AP
Jimmy Carter and Kim Il-sung aboard the North Korean ruling family yacht
Thirty years ago, the world was on the edge of a nuclear crisis – until Jimmy Carter intervened in North Korea.
In June 1994, the former US president visited Pyongyang for talks with then-leader Kim Il-sung. This historic visit was the first time a former or sitting US president had ever visited North Korea.
Carter’s personal intervention is credited with preventing a potential war between the US and North Korea, which could have had devastating consequences. It also led to increased engagement between North Korea and Western countries.
Many believe that without Carter’s diplomatic efforts, the situation could have escalated into a full-blown conflict resulting in loss of millions of lives. His visit paved the way for a peaceful resolution.
Carter’s visit came at a crucial time when tensions were high between the US and North Korea over Pyongyang’s nuclear program. The situation was on the brink of a potential military confrontation.
Carter’s visit to North Korea involved complex diplomatic negotiations and risky decisions. He had to navigate through challenging circumstances to prevent a catastrophic war.
Kyodo
Tensions rose as US suspected North Korea’s nuclear activities at Yongbyon in 2008
In early 1994, as tensions escalated between Washington and Pyongyang over North Korea’s nuclear program, Carter’s visit provided a crucial turning point in the crisis.
Carter’s visit to North Korea was marked by careful diplomatic maneuvering and strategic decision-making. His actions are credited with averting a potential conflict and opening up channels for dialogue.
AFP
Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, spent four days in North Korea in June 1994
‚Very serious doubts‘
Carter’s visit to North Korea in 1994 was a critical moment in diplomatic history, with far-reaching implications for global security.
His brave and strategic actions helped defuse a dangerous situation and paved the way for peaceful resolutions in the region.
„He said they responded very specifically, ‚Yes, we were‘,“ the AP reported.
„North Korea couldn’t bear the condemnation of their country and the humiliation of their leader, so they decided to retaliate.
„Their unwavering loyalty to their revered leader, whom they referred to as the Great Leader, led them to be willing to make any sacrifice, even the loss of many lives in North Korea, to protect their honor and integrity, which would have been a disastrous outcome in my opinion.“
Carter presented a set of demands from Washington along with his own recommendations, which included restarting negotiations with the US, initiating direct peace talks with South Korea, mutual withdrawal of military forces, and assisting the US in locating the remains of US soldiers buried in North Korean territory.
„He agreed to all of them, and I found him to be very accommodating,“ Carter said. „To the best of my knowledge then and now, he was completely honest with me.“
Crucially, Carter proposed a deal where North Korea would halt its nuclear activities, allow IAEA inspectors to access its reactors, and eventually dismantle the facilities at Yongbyon. In return, the US and its allies would construct light-water reactors in North Korea, capable of producing nuclear energy but not material for weapons.
Getty Images
Carter and Clinton pictured together in a happier moment in 2000
Although Pyongyang embraced the deal enthusiastically, US officials were hesitant when Carter first suggested it in a phone call. He then informed them that he would be announcing the details of the deal on CNN, leaving the Clinton administration with little choice but to agree.
Carter later explained his decision to pressure his own government by stating that he needed to resolve what he considered to be a very serious crisis. However, his actions were not well-received in the US, as officials were displeased with Carter’s unilateral approach and attempt to constrain Clinton, according to Mr. Gallucci.
Towards the end of his trip, he was instructed to deliver a message to the North Koreans reaffirming Clinton’s public stance that the US was continuing to push for UN sanctions. Carter disagreed with this directive, as reported at the time.
Hours later, while on a boat with Kim, Carter went off-script. In front of TV cameras, he informed Kim that the US had ceased work on drafting UN sanctions, directly contradicting Clinton.
A displeased White House promptly disavowed Carter. Some openly expressed frustration, painting a picture of a former president acting independently. „Carter is hearing what he wants to hear… he is creating his own reality,“ a senior official complained at the time to The Washington Post.
Many in Washington also criticized him for the deal itself, claiming that the North Koreans had manipulated him.
However, Carter’s strategic use of the media to pressure the Clinton administration proved effective. By broadcasting his negotiations almost immediately, he left the US government little time to react, and following his trip, there was a noticeable shift in US policy towards North Korea, with a gradual decrease in hostility, as reported by CNN journalist Mike Chinoy who covered Carter’s trip.
Although Carter later admitted to misspeaking on the sanctions issue, he remained steadfast in the face of criticism.
„Upon my return to Seoul, I was surprised and dismayed by the negative reception I received from the White House. They advised me not to come to Washington to provide a briefing, urging me instead to go directly home,“ he said.
Despite their wishes, he decided to go against their advice.
„I believed that what I had to offer was too important to be ignored.“
A dramatic conclusion to the episode unfolded a month later.
On 9 July 1994, the same day US and North Korean officials met in Geneva, state media announced the shocking news that Kim Il-sung had passed away from a heart attack.
Carter’s deal was suddenly thrown into uncertainty. However, negotiators persevered, and weeks later, they finalized a formal agreement known as the Agreed Framework.
Although the agreement eventually collapsed in 2003, it successfully halted Pyongyang’s nuclear program for nearly a decade.
‚Carter had guts‘
Robert Carlin, a former CIA and US State Department official who led negotiations with North Korea, highlighted that Carter’s true accomplishment lay in getting the US government to cooperate.
„Carter faced a more challenging situation in Washington than in North Korea. His intervention helped to halt the rush towards a disastrous decision in the US,“ he told the BBC.
Carter’s visit was also significant for paving the way for reconciliation, leading to subsequent trips, including one in 2009 where he accompanied Clinton to bring back captured US journalists.
He is also credited with setting the stage for Donald Trump’s meeting with Kim Jong Un in 2018, as „Carter made it conceivable“ for a sitting US president to engage with a North Korean leader, according to Dr. Delury.
While the summit ultimately failed, and the specter of nuclear war has only intensified over time – with North Korea now possessing missiles capable of reaching the US mainland – Carter was commended for his bold political move. This was a stark contrast to his presidency, during which he was criticized for his passive approach to foreign policy, particularly in handling the Iran hostage crisis.
His trip to North Korea „was an extraordinary example of constructive diplomatic intervention by a former leader,“ Dr. Delury remarked.
While his legacy is not without controversy, given the criticism he faced for taking matters into his own hands. Seine Gegner glauben, dass er ein riskantes und kompliziertes Spiel gespielt hat, indem er, wie CNN’s Mike Chinoy es ausdrückte, „versuchte, zu umgehen, was er als eine fehlerhafte und gefährliche US-Politik ansah, indem er die Elemente eines Atomabkommens selbst zusammenführte“. Aber andere glauben, dass Carter zur richtigen Zeit der richtige Mann für den Job war. Er hatte „einen sehr starken Willen“, war aber auch „ein Mann des Friedens nach innen und außen“, sagte Han S Park, einer von mehreren Personen, die Carter bei der Vermittlung der Reise von 1994 halfen. Obwohl seine Sturheit auch bedeutete, dass er „sich nicht mit vielen Leuten verstand“, bedeutete diese Kombination von Eigenschaften letztendlich, dass er die beste Person war, „um ein erneutes Auftreten eines Koreakrieges zu verhindern“, sagte Prof Park. Carter war vor allem überzeugt, dass er das Richtige tat. „Er ließ sich nicht von den Klagen und Bedenken der US-Regierung aufhalten“, sagt Robert Carlin. „Carter hatte Mut.“