This amounts to a clear demonstration by Chairman Kim that he is committed to better relations and wants to hear directly from the President of the United States and Secretary of State their proposals for improving bilateral ties. The North has been trying for some time to insure regime survival by improving relations with Washington. This is in stark contrast to the past when South Korea often stood in the way of better relations. Finally, the North may not fully understand U.S. domestic politics, but it does believe there are unfriendly hard liners called Republicans. By improving relations with South Korea and the current U.S. government, Pyongyang is taking out an insurance policy that will make it more difficult for a Republican Administration to adopt tougher policies.
Symbolism is important but so are practical results.
One possible outcome is a joint statement highlighting respect for each other's sovereignty, a mutual commitment to accelerate normalization and a pledge to address key security issues such as the North's missile program, weapons of mass destruction and perhaps its conventional forces. In that context, it will be interesting to hear what Marshall Cho has to say about the future of U.S. troops on the peninsula and whether he will acknowledge the North wants them to remain even if tensions are reduced. Progress may also be made in removing North Korea from the U.S. list of states sponsoring terrorism and lifting the economic sanctions imposed against those states. North Korea has not sponsored terrorism in years but it still shelters a few Japanese Red Army airplane hijackers from the 1960s. If this last major issue is solved, an important barrier to North Korea joining international financial institutions, a source of aid for its economy, would be removed.