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North Korea rejects Trump’s overtures, shrugs off US election outcome: ‘we do not care’
- Will Kamala Harris or Donald Trump win the US presidency in November? It doesn’t matter, Pyongyang says – the result will be the same
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Despite the looming presidential election in the United States, North Korea remains steadfast in its refusal to resume dialogue with Washington. Analysts point to Pyongyang’s deep-seated wariness of the perceived “hostile” American policy as the primary obstacle.
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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may be open to reviving his rapport with Donald Trump, should the former president return to the White House. However, Pyongyang has reportedly learned from the failed 2019 summit in Hanoi that a top-down approach cannot easily overcome the entrenched bureaucratic machinery in Washington.
Conversely, if US Vice-President Kamala Harris succeeds Joe Biden as US president, she is expected to adopt a tougher stance on North Korea, potentially forgoing the diplomatic overtures that have characterised the current administration’s policy. Harris’ past rhetoric and background in law enforcement suggest she is likely to eschew such efforts in favour of a more hardline approach.
In a swift response to Trump’s boasts about his rapport with Kim, North Korean state media made it clear that Pyongyang’s position remains unchanged, regardless of who occupies the Oval Office.
“We do not care”, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) declared on Wednesday, arguing that the “confused” partisan infighting and shifting political dynamics ensures that US policy towards Pyongyang will not change.
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Trump said during his recent acceptance speech as the Republican nominee for the presidential election that he “got along very well with [Kim]”, signalling his apparent desire to re-engage with the North Korean leader.
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