South urged to maintain sanctions as Trump aims for 'overwhelming' leverage in North negotiations

The United States has urged South Korea to maintain sanctions on North Korea, saying continued pressure is key to securing leverage in future negotiations, according to multiple sources familiar with the discussions.

Kevin Kim, charge d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, delivers a keynote speech at the inaugural Korea-U.S. Diplomacy Forum marking the launch of the Korea-U.S. Parliamentarians’ Union at the Lotte Hotel in Jung District, Seoul, on Nov. 20. [YONHAP]

The United States has urged South Korea to maintain sanctions on North Korea, saying continued pressure is key to securing leverage in future negotiations, according to multiple sources familiar with the discussions.

The guidance came as U.S. President Donald Trump continues to send signals of openness to dialogue with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, while Washington prepares for potential negotiations in which it expects to rely on sanctions as a core bargaining tool.

Kevin Kim, the chargé d’affaires ad interim at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, delivered the message during a Nov. 25 meeting with Unification Minister Chung Dong-young, multiple sources told the JoongAng Ilbo on Monday.

The U.S. acting ambassador said it was important for Seoul to help ensure Washington can secure negotiating power to produce meaningful outcomes while keeping Pyongyang engaged, according to the sources. He explained that this required maintaining sanctions and raising human rights issues.

The ambassador also conveyed that Trump wants to negotiate with North Korea from an "overwhelming position of strength," the sources said.

The comments suggested Washington views sanctions — which impose significant economic strain on the North — and pressure on human rights, which Pyongyang sees as sensitive and tied to the authority of its “supreme dignity,” as tools to strengthen its position at the table.

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young, right, shakes hands with Kevin Kim, the charge d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, during a photo session at the government complex in Seoul on Nov. 25. [MINISTRY OF UNIFICATION]

The approach reflects Washington’s assessment that sanctions relief is what Kim Jong-un seeks most.

“For what should we turn to denuclearization? To avoid sanctions?" Kim Jong-un said in a speech to the Supreme People’s Assembly, North Korea’s parliament, in September.

"Never. Never ever. I say denuclearization is the last, last thing to expect from us," the Korean Central News Agency reported him as saying.

Experts interpreted Kim Jong-un’s strong tone as an acknowledgment of the pain sanctions cause. The U.S. acting ambassador said Trump intends to use sanctions as an important tool in negotiations, sources told the JoongAng Ilbo.

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Panmunjom, South Korea, on June 30, 2019. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Despite Trump’s personal outreach to Kim Jong-un, the administration continues to underline the need to preserve pressure. Analysts say Washington does not intend to be drawn into Pyongyang’s strategy of refusing denuclearization talks while attempting to disrupt combined South Korea–U.S. military exercises. The U.S. government has also kept up unilateral sanctions on North Korean entities and individuals.

Much of the current international sanctions framework was put in place during Trump’s first term. Analysts say Trump aims to conduct negotiations within that structure and direct the process on his own terms. Some view this as an indirect signal that Seoul should act mainly as a facilitator.

“It essentially underscores that they believe they [Washington] hold the initiative in resolving the North Korean nuclear issue," said Oh Gyeong-seob, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification. “It shows their intention to produce diplomatic outcomes by using carrots and sticks appropriately."

The U.S. Embassy said it had nothing to share at the time regarding the meeting between Chung and Kevin Kim and would provide updates if the situation changes. A Unification Ministry official also said the government could not confirm matters discussed between Seoul and Washington.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY CHUNG YEONG-GYO, PARK HYUN-JU [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]