North Korea diplomacy hinges on Kim Jong Un's next move
According to Yonhap agency, regardless of the policy of the new U.S. president elected on Tuesday, November 5, the latest developments in talks with North Korea about nuclear disarmament will be determined by Kim Jong Un's regime. A critical issue will be whether Kim is willing to engage in discussions at all, as assessed by Yonhap agency.
Yonhap agency highlights that the upcoming elections in the United States occur at a time when Seoul is striving to maintain close relations with Washington amid growing nuclear and missile threats from Pyongyang. Regardless of the policy that the future U.S. president adopts towards the Korean Peninsula, the essential issue is whether North Korea will engage in talks on nuclear disarmament, assesses Yonhap Agency.
The Biden administration has repeatedly made overtures for dialogue with Pyongyang, stressing its openness to engage with the regime "without preconditions." But the overtures have been answered only with missile tests and other provocative activities, recalls Yonhap.
If talks on the denuclearization of North Korea resume, they may be "much more difficult" than before due to the strengthened relations between Pyongyang and Russia, continued close ties with China, and advancements in developing nuclear weapons and intercontinental missiles.
If Donald Trump returns to the White House, he "could seek to revive his personal diplomacy with the North Korean leader," writes Yonhap. The former president frequently emphasized his relationship with Kim Jong Un, organizing historic summits involving leaders from both countries, though these efforts did not result in lasting denuclearization outcomes.
The agency cites experts who believe that a potential win by Kamala Harris would continue the conventional diplomatic approach, similar to Joe Biden's administration.
Such actions are expected to strengthen bilateral and trilateral cooperation with Seoul and Tokyo regarding security and intensify deterrence measures against North Korea "while leaving open the door for diplomacy with the recalcitrant regime."
