FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “In a post on Twitter on Wednesday [8-30-17], President Trump accused past administrations of paying ‘extortion money’ to North Korea and said diplomatic talks are not sufficient…
It was not clear what money the president was referring to. Mr. Trump has been both open to and against talks with North Korea. Last week, the president said he thought Pyongyang was starting to respect the United States, but then North Korea brazenly launched a missile this week over Japan, forcing Japanese residents to take cover. The missile landed harmlessly in the ocean…
Past American administrations have tried diplomatic approaches and imposed sanctions on North Korea in an effort to convince North Korea to abandon its weapons programs.
Over the years, the United States has given money to North Korea for humanitarian assistance. And attempts to establish better relations have included lessening some of the economic sanctions on the North. The United States and North Korea do not have formal diplomatic relations.”
-Eileen Sullivan and Mark Landler, “Trump Says U.S. Is Paying ‘Extortion Money’ to North Korea,” The New York Times online, Aug. 30, 2017