U.S. State Department, White House reportedly preparing for talks with North

The White House and State Department are preparing scenarios for possible talks with North Korea, according to a recent report.

While dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang is not imminent, officials are moving proactively as U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Citing multiple sources, U.S. online outlet Axios reported on Sunday that officials from the White House National Security Council (NSC) and the State Department have held numerous internal discussions and meetings with outside experts to prepare for potential engagement.

According to the report, U.S. government officials, particularly within the White House, are quietly laying the groundwork in light of Trump’s desire to reengage with Kim. One former Trump administration official told Axios that “one flowery letter” from Kim will be enough to catch Trump’s attention, “then you’re off to the races.”

Trump officials have prioritized discussions with outside experts over who might represent North Korea in potential talks. Many of the North Korean officials involved in diplomacy during Trump’s first term are no longer in those roles, leaving it unclear who might now serve in talks with Washington.

Another former senior Trump administration official told Axios, “We are convening agencies to understand where the North Koreans are today. A lot has changed in the last four years. We are evaluating, diagnosing and talking about potential avenues, including engagement.”

The Swedish ambassador to North Korea, who represents U.S. interests in Pyongyang, also reportedly visited Washington last week for consultations with U.S. officials. One source said the meetings were about “taking the temperature in Washington on engagement with Pyongyang.”

Andrew Yeo, the SK-Korea Foundation chair at the Brookings Institution, told Axios that the “closed-door discussions” with think tank experts and current and former U.S. officials “suggest the Trump administration is sizing out different scenarios for another Trump-Kim meeting.”

However, the Trump team is reportedly grappling with how much more complicated the situation has become compared to the first term. North Korea’s nuclear capabilities have advanced significantly, and its ties with Russia have grown closer.

Furthermore, with the State Department reaffirming its policy objective of “complete denuclearization,” any negotiations focused on that goal could face stiff resistance from Pyongyang.

Ultimately, given that Trump has repeatedly referred to North Korea as a “nuclear power” since taking office, future talks could proceed on the basis of acknowledging North Korea as a de facto nuclear state.

One former U.S. official told Axios that if the conversation were about arms control, recognizing North Korea as a nuclear weapons state, “they’ll have those talks all day.” Axios pointed out that such a move “would greatly alarm South Korea and Japan, who might then be more inclined to pursue nuclear weapons themselves.”

BY LEE SEUNG-HO  [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]