2020 Presidential Election and North Korea
Vice President Joe Biden has won the November 2020 Presidential Election. With this transfer of pace and power, we can anticipate many changes in America, one of them being the method in approaching North Korea.
One notable difference is the relationship between the leaders. Trump has been on relatively good personal terms with Kim Jong Un, exchanging “beautiful letters,” but Pyongyang once called out Biden for his animosity towards the Supreme Leader. Biden even went as far to say he would not meet Kim without preconditions.
The more significant difference is the way Biden says he will approach handling North Korea. Trump has been evidently taking a more hands-on approach, trying to talk Kim out of continuing nuclear testing. However, Biden will be a bit different. He will continue diplomacy yet will put pressure on North Korea to get them to give up their nuclear weapons through isolation and punishment. This means working closer with allies, which collides with South Korean President Moon Jae-In’s direct engagement with the North and loosening sanctions.
What does this mean for the rest of us? For starters, North Korea is likely to take offense by such a method, if Biden were to carry out what he intended, and may actually continue building weapons, proving to the White House that they are not to be messed with. But much else is unknown. As for civilians, in the case Biden decides to put economic pressure on North Korea, civilians inside could suffer from a lack of imported resources.
The next four years will be an interesting 4 years but also one to hope something will change after 70 years of slow accomplishments.
Sydney P.