Will Biden "Build Back Better" Relations with North Korea?

What are newly inaugurated US President Joe Biden's chances of better relations with North Korea and how might President Biden's administration take steps forward? VCDNP Senior Fellow Angela Kane spoke on this topic in a video published by the Asia-Pacific Leadership Network, along with Special Advisor to the President of the Republic of Korea Moon Chung-In and the former Director of Los Alamos National Laboratory Siegfried Hecker.

According to Ms. Kane, the Biden Administration will likely continue implementing US Foreign Policy vis-à-vis North Korea as those before Donald Trump did, i.e. through increased financial pressure, closer relations with South Korea and Japan, as well as pressure on China related to applying UN sanctions against North Korea. While this approach has not as of yet prompted North Korea to move towards nuclear disarmament, Ms. Kane notes that President Biden's pick for Secretary of State, Mr. Antony Blinken, is a positive development, as Mr. Blinken worked on North Korean nuclear issues under the Obama Administration and has indicated openness to diplomacy with North Korea.

The biggest obstacle, said Ms. Kane, is time. Given the wealth of issues that the Biden Administration will have to address domestically, including the COVID-19 pandemic, it is uncertain that North Korea will place highly on the US policy agenda. In this regard, Ms. Kane recommended an approach that focuses on economic aid over other consideration. By acknowledging North Korea's economic difficulties in this regard, Ms. Kane argues that North Korea and the US could pursue confidence-building measures in tandem with the economic support that is so sorely needed.

The full video is available below.