What Can be Done About North Korea?

This week, Mike and Jude are joined by Sue Mi Terry, Director of the Asia Program and the Hyundai Motor-Korea Foundation Center for Korean History and Public Policy at the Wilson Center, to discuss recent political and international security developments in the Korean Peninsula. They begin by examining the close alignment with the United States evinced in South Korea’s recent Indo-Pacific strategy, while noting South Korea’s careful balancing act to avoid conflict with China. They then turn to North Korea, exploring the Kim regime’s evolving nuclear doctrine and more frequent missile tests. Observing that the global response to these developments has been understated, they discuss potential international actions to break the deadlock on North Korean security issues. Next, they examine public opinion in South Korea toward the hypothetical acquisition of a nuclear arsenal, and Seoul’s desire for a more closely integrated deterrence policy with the United States. They conclude by considering the potential for domestic instability in North Korea and how China may be assessing North Korea’s more aggressive approach to nuclear testing.