[News Today] TRUMP’S NK POLICY IN 2ND TERM

[LEAD]
Next week marks the onset of President Trump's second term. The National Intelligence Service has informed Congress that President-elect Trump will continue dialogue with North Korea. Concerns are also surfacing about potential 'small deals,' like nuclear freezes or arms reductions, that may be on the table.

[REPORT]
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump held three meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his first term.

Despite the collapse of denuclearization talks, they exchanged letters and boasted good relations.

Donald Trump / U.S. President-elect (Dec. 16, 2024)
North Korea, another man I get along with very well. I'm the only one that does.

The National Intelligence Service believes that Trump sees this as a key achivement of his first term and will likely seek to resume dialogue with Pyongyang.

It cited the appointments of close aides Richard Grenell and Alex Wong, who were deeply involved in the Singapore summit.

But the problem is that North Korea has changed.

It has significantly advanced its nuclear and missile capabilities with strong support from Russia.

This is why concerns are rising that the second Trump administration, eager for quick results, might be tempted to reach small deals with the North, which has significantly raised the bar for negotiations.

Additionally, there are views that South Korea’s role in the North Korea-U.S. dialogue will be far more limited compared to Trump’s first term, posing another challenge to overcome.

Prof. Lim Eul-chul / Kyungnam University
Trump's second term will likely focus on countering China. South Korea should leverage this to maintain close S. Korea-U.S. cooperation while defining its role.

Experts stress the need for close Washington-Seoul coordination and thorough preparation to prevent a one-sided North Korea-U.S. nuclear deal excluding South Korea.