North Korea’s Signaling on Nuclear Weapons and Negotiations

Sangsoo Lee 李相洙 and Riccardo Villa
Introduction:
The US-DPRK Summit in Hanoi in 2019 ended without a deal due to disagreements over the right mix of sanctions relief for the nuclear concession Kim Jong Un offered. After the US rejected the North’s request to lift a significant portion of the sanctions imposed since 2017, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho explained, “…as we take steps toward denuclearization, the most important issue is security, but we thought it would be more burdensome for the US to take military-related measures, which is why we saw partial lifting of sanctions as corresponding action.” This rationale illuminates Pyongyang’s previous calculation: that partial sanctions relief for partial denuclearization would be an acceptable outcome.
Related Publications
-
What North Korea Thinks About the Russia-Ukraine War
Introduction: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has raised many new security concerns not only for Europe, but also for the rest of the world. In Northeast Asia, Russia’s proximity and strategic […]
-
Has Moon Jae-in’s North Korea Peace Process Failed?
Introduction: Since the current South Korean President Moon Jae-in took office in May 2017, he has strived to engage in talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to deescalate […]
-
Yoon’s Plan to Ditch Strategic Ambiguity Will Test US-ROK Alliance, DPRK Policy
Introduction: While Yoon has questioned the Moon administration’s policy of strategic ambiguity with regard to the U.S.-China rivalry, the new South Korean President will likely find it difficult to abandon […]
-
What to Make of Kim Yo Jong’s Verbal Attack of South Korea’s Defense Minister
Introduction: Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and a leading voice on inter-Korean relations, said on Sunday that “South Korea may face […]
-
South Korea’s Relations With China and the US Under President-elect Yoon
Introduction: The presidential election in South Korea was a close call. President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol from the People Power Party won the election with a margin of 0.8 percentage points over […]
-
Disaster Risk Reduction: A Sustainable Path for Inter-Korea Cooperation
Introduction: Even in its current state of pandemic-induced isolation, North Korea continues to engage the international community on climate adaption and disaster risk reduction. South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s renewed […]