US President Donald Trump’s surprise appointment of hardliner John Bolton as National Security Adviser on Thursday may have particular impact North Korea policy as Bolton has taken, arguably, a harder line against the state than any other Washington figure in recent years.
Having served in the George W. Bush administration that famously dubbed North Korea part of the “Axis of Evil,” Bolton is a formidable briefer, with expert knowledge of the country’s atomic programs. Last month, he published a column arguing the case for a first-strike against North Korea.
He is also a proponent of nixing the Iranian nuclear deal. That prospect appalls many policymakers and pundits – partly on the grounds that such an action would indicate to Pyongyang that Washington cannot be trusted to stick to the deals it signs.
Bolton’s appointment follows the recent dropping of academic Victor Cha as ambassador to Seoul, and the retirement of Joseph Yun from the position of United States Special Representative for North Korea Policy. There is concern in both Seoul and Washington that the administration is losing expert insight on the flashpoint peninsula.
South Korea’s presidential Blue House, which had worked closely with the previous National Security Adviser HR McMasters, was diplomatic on the personnel shift.
“While serving as undersecretary of state, Bolton gained a great deal of knowledge about Korean Peninsula issues, and most of all, he is an advisor trusted by President Trump,” a senior presidential official said, according to newswire Yonhap. “We will be cooperating closely with President Trump, the national security advisor and the secretary of state.”
What will North Korea think?
Even so, the signal Bolton’s appointment to the inner sanctum of the White House sends to North Korea, as it gears up for its first-ever summit with a US president in May, is open to interpretation.
Pundits are divided over whether North Korea is coming to the summit from a position of strength generated by the latest developments of its strategic weapons programs, or from weakness in the face of sanctions pressure and fear of what Trump might do; the latter position is what the US president himself appears to believe.
Viewed in this light, Bolton’s appearance on the scene might be considered a slap in the face for their diplomatic efforts – or might propel them down the diplomatic route with even greater urgency than previously.
“This is a brilliant move straight out of The Art of The Deal – Bolton will scare them to death so Trump can negotiate from a position of peace through strength,” said Mike Bassett, an independent Pyongyangologist with extensive personal experience of North Korea who recently retired from a position inside the beltway. “This type of coercive diplomacy will force them to the table and to take negotiations seriously: Kim Jong-un, like President Trump, is an alpha personality who only respects a strongman counterpart.”
“Trump’s lineup is getting a lot more hardline,” admitted Go Myung-hyun, a North Korea specialist at Seoul think tank the Asan Institute. “But this is not a bad thing for North Korea as Trump is hiring people who have his trust. With [former Secretary of State Rex] Tillerson, there was no point in using the New York [United Nations] channel, but now he is sidelined, they know that they can talk to [incoming Secretary of State Mike] Pompeo and get straight to Trump.”
And with Trump still behind the planned summit, Bolton’s appointment does not necessarily mean Armageddon is imminent.
“If Bolton had been appointed to the position of secretary of defense, that would be more worrisome, but this role is as coordinator,” Go added. “Bolton is going to make a lot of noise about hard pressure, so the North Koreans have the option of getting scared, but they may realize that the game is still on.”
North Korea finally speaks out on ‘diplomatic offensive’
Meanwhile, North Korea – which only mentioned the May summit proposal to South Korean envoys, and has not yet formally referenced it nor mentioned it in state media – appears to be preparing necessary groundwork.
This may reassure those who, given the North’s silence on the issue thus far, feared that the South Korean side may have misrepresented what Kim Jong-in and other officials had told them.
Its parliament will meet in April, while state media is making veiled references to the new mood between Washington and Pyongyang.
On Tuesday, AP reported that the Korean Central News Agency noted that Pyongyang’s “proactive measure and peace-loving proposal” have caused a “dramatic atmosphere for reconciliation…. in relations between the North and the South of Korea and that there has been a sign of change also in the DPRK-US relations.”
The DPRK is an acronym for the North’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Calling ongoing moves “a dialogue peace offensive,” the KCNA lambasted critics of the summit in Japan, South Korea and the US – whose position is that North Korea cannot be trusted as a good-faith negotiator and that Trump will be “played” by Kim.
“Their useless gossip is the same as lying down and spitting, only embarrassing authorities who accepted our peace-loving request,” the KCNA said. The commentary noted that “The dialogue peace offensive of the DPRK is an expression of self-confidence as it has acquired everything it desires,” and called on all parties to act with “prudence, self-control and patience.”
