North Korea-U.S. summit outreach intensifies ... Concerns grow over delays in implementing Korea-U.S. security agreements [U.S. Midterm Elections]

The possibility has been raised that even if the Democrats take control of Congress in the U.S. midterm elections, President Donald Trump may step up efforts to make contact with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Meanwhile, concerns have also emerged that implementation of the security consultations agreed upon by Trump and President Lee Jae Myung at their summit last year could be somewhat delayed.
Diplomatic sources said on the 4th that attention is focused on the impact the midterm elections—which will determine control of the U.S. government and the direction of its policies—will have on South Korea-U.S. relations. Regardless of the election results, Trump could again pursue a “top-down” North Korea-U.S. summit to tout diplomatic achievements in the latter half of his term.
During Trump’s first term, his administration also strongly pursued summit diplomacy with North Korea after losing the House in the 2018 midterm elections. But North Korea, still scarred by the “Hanoi no-deal summit,” is now far less willing to engage in dialogue than it was during Trump’s first term, adding an element of uncertainty.
Kim Yo Jong, director of the Workers’ Party of Korea’s General Affairs Department, declared that North Korea would not engage in dialogue unless hostile acts against it ceased. North Korea also carried out several missile provocations into the East Sea on the day of the U.S. midterm elections, continuing a series of displays of military force that marked the fourth such demonstration in the past week. Kim drew a line on dialogue with the United States, saying, “There is no need to sit down with untrustworthy and hostile people,” and adding, “Dialogue is clearly among the options for defending peace, but for us, it is not necessarily synonymous with the national interest.”
The South Korean government is exploring scenario-based responses to changes in the trade and security landscape between South Korea and the United States after the U.S. midterm elections.
A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said, “In anticipation of the impact after the midterm elections, we have conducted outreach not only to key figures in the U.S. Congress but also to everyone involved in the elections.” The official added, “We will continue to strengthen communication with those elected in the U.S. midterm elections and build networks to support the South Korea-U.S. alliance.”
The official said it was still difficult to predict how U.S. policy might change depending on the midterm election results. Through its ongoing communication with the U.S. side, the government plans to further strengthen communication channels so that South Korea-U.S. relations can continue smoothly after the elections without disruption.
There may be no major change in the overall direction of the South Korea-U.S. alliance after the U.S. midterm elections, but the Democrats could step up hearings and investigations into South Korea-U.S. nuclear cooperation, South Korean-built nuclear-powered submarines, the transfer of wartime operational control, defense cost-sharing, and North Korea policy. This is likely to create a challenge of “congressional diplomacy,” requiring South Korea to persuade and engage with Democratic lawmakers individually to work through key security agreements between the two countries. The Democrats also support attracting investment and reviving manufacturing in the United States, so pressure on South Korea to follow through on its promised investment in the U.S. is expected to continue. In this regard, political sources say the National Assembly’s Korea-U.S. Parliamentary Association is planning a visit to the United States in mid-next month.
[email protected] Kim Kyung-soo, Kim Kyung-min Reporter