New strategy with Kim

The White House says US President Joe Biden plans to differ from his two most recent predecessors as he tries to stop North Korea’s nuclear programme, rejecting both Donald Trump’s deeply personal effort to win over North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, and Barack Obama’s more hands-off approach. ‘‘Our goal remains the complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula,’’ press secretary Jen Psaki said. Biden is expected to be focused less on developing a rapport with Kim and more on consulting with Japan and South Korea, both of which looked askance at Trump’s attempts to cultivate Kim as a friend or elevate him to the level of an international statesman. The last face-to-face talks between senior officials from both countries were held in Sweden in 2019.