Is Dialogue Or Deterrence Preferable With North Korea?

North Korea needs deterrence not trust

This is the right moment for open dialogue

March 7, 2018

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While North Korea is seemingly moving towards reconciliation with America and South Korea, the US is right to mistrust the regime that has repeatedly broken its word and to show deterrence, asserts Stephen Collinson of CNN. It might be offering an olive branch right now because its nuclear development is so advanced that no further missile tests will be needed. The renewal of dialogue could also be an underhanded effort to divide the US and South Korea over their preferred approaches to the regime. North Korea might be using this dialogue to give itself breathing space after recent sanctions that were particularly isolating. Deterrence is best.

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The unexpected softening of North Korea’s stance regarding the possibility of giving up its nuclear weapons is a promising step towards better relations, suggest Choe Sang-Hun and Mark Landler of The New York Times. A meeting between delegates of the two Koreas is said to have gone very positively. This marks a strong shift from the regime’s past stance that was more confrontational. North Korea has been freshly non-demanding in talks. Feared requests, such as asking that the US and South Korea cancel their upcoming military exercises were not made. While prudence is advised, dialogue with the regime could yield great results.

Keep on reading at the New York Times