North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has promised to implement the toughest anti-U.S. policy, according to state media reports. This comes less than a month before President Donald Trump is set to return to the White House, potentially paving the way for high-level diplomacy with North Korea. However, experts believe that a quick resumption of Kim-Trump summitry is improbable as Trump is expected to first focus on conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
During a recent Workers’ Party meeting, Kim criticized the U.S. as the most reactionary state and slammed the U.S.-South Korea-Japan security partnership as a nuclear military bloc for aggression. Kim’s speech signaled an aggressive anti-U.S. counteraction to be launched by North Korea.
The relationship between Trump and Kim, which started with high-profile meetings three times during Trump’s first term, eventually collapsed in 2019 over disagreements on sanctions. Since then, North Korea has ramped up weapons testing activities, leading to increased military drills by the U.S. and its allies, drawing strong rebukes from North Korea.
Moreover, North Korea’s deepening military cooperation with Russia, including sending troops and weapons to support Moscow’s war against Ukraine, poses challenges to diplomatic efforts to convince North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program. Russia and China have repeatedly blocked U.S.-led efforts to impose more U.N. sanctions on North Korea despite its defiance of Security Council resolutions.
It remains to be seen how the incoming U.S. administration under President-elect Joe Biden will navigate the complex relationships in the region and potentially revive dialogue with North Korea amidst heightened tensions and military activities.
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