Antony Blinken on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Apr 1, 2021)
With Japan on checking North Korea & China aggression

We've actually had trilateral conversations with Japan and South Korea about North Korea, and we have a strong shared common interest in dealing with the challenge posed by North Korea's nuclear programs, missile programs, and human rights abuses. I think all three countries found benefit in that. So at the end of the day, I think that we each will find that it's in our respective interests to pursue that [trilateral] cooperation, and I'm confident we'll be able to do that.

Lloyd Austin on North Korea: (War & Peace Mar 18, 2021)
US forces ready to "fight tonight" against North Korea

"Our force remains ready to 'fight tonight,' and we continue to make progress toward the eventual transition of wartime Operational Control to a [Republic of Korea]-commanded, future Combined Forces Command," the defense secretary said. He continued: "While meeting all the conditions for this transition will take more time, I'm confident that this process will strengthen our alliance."

Joe Biden on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Mar 7, 2021)
Regional Asian alliance with Japan, India and Australia

PROMISE PARTLY KEPT: (Financial Times, 3/7/21): President Joe Biden is poised to hold the first ever quadrilateral US summit with the leaders of Japan, India and Australia, as the four countries step up co-operation in an effort to counter China's influence in the Indo-Pacific.

OnTheIssues ANALYSIS: President Trump described NATO, the European-based anti-USSR alliance--as "obsolete"; NATO is what Biden means by our most important "historic partnership" Biden also hints at restoring SEATO, the equivalent Southeast Asian alliance, which would similarly re-create an anti-China and anti-North Korea alliance.

Lloyd Austin on North Korea: (Homeland Security Mar 4, 2021)
Ready to respond to threats, imposing costs where necessary

The Department will innovate at a speed and scale that matches a dynamic threat landscape. This will require advances in our joint warfighting concepts and a commitment to rapid experimentation and fielding of capabilities. Where necessary, we will divest of legacy systems and programs that no longer meet our security needs, while investing smartly for the future. In turn, we will improve the efficiency of the force and guarantee freedom of action in contested, complex operating environments.

Joe Biden on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Oct 22, 2020)
Trump has legitimized North Korea, a rogue state

BIDEN: North Korea is a problem, and we're going make sure we can control them and make sure they cannot hurt us. If you want to do something about it, step up and help. If not, it's going to continue." What has he done? He's legitimized North Korea. He's talked about his good buddy, who's a thug. He talks about how we're better off. And they have much more capable missiles, able to reach US territory much more easily than before. The Korean Peninsula should be a nuclear free zone.

TRUMP: I met with Obama, he said, "The biggest problem we have is North Korea." He indicated we will be in a war with North Korea. I have a good relationship with Kim. We have a good relationship and there's no war. Having a good relationship with leaders of other countries is a good thing.

Donald Trump on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Oct 22, 2020)
At peace with North Korea due to my friendship with Kim

BIDEN: What has he done? He's legitimized North Korea. He's talked about his good buddy, who's a thug. He talks about how we're better off. The Korean Peninsula should be a nuclear free zone.

TRUMP: They left me a mess. North Korea was a mess, and it was a very dangerous period in my first three months before we worked things out a little bit. . They left us a mess, and Obama would be, I think, the first to say it, was the single biggest problem he thought that our country.

Joe Biden on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Oct 15, 2020)
America First means America Alone

We find ourselves, in the Western Pacific, where we're isolated as well. You have Japan and South Korea at odds with one another. China is making moves. So I would say, we're find ourselves less secure than we've been. I do compliment the president on the deal with Israel recently. But if you take a look, we're not very well trusted around the world. When 17 major nations in the world were asked who they trust more, who's a better leader, and the president came in behind both, the international survey, both behind Putin, as well as Xi. And look what Putin is doing.

Donald Trump on North Korea: (War & Peace Sep 15, 2020)
I'm bringing troops back, when advisers wanted war

Look at North Korea, how that's worked out. We haven't--the sanctions are on. Everything's the same. We haven't spent anything. We're getting along with him. I get along with Kim Jong-un. That was supposed to be a war.

If President Obama were president, if Hillary Clinton ever got in, that would be a war, probably a nuclear war with North Korea. In the meantime, I'm getting calls all the time from friends of mine in South Korea. Thank you. We love you. Thank you. It's really been rather amazing.

Donald Trump on North Korea: (War & Peace Jun 21, 2020)
2018: End South Korean war games to deal with North Korea

John BOLTON: I was very concerned that he would give away things that he didn't need to give away. He told Kim Jong Un we would give up, what he called, "the war games on the Korean peninsula." The president didn't seem to understand that the war games, as he called them, were critical to American and South Korean ability to be ready to withstand pressure from North Korea.

Stacey Abrams on North Korea: (Government Reform Jun 9, 2020)
Holiday for Election Day, or paid time off to vote

Joe Biden on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Feb 25, 2020)
Meet with North Korea and China together

BIDEN: You don't negotiate with a dictator, give him legitimacy without any notion whether he is going to do anything at all. You don't do that. Look what happened. [President Trump] gave this dictator--he's a thug--legitimacy. We've weakened the sanctions around the world.

Q: So what would you do?

BIDEN: I would be in Beijing, I would be speaking with Xi Jinping. I would be reassigning the relationship between the Japan and South Korea, and I would make it clear to China, we are going to continue to move closer to make sure that we can, in fact, prevent North Korea from launching missiles to take them down.

Bernie Sanders on North Korea: (War & Peace Feb 7, 2020)
Killing bad leaders leads to international anarchy

Donald Trump on North Korea: (Homeland Security Jan 21, 2020)
South Korea should pay for $10B missile defense system

"We should charge them rent," Trump said of South Korea. We should make them pay for our soldiers. We should make the money off everything." Trump said U.S. troops and defense systems in South Korea did not make Americans safer. He said he could eliminate the nuclear threat on the peninsula simply by striking a deal with North Korean dictator Kim Jun Un. " This is all about leader versus leader. Man versus man. Kim versus me, he said."

