Almost no one believes that North Korea will give up its nuclear weapons.
Still, its diplomatic “partners” cling nevertheless to a policy that demands denuclearization as a condition of sustained engagement. Critics charge that this approach isn’t just futile, but it reinforces Pyongyang’s determination to hold on to that arsenal, deepening the instability that it aims to eliminate.
Calls to change policy — to “admit defeat,” in the words of a recent article — are growing louder. Plainly, a reassessment is demanded. North Korean nuclear capabilities have steadily improved, provoking and reflecting deeper instability and tension in the region. But more attention must be given to allies’ interests and equities in this conversation. Typically, they are covered with a brief reference to “nonproliferation concerns.” That is not enough. Done properly, “recognition” of a nuclear North Korea could even pay dividends. It is a big “if.”