| US Secretary of State Tony Blincoln is speaking at the Washington State Department on his first visit after US President Joe Biden took office on the 4th (local time). © AFP=News1 © News1 Reporter Dongmyeong Woo |
In the process of establishing a policy toward North Korea by the US administration Joe Biden, he once again emphasized North Korea’s commitment to denuclearization, attracting attention on the 23rd.
As the specific policy toward North Korea has not yet been finalized, it is too early to predict what policy will come out, but it is possible to interpret various interpretations regarding the point of mentioning the North Korean nuclear program and the emphasis on alliance cooperation in the large framework of the response to’nuclear proliferation’. to be.
US Secretary of State Tony Blincoln said in a video speech at the United Nations disarmament conference held in Geneva, Switzerland on the 22nd, “The United States is still focusing on the denuclearization of North Korea.” “To cope with North Korea’s illegal weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs, closely with allies. We will cooperate.”
It is significant that the Secretary of State has reaffirmed the US’ commitment to denuclearization and cooperation with the alliance directly on the international stage, which focuses on disarmament, although he has avoided any specific comments regarding North Korea.
As he was speaking at the UN disarmament conference, he continued to comment on nuclear issues in China, Russia, and Iran.
“Working with allies and partners on China, the United States will also demand greater transparency in relation to China’s provocative and dangerous weapons development program,” Blincoln said. “Aim to reduce the risks posed by their (China) nuclear weapons. “I will continue to make an effort.”
Russia also said that it would keep an eye on the challenges of Russia while showing the achievement of reducing nuclear threats by extending the new strategic arms reduction agreement between the two countries by five years. Regarding the Iranian nuclear agreement, if Iran strictly obeys the agreement, the alliance and Together, he emphasized that the United States will respond in the same way.
Some are interpreted to show that these comments show that the US prioritizes nuclear issues such as Iran rather than North Korea’s nuclear program. However, on the 12th, a State Department spokesman, Ned Price, said, “You should not think that the lack of direct involvement with North Korea is not a priority of the United States.” Ranking” has been said.
The State Department spokesman’s remarks were also interpreted to take into account concerns that the possibility of provocation by North Korea could be raised ahead of the ROK-US joint exercise scheduled in March if the message that the priority of North Korea’s nuclear weapons are being pushed down in the US denuclearization policy continues. . For this reason, it is unclear whether the issue of North Korea’s denuclearization will become a priority in the process of establishing a policy toward North Korea.
In addition, there is an opinion that this remark can be interpreted as a warning message to South Korea’do not go ahead’ by re-emphasizing the importance of alliance cooperation in the North Korean nuclear issue. It is an explanation that it means that it would be better not to act independently by advocating a peace process policy on the Korean Peninsula.
However, the Korean government emphasizes the importance of Korea and the alliance, and focuses on the US opinion that the two countries need to share their positions. In the end, it is important for the US and Korea to coordinate the same position.
In the end, voices continue to be raised that the role of the Korean government is important before the US policy toward North Korea is fully established.
Lee Sang-hyun, senior research fellow at the Sejong Institute, said, “During the Biden Administration’s Foreign Policy Prospects, Sejong Policy Brief” earlier this month, “During the Biden administration’s review of policies on the Korean Peninsula, we will accurately grasp the policies of the Biden administration on the Korean Peninsula, and understand the reality of Korea. It is necessary to take diplomatic measures at the bipartisan level of the pan-government to make it public.”
In addition, he stressed that “the Moon Jae-in administration should correct its negative perception of North Korea policy, and strengthen diplomatic efforts to present Korea’s position and reasonable policy alternatives for the peace process on the Korean Peninsula.”
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