U.S. President Donald Trump looks on before signing an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Monday. UPI-Yonhap
North Korea has less incentive to engage US unless it gains nuclear status: experts
By Kwak Yeon-soo
U.S. President Donald Trump signaled his interest Monday (local time) in restarting talks with North Korea, calling it a “nuclear nation” and revealing there is communication with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
His remarks came in response to a reporter’s question about whether the U.S. may reach out to North Korea. Calling North Korea a “big nuclear nation” and Kim a “smart guy,” Trump said, “We have a great relationship, and yeah, we have … there is communication.” However, he did not elaborate on how his administration is communicating with the reclusive regime.
Since his inauguration on Jan. 20, Trump has repeatedly referred to North Korea as a “nuclear power,” raising concern that the U.S. could be moving toward recognizing the North as a nuclear-armed state.
However, experts said Trump’s latest comments suggest his willingness to engage with Pyongyang rather than indicating any changes in U.S. policy.
“Although we cannot rule out the possibility of the U.S. holding ‘unofficial’ talks with North Korea behind the scenes, Trump is expressing his wish to get Kim to return to the negotiation table,” said Hong Min, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification.
“The White House has not yet unveiled its new policy toward North Korea. Elbridge Colby, the nominee to be undersecretary of defense for policy, and Allison Hooker, undersecretary of state for political affairs, have not been confirmed by the Senate. Washington will take necessary measures once it has a clear direction of policy on Pyongyang.”
He added that if the U.S. is eager to reach out to North Korea, it could do so through two channels: the Permanent Mission of North Korea to the U.N. in New York or Jo Chol-su, the ambassador to North Korea’s mission at the U.N. office in Geneva.
“Jo is a close confidant of North Korea’s foreign minister, Choe Son-hui, and has taken part in U.S.-North Korea talks between 2018 and 2020,” Hong added.
Face masks depicting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, left, U.S. President Donald Trump, center, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, hang among others for sale at a street souvenir shop in St. Petersburg, Russia, Jan. 20, 2025. AP-Yonhap
Moon Seong-mook, the chief of the Unification Strategy Center at the Korea Research Institute for National Strategy, said the U.S. is trying to send a message to the North that it is open to contact with Kim.
“I don’t think the U.S. has a specific agenda. If the U.S.-North Korea talks are imminent, South Korea needs to closely coordinate with the U.S. on North Korea policy and make sure we are not bypassed,” he said.
“A challenge would be whether the U.S. can simultaneously resolve the North Korea nuclear issue while the Russia-Ukraine war is still far from conclusion. North Korea has less incentive to engage the U.S. because it is now getting economic and military benefits from Russia. There could be no dialogue unless the U.S. recognizes North Korea as a nuclear-armed state.”
Experts said there seems to be no major difference between “nuclear power” and “nuclear nation.”
“Rather than carrying political purposes, I think Trump is trying to acknowledge that North Korea has advanced nuclear capabilities. It is a message that can make North Korea have high hopes about gaining a nuclear status,” Hong said.
Moon echoed the view. “It is aimed at bringing North Korea back to the negotiating table.”
The Ministry of Unification said it is not in a position to interpret Trump’s comments, but said South Korea would welcome the U.S.-North Korea dialogue if it follows a path toward North Korea’s denuclearization.
“North Korea’s complete denuclearization is a unified goal of South Korea, the U.S. and the international community,” a senior unification ministry official said on condition of anonymity.