U.S. President Donald Trump / Reuters



By Oh Young-jin





Would U.S. President Donald Trump go to the North Korean capital of Pyongyang for the summit with Kim Jong-un in May?



Would Kim risk leaving his comfort zone to travel to Scandinavia or even Beijing to meet Trump?



Unless one of the two makes a concession, differences over the venue could be the stumbling block to the biggest chance so far of ending the North Korean nuclear stalemate.



For Trump, going to Pyongyang would make him a potential hostage to his sworn enemy.



After all, the U.S. President has vowed to destroy the North or threatened to rain fire and fury on the "little rocket man."



It is natural for Trump to be cautious and his aides are against him going behind enemy lines.



True, the U.S. could dispatch an armada of aircraft carriers and a fleet of strategic aircraft to near the North, sending an unmistakable message that if Pyongyang messes with Trump, the North will face the consequences.



Although the North often behaves in a way that raises questions about its sanity, would it be so crazy as to take Trump hostage?



Toward the end of his presidency, Bill Clinton tried to visit Pyongyang to seal a nuclear nonproliferation deal with Kim Jong-il, the present leader's father.

Clinton's successor, George W. Bush, disapproved of such a visit and it did not happen.



North Korean leader Kim Jong-un / Yonhap