Experts warn sidelining denuclearization could weaken Seoul's leverage
U.S. President Donald Trump’s refusal to say whether denuclearization remains the goal of renewed talks with North Korea has fueled speculation that Washington could set the issue aside in order to bring Pyongyang back to the negotiating table. Experts warn that the focus should not be simply on whether U.S.-North Korea talks resume, but on what the talks are intended to achieve. A deal centered on managing North Korea’s nuclear threat rather than ultimately eliminating it could benefit Washington and Pyongyang while leaving Seoul with less leverage, they say. Rep. Yu Yong-weon of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) said that while the chances of North Korea actually moving toward denuclearization may be slim, signaling that the goal itself is being abandoned or deprioritized could create problems. “Giving the impression that we are abandoning or backing away from the goal of denuclearization could send a very wrong message to North Korea,” Yu, a member of the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee, told The Korea Times. “It could be seen as legitimizing North
