his memoir "The Room Where It Happened," set to be published on the 23rd (local time), Bolton recalled the meeting with Director Chung at the White House National Security Office on April 12, 2018. He said, "(In) March 2018, Director Chung handed over an invitation letter from Chairman Kim to President Trump in the Oval Office, and President Trump accepted it on an impulse," adding, "Ironically, Director Chung later almost admitted that he was the one who suggested to Chairman Kim to send such an invitation first."

Director Chung, after returning from Pyongyang as a special envoy, announced in a briefing following his meeting with President Trump at the White House on March 8, 2018, that "Chairman Kim expressed his desire to meet President Trump as soon as possible."

Bolton also addressed the declaration of the end of the Korean War, stating, "Another important topic in our discussions was the declaration of the end of the Korean War," and claimed, "At first, I thought the declaration was North Korea's idea, but later I began to suspect it was President Moon's idea to support his unification agenda."

He added, "Practically, the end-of-war idea had no reason to be adopted except that it sounded good."

He said, "I was concerned about President Moon recommending these bad ideas to President Trump," but "in the end, I could not stop it."

The memoir also includes details that, ahead of the North Korea-U.S. summit at Panmunjom on June 30 last year, the U.S. side repeatedly refused President Moon's request to accompany the summit, but President Moon insisted on accompanying and ultimately succeeded.

Bolton said President Trump explained, contrary to the facts, that Chairman Kim had requested to meet him and that President Moon said it would look very good if he went along to meet. However, Bolton claimed, "This was, of course, contrary to what President Trump told us."

President Trump reportedly said he wanted President Moon to attend but had to follow North Korea's request, while President Moon did not relent, saying that although many presidents had visited the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), it would be the first time for the U.S. and South Korean presidents to go together, Bolton said.

President Trump told Chairman Kim he had something to say, saying, "I don't want to miss this great opportunity," and "The Secret Service is coordinating the schedule, so I have to follow," repeatedly refusing, but President Moon insisted on accompanying up to the Owllet Outpost within the DMZ and said they could decide what to do next then, Bolton said.

Bolton also claimed that President Trump threatened to withdraw U.S. troops if South Korea did not pay $5 billion for the stationing costs of U.S. forces in Korea.

According to the memoir, during a meeting in August last year on Afghanistan and other issues, President Trump referred to the ongoing South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises, saying, "That war game is a big mistake," and "If we don't get a $5 billion agreement (for U.S. military base support in South Korea), get out of there."

President Trump said, "I'm trying to make peace with a psychopath," referring to Kim Jong-un, Bolton wrote. The "war game" he mentioned appears to refer to the South Korea-U.S. joint command post exercise conducted in August last year. The "psychopath" President Trump referred to is presumed to be Chairman Kim.

President Trump emphasized, "We are losing $38 billion in trade with South Korea. Let's get out of there," and reportedly demanded that the joint exercises be finished within two days, with no extension.

Earlier, after visiting South Korea and Japan in July of the same year for defense cost-sharing negotiations and returning to Washington D.C. to report the results, President Trump instructed, "Threatening to withdraw all U.S. troops is the way to get $8 billion (from Japan) and $5 billion (from South Korea)," adding, "That will put you in a very strong negotiating position."

Especially after receiving additional reports on North Korea's missile launches, he openly said, "This is a good time to ask for money," and "John (Bolton) brought $1 billion this year, but because of the missiles, we will get $5 billion," the memoir states.

He introduced that President Trump had long held the view that countries hosting U.S. troops should pay "plus 50%" more for base costs.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.