North Korea policy is unlikely to change in the short-term, despite uncertainty surrounding the recent surprise victory of President-elect Donald J. Trump, long-time North Korea watcher Bruce Klingner told NK News during a November interview in Seoul.

Time is necessary for Trump to confirm key appointees, conduct a full policy review, and decide whether North Korea will be a major focus of policy or not, all factors that suggest a continuation of the status quo is likely for the immediate period ahead.

A significant variable, however, relates to whether North Korea greets the Trump administration with a ‘provocation’ like a nuclear test or long-range rocket launch, Klingner, a