South Korea: North softens stance on U.S. military ahead of talks

North Korea will not demand the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the South as a precondition for nuclear disarmament talks, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Thursday. If true, the pre-talk concession signals a willingness in the North to make significant progress toward peace, analysts say. The United States has 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea and 50,000 in nearby Japan, a show of force that constantly rankles the North. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un often refers to the “hostile” U.S. policy as the reason for his country’s need for a strong military. Moon said Kim still wants the United States to end its military policy and offer security guarantees, topics likely to feature prominently in historic talks between the leaders scheduled for May or June. U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday he’s looking forward to meeting Kim but insisted he would cancel the talks if he thinks they are “not going to be fruitful.” Trump highlighted the unprecedented thaw in relations between the two countries: “We’ve never been in a position like this.”