The North Korea-U.S.A. Relationship
North Korea’s relationship with the United States of America has been fraught with tension for decades. North Korea has posed a significant threat to global security for many years, and the recently re-energized diplomacy surrounding the potential denuclearization of the Korean peninsula has only further increased the significance of the relationship between the two countries.
In June 2018, President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed a joint statement following their historic summit in Singapore. The document included a vague commitment from North Korea to denuclearize and a promise from the U.S. to provide unspecified security guarantees.
Since then, there has been an ongoing effort to broker a deal between the two sides. But this effort has been beset by obstacles: the two countries have yet to agree on the core elements of a denuclearization agreement, and they have struggled to come to terms on the terms of any security guarantees the U.S. would provide.
Will Harris’s Role
As the negotiations drag on, the United States’ special representative for North Korea policy, Stephen Biegun, recently added a wrinkle to the process – U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo named a special representative for North Korea, Robert O’Brien, who will work with him on the negotiations.
However, this didn’t answer the question of whether or not U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley or Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis will be involved in the talks. Although it would be beneficial to United States-North Korea relations to have representatives of other important government departments at the table, there has been no explicit mention of their participation.
Amid the confusion, there has now been some speculation that the Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, is considering bringing in U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, and U.S. Secretary of Defense, Jim Mattis, to work on the talks as well.
When asked directly about whether or not the U.S.’s top diplomat and top defense chief will play a role in the upcoming talks, U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy Stephen Biegun dodged the question but did comment that “you put a lot of people in a room, you increase the possibility of finding a way to a common solution, so the more the merrier,” which suggests that the two secretaries could be involved.
Did Harris Say North Korea?
The question of whether or not Harris, who also serves as the president’s national security adviser, will be involved in the United States-North Korea talks has yet to be answered. While his official title suggests that he should be at the negotiations, if looking only at the ministerial term of view, there has been no indication that he will be requested or that he has expressed any interest in the matter.
Harris has spoken publicly on the matter, but not with regards to his potential involvement. When asked about the possibility of dialogue between North Korea and the U.S., Harris said that he saw no reason to talk with North Korea unless it “gets serious” about denuclearization. He also expressed a reluctance to consider North Korea’s recent proposal for a meeting between top security officials from both countries, suggesting that the talks should be more inclusive in order to be credible.
While Harris has not made it clear if he will be involved in the negotiations, his comments appear to suggest that he might be willing to play a role in the process.
North Korea’s Reactions
North Korea’s response to the speculation surrounding Harris’s potential involvement in the talks has been muted. North Korean state media has not addressed the issue directly, but North Korean ambassador to the United Nations Kim Song did respond to a question about the role Harris could play in the talks in early December with a curt “no comment.”
This suggests that North Korea is wary of having the U.S.’s top security adviser at the negotiations, as he has been vocal in his criticism of Pyongyang and has consistently pushed for a hard-line stance on denuclearization.
Ambassador Kim’s Priorities
Ambassador Kim Song has also made clear his priorities for any potential talks between North Korea and the U.S., namely that North Korea would need a “guarantee of its sovereignty and security” before it would make any concessions.
Kim has argued in the past that this could be achieved through the withdrawal of U.S. troops from South Korea, the end of joint military exercises between the U.S. and South Korea and the removal of U.S. sanctions on North Korea.
The U.S. has been resistant to making any of these concessions, as they could be seen as a concession to North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.
Analysis and Review
The ongoing negotiations between the U.S. and North Korea are complex, and there is no clear resolution in sight. It remains to be seen if the U.S. will involve Ambassador Harris in the talks and whether or not he will be able to bridge the gap between the two countries.
Yet the recent comments from Ambassador Kim Song suggest that the North Korea is not willing to concede to the U.S. without receiving certain guarantees of its sovereignty and security, something that the U.S. has so far been reluctant to provide.
Regional Stakeholders
While the primary focus of the talks between the U.S. and North Korea is on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, it is important to consider the potential implications of an agreement beyond the immediate parties involved. South Korea, China, Russia and Japan, who are all stakeholders in the region, have all expressed their support for the peace process and have offered varying degrees of assistance in helping to broker a deal.
South Korea in particular has taken a lead role in pushing for economic integration between the two Koreas and has committed to increase economic ties between the two countries. China, meanwhile, has made efforts to increase communication between the U.S. and North Korea and has also stressed its commitment to regional stability.
Japan has also taken an active role in the negotiations and has offered to provide financial assistance, as well as to help build an internationally acceptable monitoring system for any potential agreements.
China’s Involvement
China has long been seen as an important player in the North Korea-U.S.A relations. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has veto powers and could potentially derail any deals between the two countries.
China has also been the primary economic partner of North Korea. This has lead to speculation that the Chinese government may use its influence over North Korea to pressure them into making concessions or to give the Chinese government more influence over the region.
China is also wary of any peace deal between North Korea and the United States, as any deal could ultimately result in the unified Korean peninsula and a strong U.S. ally in the region.
International Preparation
If a peace deal is eventually reached between North Korea and the United States of America, there will likely be a need for significant international preparation.
The U.S. would likely seek the assistance of the other countries in the region, including Russia, China and South Korea, in developing a process for verifying North Korea’s denuclearization and in administering any financial incentives. Additionally, the United Nations will likely be a major player in any deal and would need to be a part of international efforts to verify the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.
Finally, there could be a need for significant international support in terms of economic development to help ensure a successful transition post-denuclearization. South Korea, Japan, China and the United States will all need to work together to ensure economic stability and development in the region.