Tom Steyer on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Jan 14, 2020)
Don't meet with North Korea without preconditions or allies

STEYER: No. It's very clear that if we're going to do something with North Korea, we're going to have to do it in concert with our allies, that meeting with him without preconditions is not going anywhere, that the staff can meet to try and see how far we can get. But this is a classic situation where the United States' idea of going it alone makes no sense. And when you are talking about Iran, let's face it. Iran is under great pressure economically. So every single discussion we've had about Iran has had to do with military power and America versus Iran, whereas, in fact, what worked with President Obama was an alliance of our allies and us putting economic pressure on them for them to give up their military tactic. That, to me, is called strategy. Having a goal to make America safer, by looking more broadly than just us, as the policeman of the world spending money.

Joe Walsh on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Dec 24, 2019)
Steadfastly support NATO

Walsh emphasizes the benefits of traditional U.S. alliances and criticizes President Trump for undermining long-standing relationships. Walsh says Trump "embarrasses our allies" and "embraces tyrants abroad."

Mike Bloomberg on North Korea: (War & Peace Dec 24, 2019)
No attractive military option against North Korean nukes

Kamala Harris on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Nov 20, 2019)
Trump got punked by North Korea

HARRIS: With all due deference to the fact that this is presidential debate, Donald Trump got punked. He has conducted foreign policy out of a very fragile ego that fails to understand that one of the most important responsibilities of the commander-in-chief is to concern herself with the security of our nation and homeland. And to do it in a way that understands that part of the strength of who we are as a nation is not only that we have a vibrant military, but that we are respected because we keep to our word, we are consistent, we speak truth, and we are loyal.

Q: But would you make concessions to North Korea to keep talks going?

HARRIS: Not at this point. There are no concessions to be made. Trump has traded a photo-op for nothing. Trump has compromised our ability to have a check on North Korea's nuclear program.

Julian Castro on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Oct 15, 2019)
North Korea won't work with US after ditching Iran nuke deal

Bill Weld on North Korea: (War & Peace Oct 3, 2019)
Partial sanction relief for partial Korean denuclearization

A: "Partial" and "some" imply matters of degree, but yes, I think a partial dismantling of North Korea's nuclear weapons program is a development worth promoting, and of course such an agreement might prove to be the first step to a fuller resolution.

Julian Castro on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Sep 12, 2019)
Pressure China on human rights for Uighurs

CASTRO: I would immediately begin to negotiate with China to ratchet down that trade war. We have leverage there.

I also believe that we need to return to a leader when it comes to things like human rights. We have millions of Uighurs, for instance, in China that right now are being imprisoned and mistreated.

And in North Korea, this president is elevating a dictator. We need to stop that. We need to return to ensuring that America leads again on human rights.

Donald Trump on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Sep 10, 2019)
You can never show weakness; you've got to project strength

"It's funny," [said one advisor], "and it certainly seems to have gotten under Kim's skin." But, he asked, "What's the end game here if we continue to amp up the rhetoric and get into a war of words and it escalates, what are you hoping to get out of this? How does this end?"

"You can never show weakness," Trump replied. "You've got to project strength. Kim and others need to be convinced that I'm prepared to do anything to back up our interests."

Donald Trump on North Korea: (Technology Sep 10, 2019)
Twitter is the reason I got elected and am successful

"This is my megaphone, " Trump said again. "Let's not call it Twitter, let's call it social media." Though the White House had Facebook and Instagram accounts, Trump did not use them. He stuck to Twitter. "This is who I am. This is how I communicate. It's how I got elected. It's the reason I'm successful.

The tweets were not included to his presidency. They were central. He ordered printouts to his recent tweets that had received a high number of likes, 200,000 or more. He studied them to find out the common themes in the most successful.

Marianne Williamson on North Korea: (War & Peace Aug 16, 2019)
North Korea: Partial sanction relief for some disarming

Andrew Yang on North Korea: (War & Peace Aug 9, 2019)
Need to accept incremental gains on N. Korea nukes

Seth Moulton on North Korea: (War & Peace Jul 30, 2019)
Interim agreement with North Korea would be step forward

Steve Bullock on North Korea: (War & Peace Jul 30, 2019)
We need nuclear deterrence against North Korea and others

BULLOCK: I agree [that] we need to get back to nuclear de-proliferation. But at the same time, when you actually have Korea; when you have others, I don't want to turn around and say, "Well, Detroit has to be gone before we would ever use that." When so many crazy folks are getting closer to having a nuclear weapon, I don't want them to think I could strike this country and I and we as the United States of America wouldn't do a thing. Part of the strength really is the ability to deter.

Pete Buttigieg on North Korea: (War & Peace Jul 30, 2019)
N. Korea: Step-by-step process for peace & denuclearization

Joe Sestak on North Korea: (War & Peace Jul 30, 2019)
North Korean denuclearization will be incremental

Amy Klobuchar on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Jun 30, 2019)
Talking to North Korea good, working with allies better

Amy Klobuchar on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Jun 30, 2019)
Diplomacy with North Korea not easy; we need clear focus

Beto O`Rourke on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Jun 30, 2019)
Diplomacy should yield results: none yet with North Korea!

Beto O`Rourke on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Jun 30, 2019)
Would talk to North Korea, but only if it gets results

Bernie Sanders on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Jun 30, 2019)
Talk to adversaries but we need more than photo ops

Julian Castro on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Jun 30, 2019)
No preparation is why North Korea talks have done little

Amy Klobuchar on North Korea: (War & Peace Jun 30, 2019)
Talking to enemies good if there's results; Trump has none

Klobuchar: You always have to talk to everyone when it is American security and the world's security at stake. But he keeps having these summits and meetings that really don't produce anything. what This is about is making sure that there are measurable results, that we have a plan when we go in there and we just haven't seen that.

Q: Would you accept North Korea as a nuclear power?

Klobuchar: No, I would not. What I am saying is you need to have steps and measures. Talk is good, but if all it is, is talk it doesn't produce anything for national security for America and international security for our allies.

