File What to expect from the result of North Korea policy review of Biden Administration
Woo Jung-Yeop
(woo@sejong.org)
Research Fellow, the Sejong Institute
English Abstract
The Biden administration announced that it will conduct an
especially comprehensive review of its North Korea policies. Unlike other
foreign policies, North Korea policy will be reviewed comprehensively; for two
reasons, a comprehensive review seems necessary. Both situational analyses and
the development of strategies must take time under the Biden administration.
Although there is no concrete result, some significant
progress in principle must have been made. President Biden will not actively
participate in summits unless certain agreements are made in advance, as
summits cannot guarantee results and therefore are not of political use.
The Biden administration's public policy toward North
Korea, regardless of how internal review is done, will reaffirm the principle
of denuclearizing North Korea through negotiations.
Assuming that the Biden administration's review of North
Korea policy will remain in principle and will not be a major, independent
variable to change the current situation, the key to the problem lies at the
hand of North Korea's willingness to negotiate. When the U.S. recognizes that
the North Korean issue can be resolved and that it will be politically helpful
to President Biden, the U.S. will take a more conciliatory approach.