hankyoreh

South Korean National Security Advisor Suh Hoon, right, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, center, and Japanese National Security Secretariat Secretary General Shigeru Kitamura walk together during their Friday meeting at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. (provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

The national security advisors of South Korea, the US and Japan met in the US Friday for focused discussions on North Korea policy.

Now that the three sides' security leaders have met in person to conclude their bilateral talks (South Korea-US, South Korea-Japan, and US-Japan) and trilateral dialogue, attention is focusing on when Washington's North Korea policy will emerge from its current final review stage — and what it will look like when it does.

The South Korean government is reportedly predicting the US review of North Korea policy will be finalized before the end of this month.

While specifics may not be available, the US could share the basic principles and direction of future negotiations with North Korea. Some observers suggest an opportunity may arise with the trilateral South Korea-US-Japan foreign ministers' meeting scheduled to take place in the US toward the end of the month.

The general contours of Washington's North Korea policy can be predicted based on remarks by President Joe Biden and key foreign affairs and national security figures like Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Specifically, the US intends to maintain North Korea's denuclearization as its goal, while coordinating with allies to pursue both dialogue and pressure in tandem. It can also be expected to forgo the "top-down" methods and showy summits of predecessor Donald Trump, opting instead for a "bottom-up" approach where diplomats are empowered to build things upward from working-level negotiations.

The focus of attention for many is how far Washington's rapport with Seoul is reflected in US policies toward North Korea. The South Korean government reportedly sees many of its opinions as having been adopted by the US.

In a press conference at the South Korean Embassy in Washington following the trilateral national security advisors' Friday meeting at the US Naval Academy in nearby Annapolis, Blue House National Security Office Director Suh Hoon said that the three sides had "agreed on the urgency of the North Korean nuclear issue and the need for a diplomatic resolution."

"We also agreed that efforts should continue toward a swift resumption of North Korea-US negotiations," he added.

In particular, Suh told reporters that in his bilateral meeting with White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, he had emphasized the importance of engaging with North Korea in the denuclearization process, developing a coordinated strategy with the US, and establishing a positive feedback loop between inter-Korean relations and denuclearization talks.

Suh explained that he had focused on explaining the need for the Biden administration to quickly pursue dialogue with Pyongyang for the sake of denuclearization and how improving inter-Korean relations would help with North Korea-US dialogue.

In particular, Suh underscored that it would be best for North Korea-US negotiations to begin as quickly as possible, sources said.

The South Korean government views the Biden administration's review of North Korea policy as proceeding faster than expected — taking this as proof that the US government is committed to resuming negotiations with Pyongyang quickly.

The Biden administration's seeming acknowledgment of the Joint Statement proclaimed in Singapore in June 2018 by Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un — after its previous criticisms of Trump's North Korea policies — can also be viewed along similar lines.

When asked in a Thursday press briefing whether any of the Singapore statement "still stands," a senior US administration official said, "I understand the significance of the Singapore Agreement, and we'll have more to say about the next couple of days."

The Singapore Joint Statement indicated the two sides' agreement on four areas: establishing new North Korea-US relations, building a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula, achieving complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and repatriating the remains of US POWs and MIAs from the Korean War.

The Biden administration reportedly explained to South Korea that in its North Korea policy review, it had examined not only the Singapore Joint Statement but all documents related to denuclearization talks over the past 30 years. If the administration openly indicates its respect for the Singapore Joint Statement, that could read as a strong signal of willingness to pursue dialogue with Pyongyang.

Also reportedly discussed in Washington's North Korea policy review was the possibility of a declaration officially ending the Korean War, which Seoul has emphasized as an important step to build trust between North Korea and the US.

In the press statement shared after the trilateral national security advisors' dialogue, the emphasis was on the three sides' cooperation in responding to North Korea.

"The national security advisors shared their concerns about North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs and reaffirmed their commitment to address and resolve these issues through concerted trilateral cooperation towards denuclearization," the White House reported the statement as saying.

"They agreed on the imperative for full implementation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions [sanctioning North Korea] by the international community, including North Korea, preventing proliferation, and cooperating to strengthen deterrence and maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," it continued, in a message that read as a warning in response to the North's recent ballistic missile test launch activity.

The statement's reference to the three national security advisers having agreed "to advance a common vision grounded in our shared democratic values" suggests that they also discussed coordination in responding to China. On Thursday, a senior US administration official predicted that the national security advisers' dialogue would include discussions on regional concerns such as the semiconductor supply chain, South China Sea issues and the recent coup in Myanmar.

What form Washington's North Korea policy takes will depend on the Biden administration's decisions after hearing the views of Seoul and Tokyo.

The question of what balance to strike in terms of denuclearization activities by the North and corresponding measures was a roadblock for the Trump administration, and it remains a difficult matter to resolve. Another order of business involves coordinating between South Korea, which is seeking swift engagement with the North, and Japan, which has emphasized the use of pressure tactics.

Kyodo News also reported that after the trilateral national security advisors' meeting, Suh met separately with Japanese National Security Secretariat Secretary General Shigeru Kitamura to trade views on the recent political situation surrounding North Korea. Sullivan likewise had an individual meeting with Kitamura.

By Hwang Joon-bum, Washington correspondent

Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]