US experts have proposed that President Donald Trump's administration reorient America's policy toward North Korea to pursue "stable coexistence," as they stressed adherence to a strategy of denuclearization and stronger deterrence has led to a state of "dangerous coexistence."
Ankit Panda, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Frank Aum, former senior Pentagon adviser, made the proposal in a report released Tuesday, noting that it is now clear that applying pressure on the recalcitrant regime does not lead to North Korean restraint.
The report came as the Trump administration remains committed to the "complete denuclearization" of the North amid lingering speculation that he might seek to revive his personal diplomacy with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, which led to three in-person meetings between them, including their first summit in Singapore in 2018.
"The United States and its allies should instead seek stable coexistence with Pyongyang as an overarching goal. This approach would emphasize risk reduction and improved relations with North Korea while maintaining deterrence," the experts said in the report.
"It would also entail, at least for the near term, tolerating North Korea's continued possession of nuclear arms and recognizing that the status quo of attempting to manage threats exclusively through deterrence measures ultimately presents unacceptable risks to US and allied interests," they added.
The experts said that the "status quo trajectory" of US policy toward North Korea is "unsustainable."
"Rigid adherence to a narrow strategy of denuclearization and enhanced deterrence has led to a state of dangerous coexistence. The results are unbridled growth in North Korea's nuclear force capabilities, its adoption of a nuclear doctrine that features preemptive use of nuclear weapons, and compounded risks of crisis escalation," they said.
"The current state is also plagued by complete estrangement between Washington and Pyongyang that forecloses crisis management and tension reduction, increased demand for nuclear weapons in South Korea, and a strategic partnership between North Korea and Russia that is destabilizing multiple regions."
Stable coexistence is consistent with Trump's stated intention to "have relations with North Korea" and "get along with" with North Korean leader Kim, they said.
"The current US administration therefore seemingly has the political will to start pursuing stable coexistence and be the first to take proactive steps to reduce tensions and risks," they said.
"These steps could include formally announcing the United States' intention to improve relations with North Korea, which Trump has already begun to signal, and initiating confidence-building measures that are taken independently but designed to invite reciprocity from Pyongyang."
The experts underscored that the US should instill the "urgency" of pursuing stable coexistence in South Korea, explaining the goal as crucial for reducing the risk of conflict and nuclear war with North Korea.
They pointed out that the proposed policy framework would suit broader US geopolitical objectives, as improved relations with the North could mitigate the worst possible consequences of ongoing Russia-North Korea cooperation.
In addition, a more stable relationship with Pyongyang will help render deterrence and defense requirements for the Korean Peninsula more modest, allowing for a short-term adjustment to the US military posture in the Indo-Pacific, they argued. (Yonhap)
