[아시아경제 유인호 기자] It is predicted that the new US Secretary of State Tony Blingen will develop a plan for denuclearization cooperation in North Korea by strengthening alliances with the US, US-Japan, and South Korea-US-Japan. It is highly likely to focus on cooperation with allies or related countries surrounding the Korean Peninsula, rather than bilateral dialogue between North Korea and the United States.
[이미지출처=연합뉴스]
Secretary Blincoln emphasized this multilateral initiative. Minister Blincoln officially took office as Secretary of State for the administration of Joe Biden as the approval proposal was passed at a plenary session of the US Senate on the 26th (local time).
After a phone call with Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha that day, Minister Blincoln said in an article on Twitter that “Minister Kang and I have confirmed the continuing strength and importance of the ROK-US alliance, and emphasized the importance of ROK-US-Japan cooperation.” ·It is the linchpin of peace, security and prosperity in the Pacific and in the world.”
In connection with the conversation with Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu prior to Minister Kang, Minister Blincoln explained that “the US-Japan alliance has confirmed that it is the cornerstone for peace, security and prosperity in the free and open Indo-Pacific.” did.
Minister Blincoln also introduced to Minister Kang and Foreign Minister Motegi that “I re-emphasized President Joe Biden’s promise to’strengthen the alliance and re-engage in international affairs’.”
In this regard, the U.S. State Department also said through data in the name of spokesman Ned Price that Minister Blincoln emphasized the need for continued trilateral cooperation and denuclearization of North Korea in a call with Minister Kang and Foreign Minister Motegi.
Japan’s NHK said, “The United States is in a position that trilateral cooperation between the United States and South Korea is essential in resolving the North Korean and Chinese problems.”
Diplomats are paying attention to the changes in US policy toward North Korea after Blingen took office. Minister Blincoln is a close friend of President Joe Biden, who served as Deputy Secretary of State and National Security Adviser at the White House in the former Barack Obama administration, and is known to have a lot of interest in the situation on the Korean Peninsula and in Asia.
Since Biden’s administration is based on alliance and multilateralism as the basic basis of its policy, it is expected that the policy toward North Korea led by the’Blincoln State Department’, that is, the issue of denuclearization of North Korea, is expected to show significant differences compared to the former Donald Trump administration.
Minister Blincoln said at a hearing on the approval of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the 19th, when he was the nominee of the minister. “North Korea is a difficult and worse problem that has plagued the US administration.” It is reaffirming that the Trump administration’s policy toward North Korea failed without success and that North Korea is a challenging element of US diplomacy.
“We will look at increasing pressure to bring North Korea back to the table of dialogue and whether other diplomatic measures are possible, etc.,” he said. “This work will be conducted in close consultation with alliances and partners, especially Korea and Japan and other countries, and It will start by reviewing the data.”
According to the initiative announced by Minister Blincoln, it is possible to return to the six-party talks system in which South Korea, the United States, North Korea, Japan, China and Russia participated in the past to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue.
However, it is still too early to predict as the six-party talks system has not produced any results.
However, considering the perceptions and basic dispositions of Secretary Blincoln and President Biden toward North Korea, it is unlikely that the US State Department will be dragged by North Korea.
Reporter Yoo In-ho [email protected]