Editor’s note: The following article is an opinion piece by Benjamin R. Young, a researcher and analyst of North Korea and U.S.-East Asia relations. Views expressed in opinion articles are exclusively the author’s own and do not represent those of NK News.

As Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House, he confronts a situation on the Korean Peninsula that is remarkably different from his first term, and a North Korean leader who is more assertive than ever thanks to strengthened ties with Russia.

But the unorthodox former president is also uniquely positioned to forge a sustainable path through