Last week, North Korea unveiled a variety of weapons during an exhibition which included their newest developed “hypersonic missile”, Hwasong-8. This recent exhibition was one of the biggest displays of North Korean weapons in the last couple of years, and the country’s leader, KimJong-un, made it clear that he will continue to build up their military forces. It comes at a time when the United States is pushing for North Korea to return to nuclear disarmament talks, but so far the country has rejected starting any negotiations. 

This week, Ankit Panda joins Doug to unpack the state of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program and what it means for U.S. policy toward North Korea.

1. Ankit Panda, "North Korea's New 'Hypersonic Missile': Not A Game Changer Just Yet", 19FortyFive
2. Ankit Panda, "Why North Korea's New Cruise Missile Matters", Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
3. Toby Dalton and Ankit Panda, "Lessons From the Iran Deal for Nuclear Negotiations With North Korea", Carnegie Endowment for International Peace