Daily NK
2021.02.01 2:05pm
It is becoming more and more clear who the Biden administration is choosing to fill its diplomatic posts. The diplomatic lineup includes hardliners who have dealt with North Korean policy in the past and are intimately familiar with the nature of the North Korean regime. This will likely create friction with South Korea’s appeasement policy toward North Korea.
The new US administration officially announced the outlines of its North Korea policy for the first time on Jan. 22. Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, stated that the US “still has a vital interest in deterring North Korea” and that they will “adopt a new strategy.” The comments expressed the new administration’s willingness not to repeat the Trump era’s mistakes. The comments showed the Biden administration’s desire to diverge policy-wise from its predecessor, not only in its approach to the denuclearization issue but also in its overall policy toward North Korea.