Point of view from a North Korean Defector

-Source-Business Insider-

President Donald Trump understands how to handle North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un better than his South Korean counterpart, President Moon Jae-in, but it's unlikely anything significant will come of Tuesday's summit in Singapore, according to North Korean defector Kim Young-il.

"From the way that Trump talks, it seems like he understands a lot more about North Korea than [South Korean president] Moon Jae-In," Kim Young-il told Business Insider during a recent interview. "To me, it seems like Trump understands the characteristics of Kim Jong Un better in terms of how to deal with his personality."

Kim Young-il, the 39-year-old founder of People for Successful Corean Reunification (PSCORE), escaped North Korea when he was 19 years old. PSCORE is a nonprofit that promotes reunification, raises awareness about human rights issues in North Korea, and helps defectors adjust to life in South Korea.

He said the back-and-forth over Tuesday's summit — from the initial proposal to its abrupt cancellation last month to the race to save the talks — demonstrated that Trump understands how to cow North Korea's leader. Kim specifically pointed to Trump's willingness to pull out of the talks in response to aggressive language from members of the North Korean government. Read more