Local expert speaks on U.S. - North Korean Summit

PHOENIX (KSAZ) - As President Donald Trump met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un at Singapore's Sentosa Island Monday (Arizona time), a local expert spoke out on what the summit means.

"It's hard to know," said Daniel Rothenberg, Co-Director of Arizona State University's Center on the Future of War. "I think it would be wonderful news if President Trump and Kim Jong-Un can substantially address the dangerous issues on the Korean Peninsula."

Rothenberg says it's important to remember that the summit doesn't wipe away a brutal history for Kim Jong-Un.

"It's a government that traffics in atrocities," said Rothenbergb. "It's a government that uses state terror as a key mechanism of rule. That said, it doesn't mean that it's a bad idea to negotiate with the regime, if the point of the negotiation is to create greater global security."

Rothenberg said that while change can be slow, the summit itself will definitely be viewed as a win for the North Koreans.

"The meeting is an enormous win for Kim Jong-Un and the North Korean regime clearly," said Rothenberg. "They've gotten a U.S. President to come, meet in Singapore, and it elevates the status of both the leader and the country. At the same time, if this meeting leads to a substantive change or even just any discussion about security in the Korean Peninsula, that's wonderful for the world."