U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, left, raises her hand with President Joe Biden at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Ill. Monday (local time). AP-Yonhap

The U.S. Democratic Party's newly unveiled platform has omitted its long-standing goal of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, raising concerns among experts in Seoul about how Vice President Kamala Harris, the party's presidential candidate, might handle North Korea's nuclear threats if elected.

Experts said Tuesday that while the omission does not necessarily indicate that Washington will abandon the goal of denuclearizing North Korea, it could suggest a shift in U.S. policy toward nuclear disarmament agreements under a potential Harris administration.

This could lead to subtle differences with the South Korean government's approach, as President Yoon Suk Yeol has maintained that negotiations with Pyongyang should only move forward if North Korea demonstrates substantial progress toward denuclearization.

The Democratic Party released its platform ahead of a four-day national convention in Chicago, which began on Monday (local time), where President Joe Biden officially passed the torch to Harris as the party's presidential candidate.

The 92-page document, outlining Team Harris' policy priorities, references South Korea seven times and North Korea six times.

It highlights strengthened trilateral cooperation between Seoul, Washington and Tokyo under the Biden administration, emphasizing efforts to ensure stability on the Korean Peninsula. It also sharply criticizes former President Donald Trump's approach to North Korea, accusing him of embarrassing the U.S. on the global stage by flattering North Korean leader Kim Jong-un through the exchange of what it calls “love letters.”

Notably absent from the document is any mention of the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, which was included in the Democratic platform in 2020 when Biden ran for president.

At that time, the platform committed to “building a sustained, coordinated diplomatic campaign to advance the longer-term goal of denuclearization,” along with support for humanitarian aid and efforts to pressure the North Korean regime to cease human rights abuses.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, center, gestures as he inspects nuclear warheads at an unidentified location in this photo carried by the North's Korean Central News Agency, March 28, 2023. Yonhap

The omission of denuclearization from the 2024 platform has sparked concerns among experts in Seoul.

Some analysts have warned that this shift reflects a growing consensus among Democrats that managing North Korea's nuclear capabilities through a disarmament deal might be more pragmatic than pursuing the increasingly elusive goal of complete denuclearization.

“Denuclearization is becoming more of a rhetorical stance in the U.S. not just among Republicans but also Democrats,” said Cho Han-bum, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification, a state-funded think tank.

“After the U.S. presidential elections, regardless of which party wins, we may see Washington shift toward disarmament negotiations to break the stalemate. The focus of their goal would be to freeze North Korea's nuclear weapons so they do not pose direct threats to the U.S.”

Such a move could undermine Yoon's “audacious initiative,” which sets North Korea's genuine steps toward denuclearization as a precondition for any discussions, Cho said.

He suggested that the Yoon administration should prepare a Plan B, possibly involving negotiations with the U.S. to secure support for South Korea's acquisition of nuclear arms or the redeployment of tactical nuclear weapons, in return for Seoul's tacit recognition of Pyongyang's nuclear status.

Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University, expressed concerns that North Korean issues may be sidelined under a potential Harris administration.

"It seems to reflect the broader situation in the U.S., where critics argue that a complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization (CVID) on the Korean Peninsula is becoming increasingly unrealistic. A growing number of American scholars suggest that clinging to unrealistic goals should be replaced by a focus on moving toward nuclear disarmament," he said.

"The resignation of U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Jung Pak in July, without the immediate appointment of a successor, was seen as a sign that North Korea is not a priority for Biden — and the Democratic Party platform suggests it may not be for Harris either."

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris gestures at a military observation post during her visit to the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, in Panmunjeom in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Sept. 29, 2022. AP-Yonhap

However, some analysts argue that it is premature to judge the Democratic Party platform — finalized on July 16 before Biden withdrew from the race and endorsed Harris — as clearly reflecting the vice president's policy priorities.

“It seems far-fetched to conclude that Harris would abandon the goal of denuclearization or recognize North Korea as a nuclear state, especially considering that maintaining the non-proliferation regime is a cornerstone of the Democratic Party's policy,” said Cha Du-hyeogn, a research fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies.

“The party's fundamental approach to Pyongyang remains focused on resolving issues through dialogue and negotiation. Harris is likely to continue most of Biden's North Korea policies."

South Korea's foreign ministry said that the commitment of both the South and the U.S. to North Korea's denuclearization remains steadfast.

"Regardless of the outcome of the U.S. presidential election, we will continue to maintain close communication and cooperation with the U.S. on policies regarding North Korea and its nuclear program," ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong said during a briefing, Tuesday, when asked about the Democratic Party platform.