Jimmy Carter and Kim Il-sung were aboard the North Korean ruling family yacht three decades ago, on the brink of a nuclear showdown until Carter’s intervention. In June 1994, the former US president visited Pyongyang for talks with Kim Il-sung, a historic visit that many believe prevented a war between the US and North Korea. This visit led to increased engagement between Pyongyang and the West, thanks to Carter’s diplomatic efforts. The tensions arose over North Korea’s nuclear program, with suspicions of secret weapons development. Carter’s visit involved delicate diplomatic negotiations and brinkmanship, ultimately convincing both parties to avoid conflict. Despite initial doubts about Kim Il-sung, Carter’s visit proved crucial in averting a potential war. “He said they responded very specifically, ‘Yes, we were’,”
“North Korea couldn’t accept the condemnation of their country and the embarrassment of their leader, so they decided to respond.
“I believe their strong religious devotion to their revered leader, whom they called the Great Leader, led them to be willing to make sacrifices, even if it meant a devastating loss of life in North Korea, to protect their honor and integrity, which would have been a terrible disaster in my opinion.”
Carter presented a list of demands from Washington and his own suggestions, which included restarting negotiations with the US, initiating direct peace talks with South Korea, mutual withdrawal of military forces, and assisting in locating the remains of US soldiers buried in North Korean territory.
“He agreed to all of them and was very accommodating,” Carter said. “To my knowledge then and now, he was completely honest with me.”
Carter proposed a deal where North Korea would halt its nuclear activities, allow IAEA inspectors into its reactors, and eventually dismantle Yongbyon’s facilities. In exchange, the US and its allies would build light-water reactors in North Korea to generate nuclear energy without producing weapons-grade material.
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Carter and Clinton are seen together in a happier moment in 2000
While Pyongyang embraced the deal, US officials were hesitant when Carter suggested it in a phone call. He then informed them he would announce the details of the deal on CNN, leaving the Clinton administration with little choice but to agree.
Carter later justified his actions by stating he needed to resolve a serious crisis. However, his unauthorized actions were met with disapproval from officials at home, who criticized him for freelancing and attempting to constrain Clinton, as reported by Mr. Gallucci.
Towards the end of the trip, US officials instructed Carter to convey a statement to the North Koreans reiterating Clinton’s stance on continuing to push for UN sanctions. Carter disagreed with this directive, according to reports 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 halted work on drafting UN sanctions, contradicting Clinton’s position.
The White House quickly distanced itself from Carter, with some officials expressing frustration at his actions. A senior official complained to The Washington Post at the time, stating that Carter was hearing what he wanted to hear and creating his own reality.
Many in Washington criticized Carter for the deal, accusing North Korea of taking advantage of him.
Despite the backlash, Carter’s strategic use of the media to pressure the Clinton administration was successful. By broadcasting his negotiations almost instantly, he limited the US government’s ability to respond, leading to a shift in US policy towards North Korea after his trip, as reported by CNN journalist Mike Chinoy.
Although Carter later claimed he misspoke regarding the sanctions issue, he remained steadfast in the face of criticism.
“When I returned to Seoul, I was surprised and disappointed by the negative reaction from the White House. They advised me not to come to Washington for a briefing, urging me to go home instead,” he said.
Despite their wishes, Carter decided to go to Washington.
“I believed that what I had to offer was too important to ignore.”
A month later, a dramatic event unfolded.
On 9 July 1994, the same day US and North Korean officials met in Geneva, state media announced the sudden death of Kim Il-sung due to a heart attack.
Carter’s deal faced uncertainty following Kim Il-sung’s death. However, negotiators persevered and eventually reached a formal agreement known as the Agreed Framework.
Although the agreement 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, acknowledged Carter’s achievement in getting the US government to cooperate.
“Carter faced a bigger challenge in Washington than in North Korea. His intervention helped avert a potential disaster in US decision-making,” he told the BBC.
Carter’s visit paved the way for reconciliation, leading to subsequent trips, including one in 2009 when he accompanied Clinton to secure the release of captured US journalists.
He is also credited with setting the stage for Donald Trump’s summit with Kim Jong Un in 2018, as “Carter made it possible for a sitting US president to meet with a North Korean leader,” said Dr. Delury.
While the summit ultimately failed, Carter’s trip was praised for its political boldness, contrasting with his perceived passivity on foreign policy during his presidency, particularly in handling the Iran hostage crisis.
Dr. Delury described Carter’s trip as “a remarkable example of constructive diplomatic intervention by a former leader.”
Despite the controversy surrounding his actions, Carter’s legacy endures as a leader willing to take risks for the greater good. Sus detractores creen que jugó un juego arriesgado y complicado al intentar evadir lo que consideraba una política equivocada y peligrosa de Estados Unidos al juntar los elementos de un acuerdo nuclear él mismo”, dijo Mike Chinoy de CNN. Pero otros creen que Carter era el hombre adecuado para el trabajo en ese momento. Tenía “una fuerza de voluntad muy fuerte”, pero también era “un hombre de paz por dentro y por fuera”, dijo Han S Park, uno de los varios que ayudaron a Carter a negociar el viaje de 1994. Aunque su terquedad también significaba que “no se llevaba bien con mucha gente”, al final esta combinación de atributos significaba que era la mejor persona “para evitar otra ocurrencia de una guerra coreana”, dijo el Profesor Park. Más que nada, Carter estaba convencido de que estaba haciendo lo correcto. “No dejó que los murmullos y lamentos del gobierno de Estados Unidos lo detuvieran”, dice Robert Carlin. “Carter tenía agallas”.