Amy Klobuchar on North Korea: (War & Peace Jun 30, 2019)
Would not accept North Korea as nuclear power

KLOBUCHAR: No, I would not. What I am saying is you need to have steps and measures. You have dates and you have times and you have a focus and you have a plan. Talk is good, but if all it is, is talk it doesn't produce anything for national security for America and international security for our allies.

Kamala Harris on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Jun 27, 2019)
Trump embracing Korean & Russian dictators is a threat

A: It's Donald Trump. You want to talk about North Korea, a real threat in terms of nuclear arsenal, but what does he do? He embraces Kim Jong-un, a dictator, for the sake of a photo op. Putin--you want to talk about Russia? He takes the word of the Russian president over the word of the American intelligence community when it comes to a threat to our democracy and our elections.

Joe Sestak on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Jun 23, 2019)
Reverse America's retreat from the global community

Priorities:
• Reverse America's retreat from the global community with a strategy of engagement, and restore our standing in the world.
• Repair our fractured relationships with our closest allies.
• Stand up to belligerent actors on the world stage, from Russia to China to North Korea.
• Establish closer economic ties with countries around the world, because countries that trade and do business with each other are much less likely to fight wars..

Pete Buttigieg on North Korea: (War & Peace Jun 11, 2019)
Small steps forward in North Korea; no "love letters"

Steve Bullock on North Korea: (Free Trade May 15, 2019)
End reckless trade war with China

Mike Pence on North Korea: (War & Peace Apr 17, 2019)
North Korea must abandon its nuclear ambitions

Mike Gravel on North Korea: (War & Peace Apr 9, 2019)
Withdraw all troops from South Korea; normalize with North

The United States should:
• Withdraw all troops from South Korea, in cooperation with the South Korean government.
• Seek to pursue normal relations with North Korea.
• Formally declare an end to the Korean War, which was only paused in 1953 with the Armistice Agreement. Ending hostilities is necessary for the total denuclearization of the peninsula.
• Continue nuclear dialogue with North Korea through multilateral mechanisms, with the goal of complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.
• Observe its own Treaty obligations towards denuclearisation.

Donald Trump on North Korea: (War & Peace Mar 8, 2019)
Countries hosting US troops should pay for them

Howard Schultz on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Feb 12, 2019)
China is not an ally, but we need to work with them

Donald Trump on North Korea: (War & Peace Feb 5, 2019)
My good relationship with North Korea has prevented war

Pete Buttigieg on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Feb 3, 2019)
Pay attention to assessments of intelligence agencies

A: I think it would make more sense to have that happen in a framework of concrete achievements. You don't just get to have a meeting, declare the nuclear threat to be over, then wind up being embarrassed and contradicted by your own intelligence chiefs. As a military officer serving overseas, I was part of the intelligence community. And there is not a more reality-based group of people in this country. You actually have to understand and legitimize and take seriously their assessments before you have any business having a one-on-one with the leader of a hostile foreign power like North Korea.

Tulsi Gabbard on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Jan 20, 2019)
Defends meeting Syria's Assad; supports Trump on North Korea

A: It continues to be very important for any leader in this country to be willing to meet with others, whether they be friends or adversaries or potential adversaries, if we are serious about the pursuit of peace and securing our country. It's why I have urged and continue to urge President Trump to meet with people like Kim Jong-un in North Korea, because we understand what's at stake here.

Nikki Haley on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Dec 13, 2018)
Helped broker U.N. sanctions on North Korea

Donald Trump on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Sep 25, 2018)
Reject ideology of globalism; embrace doctrine of patriotism

Touting his meeting this year with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and blasting Iran for spreading mayhem in the Middle East, Trump offered an impassioned defense of a foreign policy doctrine he said would allow countries to reject "global governance."

"We reject the ideology of globalism, and we embrace the doctrine of patriotism," Trump said. "We will never surrender America's sovereignty to an unelected, unaccountable, global bureaucracy."

Trump's remarks were buffeted by warnings from other world leaders that America's pullback from the international institutions was ill-conceived and even dangerous. "Do not accept the erosion of multilateralism. Don't accept our history unraveling," the President of France said.

Mike Pence on North Korea: (War & Peace Sep 9, 2018)
Progress toward denuclearization & peace on Korean Peninsula

PENCE: We're making progress restoring American strength in the world, seeing the opportunity for peace emerge on the Korean Peninsula. We're expecting a letter from Kim Jong-un communicating his reaffirmation of his commitment to denuclearization. No more nuclear tests. No more missile tests. Our hostages are home. That's all the result of the President's leadership.

Q: But the Secretary of State called off his visit?

PENCE: The President canceled the meeting a week ago because he wasn't seeing enough progress in denuclearization that that may well have resulted in what Kim Jong-un communicated to a South Korean envoy just last week, and we're anticipating the letter from Kim Jong-un and all the while our sanctions remain in place.

John Kasich on North Korea: (War & Peace Jun 6, 2018)
Keep up pressure on North Korea to give up nukes

John Kasich on North Korea: (War & Peace Jun 3, 2018)
Talk with North Korea, but reimpose sanctions if no results

KASICH: I'm worried about our foreign policy. I'm very, very concerned about this upcoming meeting with North Korea. I think we have to be extremely careful. Every time we have entered an agreement, they have backed away from it, they have misled us, and we cannot let the pressure up on North Korea. So, you know, promises don't matter. To me, it has to be a verifiable agreement. And if we relax these sanctions at all, we ought to be committed to being able to reimpose them if the North Koreans break their word. If you let the pressure up, I am very, very fearful that we will just find ourselves in this same situation or worse situation down the road. I'm glad they're talking. I'm glad they're meeting. But don't let the pressure up until we get verifiable results. Anything other than that will weaken our position and strengthen them. And we know what the history of that regime is.

Arvin Vohra on North Korea: (Free Trade Mar 30, 2018)
Eliminate all tariffs, sanctions, & trade restrictions

A: Strongly support. If elected, I will sponsor legislation to eliminate all tariffs, sanctions, & trade restrictions. I want North Korean businesses to learn about American culture and spread that knowledge in North Korea, so that the people there see something better than the communism they currently face. I want them to see the wonders created by free market capitalism. I want to spread American culture through trade, not waste effort on sanctions and war.

