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North Korea spars with the US over nuclear weapons negotiations

North Korea鈥檚 first comments toward the new United States government were filled with angry rhetoric. Despite the belligerence, they can be seen as the start of a diplomatic back-and-forth between the two countries. 

First Look

After giving the Biden administration the silent treatment for two months, North Korea this week marshalled two powerful women to warn Washington over combined military exercises with South Korea and the diplomatic consequences of its 鈥渉ostile鈥� policies toward Pyongyang.

The frustration and belligerence, however, may actually be an overture.

North Korea鈥檚 first comments toward the new United States government, while filled with angry rhetoric, can be seen as the start of a diplomatic back-and-forth as the North angles to get back into stalled talks aimed at leveraging its nuclear weapons for badly needed economic benefits.

The timing of the North Korean statements was carefully chosen, with the comments landing on front pages and newscasts as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin traveled to Asia for talks with U.S. allies Tokyo and Seoul about the North Korean threat and other regional challenges.

Whether any negotiations happen may depend on the Biden administration鈥檚 policy review on North Korea, which is expected to be completed in coming weeks.

What North Korea is saying

On Tuesday, Kim Jong Un鈥檚 powerful sister berated the latest U.S.-South Korean military exercises, which were scheduled to end a nine-day run on Thursday.

Describing the drills as an invasion rehearsal, Kim Yo Jong warned Washington to 鈥渞efrain from causing a stink鈥� if it wants to 鈥渟leep in peace鈥� for the next four years.

North Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Sun Hui said in a statement Thursday that the North will continue to ignore U.S. offers for talks unless it abandons what the North describes as hostile policies.

Ms. Choe was responding to Mr. Blinken鈥檚 comments this week that Washington reached out to the North through several channels starting in mid-February but hasn鈥檛 received any response.

鈥淲hat has been heard from the U.S. since the emergence of the new regime is only a lunatic theory of 鈥榯hreat from North Korea鈥� and groundless rhetoric聽about 鈥榗omplete denuclearization,鈥欌�� Ms. Choe said, calling the American offers for talks a 鈥渢ime-delaying trick.鈥�

What Pyongyang wants聽

Ms. Choe鈥檚 statement could be an attempt by the North to create an environment to re-enter nuclear negotiations from a position of strength, according to Shin Beomchul, an analyst with the Seoul-based Korea Research Institute for National Strategy.

Negotiations between Washington and Seoul have stalled for more than two years since the collapse of nuclear summitry between Kim Jong Un and former U.S.聽President Donald Trump in 2019. The two sides disagreed over the details of a plan to exchange sanctions relief for disarmament. Pyongyang has repeatedly聽claimed it won鈥檛 engage in meaningful talks while Washington persists with sanctions and pressure.

鈥淚t鈥檚 clear the North is trying to strengthen its bargaining power,鈥� Mr. Shin said.

But North Korea could also be gearing up for harsher words for the Biden administration over Mr. Blinken鈥檚 repeated condemnation in Seoul of the North鈥檚 human聽rights record, something Mr. Trump largely ignored while pursuing media-friendly summits with Mr. Kim. That could complicate any future negotiations

The North is extremely sensitive to outside criticism over its abysmal human rights conditions, which it sees as an attack on its leadership, and Ms. Choe鈥檚聽statement appeared to be crafted before the North could decide on a response to Mr. Blinken鈥檚 remarks.

鈥淭here鈥檚 probably going to be serious opposition from the North鈥� over Mr. Blinken鈥檚 human rights comments, said Park Won Gon, a professor of North Korea studies聽at Seoul鈥檚 Ewha Womans University.

Talks and pressure

Most experts agree that the North will eventually attempt to return to negotiations to try to win aid, but they differ over when 鈥� and what it would take聽for talks to resume.

Mr. Kim has recently been defiant about advancing a nuclear arsenal he sees as his strongest guarantee of survival. He has also urged his people to be resilient聽in the struggle for economic self-reliance while launching a new multiyear plan to salvage his broken economy.

Mr. Kim鈥檚 focus on his domestic economic drive could mean that the North stays away from talks for another year and comes back only after it becomes clear聽that Mr. Kim鈥檚 new policies are failing, Mr. Shin said.

鈥淚f North Korea is really desperate for a quick resumption of talks, they would test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile around April 15,鈥� the birthday聽of Mr. Kim鈥檚 state-founding grandfather Kim Il Sung, to pressure Washington into talks, Mr. Shin said.

But he said it鈥檚 more likely that the North will avoid provoking the Biden administration 鈥� and inviting more pressure 鈥� because Mr. Kim鈥檚 priority is to quietly聽cement his country as a nuclear power, which is also a key purpose of his domestic economic drive.

The North might still try to conduct short-range test launches that threaten South Korea but not the American homeland. But, Mr. Shin said, 鈥渢hey will keep聽any dramatic action on hold at least until the Biden administration鈥檚 North Korea policy review is out.鈥�

Mr. Kim must navigate the tricky relationship with Washington while his nation faces sanctions, pandemic border closures and crop-killing natural disasters聽that may be pushing the North toward worse economic instability.

Whatever moves the North makes, its recent messages signal that it won鈥檛 return to talks unless the U.S. offers at least some level of sanctions聽relief. That, however, is unlikely to happen without a meaningful cutback in Mr. Kim鈥檚 nuclear capabilities.

This story was reported by The Associated Press.