Risch involved in setting up N. Korea talks

By Cameron Rasmusson
Reader Staff

A recent trip to the PyeongChang Winter Olympics by U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, played a key role in setting up recently announced talks with North Korea.

The Idaho Statesman reports that after Risch expressed doubt that North Korea’s participation in the Olympics would lead to a curbing of dictator Kim Jong Un’s nuclear program, he was contacted by South Korean officials.

“The South was saying the North wants to talk,” Risch told journalist William Douglas. “We were very surprised.”

Risch also said that while he’s skeptical of Kim’s intentions, he is glad to see a reduction in aggressive posturing from his regime. He believes the talks between Kim and President Donald Trump will proceed as planned.

“Our side is not in any way looking to get out of this meeting,” he told Douglas. “The president is anxious to take this meeting, I’ve talked to him about it personally. Again, this whole thing is in the hands of Kim Jong Un.”