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U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at the White House in Washington, D.C., during the virtual Leaders Summit on Climate, Friday. AFP-Yonhap

By Jung Da-min

The United States seems to be fine-tuning different opinions between moderates and hard-liners within the Biden administration on its policy review of North Korea, which is believed to be in its final stages, according to Pyongyang watchers, Sunday.

The U.S. president was expected to complete the review as early as this month, given that the White House released its Interim National Security Strategic Guidance for this year in March. But Jalina Porter, the U.S. State Department's principal deputy spokeswoman, said Friday (local time), that there was no specific timeline for the review.

"The Biden administration is conducting a through interagency review of our policy towards North Korea, and that would include the implementation of ongoing pressure measures as well as options for future diplomacy. And again, we have nothing to preview since that review is still ongoing," Porter said.

Cha Du-hyeogn, a visiting research fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said two different opinions seem to be clashing among the U.S. president's aides, although the Biden administration had earlier set forth the major principle of its North Korea policy ― pursuing a gradual approach, conditioned upon an end state of North Korea's complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization (CVID).

"While hard-liners say that Washington should raise pressure on North Korea by increasing sanctions, those who favor moderate strategies say that they should negotiate with Pyongyang first while freezing sanctions at the current level," Cha said.

He added that the outline of the Biden administration's North Korea policy is expected to be announced soon, but Washington is weighing which strategy would be more effective while looking at the situation in the North.

"North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's warning of a new Arduous March could mean the country is undergoing a significant crisis, which is adding to Washington's considerations in the final stages of its North Korea policy review," Cha said.

North Korea watchers said the Biden administration also faces complex security issues amid setting the policy, especially the growing rivalry between the U.S. and China.

Hong Min, a senior researcher at the state-run Korea Institute for National Unification, believes the South Korean government has in the meantime been put in a difficult position.

"From the perspective of the South Korean government, the most controversial problem is the U.S. pressure and siege strategy against China, with Washington unfolding a very big umbrella of partnering with countries in the region," Hong said.

"For the South Korean government, the situation would be difficult if Washington deals with democracy and human rights issues in China and North Korea at the same time, as this would strengthen ties between the socialist countries."

Hong said if North Korea resumes military provocations in such a situation, there will be little room left for South Korea's diplomacy.

"Seoul should make diplomatic efforts to deliver a message that Washington should deal with the issues of China and North Korea separately," he said.

Meanwhile, a summit between President Moon Jae-in and Biden is slated for late next month.