Former Defense Minister Perry: "North Korea Wants Economic Development but Will Not Trade It for Nuclear Weapons"

Former Minister Lim Dong-won: "North Korea-US Relations Will Normalize and Nuclear Abandonment Will Occur Only with Peace Guarantees"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Former U.S. Secretary of Defense William Perry analyzed that North Korea wants economic development but will not exchange it for nuclear weapons. Perry, who served as the U.S. Special Envoy for North Korea Policy during the Bill Clinton administration, played a key role in improving North Korea-U.S. relations through the so-called 'Perry Process.'

On the 2nd, at a conference titled "Understanding North Korea - Sharing Experiences of Negotiations and Exchanges with North Korea," jointly hosted by the National Security Strategy Institute and Stanford University's Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC), Perry said, "If you hope to induce North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons, it could be a 'Mission Impossible,'" adding, "North Korea wants economic development but will not exchange it for nuclear weapons."

He advised that negotiations should be based on the fact that North Korea possesses nuclear weapons. There must be another way to guarantee North Korea's security. Perry emphasized, "Negotiations should be based on the fact that North Korea has nuclear weapons, and talks should be held for the normalization of North Korea as a legitimate state," adding, "South Korea will play an important role as a party in North Korea's economic development."

Additionally, former Minister of Unification Lim Dong-won, who attended the conference, stated that North Korea will not give up its nuclear weapons unless the U.S. improves relations and guarantees peace. He said, "Considering the current situation, the Biden administration could adopt an improved Clinton-Perry approach, which involves giving and receiving through improved relations, reducing hostility to create an environment where nuclear weapons are unnecessary, and simultaneously pursuing approaches that exchange denuclearization. I believe this approach can lead to a resolution."

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