It’s increasingly evident to North Korea experts that Kim Jong Un will not surrender his nuclear weapons. The Biden administration’s official position, however, like its two predecessors, continues to be that complete denuclearization of North Korea is the only way towards any sort of normalization for Pyongyang-Washington relations and change in the sanctions regime.

What would the U.S.’ North Korea policy look like if policymakers understood the intractability of denuclearization? Would they advise sticking to the status quo – seemingly the easiest way – or suggest a radically new approach to North Korea?