In a report by Brookings, they claimed that North Korea has become a poster child to the rogue states for over 50 years. That comes after it pursued a nuclear weapons program. Moreover, North Korea has been involved in other destructive activities.
Here, we discuss
- Rivalry Between The US and North Korea
- Personal Relations Between Donald Trump & Kim Jong-un
- Crisis of Nuclear and Missile Programs In North Korea
- North Korea Expectations From The US
North Korea has constructed and sold ballistic missiles, participated in the drug trade, counterfeiting, sponsored terrorism, threatened the US continually, subjected to policy experiments, and many more according to the Brookings report.
In North Korea, both Democratic administrations and Republican have tried engaging in Pyongyang but only to end in objectionable behavior. Therefore, Brookings also believes that the policy – albeit political controversial – during Clinton’s administration is not yet over. It is there to stay and not because it is attractive but because of the ongoing rapprochement between the two Korean countries (North & South).
However, there is much to be expected as the new administration in the US has to shape its diplomatic policy. It will help further US interests in regional transition and be against cold confrontation that has existed over five decades as Brookings reported.
Rivalry Between The US and North Korea
In the world, North Korea has been the longest-standing adversary against the United States government according to BBC News. It is known that the US was responsible for dividing the Korean Peninsula. That happened after world war II ended as it waged against Korea in the 1950s. After the post-cold war period, this country, North Korea still remains a useful demon as The Diplomat suggested.
Currently, Pentagon has tried to inflate the North Korea threat so that it can rationalize the desire for the missile defense system. That is to justify the capacity of fighting the two wars together and also the need for it to maintain its troops in South Korea and Asia overall.
In the early 1990s, these two countries’ relationships worsened. That is after North Korea was able to expand its nuclear program. Therefore, the US did consider to bomb those suspected weapons development facilities. However, in 1994, Jimmy Carter had a meeting with Kim II Sung, a North Korea leader, and was negotiating their way back because it seemed there was a war about the start.
In the agreement, it was for North Korea to freeze the nuclear program. That was to be compensated with shipments carrying heavy fuel that was to come from the US. However, the two light-water nuclear reactors were to be built through an international consortium which was hugely funded by South Korea and Japan.
In the agreement, North Korea and the US decided to fully normalize their relations as IPS reported.
Personal Relations Between Donald Trump & Kim Jong-un
According to BBC News, they reported that North Korea did receive birthday greetings sent by President Donald Trump. However, Kim Jong-un claimed that it is yet not enough for them to restart negotiations regarding nuclear programs.
North Korean, Kim might feel interested to reconsider the negotiation. But, he claimed that he is not ready to allow his feelings to lead the country on the basis as Kim Kye Gwan, the foreign minister reported.
He also claimed that there would be no possible talks between the two countries, until the moment the US will accept to fulfill their demands.
Nevertheless, the relationship between these two countries has continued to deteriorate in recent months. In 2008, the two leaders, Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim had a meeting. They talked face to face and they agreed that last year(2019), they were expecting denuclearisation. Although that did not happen because the US did refuse to lift sanctions. They expect North Korea to fully abandon that program as it is a threat to the world.
Crisis of Nuclear and Missile Programs In North Korea
Mr. Kye was a diplomatic individual who had been involved in disarmament negotiations between the two countries. However, state news agency KCNA made a statement through Mr. Kye and claimed that Pyongyang can never sacrifice its nuclear facilities only for partial sanctions relief.
It is expected that the reopening of the dialogue between the two countries might be possible when the US fulfills their demand. However, it is clearly known that the US might not be ready to fulfill the agreement as Mr. Kye claimed.
He also said that there can never be such negotiations as talks held in Vietnam. That was after the second Kim-Trump summit where North Korea was to dismantle its Yongbyon nuclear complex and to get all sanctions lifted. The talks were broken down last year after the US could not do so according to expectations.
Since then, the two countries seem to be having a comprehensive agreement that can roll back their program. That is from a medium-range Nondong missile and create a long-range Taepondong missile.
In the agreement, North Korea is also expected to end testing, exporting, and maybe deployment and development of the missiles. The technical details still remain unclear, BBC News reported.
North Korea Expectations From The US
NCNK reported that North Korea has consistently outlined what it wants. Although from time to time, details have shifted.
North Korea requires a peace treaty and would normalize its relationship with the US by ending what they claim as a “hostile policy” from the US. Technically, that is a term the North Korean negotiators uses describing the following:
- Criticism of institutions, human rights, insults to the Kim Family and the country – North Korea
- Economic sanctions through the withholding of economic assistance
- Military threats of North Korea and especially joint military exercises between South Korea and the US. They use nuclear weapons as a conflict weapon.
The Final Thought
The challenges between the negotiations have been magnified because of mismanaged expectations. Moreover, the chaotic process has resulted in Trump’s administration approach diplomacy to negotiate regarding the nuclear program with North Korea.
There are policy choices that have been passed in Seol, Beijing, and Washington to help shape an environment for negotiations. The way North Korea is expected to make a decision will depend on the decisions from Pyongyang.
The question still remains. How far will Kim Jong-Un go in making concessions regarding his nuclear program? What strategic purpose or price can he go for? These still remain as central questions as the talks continue.
Nice article
Thank you Archana, stay tuned with us!