Disarmament over denuking

[Anchor]

The Trump era has returned, and we will examine the North Korean nuclear issue.

Trump's second administration stated it will pursue the complete denuclearization of North Korea, but concerns remain that the U.S. may engage in arms control negotiations instead of denuclearization.

Voices advocating for South Korea to possess nuclear weapons in case North Korea is acknowledged as a nuclear power in the international society are growing louder.

Kim Kyung-jin reports.

[Report]

Until now, the U.S.'s goal in North Korean nuclear negotiations has been CVID: complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization.

The White House has stated that the principles of North Korean denuclearization remain unchanged in Trump's second term, but the situation has changed compared to the first term.

North Korea has strengthened its ties with Russia, raising its bargaining power, and within the U.S., skepticism about denuclearization has gained traction.

[Jeon Bong-geun/Honorary Professor, Korea National Diplomatic Academy: "For the past 2-3 years, there has been a consensus in the U.S. that our 30 years of denuclearization diplomacy has completely failed, that a new approach is needed, and that now a phased denuclearization is needed."]

The expression "complete denuclearization" has disappeared from both the Republican Party's platform and the first Quad statement of Trump's second administration, raising concerns.

If the U.S. engages in arms control negotiations with North Korea instead of denuclearization, North Korea is likely to be recognized as an "unofficial nuclear power" like India, Pakistan, and Israel.

In this case, not only South Korea but also Taiwan and Japan may feel the need to maintain the balance of terror, leading to stronger arguments for nuclear possession or potential nuclear possession.

In fact, in a KBS survey conducted during the Lunar New Year holiday, 74% of respondents said that if North Korea is recognized as a nuclear power in the international community, South Korea should also possess nuclear weapons.

[Park Won-gon/Professor, Department of North Korean Studies, Ewha Womans University: "There is a very high possibility of a nuclear domino effect, where many countries, including South Korea, will choose to arm themselves with nuclear weapons."]

The U.S. is expected to clearly establish its North Korean nuclear policy within the next few months, and now is a golden time for us.

Even if the U.S. takes a more realistic approach, it is important for us to persuade them with various arguments to ultimately not abandon the goal of denuclearization.

Experts also advise that expanding the Korea-U.S. NCG established during the Biden administration is an important task to strengthen U.S.'s extended deterrence.

This is Kim Kyung-jin from KBS News.