Biden, Yoon Embrace Policy of North Korea Denuclearization Backed by Deterrence, Not Concessions
U.S. President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol have effectively ended a conciliatory stance toward North Korea, marking the beginning of firm deterrence and an unyielding goal of denuclearization during their first summit, experts said.
Biden and Yoon suggested they remain open to a diplomatic path if North Korea is sincere in achieving denuclearization.
While open to dialogue, Gary Samore, White House coordinator for arms control and weapons of mass destruction during the Obama administration, said the two leaders agreed to take a firm military stance in dealing with North Korea.
"Washington and Seoul will look for ways to show a strong military posture as a deterrent" against any potential provocations, he said.
The approach Biden and Yoon adopted -- strengthening deterrence with the goal of denuclearization while staying open to diplomacy -- is a clear departure from what was possible for the Biden administration to achieve with former South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who had different approach toward North Korea, according to Bruce Klingner, former CIA deputy division chief of Korea and current senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation.
Klingner said Moon "advocated offering benefits to North Korea, including more lax enforcement of sanctions, prior to Pyongyang taking steps toward coming into compliance with U.N. resolutions."
Moon prioritized inter-Korean reconciliation and pursued a conciliatory approach to engage North Korea in dialogue while he sought an end-of-war declaration and peace initiative over denuclearization.
The approach, according to U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan in October, differed from the priority Washington placed on denuclearization.
In an interview with CNN on Monday, Yoon said that appeasing North Korea through the conciliatory strategy Moon adopted "has proven to be a failure."
Evans Revere, a former State Department official with extensive experience negotiating with North Korea, said, "The key difference between this summit and the Biden-Moon summit of 2021 is the shared realization today that concessionary diplomacy toward North Korea has not only not succeeded, [but] it has encouraged even worse behavior by North Korea."
North Korea conducted 17 rounds of weapons tests this year, including intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the U.S. On Wednesday in Korea, the South Korean military said North Korea fired ballistic missiles.
