One Decisive Moment

The year 2019 is coming to an end with expectations of new significant developments in the US-North Korea relationship, namely perspectives of their nuclear talks which have stalled for quite a long time. Sometime between the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020, there will likely be again one turning point for this relationship and these talks because North Korea's ultimatum to the US will expire and North Korea's leaders often used their New Year speeches to spread to the outside world their views on international situation and their political plans for the new year.

President Trump and N. Korean leader Kim

Some months ago, North Korea issued an ultimatum giving the US until the end of 2019 to present a concrete plan on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and removing all US sanctions on North Korea. Some days ago, North Korea said that it halted its nuclear talks with the US and wouldn't negotiate with the US on denuclearization any more. Until now, the US didn't show any signs of regard of North Korea's ultimatum and seemed unprepared to make a substantial impetus to its nuclear talks with North Korea or simply does not have such a plan. Therefore, North Korea's anger is understandable and its possible review of intention and readiness to continue nuclear talks is foreseeable.

North Korea will again use the disruption of its nuclear talks with the US to increase pressure, combined with further missiles launches. This country might reactivate some  nuclear research facilities but restrain from conducting new nuclear tests. Its aim and core interest are not to return to the past but to deter the US from lengthening bilateral talks in order to make maximal profit from it and make it beneficial to the election campaign of US President Trump. For North Korea now, substantially pushing bilateral talks might be of top priority, but it certainly wouldn't be for the US. Donald Trump will certainly play his so-called "North Korea Card" in his election campaign, but later on and not now.

Because of many domestic turbulences and of lack of possible solutions to the denuclearization issue, the US is now more interested in keeping away from talks with North Korea rather than advancing it. But the time runs out against North Korea. That is why North Korea wants to make its relationship with the US felt again in the world politics. It will announce some changes in its policy toward the US to avoid dependence of the denuclearization talks on Donald Trump's election campaign developments.