U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul attend a joint press conference in Seoul last week. Blinken was on a mission to reaffirm America's "ironclad" alliance with the Asian country, the State Department said. Chung Sung-Jun / Pool/EPA-EFE
Jan. 13 (UPI) -- While South Korea experiences historic domestic political turmoil, Kim Jong Un and his regime continue to threaten peace and stability in the region and pose a direct threat to the U.S. homeland.
And while the military alliance will continue to deter war by maintaining a high level of readiness to fight and defeat the North Korean People's Army, the United States and the international community cannot afford to sit idly by while South Korean politics play out.
While the future of Korea ultimately will be decided by the Korean people, the international community can play an important role in helping to solve the "Korea question," (as outlined in paragraph 60 of the 1953 Armistice Agreement), which is the unnatural division of the Korean peninsula.
For decades, the United States, South Korea and the international community have failed to achieve denuclearization in North Korea despite employing various strategies ranging from maximum engagement to patience to maximum pressure.
As we enter 2025, it has become clear that Kim Jong Un will not voluntarily relinquish his nuclear weapons under any circumstances. This realization, coupled with Kim's recent rejection of peaceful unification and declaration of South Korea as the "main enemy," presents a critical inflection point that demands a bold new approach.
The realities
The time has come to disrupt traditional North Korean policy and refocus efforts on freeing the Korean people through a comprehensive strategy centered on human rights, information dissemination and support for Korean unification. This approach recognizes three key realities:
1. Kim Jong Un fears his own people more than external military threats when they are armed with information about their rights and the outside world.
2. The only path to true denuclearization and regional stability is through the unification of Korea under a free and democratic government.
3. The United States has both a moral obligation and strategic interest to support the Korean people's right to self-determination.
Human rights front approach
Placing human rights at the forefront of North Korea policy serves moral and strategic purposes. The regime's systematic abuse of its citizens, as documented in the 2014 U.N. Commission of Inquiry report, is not only a humanitarian crisis but also a key pillar of regime control. By shining a spotlight on these abuses and empowering the North Korean people with knowledge of their universal rights, we can create internal pressure for change.
Key actions should include placing human rights on every negotiating agenda with North Korea; supporting international accountability mechanisms for regime officials; expanding support for North Korean refugee organizations and civil society groups; and establishing a Korean Escapee Information Institute to advise on human rights and information activities.
Regime's greatest vulnerability
Information has always been the Kim family's Achilles' heel, which is why they severely restrict its flow to the North Korean people.
A sophisticated information campaign can serve as a catalyst for internal change by expanding broadcasts and digital penetration of uncensored news and entertainment into North Korea; highlighting the costs of Kim's nuclear program to the North Korean people and countering regime propaganda with factual information about life in South Korea and the outside world.
Also, employing such concepts as the 10 Point Promise to the North Korean People as an alternative to the regime's oppressive ideology; providing practical information for collective action; and assisting emerging leaders in setting the conditions for internal transformation.
Supporting a free and unified Korea
The United States, the international community and civil societies around the world should fully embrace and support South Korea's 8.15 Unification vision for peaceful unification based on liberal democratic principles.
While President Yoon Suk Yeol has been impeached, the 8.15 Doctrine has not. This doctrine aligns with longstanding U.S. commitments and serves strategic interests in the region.
Most importantly this approach can support President-elect Donald Trump's "America First foreign policy;" protecting the American homeland by freeing the Korean people in the north.
Key steps include: Establishing dedicated unification planning cells within the U.S. government to coordinate with South Korean efforts; developing a comprehensive political warfare strategy in support of unification; preparing for various unification scenarios, including peaceful transition, regime collapse and post-conflict and stabilization; and building international support for Korean unification through diplomatic channels and the United Nations.
Conclusion
The traditional approach to North Korea, focused narrowly on denuclearization negotiations, has reached a dead end. By pivoting to a strategy that empowers the Korean people in the north through human rights advocacy, an information campaign, and support for unification, we can create the conditions for transformative change from within.
This approach recognizes that the ultimate solution to the North Korean nuclear threat and the suffering of its people lies in the realization of a free and unified Korea.
The United States has a historical responsibility and a strategic imperative to support this vision. As we stand at this critical juncture, it is time to move beyond failed policies and embrace a bold new direction that aligns with our values and offers the best hope for lasting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
By doing so, we can help the Korean people achieve their long-deferred dream of freedom and unity, creating a more secure future for Northeast Asia and the world through the establishment of a new nation, a United Republic of Korea.
David Maxwell is a retired U.S. Army Special Forces colonel who has spent more than 30 years in the Asia Pacific region. He specializes in Northeast Asian security affairs and irregular, unconventional and political warfare. He is vice president of the Center for Asia Pacific Strategy and a senior fellow at the Global Peace Foundation. After his retirement, he was associate director of the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University. He is on the board of directors of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea and the OSS Society, and is a contributing editor to Small Wars Journal.