It's early days for the new American administration and yet it is already becoming clear that Biden will not likely be taking a friendly approach in regards to North Korea among others. In contrast to Trump who sought personal friendship and new bonds with North Korea, Biden looks set to return to the days when the US attempted to diplomatically pressurize North Korea into entering nuclear arms control. Secretary of State Blinken recently indicated that the US would return to not only coercing North Korea to disarm but also addressing the blatant human rights violations in the dictatorship that Trump had ignored. This return to a tough negotiating stance could be problematic for South Korea though, as it has spent quite some time now seeking a peaceful reconciliation with North Korea. Even after the failed Trump summit, South Korea has repeatedly sought to re-engage North Korea in dialogue, with little to no success. Almost as an olive branch offering, South Korea even banned the launching of anti-regime leaflets into the North from its side of the border, partly to appease the North and in part because the South Korean government claims that the leaflets have caused 'safety issues'. As before, the US and its allies once again consider the disarmament of North Korea a key security priority and a vital part of achieving global arms control. North Korea in recent times has continued to develop nuclear capabilities that it claims could even threaten the United States. Last year, it unveiled its biggest yet ICBM as part of a parade North Korea itself has been relatively silent in regards to the new Biden administration, though this is part of the regime's usual plans of establishing relations with a new administration. Biden recently confirmed that his administration had reached out to the North Korean dictatorship for a diplomatic outreach but this attempt was completely ignored. Instead, North Korea decided to send a brief message in its typical fashion. Kim Jong-Un's sister and close advisor, Kim Yo-Jong warned the US to avoid creating 'a stink' in the region 'if it wanted to sleep peacefully for the next four years'. This is apparently a warning to not resume war games with South Korea as the US attempts to return to its traditional duties and roles in the region. Blinken is expected to discuss the twin security issues of China and North Korea as he tours regional allied states in the coming month. But how will this be different from all the other times North Korea has been engaged? Many in the international community have warned against a careless view of North Korean diplomacy. While there may be a temptation for traditional diplomacy to mock and ignore North Korean diplomacy as comical and incomprehensible, therein lies a dangerous misunderstanding. The regime understands what the world wants from it and has been adept at dangling it just out of sight. Every time the regime has required a relaxation of its sanctions, it has dangled nuclear disarmament as a possibility to draw out concessions before promptly pulling back into isolation once again. Most experts do not believe the regime actually ever intends to give up its nuclear weapons as they have very much become their largest claim to power, without which the regime fears it would be deposed by US regime change tactics. In light of such circumstances, the US must consider the use of alternative tactics that recognise the failure of traditional diplomacy in regards to the dictatorship.