Breakdown of North America Dialogue Due to Mutual Distrust... "Gradual Solutions Are the Most Practical"

Susan Elliott, Chair of the US Foreign Policy Committee, "We Must Build Trust Through Dialogue and Reach a Joint Agreement on Nuclear Issues"
The Door to North Korea-US Talks Remains Open

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The North Korea-US dialogue remains open, but due to a lack of mutual trust, talks have not continued. There are calls to resume dialogue as soon as possible to find a phased solution and prevent North Korea's nuclear development.

Susan Elliott, Chair of the National Committee on American Foreign Policy (NCAFP), stated this on the 28th through the Voice of America (VOA) broadcast. Elliott recently visited Northeast Asian countries including South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. Accompanying her on this visit were former Acting Assistant Secretary of State Susan Thornton, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State James Zumwalt, and Mark Tokola, Deputy Director of the Korea Economic Institute and former US Deputy Ambassador to South Korea.

Elliott assessed that the North Korea-US dialogue is still open. She explained, "As far as I know, the US government still keeps the door open for talks with North Korea," adding, "US private diplomatic organizations are also willing and prepared to promote the currently suspended North Korea-US negotiations through non-governmental dialogue."

She identified the lack of trust between North Korea and the US as the cause of the breakdown in talks. The analysis is that the US has not reached a clear agreement on what it will provide in return for North Korea’s credible denuclearization measures. Elliott emphasized, "Government officials and academic experts from various countries agreed that North Korea-US talks should be quickly resumed this year to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue," and "The biggest reason why the nuclear negotiations are not continuing now is the mutual lack of trust between the US and North Korea."

Therefore, she diagnosed that finding a phased denuclearization solution through dialogue is the most realistic approach. Elliott said, "North Korea must take credible denuclearization steps for some sanctions relief it desires, and there must be an agreement between the two countries on this," adding, "I believe a phased solution is the most realistic way to achieve North Korea’s denuclearization goals."

While acknowledging that negotiations with North Korea are difficult, she reiterated the importance of building trust through dialogue and reaching a joint agreement to resolve the nuclear issue. Elliott stated, "I am an optimist, not a pessimist," and pointed out, "It is true that negotiations with North Korea are difficult, but it is important for both sides to have the will to build trust through the process and reach a joint agreement to resolve the nuclear issue. North Korea must also understand that it cannot coordinate issues without dialogue with the US."

However, she added, "The US values not only its own security but also that of its allies such as South Korea and Japan," and "If North Korea initiates threatening actions or poses threats not only to the US but also to these countries, the US will have no choice but to take a different stance."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.