▲ U.S. President Donald Trump (L) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un shake hands at the inter-Korean border truce village of Panmunjom on June 30, 2019. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) Trump-N Korea policy

(LEAD) Trump weighs letting N. Korea keep nukes, offering incentives to stop building new bombs: Politico

(ATTN: ADDS more details, info in paras 2-3, 8-10)

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 (Yonhap) -- Former President Donald Trump is considering a negotiation plan under which North Korea freezes its nuclear program in return for sanctions relief and some other form of aid, U.S. media outlet, Politico, reported Wednesday, citing three people briefed on it.

Politico published the article on the plan that may allow the North to retain its existing nuclear arms, as Trump is seeking a second White House term in next year's election, which is expected to be a rematch between him and incumbent President Joe Biden.

"Donald Trump is considering a plan to let North Korea keep its nuclear weapons and offer its regime financial incentives to stop making new bombs," the article reads.

One of the ideas that Trump is weighing would involve enticing the North to freeze its nuclear program and stop developing new weapons in return for relief from economic sanctions and some other form of assistance, the outlet said. It would also require verification to ensure the North delivers on its end of the deal.

Politico raised the possibility that Trump could seek the North's denuclearization as a long-term goal.

Part of Trump's motivation for the idea would be to focus on the "larger task of competing with China" while avoiding "wasting time on what he sees as futile arms talks," the outlet said.

The idea, if pushed for, could cause friction with Seoul as South Korea has long been pursuing North Korea's complete denuclearization while seeking a credible nuclear deterrent provided by the United States.

Talk of a nuclear freeze surfaced in the past as part of a potential interim deal aimed at achieving North Korea's complete denuclearization. But a deal that does not specify the end goal of denuclearization could unnerve Seoul and Tokyo.

Trump's campaign spokesperson, Steven Cheung, denies what could amount to a softening of his stance on the North, according to Politico.

With a long-running impasse in denuclearization efforts, calls have emerged for a new approach to persuade the North to renounce its nuclear ambitions -- particularly when Pyongyang has enshrined its nuclear armament in its constitution and adopted an aggressive nuclear policy.

During his presidential term from 2017-2021, Trump sought leader-to-leader diplomacy with the North, which led to three face-to-face meetings between him and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

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