Author: Yeon-cheol Kim
Date: 2026-01-28
In the case of the United States, South Korea cannot expect a favorable turn based on the particularities of the Trump administration’s policy decision-making process and the unstable structure of negotiations over the North Korean nuclear issue. Although China no longer uses the term denuclearization, this cannot be regarded as a change in its Korean Peninsula policy. The disappearance of discourse on the North Korean nuclear issue is a recent phenomenon, but it is the result of factors that have accumulated over time. First is North Korea’s claim to irreversible nuclear technology; second is fatigue resulting from the prolonged stalemate; and third is the weakening of denuclearization norms at the global level. In light of these changed circumstances, trust-building is essential and efforts should begin with operational arms control of nuclear weapons, and second, arms control in the conventional domain should be pursued in parallel. What is important is the restoration of relationships, and this must be pursued calmly and with patience.
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