DPRK's surprising flexibility is instructive in dealing with Trump

The DPRK has a reputation for being inflexible in terms of its foreign relations.

However, the ongoing peace process on the Korean Peninsula has largely shattered this myth as Kim Jong Un has forged what appears to be a genuine fraternal bond with ROK President Moon Jae-in, a strategically profound and personally congenial relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping and most surprisingly of all, an apparent friendship with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Throughout 2017, Trump and Kim continually threatened one another in a manner that frightened much of the world. But beginning last year, their relationship has become one of visible warmth with Trump even declaring that the two wrote what he described as “love letters” to one another.

And yet, while Trump and Kim's warm relations have ensured a generally respectful peace process, this has not automatically translated into a peace process that has progressed as rapidly as many would like.

U.S. President Donald Trump (R) and DPRK leader Kim Jong Un hold their second one-on-one meeting at the Sofitel Legend Metropole hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam, February 28, 2019. /VCG Photo

Recent reports have detailed how during the second DPRK-U.S. summit in Hanoi, U.S. officials asked for the DPRK to have its nuclear weapons physically transported to American soil. Such an intentionally humiliating demand was simply out of the question.

It was also revealed that far from asking the U.S. to drop all sanctions against the DPRK, Kim and his colleagues simply wanted some sanctions dropped in exchange for an expedited denuclearization process. Ultimately the U.S. refused what for all intents and purposes was a highly conciliatory offer from the DPRK.

And yet, official DPRK sources continue to speak with optimism about the peace process even though many outside of the Korean Peninsula had predicted a return to the stern language of the past.

What has been made clear is that Kim Jong Un has proved to be a flexible diplomatic leader who is not intimidated by Trump's penchant for changing his mind with seemingly no justification whilst likewise taking to online media to issue major policy statements.

These personal characteristics of Trump continue to baffle many of his own advisers as well as many foreign governments, but the allegedly inflexible DPRK government has managed to keep its cool when faced with Trump's seemingly capricious behavior.

There are many lessons to be derived from observing the surprising trajectory of DPRK-U.S. relations. First of all, one must learn that the best response to Trump changing his mind on the spot should be one that is cool, clear and firm.

DPRK leader Kim Jong Un's friendly letter to U.S. President Donald Trump, July 6, 2018. /VCG Photo‍

Any hysterical responses to a controversial statement from Trump will merely feed a cycle of unpredictable rhetorical brinkmanship that will only serve to delay a period in which heads become cool. In many respects, Kim leaned this first hand during 2017 when DPRK-U.S. relations hit a new low.

Secondly, Trump likes to feel as though he's on the receiving end of a uniquely good deal even though in the modern age, most partners of the U.S. seek a win-win agreement.

The key here is to learn to adopt some of Trump's language whilst maintaining a goal of a genuine win-win outcome. For Trump, personal affability and familiar rhetoric seem to be as important as the results themselves.

Finally, for Trump, the political is the personal and the personal is the political. Because of the peculiarities of U.S. internal politics, many Americans are open in their disrespect for their President. Often times America's own Western allies have displayed a similar tone regarding Trump.

But for major Asian powers that are less prone to confrontational and sensationalist politics, Trump has been treated with respect even in times of profound disagreement. This has been true of Trump's relations with countries as diverse as China, Russia and most famously the DPRK.

Because of this, one must remember that while Trump is a unique figure, his position as the leader of a superpower demands respect and when this respect is given, Trump will respond accordingly in spite of his reputation for being highly casual in serious situations.

In this sense, the world's allegedly most inflexible country can teach the world much about dealing with one of the world's least predictable world leaders.

(CGTN)