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North Korea has been riddled with sanctions due to its nuclear arms, which would trigger world war 3 if matters could not be settled diplomatically. As the United States prepares for a new president in 2021, incoming president Joe Biden is urged to make a deal with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un regarding its nuclear arsenal to prevent any further conflict.
Former National Security Council member of the George W. Bush administration Victor Cha wrote a piece in Foreign Policy explaining what the incoming president must do to settle issues regarding North Korea’s nuclear arms. Cha wrote that Biden must look to contain the dangerous elements of North Korea’s weapons program rather than expect to disarm the country completely. Cha added that while such a move has no precedent in terms of negotiations between the US and North Korea, it brings about antecedents in arms control that occurred during the cold war.
However, Cha noted that the incoming president may need to see this as an interim policy that could lead to progress in the long-term goal of disarming North Korea in its nuclear weapons completely. Such a deal would pose a challenge in passing through Congress especially if it sees North Korea as a nuclear power.
Cha’s comments echo those of former Pentagon official Van Jackson, who shared that it is impossible to completely disarm North Korea’s nuclear arsenal. Jackson noted that it is unrealistic to expect North Korea to give up nuclear weapons.
At the same time, tensions between the US and China have been reignited especially towards North Korea as of late. Alex Wong, Deputy Assistant Secretary for North Korea, accused China of failing to reinforce the sanctions imposed by the United Nations on the communist country. This is part of the efforts to persuade North Korea to completely surrender its nuclear arsenal. Wong also warned that the US may impose sanctions against China-based individuals in response.
However, the Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman clarified that China has always been upholding the sanctions against North Korea. The spokeswoman added that the two countries should focus on how these sanctions would end up affecting citizens of the communist nation.
