US policy toward North Korea under Joe Biden: pageantry out, pragmatism in
- Analysts and experts said a Democratic administration would favour working-level diplomacy with Kim Jong-un
- Policy coordination with US allies South Korea and Japan would take precedence in devising a strategy towards the North
The election of his Democratic challenger and strong front runner Joe Biden on November 3 would likely put US efforts to denuclearise the North back on more familiar territory.
Under a Biden administration, personal rapport and summit pageantry would likely make way for traditional working-level diplomacy and greater coordination among US allies, according to analysts and former US officials.
Given the antipathy North Korea has for Biden, there‘s an opportunity for Biden to surprise them
At Thursday’s final debate before next month’s presidential election, Biden repeated his criticisms of the sitting US president. “He’s talked about his good buddy [Kim], who’s a thug, a thug. And he talks about how we’re better off when North Korea is much more capable of firing a missile that is able to reach US territory,” Biden said. “We had a good relationship with Hitler before he in fact invaded Europe. Come on.”
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