A North Korean defector said Friday that Kim Jong Un can't be trusted to "get rid of all his nuclear weapons," in an interview with USA Today.
Kang Chol-hwan, who fled North Korea in 1992 at the age of 24 having spent 10 years in a political prison camp, was asked in an interview whether the world can "trust" Kim, who said in April that he would end his country's pursuit of nuclear weapons in exchange for a truce with the United States.
"In terms of giving up nuclear weapons and granting power, freedom and rights back to his people – we can't trust him," Kang replied. "He is getting desperate and feels that his regime can no longer be sustained if the status quo persists. This is all part of his plan and I think it's pretty foolish to think that he would really get rid of all his nuclear weapons. The world needs to make negotiations with Kim knowing that he's probably not going to give up his weapons."
Kang added that he was "shocked" to hear that President Donald Trump "would be assuring the security of Kim Jong Un and his regime," following the recent diplomatic talks between North Korea, South Korea and the U.S., adding that "it's murderous of anyone to say in return for denuclearization, Kim's political system will be assured.
"This is insulting to North Koreans," he said. "Who gets to assure the North Korean regime? Shouldn't the people of North Korea have the power to make that decision? The people of North Korea should have the right to decide through a vote what political system they want. Ensuring security for a murderous regime that ignores people's basic human rights and kills people for no reason – that's a crime in itself."
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