Mike Pence on North Korea: (War & Peace Feb 22, 2018)
America stands up to North Korea and murderous dictatorships

Donald Trump on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Jan 30, 2018)
Sanctions on Communist dictators in North Korea & Cuba

North Korea's reckless pursuit of nuclear missiles could very soon threaten our homeland. We are waging a campaign of maximum pressure to prevent that from happening.

Past experience has taught us that complacency and concessions only invite aggression and provocation. I will not repeat the mistakes of past administrations that got us into this dangerous position. We need only look at the depraved character of the North Korean regime to understand the nature of the nuclear threat it could pose to America and our allies.

Tulsi Gabbard on North Korea: (Foreign Policy May 27, 2017)
Skeptical of Iran nuclear deal

John Kasich on North Korea: (War & Peace Apr 28, 2017)
Eradicate leadership of North Korea but no military strike

Kasich said that other options that the Trump team seems to be pursuing, including a military strike against the nation, would result in a major loss of lives. "Moving big warships in and having a war, I don't think that's going to work," he said. "Too much loss of life. We are getting very serious that they cannot have an ICBM," Kasich said.

In order to avoid the devastating loss, he said the US could "remove a number of the top people and have a more benign leadership there that understands what's at risk."

When asked if the US should do this militarily, Kasich responded, "You have to have very good intelligence. I don't want to say any more than that, but that's what I believe we need to do, as opposed to a full military strike."

Donald Trump on North Korea: (War & Peace Mar 2, 2017)
North Korea has no economic future if they retain nukes

Donald Trump on North Korea: (War & Peace Jan 2, 2017)
Disallow North Korea from developing nuclear delivery system

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said during his annual New Year's address that preparations for launching an intercontinental ballistic missile have "reached the final stage." The development came after the country claims it tested its first hydrogen bomb last year.

North Korea, which has been at odds with the United States since the start of the Korean War in 1950, first tested a nuclear weapon in 2006. A nuclear test was conducted last year on Jan. 6.

Mike Pence on North Korea: (War & Peace Oct 4, 2016)
Peace with North Korea through US strength

PENCE: We need to rebuild our military, including modernizing our nuclear forces. We need an effective American diplomacy that will marshal the resources of nations in the Asian Pacific Rim to put pressure on North Korea, on Kim Jong-un, to abandon his nuclear ambitions. When Donald Trump is president, we're not going to have the world flouting American power. We're going back to the days of peace through strength.

KAINE: You asked the question about how deal with a North Korea. I'm on the Foreign Relations Committee. We just did an extensive sanctions package against North Korea. The U.N. followed and did this -- virtually the same package. Often China will use their veto in the Security Council to veto a package like that. They're starting to get worried about North Korea, too. So they actually supported the sanctions package, even though many of the sanctions are against Chinese firms.

Hillary Clinton on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Sep 26, 2016)
Honor treaties with South Korea & Japan: our word is good

CLINTON: Let me start by saying, words matter. Words matter when you run for president. And they really matter when you are president. And I want to reassure our allies in Japan and South Korea and elsewhere that we have mutual defense treaties and we will honor them. It is essential that America's word be good. And so I know that this campaign has caused some questioning and worries on the part of many leaders across the globe. I've talked with a number of them. But I want to--on behalf of myself, and I think on behalf of a majority of the American people, say that, you know, our word is good.

Hillary Clinton on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Sep 26, 2016)
For long-term US policy against nuclear proliferation

Clinton: Donald has said he didn't care if other nations got nuclear weapons, Japan, South Korea, even Saudi Arabia. It has been the policy of the US to do everything we could to reduce the proliferation of nuclear weapons. His cavalier attitude about nuclear weapons is deeply troubling. That is the number-one threat we face. It becomes particularly threatening if terrorists ever get their hands on any nuclear material. A man who can be provoked by a tweet should not have his fingers anywhere near the nuclear codes.

Donald Trump on North Korea: (Homeland Security Sep 26, 2016)
We defend Germany, Japan, Saudi Arabia: they need to pay

CLINTON: I want to reassure our allies in Japan and South Korea and elsewhere that we have mutual defense treaties and we will honor them. It is essential that America's word be good. On behalf of a majority of the American people, I want to say that our word is good.

TRUMP: And as far as Japan is concerned, I want to help all of our allies, but we are losing billions and billions of dollars. We cannot be the policemen of the world.

Donald Trump on North Korea: (Homeland Security Aug 23, 2016)
South Korea and Japan should pay 100% of US military costs

"NATO was set up when we were a richer country," Trump said. "We're not a rich country. We're borrowing, we're borrowing all of this money."

But you do know, editorial writer Charles Lane said, that South Korea and Japan pay half of the administrative cost of keeping the American military in those countries, right?

"Fifty percent?" Trump asked.

"Yeah," Lane confirmed.

"Why isn't it one hundred percent?"

Mike Pence on North Korea: (Principles & Values Jul 20, 2016)
My family lived the American dream

Mike Pence on North Korea: (Free Trade Jul 14, 2016)
Supports TPP and trade agreements with Pacific Rim and China

• Pence backed trade agreements with Colombia, South Korea, Panama, Peru, Oman, Chile and Singapore during his House tenure from 2001 through 2012.
• He voted to keep the US in the World Trade Organization and to maintain permanent normal trade relations with China, the country Trump repeatedly criticizes for unfair trade practices.
• Pence also has publicly supported the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement of Pacific Rim nations, which Trump opposes and has likened to rape.

Bill Weld on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Jul 7, 2016)
Focus on nuclear proliferation & the Sunni-Shia schism

JOHNSON: Well, that ISIS is a very real threat, but I think their days are numbered, they are regional.

WELD: My #1 would be nuclear proliferation, which is why I think it's unbelievable that Donald Trump has suggested that the South Koreans and the Japanese perhaps should have access to nuclear weapons. Religious sectarianism, the Sunni-Shia schism around the world is pretty high on the list, as well. We don't think about it here every day, but, you know, when you're considering actions like Iraq, actions that we've taken in the Middle East and North Africa, you've got to think about things like that as well that have rippling effects in a number of different countries, all across the top of Africa, for example.

