By: Benjamin Katzeff Silberstein
During his confirmation hearing earlier this week, incoming secretary of state, Anthony Blinken, mentioned that humanitarian aid could be part of the Biden administration’s North Korea policy, although it isn’t clear precisely in what shape or form. Past administrations have often seen aid as part of the negotiations on North Korea’s nuclear weapons, and much of what Blinken said is, as Joshua Pollack pointed out on twitter, all part of the same, oft-repeated talking points on North Korea policy that often changes names but practically remains the same.
The pandemic may have changed things, as North Korea’s economic situation has gone from very bad to worse. But humanitarian aid as a carrot, for today’s North Korea, seems like a non-starter. Today’s North Korea is not the North Korea of 1998. It has a leader with economic ambitions far beyond humanitarian grain deliveries from the US, UN and South Korea. The country’s food situation is dire and aid, not least in combatting the pandemic, would be highly useful. But it is difficult to imagine the North Korean government openly acknowledging that its stated economic ambitions are divorced from reality, and accepting humanitarian aid being part of any negotiations.
Time will tell, but putting aid into the mix seems based on a faulty reading of the regime’s current attitudes and priorities.
Tags: Biden presidency