Bolton is a crazy old man that will be in and out of the white house before he can do anything. Why would Iran be afraid of a known Islamaphobe. Bolton is a sign of weakness of all of the US bluster from the last year. Eastern Ghouta is lost, and so will be the rest of Syria. This is not America’s century, the middle east will drain their economy, and insult allies. North Korea will have solved it’s vehicle re-entry problems by the time Trump meets Kim in May. Everything is still on the table, including a big ass trade war the USA will never win. LMAO. Bolton is as strong as his last dose of viagra.
These people are sure an awful gang that should be tried in Nuremberg. But they are by no means alone. There’s a whole bunch of them. But the ‘deep state’ would rein them in, since the next war will be the end of everything, including the rich and the powerful. They stand to lose most. So hang on for the last act 🙂
Good comment! I have the same view
You are out of your mind
Bolton is a mad murderer. He deserves to be tried by an international court for his crimes against humanity. Anyway, North Korea does not care who is appointed as national security adviser in USA, whether he is a mad murderer like Bolton or some other lunatic. North Korea is a nuclear power and it has ICBMs that can strike any city in USA. Should USA attack North Korea, North Korea will retaliate by vaporizing Washington DC and other cities in USA. Kim JongUn is not interested in meeting Trump, the President of the country that invaded Korea, that murdered millions of Koreans and that is still occupying part of Korea. Trump can wait until he, Trump, puts an end to the invasion of Korea by removing all American soldiers out of Korea. Later, after the demise of USA, historians will write that in March 2018, the US President, Donald Trump, whom Kim JongUn called a dotard, was busy preparing for a meeting with Kim JongUn while the stupid American generals at the Oentagon were busy preparing their plans and their bombers to bomb North Korea as soon as North Korea would have given up its nukes. North Korea was more clever than that. It stuck to its nukes and its ICBMs and never gave any sign of any meeting with the stupid Trump.
Jo Snow It’s up to the army to decide. Do you think the american army believes it will win a war against Russia or China or both?
This is what said empty strategy. Or a puffer pish strategy. If only people are as desperate and delusional as trump
I read he is very fond of indians stupidity. He will do you a lot good.
Why would NK be afraid of Bolton more than Trump? The USA will have to face Russia and China if they attack NK. That’s the deal. On top of that, NK can defend itself at the same time….
John Bolton is quite a man ! He once wanted to chop 25 % of floors of UN building indeed!
You are right but just look at the new additions to the line up and be very afraid. Bloody Mary at the CIA, Bushe`s torture expert, Pompeo at State, now Bolton as National Security adviser, and two generals and these are the people closest to Trump.
Not according to the IAEA and all of the EU inspectors and 100% of the American intelligence community.. They have adhered to the deal to the letter. Well I suppose there is an argument that you would know much better than these know nithing groups. Do you know something the rest of these experts, who are actually on the ground know? Please enlighten us, we are waiting with bated breath.
Oh?oh we’re in for a bumpy ride. He’ll take all of us down with him ????
The title should be " Bolton appointment lets Trump negotiate from position of delusion and desperation"….
Speaking like true neo- con… your grand and great grand children will enjoy more wars to pay tax on and spill blood for.
Spoken like a true neo-leftist.
With regard to the nuclear deal with Iran, it is important to remember that this deal was never sanctioned by the U.S. Congress and that Iran has violated inspection agreements numberous times.
What complete gibberish this article is. It is also rather phantasgamoric and is reflects a decline in Pax Americana, which of course is simply quite fantastic. Che a "a Bad Moon Rising" but largely up their collective asses…….
SALMON AND ASIA TIMES ARE CIA/ MOSSAD AGENTS .BOLTON IS A ZIONIST ISRAELI NEOCON .AND LAST NIGHT ON THE MARTHA MAC CALLUM FOX NEWS SHOW .HE HAD HIS ASS HANDED TO HIM BY MARTHE MAC CALLUM WHO KNEW WHAT A LYING DISMAL FAILURE HE HAS BEEN .HE IS THE PLANNER FOR BUSH 43 AND THE IRAQ WAR.HE SHOULOD BE ARRESTED AND TRIED AND HUNG BY THE NECK AS HE HAS CAUSED MILLIONS OF DEATHS IN THE M.E. HE AND HIS ISRALEI CRIMINALS. SHE PERSISTED IN HER QUESTIONING OF HIS TERRIBLE RE[PUTATION AS A NEOCON WARMONGER AND HE DODGED THEM SO MUCH SO HE LOOKED LIKE THE FOOL HE IS!!!
John Bolton’s dangerous lunacy is only matched by your idiocy……..