Quotes
Now, depending on the level of North Korean involvement, we will gradually adjust our support strategy in phases,
Yoon said at a press conference in Seoul
We agreed to meet in the near future ... I believe there will be an opportunity to meet within this year,
Yoon saidIf we proceed with weapons support, we would prioritise defensive weapons as a first consideration,
he said without elaboratingRegarding North Korea, we addressed issues such as the launching of over 7,000 trash balloons, GPS jamming, and their indiscriminate firing of ICBMs, IRBMs and SRBMs,
Yoon said, referring to a recent flurry of missile testsI think he misses me,"
During the campaign, Trump saidWe will be building a perfect security posture together with the new administration in Washington and safeguard our freedom and peace.”
Yoon on Thursday said
They agreed that an in-person meeting would be essential to discuss these matters further and will coordinate soon on a date and location."
Quote from Kim Tae-hyo
North Korea's situation, including recent nuclear developments, missile launches and troop deployment to Russia".
Yoon and Trump addressedNorth Korea may refrain from overtly criticizing the US or carrying out significant provocations as it approaches next year, potentially testing the waters with the incoming Trump administration,
said Hong Min, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification
Even if any administration takes office in the U.S., the political climate, which is confused by the infighting of the two parties, does not change and, accordingly, we do not care about this."
In response, Pyongyang issued a statement via the Korean Central News Agency that said
I happen to get along with Kim Jong Un very well,
Trump reiterated his feelings on his relationship with North Korea, and its leader, last month when he said ... as reported by The HillWhile a Trump victory might see Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump meeting for a highly optical summit, once again, North Korea has made clear already that, irrespective of the outcome of the U.S. election, its worldview vis-à-vis the United States will not change. Washington—as well as Seoul—will remain a hostile power, and Pyongyang will do what it does best, namely accelerate its nuclear development and the development of delivery systems, in response."
He saidTrump will seek denuclearization as an ultimate end goal on North Korea policy, but given the unwillingness of Kim to denuclearize, and the difficulty in engaging Kim, my sense is Trump has decided to take a pragmatic approach and not focus on denuclearization as the center of North Korean policy,
Yeo said
Trump is too difficult to predict on something like acknowledging North Korea as a nuclear weapon state. I hope he does not,
Bennett saidI think North Korea will conduct its nuclear test according to its timetable. Its relationship with China and Russia will be taken into consideration. China firmly opposes North Korea’s nuclear tests and the North wouldn’t want to place a burden on Russia,
Cheong saidThe South Korea-U.S. alliance could be weakened under the second Trump term. Trump has proposed reducing U.S. forces on the Korean Peninsula and suspending joint military exercises. South Korea may be excluded from any meaningful negotiations between the U.S. and North Korea,
Cheong saidI think Kim Jong-un will likely continue and even escalate his hostility toward the U.S. and the ROK,
Bennett saidIn the American political system, to admit a failure of denuclearizing North Korea is unacceptable. So the U.S. will likely leave denuclearization as a long-term objective. I think the more important issue is what the short-term U.S. objective will be, and I hope that will be some form of (a) freeze of at least components of the North Korean nuclear weapon program if not the entire program,
Bennett saidKim Jong-un was seriously offended by Trump walking out of the Hanoi summit. So Kim may refuse to work with Trump unless Trump offers major benefits to the North, which could get Trump in trouble with Congress,
said Bruce Bennett, a senior defense analyst at the RAND Corporation, a think tankI don’t think Trump would easily meet with Kim again because he has other foreign policy priorities in the Middle East and Ukraine. Despite the efforts made to pressure North Korea to denuclearize, very little was accomplished. Contrary to expectations, Pyongyang’s nuclear capabilities have steadily increased,
Park said