Seoul: U.S. President Donald Trump recently stirred international attention by labeling North Korea as "sort of a nuclear power" while aboard Air Force One en route to Asia. Responding to reporters' queries regarding North Korea's demand to be recognized as a nuclear state as a precondition for dialogue with the U.S., Trump acknowledged the North's extensive nuclear arsenal. His statement has been interpreted as an implicit recognition of North Korea's nuclear capabilities.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Trump's remarks appear to be a strategic effort to lure North Korea into dialogue. He expressed openness to meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the Demilitarized Zone during his visit to South Korea. While the current itinerary does not include such a meeting, the possibility of a spontaneous summit remains. This echoes a similar scenario in June 2019 when Trump proposed a meeting with Kim via Twitter, leading to their historic summit at Panmunjeom just 32 hours later.
For South Koreans, who live under the direct threat of North Korea's nuclear arsenal, Trump's comments are unsettling. This is not the first time he has referred to North Korea as a nuclear power; he made similar remarks on the day of his inauguration and again in March, likening the regime to nuclear states like India and Pakistan. In September, Kim Jong-un demanded that Washington abandon its goal of denuclearizing North Korea as a precondition for dialogue. Trump's latest statements might be perceived by Pyongyang as a favorable response to this demand. Should a second summit at Panmunjeom occur, North Korea is likely to tout it as recognition of its nuclear-armed status.
Recognition as a nuclear state has been a persistent demand from Pyongyang, conflicting with the official stance of South Korea and the U.S., which remains committed to denuclearization. Trump's remarks seem more like a move to induce a surprise summit with Kim, raising concerns that such an impromptu meeting might marginalize South Korea in discussions about the Korean Peninsula.
If this scenario unfolds, it may lead to Washington easing sanctions against the North in exchange for reducing and freezing its nuclear arsenal instead of complete disarmament. Even with a reduction, North Korea would still hold atomic weapons capable of devastating South Korean cities. Through bilateral negotiations, Pyongyang might seek a deal with Washington to indefinitely halt South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises, a longstanding demand.
Despite these developments, the Lee Jae Myung administration, which aims to revive inter-Korean talks, appears open to direct agreements between Trump and Kim, potentially excluding South Korea and acknowledging Pyongyang's nuclear capabilities. Unification Minister Chung Dong-young described a Trump-Kim summit as "a God-given opportunity" for peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Lee has proposed a three-stage solution to address North Korea's nuclear threats, involving freezing, reducing, and eventually denuclearizing its arsenal. However, the nature of negotiations with the North would significantly differ depending on whether its nuclear weapons are recognized. Once the U.S. acknowledges North Korea's nuclear capabilities, complete denuclearization becomes an unattainable goal.
South Korea is not merely an observer of North Korea's nuclear ambitions but a direct target of its potential attacks. Any dialogue between the U.S. and North Korea should mark a turning point in easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula and initiating a process to free Korea from nuclear threats. The principle of denuclearization must remain non-negotiable and steadfast.