Victor Cha: Trump Takes Pragmatic Approach to Nuclear-Armed N. Korea, Unlike Iran

Victor Cha, Korea Chair at the U.S. think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), assessed on the 19th (local time) that there is a certain logic to U.S. President Donald Trump taking different approaches toward Iran and North Korea from the perspective of denuclearization.

In an opinion piece published in the U.S. daily Washington Post that day, Cha argued that while President Trump adopts a principled stance demanding denuclearization for Iran and a pragmatic approach seeking negotiations with North Korea, dismissing this as a "double standard" is unjustified.

He stated, "President Trump is taking polar opposite paths regarding the nuclear programs of Iran and North Korea," adding that "his absolute position on Iran is that it cannot be allowed to possess nuclear weapons."

However, regarding North Korea, he said, "He has taken a pragmatic and compromising approach to managing a nuclear-armed North Korea."

His logic is that the nuclear program capabilities possessed by Iran and North Korea differ significantly, leaving no choice but to adopt different approaches.

Cha pointed out that Iran's nuclear program was in its early stages and the locations of its nuclear facilities were known, making it a target for a preemptive strike.

On the other hand, he noted that it is difficult to apply "complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization" (CVID) to North Korea because Pyongyang possesses about 60 nuclear weapons, fissile material to build 30 more, and a diverse range of delivery systems.

Cha also evaluated that while international support for economic sanctions remains relatively strong regarding Iran, UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea have effectively been rendered useless amid support from China and Russia.

Regarding the approaches of neighboring countries, Cha argued, "Progressive President Lee Jae-myung does not want military confrontation on the Korean Peninsula and welcomes Trump's diplomacy with North Korea, whereas Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has urged CVID for Iran."

Cha pointed out that another factor complicating the inconsistency in non-proliferation policies toward North Korea and Iran is that the two countries, which share a history of missile cooperation while coping with different U.S. policies, are learning from each other.

He said that U.S. strikes on Iran would likely instill further confidence in North Korea regarding nuclear weapons, and Iran might reach out to North Korea for help in rebuilding its nuclear program.

Cha recently expressed the stance that while keeping the denuclearization of North Korea as a long-term goal, the reality of the North Korean nuclear threat must be acknowledged, and arms control and non-proliferation negotiations should be pursued with North Korea.

North Korea maintains the stance that as long as it possesses nuclear weapons, denuclearization cannot be a subject for negotiation.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.