Bill Weld on North Korea: (Homeland Security Jun 22, 2016)
Nuclear proliferation is #1 threat to world security

Donald Trump on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Apr 1, 2016)
Develop nukes in South Korea & Japan to counter North Korea

Trump has argued that allowing Japan and South Korea to get the weapons would relieve the US of defending their East Asia allies. Foreign leaders from both countries have dismissed the idea. "You have so many countries already--China, Pakistan, you have so many countries, Russia--you have so many countries right now that have them," Trump said during a CNN town hall. "Now, wouldn't you rather, in a certain sense, have Japan have nuclear weapons when North Korea has nuclear weapons?"

John Kasich on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Feb 25, 2016)
Chinese are best way to calm down North Korea

John Kasich on North Korea: (Homeland Security Feb 25, 2016)
$100B more to rebuild the military, with Pentagon reforms

TRUMP: We can no longer defend all of these countries, Japan, Germany, South Korea. You order televisions, you order almost anything, you're getting it from these countries. They are making a fortune. We defend all of these countries for peanuts. You talk about budgets. We have to start getting reimbursed for taking care of the military services for all of these countries.

KASICH: We're in agreement that the Japanese need to do more. We're in agreement that the Europeans need to do more. But, at the same time, we have to rebuild the military. I have a balanced budget plan that cuts taxes, reforms regulations, but also builds the military, puts a $100 billion dollars more in defense.

Donald Trump on North Korea: (Homeland Security Feb 25, 2016)
Charge rich countries like Germany more to defend them

TRUMP: We can no longer defend all of these countries, Japan, Germany, South Korea. You order televisions, you order almost anything, you're getting it from these countries. They are making a fortune. We defend all of these countries for peanuts. You talk about budgets. We have to start getting reimbursed for taking care of the military services for all of these countries.

Donald Trump on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Feb 10, 2016)
China should make Kim Jong Un disappear

"I mean, this guy's a bad dude, and don't underestimate him," Trump said, referring to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. "Any young guy who can take over from his father with all those generals and everybody else that probably want the position, this is not somebody to be underestimated."

Trump maintained that China has control over North Korea and the US has control over China--thus "China should do that," he said. "China has control--absolute control--over North Korea. They don't say it, but they do," Trump explained. "And they should make that problem disappear. China is sucking us dry. They're taking our money. They're taking our jobs. We have rebuilt China with what they've taken out."

Bernie Sanders on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Feb 4, 2016)
North Korea is run by nuclear-armed paranoid dictator

Bernie Sanders on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Feb 4, 2016)
I worry about Putin in Crimea but worry more about N. Korea

SANDERS: No I don't. I worry about Putin and his military adventurism in the Crimea, but I worry more about an isolated country. Russia lives in the world. China lives in the world. North Korea is a strange country because it is so isolated, and I do feel that a nation with nuclear weapons, they have got to be dealt with.

Donald Trump on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Jan 14, 2016)
China totally controls North Korea; they're just taunting us

Bernie Sanders on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Jan 7, 2016)
Lean on China to deal with North Korea

SANDERS: First of all, we're going to have to lean on China. China is North Korea's closest ally. They're gonna have to push North Korea to start adhering to international agreements.

Q: How do we lean on China?

SANDERS: We have a relationship with China. China is equally concerned about what North Korea is doing. North Korea is a paranoid, isolated nation. When you have a hydrogen bomb, if that's true, you're a threat to China as well.

Donald Trump on North Korea: (Technology Dec 15, 2015)
Close our Internet up, to fight ISIS terrorist recruitment

TRUMP: ISIS is recruiting through the Internet. ISIS is using the Internet better than we are using the Internet, and it was our idea. I want to get our brilliant people from Silicon Valley and other places and figure out a way that ISIS cannot do what they're doing. You talk freedom of speech. I don't want them using our Internet to take our young, impressionable youth. We should be using our most brilliant minds to figure a way that ISIS cannot use the Internet. And then we should be able to penetrate the Internet and find out exactly where ISIS is and everything about ISIS. And we can do that if we use our good people.

Q: So, are you open to closing parts of the Internet?

TRUMP: I would certainly be open to closing areas where we are at war with somebody. I don't want to let people that want to kill us \use our Internet.

Donald Trump on North Korea: (Homeland Security Nov 10, 2015)
We worry about Iranian nukes but why not North Korean nukes?

Donald Trump on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Sep 28, 2015)
Reimbursement for US military bases in rich countries abroad

Trump then got into a specific example: Saudi Arabia, one of the more important US allies in the Middle East. Saudis "make a billion dollars a day. We protect them. So we need help. We are losing a tremendous amount of money on a yearly basis and we owe $19 trillion," he said.

Walking back trade deals and agreements that allow the US military to operate overseas is easier said than done. But Trump has tapped into a powerful anti-Washington populist sentiment.

Donald Trump on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Sep 16, 2015)
We must deal with the maniac in North Korea with nukes

Bernie Sanders on North Korea: (Homeland Security Sep 5, 2015)
Reduce nuclear budget by $100B; end proliferation worldwide

It is with this vision in mind that Bernie supports the Iran nuclear pact. Similarly, Bernie has been working to reduce nuclear weapons stockpiles around the world. In 2015, Bernie co-sponsored the Smarter Approach to Nuclear Expenditures Act, which would reduce the nuclear weapons budget by $100 billion over the next ten years.

Amy Klobuchar on North Korea: (War & Peace Aug 24, 2015)
2006: turn over governance of Iraq to the Iraqis

Rand Paul on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Jan 15, 2015)
Crazy for North Korea to use force; we'd declare war

Likewise, Iran--or any nation developing nuclear weaponry--should not doubt the military strength and unified approach of the American people toward the terrorizing of US citizens and allies. Nor should these nations doubt that international resolve will coalesce and extract harsh penalties on nations that pursue these activities. Ultimately, the US cannot and will not take any option off the table in order to protect Israel and other regional democracies.

