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The Asan Forum > North Korea

North Korea

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January 23, 2020 Country Reports
Country Report: South Korea (January 2020)

In December 2019, tensions increased on the Korean Peninsula as North Korea’s self-imposed year-end deadline approached. North Korea conducted two rocket engine tests at Tongchang-ri to pressure the […]

Yumi Ko

byungjin policy, GSOMIA, Moon-Xi summit, Mount Paektu, Strait of Hormuz, US-ROK alliance
January 4, 2020 Alternative Scenarios
Positive Scenario II

Several developments since October threaten the current engagement cycle with Pyongyang. North Korea has warned the United States of an ominous “Christmas gift.”1 It has conducted two “very […]

Brian Kim

GSOMIA, Mount Kumkang, Trump-Kim summit, US-China trade war, Worker’s Party
January 4, 2020 Alternative Scenarios
Negative Scenario II

2019, which began with high hopes for progress in nuclear talks, is coming to an end amid escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Contrary to expectations, there was […]

Jina Kim

ICBM, Trump-Kim summit, US-ROK alliance, wartime operational control, Worker’s Party
December 9, 2019 Country Reports
Country Report: South Korea (November 2019)

Through the fall, Seoul’s relationship with Tokyo has been at its nadir, but relations with both Pyongyang and Washington have also been deeply troubled. While conservative and progressive […]

Kim Kimberly

CVID, GSOMIA, Mount Geumgang, Pyongyang Declaration, Special Measures Agreement, Trump-Kim summit, US-ROK alliance
December 2, 2019 Country Reports
Country Report: Russia (November 2019)

China was on Russian minds the most, relegating the Korean Peninsula to second among Asian interests. On the one hand, Putin’s announcement of Russia transferring its missile defense […]

Editorial Staff (with the assistance of Olga Puzanova)

"Belt and Road" Initiative, Eastern Economic Forum, Force of Siberia, free and open Indo-Pacific, INF Treaty, Nuclear non-proliferation, turn to the East
October 31, 2019 Open Forum
Asian Missiles on the March

In his Asian tour in August, US defense secretary Mark Esper said that he would like to deploy new ground-launched, intermediate-range missiles in Asia as soon as possible. […]

Richard Weitz

anti-access/area denial, GSOMIA, INF Treaty, New START Treaty, No First Use policy, THAAD
October 28, 2019 Alternative Scenarios
Inter-Korean Relations

Editorial Staff

October 28, 2019 Alternative Scenarios
Positive Scenario I

Recently, North Korea broke off working-level nuclear talks with the United States hours after they began in Stockholm.1 Kim Myong-gil, the chief North Korean negotiator, placed the blame […]

Brian Kim

GSOMIA, Kaesong Industrial Complex, Korean War, Mount Kumkang, Trump-Kim summit, US-ROK alliance
October 28, 2019 Alternative Scenarios
Negative Scenario I

The working-level talks between the US and North Korea in Stockholm on October 4 and 5 fell apart after just one day. It was anticipated that the meeting […]

Jina Kim

Hanoi summit, Korean War, New Year’s Address, Non-proliferation treaty, US-ROK alliance
October 23, 2019 Open Forum
Synopsis: DC Exchanges on US-ROK Relations

The US-ROK relationship is overshadowing other interests in Washington regarding foreign policy in East Asia. The ongoing US-China trade war may appear more urgent, but in the absence […]

Editorial Staff

“small deal”, free and open Indo-Pacific, GSOMIA, inter-Korean summit, THAAD, Trump-Kim summit, US-China trade war