Biden administration to fully review North Korea approach: Blinken

Antony Blinken, Joe Biden’s nominee for secretary of state, said ‘the entire approach and policy toward North Korea’ will be reviewed

While the US will increase pressure on Kim Jong-un to denuclearise, it will also look at providing humanitarian aid if needed

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Antony Blinken speaks during his confirmation hearing to be secretary of state before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee in Washington, saying he would work to revitalise damaged American diplomacy. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 12:49pm, 20 Jan 2021Updated: 12:55pm, 20 Jan 2021

US President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee for secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said on Tuesday the incoming administration planned a full review of the US approach to North Korea to look at ways to increase pressure on the country to come to the negotiating table over its nuclear weapons.

At the same time, the United States would also look at providing humanitarian help to North Korea if needed, Blinken said.

“We do want to make sure that in anything we do, we have an eye on the humanitarian side of the equation, not just on the security side of the equation,” he told his Senate confirmation hearing.

Democratic Senator Ed Markey asked whether he would support a “phased agreement” that offered tailored sanctions relief to Pyongyang in return for a verifiable freeze in its weapons programmes, with the ultimate aim of North Korea denuclearising.

“I think we have to review, and we intend to review, the entire approach and policy toward North Korea, because this is a hard problem that has plagued administration after administration. And it’s a problem that has not gotten better – in fact, it’s gotten worse,” Blinken replied.

He said the aim of the review would be to “look at what options we have, and what can be effective in terms of increasing pressure on North Korea to come to the negotiating table, as well as what other diplomatic initiatives may be possible”.

Blinken said this would start with consulting closely with allies and partners, particularly with South Korea and Japan.

Biden’s senior official for Asia policy, Kurt Campbell, has said the administration would have to make an early decision on its approach and not repeat the Obama-era delay that led to “provocative” steps by Pyongyang that prevented engagement.