North Korea, led by the young and unpredictable Kim Jong Un, has an estimated 30 nuclear weapons. It continues to build its stockpile of nuclear weapons, while launching tests of missiles and growing its nuclear capability. Its last nuclear test was September 3, 2017.
While unorthodox, the Center supported President Trump’s diplomatic overtures with North Korea in 2018 and 2019 as a potentially new way to reach a denuclearization agreement where others have failed. But now in 2020, it is obvious the summits in Singapore and Hanoi were about pageantry more than substance. Recent statements by the Trump Administration indicate President Trump wants to drop the issue until after the 2020 general election.
Ignoring this problem won’t make it go away. In fact, it will make the situation worse. The Center strongly supports returning to the negotiating table quickly, and urges President Trump to empower diplomats and technical experts to come up with an agreement all parties can agree on for the sake of reducing nuclear threats.
Recent Analysis on North Korea
- North Korea’s “increasingly sophisticated” nuclear program threatens U.S.: DOD April 7, 2020
- Op-ed: America Needs Immediate (Socially Distanced) Negotiations with North Korea April 2, 2020
- World nuclear arsenal sizes March 10, 2020
- North Korea is an “illegal nuclear power,” IAEA chief insists February 5, 2020
- Citing nuclear North Korea, “Doomsday Clock” moves closer than ever to midnight January 24, 2020
- Reciprocate U.S. calls for dialogue, ambassador to UN urges North Korea December 11, 2019
- North Korean ballistic missile tests are very standard. Say WHAT? October 23, 2019
- North Korean Missile Delivers a Message: There’s Little Japan Can Do October 2, 2019
- History of U.S.-North Korean diplomacy August 16, 2019
- Nuclear Tensions: INF Treaty, Iran and North Korea August 2, 2019