Hillary Clinton on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Jun 10, 2014)
Some world leaders are still misogynistic

"Is it difficult to deal with misogynistic leaders around the world?"

I responded that I would guess that many leaders choose to ignore the fact that they're dealing with a woman when they're dealing with me. But I try not to let them get away with that. (Nonetheless, it is an unfortunate reality that women in public life still face an unfair double standard. Even leaders like former Prime Minister Julia Gillard of Australia have faced outrageous sexism, which shouldn't be tolerated in any country.)

Hillary Clinton on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Jun 10, 2014)
Get China involved with North Korea diplomacy

In my public remarks [in Feb. 2009] in Seoul I extended an invitation to the North Koreans. If they would completely and verifiably eliminate their nuclear weapons program, we would be willing to normalize relations, and assist in meeting the economic and humanitarian needs of the North Korean people. If not, the regime's isolation would continue. It was an opening gambit that was not one I thought likely to succeed. But we started off with the offer of engagement knowing it would be easier to get other nations to pressure North Korea if and when the offer was rejected. It was particularly important for China, a longtime patron and protector of the regime in Pyongyang, to be part of a united international front. [The opening failed, as have numerous others since then].

Hillary Clinton on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Jun 10, 2014)
Balance American interests between China & Korea

We talked about how to balance America's interests in Asia, which sometimes seemed in competition. For example, how hard could we push the Chinese on human rights or climate change and still gain their support on security issues like Iran and North Korea Q [to Gov. O'Malley]: How many Syrian refugees should the US take in?

O'MALLEY: I was the first person on this stage to say that we should accept the 65,000 Syrian refugees that were fleeing the sort of murder of ISIL, and I believe that that needs to be done with proper screening.

Q: Secretary Clinton, how do you propose we screen those coming in to keep citizens safe?

CLINTON: I think that is the number one requirement. I also said that we should take increased numbers of refugees.

Bernie Sanders on North Korea: (Principles & Values Mar 6, 2014)
My form of democratic socialism is not Communism

A: In Vermont, people understand exactly what I mean. They don't believe that democratic socialism is akin to North Korea communism. When I talk about democratic socialism, what I'm saying is that I do not want to see the US significantly dominated by a handful of billionaire families controlling the economic & political life of the country. That I do believe that in a democratic, civilized society, all people are entitled to health care as a right, all people are entitled to quality education as a right, all people are entitled to decent jobs and a decent income, and that we need a government which represents ordinary Americans and not just the wealthy and the powerful. Very sadly, the corporate media ignores some of the huge accomplishments that have taken place in Scandinavia, with a long history of democratic socialism.

Barack Obama on North Korea: (Free Trade Jan 24, 2012)
Double US exports via deals with Panama, Colombia, & S.Korea

I will go anywhere in the world to open new markets for American products.

Julian Castro on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Oct 11, 2011)
Sister city builds strong bonds to South Korea

The San Antonio delegation will visit Korean sister city Gwangju. "The sister city relationship between San Antonio and Gwangju underscores the important trade relationship that exists between the US and South Korea," Castro said. "It will be an honor to cap off the trip at the White House dinner with President Myung-bak," Castro said.

A White House statement said the state visit "will highlight the strong alliance, global partnership and deep economic ties between the US and the Republic of Korea."

Barack Obama on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Aug 30, 2011)
OpEd: North Korean behavior under Bush same as under Obama

They behaved the same way with us and have brought out all their threats and demands again for the Obama administration. They have learned now, through Republican and Democratic administrations, that this is an effective way to operate. It yields concessions from the West while they continue to develop nuclear weapons. I hope a future president and secretary of state will break the cycle. This is particularly important because in the area of nonproliferation, as in so much else, the United States must lead. If we do not hold the line, few others will.

Barack Obama on North Korea: (Education Feb 17, 2011)
To make a difference for kids, become a teacher

A short time later Obama continued, "In fact, to every young person who's listening tonight contemplating their career choice: if you want to make a difference in the life of our nation; if you want to make a difference in the life of a child--become a teacher. Your country needs you."

Notice that Obama said "after parents." The President recognizes that parents and the home environment are THE most important cog in a child's education and THEN comes the teacher. That is directly opposite what Christie believes. The Governor believes that teachers are at least 50% responsible for a student's test scores.

Barack Obama on North Korea: (Homeland Security Jan 27, 2011)
OpEd: Selectively assassinated Iranian nuclear scientists

The president, as I observed, did not mention a single word about the selective assassination of Iranian scientists by the intelligence agencies of the US and its allies, about which he was well informed.

Instead, he expanded on his remarks saying: "This is just a part of how we're sharing a world that favors peace and prosperity. With our European allies, we revitalized NATO and increased our cooperation on everything from counterterrorism to missile defense."

Barack Obama on North Korea: (Free Trade Jan 26, 2011)
Double our exports by 2014; starting with South Korea

Before I took office, I made it clear that we would enforce our trade agreements, and that I would only sign deals that keep faith with American workers and promote American jobs. That's what we did with Korea, and that's what I intend to do as we pursue agreements with Panama and Colombia and continue our Asia Pacific and global trade talks.

Bernie Sanders on North Korea: (Budget & Economy Dec 10, 2010)
Why did we bail out South Korea?

Barack Obama on North Korea: (Jobs Apr 13, 2010)
OpEd: GM & Chrysler takeover put union needs ahead of others

Carter points out that the "Court flatly rejected this contention, writing [in "Youngstown Sheet & Tube Company v Sawyer"] that 'nowhere in the Constitution is the executive granted the right to seize power.' The Court continued, 'Congress has not granted the President the power to take possession of property, and the Constitution does not grant the President' that power"

What Obama did in the takeover was simple. He put the rights of the unsecured stakeholders--the United Auto Workers--ahead of the bondholders, whose rights were legally secured.

