US-North Korea denuclearization deadlock widens Pyongyang's options

Washington's insistence on denuclearization before normalization has prolonged deadlock, expanding North Korea's strategic options. The armistice was signed by the Korean People's Army, Chinese forces, and the US representing UN Command, with South Korea refusing. Beijing's policy is not the main obstacle; the impasse centers on Washington and Pyongyang. Decades of US denuclearization-first posture have failed, as North Korea now possesses a more sophisticated nuclear force.