Beyond Denuclearization: The Second Reagan Doctrine

Explore why the U.S. must move beyond stalled denuclearization policy—and how a Second Reagan Doctrine brings the clarity needed to confront a nuclear North Korea and shape the post-Kim future.

Key Insights

• No Denuclearization under Kim: More than two decades of U.S. efforts to denuclearize North Korea have stalled. Meanwhile, the Kim regime has only expanded its nuclear arsenal and, now backed by Russia, openly demands recognition as a nuclear state.

  
  

• Coexistence with a Nuclear North Korea Is Not an Option: Accepting North Korea’s nuclear status would spark regional arms races, proliferation to rogue states like Iran, and the collapse of global nonproliferation norms. The U.S. and North Korea are now locked in a structural, zero-sum confrontation.

  
  

• A Strategic Shift Is Needed-The Second Reagan Doctrine: Rather than seeking reform or accommodation, the U.S. should adopt a Reagan-style strategy focused on maximum pressure, support for internal resistance, and long-term planning for a post-Kim future.

  
  

• Five Pillars for Policy Success: The Second Reagan Doctrine rests on

  • Strategic moral clarity (the regime is the root problem)

  • Peace through strength (credible deterrence)

  • Information warfare (break the regime’s control over truth)

  • Support for dissidents and defectors

  • Readiness for collapse and transition

  
  

• Trump’s Opportunity to Lead: Like Reagan in the 1980s, Trump now has a unique opportunity to lead with bold, values-driven strategy. His past remarks show clarity on the North Korea issue—and this doctrine could become his defining foreign policy legacy.

For more than two decades, U.S. policy toward North Korea has revolved around one central goal: denuclearization. From sanctions and strategic patience to high-profile summits, Washington has tried nearly every approach. Yet the Kim regime has only advanced its nuclear arsenal—and now, backed by Russia, it openly demands recognition as a nuclear state.

On July 29, Kim Yo Jong reaffirmed this reality, declaring that denuclearization talks are off the table and warning that any attempt to deny this reality would be “thoroughly rejected”

Yet, the United States cannot accept a nuclear North Korea. To do so would trigger regional arms races, nuclear proliferation to anti-U.S. regimes like Iran, and the unraveling of global nonproliferation norms. In other words, the U.S. and North Korea face a structural deadlock. Relations between the two nations are locked into a zero-sum confrontation. The longer Washington clings to failed assumptions, the higher the cost will be.

Solution: A Second Reagan Doctrine

So what is the alternative?

Despite its outward confidence, the Kim regime is rapidly unraveling from within. Cracks are deepening in both its military and social foundations. Now is the time for Washington to shift course—away from reforming the Kim regime and toward outlasting it.

The Reagan Doctrine shows how to confront hostile regimes not by appeasement or fruitless negotiations, but by sustained pressure, support for internal resistance, and preparation for what comes next.

The U.S. should stop trying to change Kim Jong Un’s behavior and start preparing to outlast his regime through coordinated strategic pressure, just as Reagan did with the Soviet Union.

Five Pillars of the Second Reagan Doctrine

1. Strategic Moral Clarity

   Like Reagan calling the USSR an “evil empire,” the U.S. must recognize that the Kim regime—not just its weapons—is the root of the problem. No policy can succeed without rejecting the illusion that this dictatorship can be reformed.

2. Peace Through Strength

   Diplomacy only works when backed by overwhelming power. The U.S. should bolster missile defense, joint military readiness, and extended deterrence with South Korea and Japan, making it clear that any aggression will be met with resolve.

3. Information Warfare

   The regime survives by isolating its people from truth. The U.S. must invest in radio broadcasts, USB smuggling, and digital outreach to pierce the information wall—just as it did behind the Iron Curtain.

   
   

4. Support for Internal Resistance

   Dissidents, defectors, and soldiers with doubts are North Korea’s future. America should elevate these voices, fund exile-led media, and offer asylum and training to those who risk their lives for freedom.

   
   

5. Post-collapse Readiness

   Reagan’s vision extended beyond collapse. He called for “a Europe whole and free,” and prepared Western institutions to integrate former communist states. In the same way, the United States should now begin preparing for a post-Kim North Korea not as an afterthought, but as a strategic priority. A power vacuum must not be left for China or Russia to fill.

Trump’s Reagan Moment

Ronald Reagan was mocked when he predicted the collapse of the Soviet Union. Yet he was proven right because his doctrine was rooted in truth, strength, and long-term vision.

President Trump now faces a similar opportunity. Like Reagan, he is no conventional politician—he is a warrior. That identity, combined with his bold and unorthodox leadership, positions him uniquely to lead this effort.

He has already shown moral clarity on North Korea. In his speech to South Korea’s National Assembly on November 7, 2017, he declared:

That dream can become reality, not through the illusion of diplomacy or dangerous delay, but through a Second Reagan Doctrine.

Or, perhaps, a Trump Doctrine—one that could become his defining foreign policy legacy.

Author: B.J. Choi, founder of NVNK, obtained his Master's degree in Asian Studies from the George Washington University. He previously worked for the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (WWICS), and Cornerstone Ministries International (CMI) on North Korea issues.