Anna Jiwon Park has been covering the politics at The Korea Times since the summer of 2024, when she joined the press pool for the Office of the President in Korea. Prior to that, she spent about five years reporting extensively on financial markets, regulatory authorities and the financial industry. She joined The Korea Times in 2019 after spending eight years as a broadcast journalist at Arirang TV, Korea’s leading global broadcaster, covering politics, defense and culture.
Can US-North Korea denuclearization talks be revived?
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Sentosa Island, Singapore, June 12, 2018. AP-Yonhap
By Anna J. Park
Experts doubt significant breakthroughs between two countries
The prospect of renewed dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang is once again capturing headlines, fueled by a rare and forceful statement from Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Her remarks also underscore a markedly changed landscape for U.S.-North Korea engagement compared to the years of direct leadership engagement in 2018 and 2019.
According to North Korean state media on Tuesday, Kim Yo-jong's message unequivocally dismissed the idea of denuclearization talks with the United States, even while acknowledging a continued personal rapport between the two nations' leaders. The statement followed closely on the heels of a similar pronouncement directed at South Korea, suggesting a concerted effort by Pyongyang to reassert its diplomatic positions amidst evolving regional dynamics.
Kim Yo-jong's statement notably began by addressing recent comments from a White House official, who, reflecting the continued stance of the Trump administration, had expressed that the U.S. remains open to engaging with the North Korean leader to achieve a "fully denuclearized" North. However, she stated that Pyongyang placed "no particular significance" on such remarks, asserting that the conditions under which the past U.S.–North Korea summits occurred in 2018 and 2019 are no longer relevant.
"We must remind ourselves that 2025 is not 2018 or 2019," Kim Yo-jong said. "The clear recognition of the undeniable fact that our nation holds an irreversible status as a nuclear-armed state, along with its capabilities, and that the geopolitical environment has fundamentally changed, must serve as the premise for any future predictions or considerations."
Kim continued to warn that any attempt to deny North Korea’s status as a nuclear state would be “thoroughly rejected.”
While the statement strongly dismissed denuclearization as a viable goal for negotiation, it also urged the United States to adopt a “new way of thinking” in its approach to North Korea.
“It must be acknowledged that confrontation between two nuclear-armed states benefits no one. With that in mind, the U.S. would do well to seek alternative avenues for contact based on new thinking," she said.
Despite the uncompromising tone, she left the door open to some form of future interaction. She stated that the personal relationship between her brother and U.S. President Donald Trump “is not bad,” but cautioned that such ties should not be mistaken as a pathway to denuclearization.
“If the personal rapport between the two leaders is misinterpreted as aligning with the goal of denuclearization, that would amount to be interpreted as nothing but an insult to us,” she said.
U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un prepare to shake hands at the border village of Panmunjeom in the Demilitarized Zone on June 30, 2019. AP-Yonhap
Experts interpret Kim Yo-jong’s recent statements as part of a broader strategy by North Korea to maintain diplomatic flexibility while preserving leverage. The back-to-back messages appear designed to capitalize on the new South Korean administration’s conciliatory stance and the Trump administration’s openness to dialogue.
However, Hong Min, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, told The Korea Times that the likelihood of meaningful negotiations remains slim under the current circumstances.
“While some degree of contact between Pyongyang and Washington is possible, the prospect of substantive talks, particularly on denuclearization, is highly unlikely,” Hong said. “The fundamental assumptions on both sides are simply too far apart.”
According to Hong, the greatest obstacle to talks lies in the preconceptions held by both countries.
“For talks to even commence, the United States would need to shift its stance and potentially drop denuclearization from the initial agenda — a move that currently appears highly unlikely,” he explained.
Even if talks were to shift toward narrower objectives like arms control or threat reduction — implicitly acknowledging North Korea’s nuclear status — Hong noted that significant challenges would remain, including resistance from key U.S. allies such as South Korea and Japan.
Compounding the uncertainty is the limited time remaining in Trump’s second term, which may raise doubts in Pyongyang about the long-term reliability of any future agreement.
“With just over three years left in his term, Pyongyang may question whether any agreement would survive a change in administration,” Hong said. “Despite almost two years of high-level engagement back in 2018 and 2019, nothing substantial was achieved between the two.
"Since then, North Korea has made significant advances in its nuclear arsenal and strengthened its ties with Russia. From Pyongyang’s perspective, there’s little incentive to reenter talks unless a fundamentally different approach is taken.”
Hong added that unless Trump makes a decisive move, such as explicitly dropping denuclearization in favor of threat reduction, serious negotiations are unlikely to get off the ground.
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the truce village of Panmunjeom in the Demilitarized Zone, June 30, 2019. REUTERS-Yonhap
Meanwhile, the South Korean government reiterated its commitment to maintaining communication and coordination in pursuit of peace on the Korean Peninsula and a peaceful resolution to the North Korean nuclear issue.
"South Korea and the United States will continue close communication and coordination on all matters related to North Korea policy, including the possibility of future U.S.–North Korea dialogue," a government official stated. "In addition, the government will steadfastly pursue efforts to restore inter-Korean trust within a peaceful atmosphere and create conditions conducive to resuming U.S.–North Korea talks."
The South Korean presidential office also responded to North Korea’s rare move of issuing official statements on two consecutive days.
During a regular press briefing, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung pointed out that the office is closely watching the statements issued by high-level North Korean officials.
Kang also reflected on the broader context of inter-Korean relations, highlighting the Lee administration’s emphasis on peace on the Korean Peninsula.
"For a long time under the previous administration, the North and South were locked in a confrontational and hostile relationship. We believe that restoring mutual trust must come first. Our position is clear: Achieving a peaceful Korean Peninsula, free from hostility and war, is more beneficial than simply avoiding conflict," Kang noted.