US Special Representative for North Korea "Ready to Negotiate with North Korea, Need a Practical Roadmap"... Mentions China's Role

Reaffirmation of US Government Position on Complete Denuclearization and Implementation of North Korea Sanctions
President Trump Cites 'Significant Increase in Defense Spending' as Top Priority After Re-election...Concerns Raised Internally

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The U.S. State Department's Special Representative for North Korea stated that while the U.S. is prepared to negotiate with North Korea, enforcing sanctions remains a priority and that an enhanced role for China is necessary. Amid this, concerns resurfaced regarding President Donald Trump's demands for a significant increase in defense cost-sharing from allied countries.

Alex Wong, nominated as the UN Deputy Special Representative, appeared at a virtual confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the 5th (local time), where he addressed questions related to North Korea policy. He said, "We have a strong whole-of-government team prepared to negotiate with North Korea and are ready for talks," adding that securing a roadmap through working-level negotiations is necessary for North Korea's complete denuclearization.

Although Steven Biegun, Deputy Secretary of State and Special Representative for North Korea, visited South Korea last month, raising prospects for the resumption of North Korea-U.S. talks, no visible changes have yet emerged.

Wong reiterated the U.S. government's fundamental principles of complete denuclearization and sanctions enforcement, emphasizing the need to strengthen China's role. This is interpreted as a reiteration of the existing stance by highlighting China's role amid the increased necessity for managing the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

Wong said, "Our relationship with China is very complex, but what they consistently say is that they see areas where they can build or maintain cooperation with North Korea," adding, "There are overlapping interests with China on the Korean Peninsula, even if not identical, and I believe these can be expanded." He also noted China's participation in the UN Security Council's North Korea sanctions adopted in November 2017.

With no change in the U.S. State Department's North Korea stance, President Trump once again pressured allied countries for a substantial increase in defense cost-sharing. In an interview with Fox News that day, when asked about his top priority if re-elected, he pointed to improving the U.S. economy and the issue of defense cost-sharing with allies.

He said, "We are reclaiming trade from other countries that have been ripping us off for years," adding, "They are not paying their bills and are delinquent." Specifically, he said, "Everyone says they are great allies," but "they have to pay the bills."

Regarding Germany, he claimed, "They owe us billions of dollars and owe billions to NATO," emphasizing, "Why should we defend other countries and not be compensated?" He also referenced NATO's decision to increase its budget by $130 billion.

Concerns persist internally about the pressure to increase defense costs for allies. Former Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, responding to questions from The New York Times (NYT) on North Korea issues that day, said, "If I were in charge, I wouldn't argue over whether South Korea is paying enough for U.S. troop presence," adding, "I would first rebuild relations with South Korea and Japan."

She emphasized, "They pay for U.S. military bases, and having U.S. troops stationed there benefits us." This is interpreted as a critique of President Trump's insistence on excessive increases in the defense cost-sharing negotiations between South Korea and the U.S., which have been in a gap for eight months.

Former Under Secretary Sherman also stressed the need for cooperation with China. Regarding the North Korea nuclear issue, she said, "We cannot do it alone, and there will be points where we can cooperate with China," but warned, "However, China wants to use North Korea as its poker chip."

She added, "We should utilize the UN and the Security Council and even take advantage of the COVID-19 crisis," noting, "China bears significant responsibility for COVID-19."

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

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