Trump appoints Alex Wong as deputy national security advisor

Follow-up negotiations were held in Sweden eight months after the Hanoi summit between U.S.-North Korea in 2019. North Korean representative Kim Myong Gil began to read aloud a long manuscript he had prepared without making eye contact with U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun. When Kim, who severely criticized that “United States was entirely accountable,” and called off negotiations, a pin-drop silence fell over the room. As the North Korean delegation left, an official who had hesitated until the last moment, grabbed Biegun's arm and hurriedly whispered, “Please, don’t give up.”

Alex Wong, who was appointed deputy national security adviser in the second term of President Donald Trump Administration, was one of delegations present at the time. As the State Department's special deputy representative for North Korea during the first term, he was known for persistently studying North Korea and devised negotiation strategies along with Biegun. He expressed regret that no further progress was made on the strategies prepared when the Biden administration took office. When the Biden administration began reviewing the North Korea policy of the Trump administration they led, he described their strategy as a “stupid approach.” For Wong, who continued to pay attention to North Korean affairs even after leaving public office, the Hanoi meeting remained as an ‘unfinished negotiation.’

Hence expectations that the appointment of Wong as deputy national security advisor will increase the chance of resumed negotiations between the United States and North Korea. Trump described Wong as one who supported negotiations with Kim Jung Un.” Wong also has strong ties to Korea. He enjoyed ‘Whole Chicken Stew’ at Gwanghwamun with Representative Biegun. Whenever he went on a business trip to Seoul as a Coupang executive, he met his Korean diplomat friends and visited Korean restaurant together.

Inter-Korean Korean issues will not resume immediately with Wong joining the administration, as the U.S. views the Ukraine-Russia war and the Middle East war as priorities. Wong, who is also a China expert, must also deal with issues of conflict between the U.S. and China. Above all, the North Korean nuclear issue is not something that can be solely relied on the hands of a few individuals. Even if a nuclear freeze or disarmament is discussed with Kim Jong Un, who claims there will be no more denuclearization negotiations, a verification process would be inevitable.

If South Korea can address challenges through skilled diplomatic tactics backed by connections and strategy, it does not seem impossible to bring North Korea to the negotiating table along with the United States. Who knows- the North Korean diplomat who desperately whispered to the U.S. delegation may return to the table.