Moon Chung-in said denuclearization can no longer be on the agenda for renewed U.S.-North Korea talks and argued that arms control and reductions should come first. In a written interview with The Korea Times, he said North Korea would reject any call for denuclearization talks. He also said a phased approach could eventually lead to elimination of nuclear and missile capabilities, but only after suspension and reduction steps.
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with crypto and prediction market executives at the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., Wednesday (local time). EPA-Yonhap
As signs emerge that the United States and North Korea may be inching toward renewed engagement, the question of where denuclearization fits into future talks is coming back into focus.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s reluctance to say whether denuclearization remains the goal of renewed talks with North Korea could open the door to a different approach focused first on arms control and reductions, a veteran foreign policy expert said.
“Denuclearization can no longer be on the agenda,” Moon Chung-in, a James Laney distinguished professor at Yonsei University, told The Korea Times in a written interview. “The DPRK will reject any call for dialogues and negotiations for denuclearization,” he added, referring to North Korea's formal name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
