Opening More Channels in US-North Korea Relations

President Trump and Secretary Tillerson are at odds on diplomacy between the U.S. and North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea, or DPRK). The direct line between the DPRK ambassador to the UN Pak Song II and the U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy Joseph Yun is the only confirmed direct channel of communication between the two countries. The benefit of the humanitarian channel is that the consistent contact allows for basic trust, creative problem-solving, and rich conversations between Americans and North Koreans that, in this author's experience, can cover everything from comparing high scores on Temple Run (a popular game on smartphones) to hypothetical foreign policy proposals.