According to a new assessment from U.S. intelligence officials, North Korea has no intention of giving up its nuclear weapons, but North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un might be willing to open a Western hamburger franchise location in Pyongyang as a show of goodwill.
Three U.S. intelligence officials told NBC News that a new intelligence assessment reiterates the position that North Korea has no intention of completely abandoning its nuclear program.
“Everybody knows they are not going to denuclearize,” one intelligence official with knowledge of the report told NBC.
Also included in the CIA assessment was a list of alternative options that may come to fruition following a potential Trump-Kim meeting, including the possibility that the North Korean leader might introduce a Western hamburger joint in his country.
NEW: New CIA report has concluded that North Korea does not intend to give up its nuclear weapons any time soon, but might open a burger joint. https://t.co/S4Jdx7NVVJ
— NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt (@NBCNightlyNews) May 29, 2018
The proposal aligns with President Trump’s widely-known love of burgers and fast food, and would be an an act of goodwill, the report said. The President during his 2016 campaign even mentioned wanting to meet with Kim over burgers.
The report also said that the immediate objective of any sort of U.S.-North Korea summit should be to encourage Kim to dial down his country’s nuclear weapons program.
While such an outcome would still be progress, it likely would not be acceptable for the President, who has continually pushed for an “all-or-nothing” approach.
Both nations are currently in communications about an upcoming potential meeting, but nothing new has been announced since President Trump on May 24 canceled the summit that was slated for June 12 in Singapore.
There have since been suggestions that a summit might still take place.
A U.S. delegation recently met with North Korean officials in the Demilitarized Zone, and a top North Korea official was scheduled to arrive in New York City on Wednesday to discuss the details of a meeting, as well.
North Korea also claims to have destroyed its only nuclear test facility just last week.
