South Korea ditches 'denuclearization-first' strategy. What will Pyongyang do next?

South Korea is moving away from its policy of prioritizing the immediate denuclearization of North Korea. But despite that shift, experts doubt Pyongyang will return to the negotiating table.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4439x2959+0+0/resize/4439x2959!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F70%2F95%2F02ca7c6749b3a340ba7581331885%2Fap26154836958089.jpg' alt='In this photo provided by the North Korean government, its leader Kim Jong Un, front right, visits a new facility to produce nuclear bomb fuels at an undisclosed place in North Korea Wednesday, June 3, 2026. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified.'/><p>South Korea is moving away from its policy of prioritizing the immediate denuclearization of North Korea. But despite that shift, experts doubt Pyongyang will return to the negotiating table.</p><p>(Image credit: KCNA/KNS)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5917877' />