The Challenges of US-North Korea Negotiations and the Requirements for Its Continuity in the Light of Exercising Soft Power

From the perspective of soft power, this article seeks to answer the key question of why negotiation and diplomacy as key elements of soft power in resolving the North Korean nuclear issue with the United States have failed. And what are the requirements for continuing to use these soft power levers in the North Korean nuclear issue? The provisional hypothesis of the article is that the pursuit of conflicting goals by the United States and North Korea, such as nuclear deterrence and economic recovery by North Korea and complete nuclear disarmament by the United States, is the most important reason for the failure of negotiations and diplomacy. But the main requirement for the continuation of the negotiation process as the main tool of soft power is the non-use of hard power (sanctions and military tools) by the United States and the establishment of a culture of dialogue in international relations. The findings show that any progress in reducing North Korea's nuclear warheads or nuclear disarmament will be achieved solely through continued negotiation. Therefore, the rapprochement of the two countries' positions, mediated by actors such as South Korea, China and Russia, reducing the emphasis on hard power pyramids against North Korea and increasing international cooperation, especially among the permanent members of the Security Council on the one hand is necessary and Indicates the need to continue to use soft power. The data collection method is based on the library method and the research method is based on the descriptive-analytical method.