South Korea's policy shift comes as North Korea deepens its ties with Moscow and Beijing. Although Washington has not formally recognized North Korea as a legitimate nuclear weapons state, last year the administration's National Security Strategy omitted any mention of North Korea or denuclearization, in a stark departure from previous doctrines. Lee Jin-man / AP / AP A visitor watches the North Korean side from the unification observatory in Paju, South Korea, on Jan. 29, 2025. North Korea knows this too, she says, and "it would be too naive to think they will come out to talk." "The biggest beneficiaries of the war between Russia and Ukraine are North Korea and Kim Jong Un."