Lee Hyo-jin covers the Bank of Korea, the banking industry and broader financial news. Her previous beats include foreign affairs, North Korea and general reporting on Korean society.
US can't solely recognize NK as nuclear state: ex-UK envoy to Pyongyang
John Everard, former U.K. ambassador to North Korea, speaks during a press conference at Asan Plenum 2025 in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Asan Institute for Policy Studies
By Lee Hyo-jin
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The United States cannot unilaterally recognize North Korea as a nuclear-armed state, says John Everard, former U.K. ambassador to Pyongyang. His remarks come amid growing concerns in Seoul that the Donald Trump administration may be considering such a move, potentially signaling a major shift in the U.S.' North Korea policy.
"It is not for the United States to determine that North Korea is a nuclear state under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). That requires a vote, certainly by the U.N. Security Council (UNSC), and in practice, a question of that magnitude would probably go to the General Assembly," Everard said during a press conference in Seoul Wednesday.
"Even if the United States wanted to recognize North Korea as a nuclear state under the NPT, we (the United Kingdom) and France would block it. I think there's no question about that."
He made the remarks during a press conference held on the sidelines of the Asan Plenum 2025, an annual security forum organized by the Seoul-based think tank Asan Institute for Policy Studies.
Everard served as the U.K.'s top envoy to Pyongyang from 2006 to 2008 and later as the coordinator of the UNSC’s Panel of Experts on North Korea from 2010 to 2012.
"The most that the U.S. can do on this is to treat North Korea as it treats India," Everard added, describing India's possession of nuclear weapons as an "unspoken secret" rather than a formal recognition by the international community.
"But even so, that would be a win for North Korea — and concerning for South Korea," he said.
His comments come amid concerns in Seoul that Trump may be willing to accept Pyongyang’s nuclear status if he were to resume talks with its leader Kim Jong-un.
On his first day back in office, Jan. 21, Trump referred to North Korea as a “nuclear power,” a remark echoed by his Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. These statements have raised fears that Washington may move to formally acknowledge North Korea’s de facto nuclear arsenal.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump hold a summit at a hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam, Feb. 28, 2019. Yonhap
The former diplomat also noted the possibility of Seoul being sidelined from potential U.S.-North Korea negotiations, saying, "The Trump administration is not very good at listening to allies — not on North Korea, not on other issues either."
However, even if Trump seeks to reengage with North Korea, it's unlikely that financial incentives will follow, Everard said, citing the administration's cutting of federal spending overseas.
"The administration has said very loudly and very clearly that it wishes to significantly reduce federal spending, and particularly that it wishes to reduce federal spending overseas," he said. "This administration is most unlikely, therefore, to write big checks for Kim Jong-un."
Still, the timing of any outreach by the Trump administration toward North Korea remains uncertain, especially as the U.S. grapples to resolve the war in Ukraine, nuclear negotiations with Iran and a trade conflict with China — all of which seem to be Trump's higher priorities.
"I'm not even sure that President Trump knows it himself," Everard said in response to a question about when Trump might unveil a detailed policy regarding the Korean Peninsula.
"When he took office, he appointed two or three good experts on Korea to senior positions in the State Department, and people thought that this signaled a review of policy on North Korea. But we're still waiting for that, and there's been no signs of activity."