Publication

This paper describes how North Korea’s nuclear program has been an obstacle to peace on the Korean Peninsula, a threat to stability in Northeast Asia, and a global non-proliferation challenge all at the same time. The author explains that the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula remains in the balance, but that there is some legitimate room for optimism, as Washington’s return to a stronger emphasis on diplomacy and China’s growing will to exert leverage on North Korea have created the necessary balance of pressure and dialogue in the Six-Party Talks. The paper states that the prospects of long-term security, however, will also hinge on the challenge of how to support the internal political and socio-economic transformation of North Korea.