Barack Obama on North Korea: (Homeland Security Mar 2, 2010)
OpEd: walked away from missile defense of Eastern Europe

Barack Obama on North Korea: (Free Trade Jan 29, 2010)
Enforce trade being reciprocal; not just a one-way street

Pres. OBAMA: You're right, there are conflicts within the Democratic Party. I suspect some Republican constituencies may be pretty suspicious about new trade agreements, because the suspicion is somehow they're all one way. Part of what we've been trying to do is to make sure that we're getting the enforcement side, that if we've got a trade agreement with China or other countries, that they are abiding with it--they're not stealing our intellectual property. And my hope is, that trade is going to be reciprocal; that it's not just going to be a one-way street.

Barack Obama on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Jan 27, 2010)
Iran is more isolated and will face growing consequences

Barack Obama on North Korea: (Homeland Security Dec 10, 2009)
US has helped underwrite global security for 60 years

So yes, the instruments of war do have a role to play in preserving the peace. And yet this truth must coexist with another--that no matter how justified, war promises human tragedy.

Barack Obama on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Aug 4, 2009)
2007: Pledged to meet with leaders of Iran & North Korea

This looked like another Obama gaffe. The following day, her campaign recruited former secretary of state Madeleine Albright to lead the attack against Obama. During a telephone interview, she launched a personal attack on Obama, [saying], "I thought he was irresponsible and frankly naive."

Hillary Clinton on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Aug 4, 2009)
2007: Naive to meet with leaders of Iran & North Korea

This looked like another Obama gaffe. The following day, her campaign recruited former secretary of state Madeleine Albright to lead the attack against Obama. During a telephone interview, she launched a personal attack on Obama, [saying], "I thought he was irresponsible and frankly naive."

Barack Obama on North Korea: (War & Peace Apr 8, 2009)
OpEd: Overreaction to North Korean rockets

On March 12, the Peoples' Republic of Korea had announced that between April 4 and 8 it would be launching a communications satellite as part of a peaceful space program. Obama drew up a statement that said: "Rules must be binding. Violations must be punished. Words must mean something."

Launching a rocket that will facilitate communications is not a crime unless done by the Peoples' Republic of Korea that does not belong to the club of the most powerful and those who have the resources to apply such sophisticated technology. Japan took advantage of the opportunity to adjust its anti-satellite missiles and to improve its defense without anybody questioning that right. I think it was an overreaction to wake up Obama in the early morning hours.

Barack Obama on North Korea: (Energy & Oil Feb 24, 2009)
FactCheck: Chevy Volt uses Korean battery, but Ford's don't

He's partly right. The Chevy Volt, if it comes to market as scheduled in 2010, would be the first American-made, plug-in hybrid car, and General Motors recently announced that the Volt will use battery systems from South Korea's LG Chem Ltd.

But the U.S. isn't a complete laggard in this department. Ford said earlier this month that batteries for its hybrid, due to be available in 2012, will be supplied by a joint venture between a U.S. company, Johnson Controls Inc., and France's Saft. At least initially, though, the battery cells will be made in France; they will be assembled into power packs in the U.S.

Rahm Emanuel on North Korea: (Homeland Security Jan 5, 2009)
We cannot win the War on Terror without more troops

If we are to win the war that we have, we must rebuild the army we need. Our friend Paul Begala's motto has become "It Takes a Battalion"--and he's right. We cannot fight and win a long war without more troops. When George Bush ran for president in 2000, he complained that the military had been hollowed out. That wasn't true then, but it is true now. Under Donald Rumsfeld, the Pentagon engaged in a drawn-out debate about military transformation but gave short shrift to the basic needs of the soldiers, the heart and soul of our military might. The army doesn't have enough troops, the National Guard and the Reserves are exhausted to the breaking point, and the soldiers we send into battle don't always get the equipment they need to survive.

Barack Obama on North Korea: (Energy & Oil Oct 15, 2008)
Let’s build a fuel-efficient car in America, not abroad

OBAMA: We can’t drill our way out of the problem. That’s why I’ve focused on putting resources into solar, wind, biodiesel, geothermal. It is absolutely critical that we develop a high fuel efficient car that’s built not in Japan and not in South Korea, but built here in the USA. We invented the auto industry and the fact that we have fallen so far behind is something that we have to work on.

Barack Obama on North Korea: (Free Trade Oct 15, 2008)
We export only 4,000 cars to Korea; that’s not free trade!

OBAMA: For far too long, certainly during the course of the Bush administration with the support of Sen. McCain, the attitude has been that any trade agreement is a good trade agreement. And NAFTA did not have enforceable labor agreements and environmental agreements.

And what I said was we should include those and make them enforceable. In the same way that we should enforce rules against China manipulating its currency to make our exports more expensive and their exports to us cheaper.

And when it comes to South Korea, we’ve got a trade agreement up right now, they are sending hundreds of thousands of South Korean cars into the US. That’s all good. We can only get 4,000 to 5,000 into South Korea. That is not free trade. We’ve got to have a president who is going to advocate on behalf of American businesses and American workers and I make no apology for that

Mike Gravel on North Korea: (War & Peace May 2, 2008)
Intent of War Powers Act was to stop wars like Iraq

[After Vietnam] the War Powers Act became law in 1973. Congress overrode Nixon’s expected veto. The Act gave a president sixty days to use force without a declaration of war. A declaration of war by Congress was then needed. But was Congress, the press, the courts or the public really serious about reining in the destructive power of our emperor-presidents?

The Act did little to deter major wars in Iraq in 1991 and 2003, which were undertaken with resolutions, but all without a Constitutional declaration of war.

Hillary Clinton on North Korea: (Free Trade Nov 11, 2007)
Criticized trade pacts for weak labor standards

Joe Biden on North Korea: (War & Peace Jul 31, 2007)
Bush invaded Iraq as the weakest of the Axis of Evil

I thought this approach was flawed. The facts showed that terrorist groups didn’t base their training camps in countries with strong governments or dictators; they found safe haven in failed states & grew stronger in the vacuum of power.

