• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation

Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation

  • Policy Issues
    • Fact Sheets
    • Countries
    • Nuclear Weapons
    • Non-Proliferation
    • Nuclear Security
    • Biological & Chemical Weapons
    • Defense Spending
    • Missile Defense
    • No First Use
  • Nukes of Hazard
    • Podcast
    • Blog
      • Next Up In Arms Control
    • Videos
  • Join Us
  • Press
  • About
    • Staff
    • Boards & Experts
    • Jobs & Internships
    • Financials and Annual Reports
    • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • Search

North Korea

North Korea, led by the young and unpredictable Kim Jong Un, has a small but dangerous stockpile of an estimated 50 nuclear weapons and a growing arsenal of ballistic missiles. 

Despite extreme international pressure and sanctions, North Korea has defiantly pursued a nuclear weapons program for decades in a self-described attempt to protect the regime from the security threats posed by adversarial countries. In 2003, North Korea withdrew from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and then tested its first nuclear weapon on October 9, 2006. It continues to build its stockpile of nuclear weapons, test short- and medium-range ballistic missiles, and produce fissile material. North Korea has not conducted a nuclear test since 2017. 

After a period of heightened tensions between North Korea and United States, President Trump pursued unorthodox diplomatic overtures with North Korea, culminating in bilateral summits in Singapore and Hanoi in 2018 and 2019. However, these summits appeared to focus on pageantry more than substance, and relations again took a turn for the worse as no concrete progress came out of the summits.

Ignoring this problem won’t make it go away. In fact, it will make the situation worse. Working alongside allies, the United States must return to the negotiating table quickly and pursue a pragmatic, step-by-step diplomatic process that all parties can agree on to eventually reach denuclearization and establish peace on the Korean peninsula.

Factsheets
In the news
Infographics

 

Recent Analysis on North Korea

  • The Korean Peninsula Has Seen Grand Overtures Come and Go – What Matters Now is Whether Small Steps Can Still Lead Somewhere July 9, 2025
  • A South Korean Bomb Would Be No Boon for Burden-Shifting April 18, 2025
  • Op-ed: North Korean Forces in Ukraine: What it Means and What to Do April 10, 2025
  • Op-ed: North Korea in Ukraine: What It Means for the World February 1, 2025
  • The Fall of Assad: A Cautionary Tale for Kim Jong Un  December 12, 2024
  • How Koreans View Nuclear Issues: Lessons From My Visit October 29, 2024
  • Op-ed: North Korean Troops in Russia: What Are They Doing There? October 25, 2024
  • Addressing the China Challenge: The Fallacy of Relying on a Cold War Lens for Nuclear Issues September 18, 2024
  • “‘북핵 시나리오’ 논의 중대한 진전…한국 핵무장론 억제 방안 모색” September 6, 2024
  • Triangular Tensions: U.S., China and the Emerging Russia-North Korea Alliance July 8, 2024

Read more North Korea posts

Footer

Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation

820 1st Street NE, Suite LL-180
Washington, D.C. 20002
Phone: 202.546.0795

Issues

  • Fact Sheets
  • Countries
  • Nuclear Weapons
  • Non-Proliferation
  • Nuclear Security
  • Defense Spending
  • Biological and Chemical Weapons
  • Missile Defense
  • No First Use

Countries

  • China
  • France
  • India and Pakistan
  • Iran
  • Israel
  • North Korea
  • Russia
  • United Kingdom

Explore

  • Nukes of Hazard blog
  • Nukes of Hazard podcast
  • Nukes of Hazard videos
  • Front and Center
  • Fact Sheets

About

  • About
  • Meet the Staff
  • Boards & Experts
  • Press
  • Jobs & Internships
  • Financials and Annual Reports
  • Contact Us
  • Council for a Livable World
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Facebook

© 2025 Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
Privacy Policy

Charity Navigator GuideStar Seal of Transparency