Trump attempts to cajole NK into dialogue by calling it 'nuclear power': expert

US president makes inaccurate remarks on peace efforts for Korean Peninsula during 1st term

By Anna J. Park

U.S. President Donald Trump once again referred to North Korea as a nuclear power on Thursday, a move experts say is aimed at bringing Pyongyang to the negotiation table with the U.S.

During a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the White House, Trump expressed his desire to rebuild relations with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

During the meeting, Trump described North Korea as a "nuclear power" with "a lot of nuclear weapons." It is the second time he used the term. Shortly after his inauguration on Jan. 20, he used the term while talking to the press at the White House.

Talking about North Korea, Trump also cited India and Pakistan, which are not recognized as "nuclear-weapon states" under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) but are considered de facto nuclear-weapon states.

Considering that past U.S. administrations deliberately avoided labeling North Korea a nuclear power or a nuclear-weapon state, his remarks brought speculation about whether he signaled a significant shift in U.S. policy toward the Korean Peninsula. However, in early February, during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Trump reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to denuclearization of the peninsula.

Regarding his repeated use of the term, experts here noted Trump's comments are highly calculated and aimed at persuading Pyongyang to engage in dialogue with the U.S.

"Trump's remarks can be seen as a highly strategic and calculated statement," Hong Min, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, told The Korea Times.

"When Trump first referred to North Korea as a nuclear power in late January, it seemed like a simple acknowledgment that the country possesses nuclear weapons. However, this time, his remarks appear to reflect a deeper understanding of North Korea’s nuclear status. The key reason for this assessment is his mention of India and Pakistan."

Hong said both India and Pakistan faced U.S. sanctions and strained relations when they initially developed nuclear weapons, but over time, the U.S. effectively accepted their nuclear status while normalizing diplomatic ties.

"In other words, by mentioning the two nations, Trump is essentially offering North Korea bait — presenting a positive model to lure or draw Pyongyang into dialogue. Since both Pakistan and India eventually became U.S. partners, this reference serves as an enticement, giving North Korea a reason to hope for a similar trajectory," he explained.

However, the researcher emphasized that Trump's remarks should not be interpreted as the U.S. officially recognizing North Korea as a nuclear-weapon state or abandoning its goal of denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula. Hong noted that Trump intentionally created a gap between his rhetoric and the official stance of his administration — which reaffirmed its commitment to denuclearization in early February — as a strategic move to bring North Korea to the negotiating table.

Meanwhile, Trump made inaccurate comments while boasting about his achievements in talks with Kim in 2018.

"(North Koreans) asked for a meeting. And then we met. And the meeting caused the Olympics, which was South Korea, to become a tremendous success," Trump said, adding that no one was buying tickets to the Olympics in South Korea due to nuclear concerns, but after his engagement, even North Korea participated in the Olympics, attributing the success to his administration.

However, the Olympics Trump referred to appear to be the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics, which was held in South Korea in February of that year, four months before the first U.S.-North Korea summit in June.

Before the Olympics in February, the tensions on the peninsula reached their peak, with Trump calling Kim a "rocket man" and Kim calling Trump a "dotard."