Former US Deputy Secretary of State: "Biden Must Send Early Message to North Korea"

Obama Administration Emphasizes Strategy Different from 'Strategic Patience'

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] Kurt Campbell, former US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, argued on the 2nd (local time) that the incoming Biden administration needs to decide on its North Korea policy early and send a message to North Korea.

He emphasized the necessity of swiftly managing North Korea issues early in the administration to control tensions on the Korean Peninsula and also manage North Korea-US relations.

Tony Blinken, the nominee for Secretary of State who will be in charge of diplomacy for the next Biden administration [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Campbell, who served as Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs during the Obama administration, said at an online seminar co-hosted by the US think tank Atlantic Council and the Korea Foundation (KF), "There is always an unpredictable area, and generally at the top of the list of Asia's unpredictable characteristics is North Korea."

He added, "One of the key tasks for the Biden administration is the need to decide early on what to do about North Korea," and predicted, "An early message to North Korea will be something near the top of the Biden team’s list when Biden takes office."

Campbell also recalled regrets about the Obama administration’s North Korea policy of 'strategic patience.' He mentioned, "What we saw during the Obama administration was a somewhat prolonged period of study, during which North Korea took provocative actions that blocked engagement possibilities."

This is interpreted as referring to the fact that during the 'strategic patience' policy, North Korea continued provocations and the North Korean nuclear and missile issues worsened.