Biden administration says ‘No grand bargain’ as changes approach to North Korea: Nuclear Program

 

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Biden opted for diplomacy after months of review considering no progress in convincing Pyongyang to abandon nuclear weapons. 

 Biden’s press secretary, Jen Psaki say they will use international relations to try to ensure complete denuclearizeation of North Korea's nuclear program.

U.S. President Joe Biden will look into negotiations but does not want a "a calibrated" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as he launches a new strategy to force Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, the White House said on Friday.

"Our goal remains to be the complete demolition of the Korean Peninsula," Biden news correspondent Jen Psaki told reporters.

US policy will see "a balanced, legitimate and exploratory approach to communication" with North Korea, he said.

The new approach follows a review of North Korea's policy by Biden's incoming leaders after three joint meetings between Kim and former US President Donald Trump failed to make any progress in convincing Pyongyang to drop its weapons.

The policy of Barack Obama, who has refused to hold hostilities with North Korea in the absence of Pyongyang's measures to reduce tensions, has also had little effect.

"Our policy will not focus on achieving greater profits, nor will it rely on tolerance of strategies," Psaki said.

North Korea has so far rejected an application for diplomatic missions from Biden. Pyongyang wants the United States and its allies to lift the economic sanctions imposed on its weapons programs.

Psaki did not provide details on what the next management step could be without discussions with partners. Biden met with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga two weeks ago and will meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on May 21 at the White House.

The United States has already consulted with South Korea in the process of reviewing the policy and Washington has informed Seoul of its decisions in advance, South Korea's foreign ministry said.

"The two countries will discuss North Korea's policy direction at a planned summit and meeting of foreign ministers in May and will continue to work together to resume North Korean and US talks."

Last month, Moon urged Biden to engage directly with Kim about nuclear disarmament, saying he liked "high-level talks".

Jenny Town, director of 38 North, a Washington-based North Korea monitoring program, said the broad strokes of Biden's policy sound good so far.

“But the details will be very important in assessing how the management can succeed in this 'new way'. I'm not sure we have much to say until we see more, ”he said.

There are ongoing concerns that North Korea may return to nuclear deterrence. North Korea unveiled two ballistic missiles near the sea near Japan in March.

The White House did not say whether it would allow North Korea to return to negotiations.

Biden officials at the same time signed a tough line of human rights, nuclear and punitive measures, while holding talks with officials claiming that the authorities have been defeated by Pyongyang, which has long demanded the release of sanctions.