THE UNITED STATES FOREIGN POLICY UNDER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP IN UTILIZING THE MAXIMUM PRESSURE AND ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY TOWARDS NORTH KOREA’S NUCLEAR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (2017-2019)

Abstract

Political developments in the issue of international security cannot be separated from the issue of nuclear development in North Korea, which has a very progressive impact on current international politics. North Korea's nuclear development that took place during the 2017-2019 period has caused quite a number of impacts, especially in terms of the perception of North Korea's nuclear threat to the United States. In the foreign policy of the United States from the George W Bush administration to Barack Obama, this country has several interests, including handling terrorism to handling nuclear development in North Korea. Through this thesis, the author discussed and provided views on the implementation of US foreign policy on North Korea's nuclear development from 2017-2019 under the administration of Donald Joseph Trump by using a strategy of maximum pressure and engagement. This study uses several approaches, namely foreign policy theory by Walter Carlsnaes by analyzing agents (foreign policy-making actors) and structure (influencing factors), as well as the use of threat perception theory. While the methodology used is descriptive qualitative with library research and collection techniques. The state of the sovereignty of the United States has been threatened along with the sovereignty of allies such as South Korea and Japan after North Korea was claimed to be one of the countries in the world that already possesses nuclear weapons. Therefore, the United States under Donald Trump's leadership is trying to implement a strategy of maximum pressure and engagement after the previous president, Barack Obama, failed to implement Strategic Patience on the issue of denuclearization of North Korea. With that, it can be said that the change in direction and foreign policy of the United States under Donald Trump has focused on responding to North Korea's nuclear development program which will be discussed in this thesis.