[Exclusive] Yoon Administration Launches Investigation into 'North Korea Denuclearization' Policy Ahead of ROK-US Summit

Joint Initiative by Korean and US Research Institutes... Likely to Reflect US NSS, NPR, NDS with Focus on 'Sanctions and Support'

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] Ahead of the South Korea-US summit, the Yoon Seok-yeol administration has decided to concretize a joint South Korea-US strategy for North Korean denuclearization by the second half of the year. Promoting North Korean denuclearization is a key diplomatic and security national agenda for the Yoon administration and is also a major topic at the first South Korea-US summit scheduled for the 21st. The very act of the two countries jointly establishing a strategy to respond to North Korea's nuclear threat is considered unprecedented.

According to a senior government official on the 17th, the Presidential Office and the Ministry of National Defense have agreed to have South Korean and US research institutions conduct joint research to formulate a South Korea-US response strategy for North Korean denuclearization. The process of selecting research institutions in both South Korea and the US is currently underway. A Presidential Office official explained the background of this effort, saying, "Since it is difficult to say that the previous administration's Korean Peninsula peace process was firmly established, this is a process to first examine the political situations and voices of South Korea and the US regarding the new North Korea policy."

The core agenda is North Korean denuclearization. The process will involve first reviewing the priority considerations for policy formulation by each government, focusing on experts in arms control from South Korea and the US, and then establishing concrete cooperation plans. Detailed measures aimed at denuclearizing North Korea and bringing it to the negotiating table, centered on sanctions and support, are expected to be discussed.

This will also include the "Inter-Korean Joint Economic Development Plan" proposed by the Presidential Transition Committee. The plan aims to induce North Korean denuclearization through economic incentives in inter-Korean cooperation, with discussions likely to cover sector-specific inter-Korean economic development plans such as infrastructure, investment finance, and industrial technology. Although President Yoon mentioned a preemptive strike policy against North Korea during the election campaign, since taking office he has softened his stance, stating, "If North Korea halts its nuclear development, we have prepared a bold plan to dramatically improve North Korea's economy and the lives of its people in cooperation with the international community."

Issues related to sanctions, which showed differences between the previous administration and the US, will be handled with greater weight. In particular, reports reflecting the US's hardline stance on North Korea, such as the 2022 National Security Strategy (NSS), Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), and Defense Strategy (NDS), are expected to be closely reviewed.

Earlier, in March, shortly after North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile launch, the US proposed additional sanctions against North Korea at an emergency UN Security Council meeting convened two months later, focusing on halving oil supplies. At that time, South Korea hinted at a shift in its North Korea policy by raising CVID, "complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization," which North Korea rejects. Considering that President Yoon delivered a strong message on deterrence against North Korea and the South Korea-US partnership within the US, it is expected that coordination of the two countries' North Korea policies will be smoother than in the past.

Within the Presidential Office, attention is being paid to the concretization of the direction of bilateral cooperation on North Korea policy. In fact, while the previous administration only dealt with analysis and evaluation of the US administration's North Korea policy and comparison of positions on arms control (nuclear and conventional), this time it plans to include the establishment of a joint South Korea-US response strategy to the advancement of North Korea's nuclear and missile capabilities beyond denuclearization.

The results of the earlier South Korea-US summit will also be reflected. The summit will focus on diplomatic solutions for North Korean denuclearization, such as "coordination on North Korea policy" and strengthening deterrence between South Korea and the US. On the 9th (local time), White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said at a regular briefing, "President Biden looks forward to discussing the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula with President Yoon."

The research results of the two countries are expected to be released as early as the end of the year. Plans for joint announcements in the US are also being discussed, and this content will be actively reflected in the formulation of the two countries' North Korea policies in the future. A government official stated, "We will respond firmly to North Korea's military provocations and other actions, but it is clear that both South Korea and the US are open to dialogue with North Korea," adding, "We will strive to ensure that a principled and consistent North Korean denuclearization policy is carried out."