The U.S., N.Korea and East Asia policy: Foggy thinking at Foggy Bottom? | NK News
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October 21, 2026Oct 21, 2026

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The U.S., N.Korea and East Asia policy: Foggy thinking at Foggy Bottom?

Can the U.S. rein in China’s territorial ambitions and still expect its help enforcing sanctions?

Foggy Bottom is the sobriquet for the U.S. Department of State, and some observers might be wondering whether that tag couldn’t be more appropriate these days regarding U.S. policy regarding North Korea. On first glance, it might seem that American policy is comprised of two approaches that are in opposition to each other – and thus not at all productive. Is the U.S. government aware that its right and left hands look out of sync with each other? There is an answer to that question – and it may be surprising – but we need to look at the context