ATLANTA ¨C North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is eager to hold a second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. Since their first meeting in Singapore in June, Kim has consistently outmaneuvered his counterpart. Trump may still fancy himself a world-class dealmaker, but the truth is that Kim ¡ª like Russian President Vladimir Putin ¡ª has got Trump¡¯s number.
Kim¡¯s bonhomie (real or feigned) and promises of denuclearization have muted Trump¡¯s threats, brought the South Korean government closer to his side and eroded international sanctions against his regime. Kim has accomplished all of this without diminishing his regime¡¯s nuclear capacity and he appears to have continued ballistic-missile development at 16 hidden sites.
Having gone from nuclear-armed pariah to presidential negotiating partner, it is little wonder that Kim would want a second summit to consolidate his newfound international legitimacy and position in the global limelight.
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