Bangkok: There currently is little incentive for Pyongyang to return to the negotiating table over its nuclear weapons, yet diplomacy may be possible if strategic conditions change, a former security adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Alex Wong, global chief strategy officer at Hanwha Group, suggested at a Jeju Forum session titled "Lessons from 2018-2019 and the Way Forward: How to Re-Engage with the DPRK" that the strategy should focus on identifying and encouraging imbalances within North Korea's strategy. Wong proposed repositioning the nuclear program to make denuclearization the most optimal and positive pathway. DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Wong, who previously served as principal deputy national security adviser during the second Trump administration, highlighted that the conditions for renewed talks are currently nonexistent. He attributed this to Pyongyang's closer ties with Moscow, the confidence North Korea has gained from surviving sanctions during the COVID-19 pandemic, and major powers being preoccupied with other global crises, which collectively have narrowed the space for engagement.
However, Wong noted there still may be a potential window for diplomacy if circumstances change. He pointed to Trump's lingering interest in engaging North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's openness to dialogue as potential factors that could alter the current dynamics. Wong emphasized the urgency by noting that Kim understands his window of opportunity will close when President Trump leaves office.
Reflecting on the Trump-Kim meetings in 2018-19, Wong explained that the negotiations fell short because North Korean working-level officials lacked sufficient authority. He stated that North Korean negotiators were not fully empowered to represent their government's entire position.
Wong also dismissed the notion of accepting North Korea as a de facto nuclear state, warning that granting such recognition would have global consequences beyond the Korean Peninsula. He underscored the importance of maintaining back channels due to the absence of formal diplomatic relations between Washington and Pyongyang, as they are essential for building trust, passing messages, laying groundwork, and serving as a release valve.