WASHINGTON, Dec 2 (Reuters) – The incoming U.S. administration must make an early choice on what strategy it can take with North Korea and never repeat the delay of the Obama period, a former U.S. official who has suggested President-elect Joe Biden stated on Wednesday.

Kurt Campbell, the highest U.S. diplomat for East Asia below President Barack Obama and seen as a contender for a senior place below Biden, stated the administration he had served in started with a “slightly extended interval of research” on the best way to deal with Pyongyang.

“One of many key challenges of Biden administration is the necessity to make an early choice about what to do with respect to North Korea,” Campbell stated.

He stated the interval of delay in the course of the Obama administration noticed “provocative” steps by North Korea “that mainly headed off any risk of engagement.”

Campbell had reward for the “terribly daring strokes” of outgoing President Donald Trump’s North Korea diplomacy, which concerned unprecedented summits with North Korean chief Kim Jong Un, although thus far no progress in persuading him to surrender nuclear weapons and missiles that threaten the USA.

“Once I speak about areas that I feel we have to emulate or admire, I feel some boldness is acceptable in American overseas coverage, significantly in Asia,” Campbell stated, whereas stressing the necessity to work carefully with South Korea.

“Early indicators to North Korea might be one thing that might be close to the highest of the record of the Biden staff as they assume workplace,” he stated.

Whereas Kim has been unwilling to surrender his weapons, he has carried out no nuclear or long-range missile assessments since 2017. He has although proven off new weapons and there are fears he may resume assessments to problem the incoming U.S. administration.

Biden, who was vp below Obama, referred to as Kim a “thug” in the course of the election marketing campaign and stated the “days of cozying as much as dictators are over.”

Final yr, North Korea referred to as Biden a “rabid canine” that wanted to be “overwhelmed to dying with a stick.”

Biden stated in October he would solely meet Kim “on the situation that he would agree that he can be drawing down his nuclear capability to get there. The Korean Peninsula needs to be a nuclear free-zone.” (Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Enhancing by Bernadette Baum)