There was a lot of noise about overthrowing Saddam Hussein. Of the three Axis of Evil countries, Iraq was the country that could put up the least military resistance, and I believed Cheney & Rumsfeld were pushing the president toward an invasion

Barack Obama on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Jul 23, 2007)
Meet with enemy leaders; it’s a disgrace that we have not

OBAMA: I would. And the reason is this: the notion that somehow not talking to countries is punishment to them--which has been the guiding diplomatic principle of this administration--is ridiculous. Ronald Reagan constantly spoke to Soviet Union at a time when he called them an evil empire. He understood that we may not trust them and they may pose an extraordinary danger to this country, but we had the obligation to find areas where we can potentially move forward. And I think that it is a disgrace that we have not spoken to them.

CLINTON: I will not promise to meet with the leaders of these countries during my first year. I don’t want to be used for propaganda purposes. I don’t want to make a situation even worse. But I certainly agree that we need to get back to diplomacy.

Hillary Clinton on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Jul 23, 2007)
Diplomacy yes; propaganda no; when meeting enemy leaders

OBAMA: I would. The notion that somehow not talking to countries is punishment to them is ridiculous. I think that it is a disgrace that we have not spoken to them.

CLINTON: I will not promise to meet with the leaders of these countries during my first year. I will promise a very vigorous diplomatic effort but not a high level meeting before you know what the intentions are. I don’t want to be used for propaganda purposes. But I certainly agree that we need to get back to diplomacy, which has been turned into a bad word by this administration. I will use a lot of high-level presidential envoys to test the waters, to feel the way. But certainly, we’re not going to just have our president meet with Fidel Castro & Hugo Chavez & the president of North Korea, Iran & Syria until we know better what the way forward would be.

Joe Biden on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Apr 26, 2007)
Biggest threat to US is from North Korea, Iran, & Russia

A: The biggest threat to the US is, right now, North Korea. Iran not as big a threat, but a long-term threat. And quite frankly, the tendency of Putin to move in a totalitarian direction, which would unhinge all that’s going on positively in Europe.

Bill Nelson on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Oct 23, 2006)
Diplomacy first with N.Korea; keep military option on table

NELSON: The US has got to do everything possible to stop the continued nuclear program, through diplomacy particularly via China and South Korea. North Korea doesn’t have a missile that is a threat to us at this point, but they can peddle those nuclear weapons. You put that in the hands of terrorist groups, and we have a whole new destabilization of the world. So at the end of the day the US has got to be successful.

HARRIS: Clearly, nuclear North Korea would be a danger to us. We will not negotiate bilaterally with terrorists. The former administration did so, and it was a failed strategy.

Q: At what point should we consider a military option?

NELSON: We don’t want to have to use that option, because they have a million-man army. You do want to keep it on the table.

HARRIS: If the sanctions fail and none of the economic issue work, the final military option would be at stake.

Bill Nelson on North Korea: (Free Trade Oct 23, 2006)
Pressure China on trade, coupled with North Korea resolution

NELSON: This is the one area that we have trade that we can use as a hook to put pressure on North Korea. And then we can address the balance of trade. One of the things is the way they value their currency. We have been putting pressure on China to re-evaluate so the goods will more normally flow according to their value. But because of our trade deficit, we can use this as leverage to get them to help with the nukes in North Korea, and that would be a good day’s work.

HARRIS: The trade deficits have little to do with our interaction in North Korea. We’ve already had great success there in working with China, South Korea and Japan. They violate intellectual property rights every day. Every product that we market in China can be replicated in China, and it decimates us. We need to ensure that China honors those critical trade pacts. They need to play by the rules.

Amy Klobuchar on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Oct 15, 2006)
When North Korea crosses line, there have to be consequences

KLOBUCHAR: As a prosecutor, I know that when people cross a line, there’s got to be consequences. And in foreign affairs, it’s the same thing. I believe these sanctions are incredibly important; we can’t have North Korea begin to be some kind of weapons factory.

Q: If the North Koreans ignore the sanctions, what do we do?

KLOBUCHAR: We have to keep ratcheting things up. We have to keep working with our partners. But one of the things that went wrong here is that these multilateral discussions broke down, North Korea walked away from the table, and I believe we have to keep talking. It’s good that China’s part of this, but if it’s moving in the right direction and if we believe it’s in our national security interests, we should be talking to them directly. I mean, even during the Cold War we kept talking to Russia. And so the discussions are important, and we need to keep the diplomatic pressure on.

Mike Gravel on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Aug 15, 2006)
Bi-lateral plus multi-lateral talks with North Korea

Barack Obama on North Korea: (War & Peace Jul 12, 2004)
Engage North Korea in 6-party talks

Donald Trump on North Korea: (War & Peace Jul 2, 2000)
Use force to stop North Korean nuke development

Barack Obama on North Korea: (Government Reform Aug 1, 1996)
Campaign race baiting works in both directions

Joe Biden on North Korea: (War & Peace Oct 2, 1975)
With US troops in Korea, we are too committed to war

BIDEN: Sure, I can see that happening. We have troops stationed in Korea. Now, if the U.S. is sitting there with its hands in its pockets, troops and military equipment there, and the madman in the north decides to reinstitute open hostilities and invades across the border--we are in a war. There's no time to sit and think about whether or not we want to get involved. We have 42,000 troops there, and you know how the public side of foreign policy works: TV shows American troops 1under siege, and right away the question becomes, "What do we need to do to protect the American boys there?" But what I'm getting at is that, in this situation, we have

Mike Gravel on North Korea: (Foreign Policy Jan 1, 1972)
US should empower UN with stand-by peace force

The US, as the most powerful country, must now lead the way in building up the power and capacity of the UN to act effectively in areas of conflict.

In the long-run, I believe the UN must develop into the primary peace-keeping force on earth, and we should take the lead in this development.

A more powerful UN must grow slowly, applying its influence initially in regions where the conflicts of interest are limited and where the parties involved want to avoid war and seek peace. Beyond this, it can apply sanctions in cases of colonial oppression to permit independence movements to achieve legitimate ends. And it can maintain a permanent stand-by peace force, to serve as a presence whenever armed conflict threatens.