The U.S. and South Korea are set to launch regular consultations on North Korea policy for the first time since their new administrations took office. This move is seen as a mechanism to prevent policy misalignments between the two countries, particularly as the second Trump administration’s North Korea policy becomes more defined and formalized.
Diplomatic sources revealed on December 14 that U.S. and South Korean officials are coordinating plans to hold their inaugural regular North Korea policy meeting as early as next week. South Korea is expected to be represented by Jeong Yeon-du, head of the Diplomatic Strategy and Information Office, while the U.S. delegation will likely be led by Deputy Chief of Mission Kevin Kim.
A South Korean Foreign Ministry official explained that with new administrations in both countries, they’ve reached a consensus on the need to coordinate the approaches to North Korea and related issues. These regular consultations are designed to facilitate this coordination.
The Second Trump Administration’s Approach Differs From its First Term, With Concerns Growing Over the Prolonged Absence of a Clear North Korea Doctrine
These regular consultations are particularly noteworthy as they come at a time when Donald Trump administration’s North Korea policy has yet to be officially articulated. During his first term, President Trump pursued a big deal strategy through summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, based on maximum pressure and engagement. In contrast, Joe Biden administration adopted a calibrated practical approach combining phased denuclearization with deterrence.
While both the first Trump administration and the Biden administration established their North Korea policy frameworks within months of taking office, the second Trump administration has yet to release an official strategy nearly a year into its term. Notably, the National Security Strategy (NSS) released by the White House on December 5 made no mention of North Korea, in stark contrast to the 17 references made during Trump’s first term.
Analysts interpret this as either a sign that North Korea has fallen down the list of U.S. foreign policy priorities or that the administration is deliberately delaying policy formalization to maintain flexibility.
These consultations differ significantly from the U.S.-South Korea working group established during the Moon Jae-in administration in 2018.
Unlike the previous working group, which involved multiple government agencies and sometimes publicly exposed differences between the two countries, this new format will utilize existing communication channels to regularize discussions on North Korea policy. Analysts suggest that the primary goal is to manage potential policy discrepancies between the U.S. and South Korea rather than to develop new North Korea policies.
Experts believe that the Trump administration may intentionally avoid formalizing its North Korea policy to preserve President Trump’s signature personalized diplomatic style.
Professor Kim Chung from the University of North Korean Studies commented that this approach seems designed to prevent South Korea from preemptively using negotiation tactics that President Trump might want to employ. It effectively constrains South Korea’s policy options and actions.
He added that while these consultations appear to be a horizontal dialogue, they are essentially a U.S.-led framework to manage South Korea’s engagement with North Korea. Given South Korea’s limited options, reopening dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang may be the only way to break the current impasse.
Professor Park Won-gon from Ewha Womans University noted that there’s a possibility that an official North Korea policy may never be announced. The less formalized the policy, the more flexibility President Trump retains. In this scenario, prior coordination and cooperation between the U.S. and South Korea become even more crucial.
