Korea

November 22, 2021 | David Maxwell |

End Of Korean War Declaration: Why Just Words On Paper Won’t Matter

Let me state up front that I want peace on the Korean peninsula, and I think all Koreans and Americans want peace. The question is, will an end of war declaration contribute to peace if there is no change...

September 17, 2021 | Behnam Ben Taleblu, Bradley Bowman, David Maxwell

New Cruise Missile Gives North Korea Lethal Capability

The long-range weapon could strike South Korea, Japan, and U.S. bases in the region.

September 9, 2021 | Anthony Ruggiero |

Washington is ready to fall into Kim Jong Un’s trap, again

How many times will the United States pay North Korea to shut down the same nuclear reactor? The answer so far is three, although the Biden White House seems increasingly ready to make it four. North Korea...

September 3, 2021 | Jonathan Schanzer |

Forging the American-Israeli Alliance of the Future

In the shadow of the ISIS-K attack that killed 13 American troops in Afghanistan, Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett met President Joe Biden at the White House. The visit reaffirmed the close ties...

June 22, 2021 | Mathew Ha |

North Korea Likely Behind Hack Targeting South Korean Nuclear Submarine

The South Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) stated on Sunday that hackers infiltrated Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering, seeking to steal documents regarding naval vessels...

June 9, 2021 | Mathew Ha |

South Korea Should Reassess Its Push for Inter-Korean Engagement

Has Pyongyang ever reciprocated Seoul or Washington’s goodwill gestures or concessions in the past? Unfortunately for Lee, copious evidence from prior negotiations demonstrates not only that North Korea has consistently failed to do so, but that concessions only further embolden North Korea.

May 25, 2021 | David Maxwell, Mathew Ha

Biden-Moon Summit Signals Tougher South Korean Stance Against China

President Joe Biden and South Korean President Moon Jae-in held their first summit on May 21 in Washington. While public attention has focused primarily on Biden’s and Moon’s respective policies toward...

May 7, 2021 | Mathew Ha |

Biden Must Push President Moon to Get Real on ROK-China Relations

Moon’s reluctance to hold the Chinese government accountable for its misdeeds underscores a challenge for the United States and other allied governments in bolstering regional cooperative efforts supporting a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

April 12, 2021 | David Maxwell |

Anticipating the Biden Administration’s New North Korea Policy

The heart of the administration’s new Korea policy will likely focus on implementing the relevant UN Security Council resolutions to achieve North Korea’s verifiable nuclear dismantlement.

April 7, 2021 | Mathew Ha |

North Korean Human Rights Should Unite the U.S.-ROK Alliance, Not Divide It

The U.S. State Department last week released its annual report on human rights abuses throughout the world, which included comprehensive detail regarding North Korea’s ongoing human rights violations...

March 15, 2021 | Mathew Ha |

Ahead of U.S.-ROK Meeting, Unresolved Policy Disputes Still Trouble the Alliance

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will meet with their South Korean counterparts in Seoul on March 17, at which point the U.S. secretaries will likely share preliminary...

March 8, 2021 | David Maxwell |

How to Conduct the Biden Administration’s Korea Policy Review

The way ahead is deterrence, defense, denuclearization, human rights upfront, and solving the “Korea question” (e.g., unification) with the understanding that denuclearization of the north will only happen when we resolve that “Korea question.”

February 10, 2021 | Bradley Bowman |

Trump’s Worst 2 Military Mistakes for Biden to Fix

Some policies may be worth keeping, but Trump’s handling of allies and withdrawals from conflict zones are not among them.

February 4, 2021 | Mathew Ha |

Suspending U.S.-ROK Military Exercises Will Not Facilitate Peace Negotiations

Seoul may have its hopes up, but history shows Pyongyang will not change course if military exercises are altered.

January 13, 2021 | David Maxwell, Mathew Ha

Kim Jong Un Seeks to Bully Biden on the Diplomatic Stage

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un finally broke his silence last week on his regime’s policy toward the incoming Biden administration, labeling the United States as Pyongyang’s “foremost principal enemy.”...

January 12, 2021 | David Maxwell, Mathew Ha

Joe Biden Can’t Fall For North Korea’s Latest Trap

After he labelled America as North Korea’s “foremost principal enemy” and announced plans to strengthen his regime’s nuclear and missile arsenal, Kim Jong-un last week offered Washington an...

January 7, 2021 | David Maxwell, Mathew Ha

Opening of Eighth Party Congress Shows Kim Jong Un Stays True to His Roots

North Korea’s ruling Korean Workers’ Party kicked off its Eighth Party Congress on Wednesday. This periodic meeting seeks to outline the North Korean government’s strategic objectives for a broad...

November 16, 2020 | David Maxwell, Mathew Ha

For Joe Biden, Restoring the ROK-U.S. Alliance is Critical for Any Successful North Korea Policy

If President-elect Biden aims to “keep pressing toward a denuclearized North Korea,” as he put it in his Yonhap News Service op-ed, he must first prioritize reinforcing Washington and Seoul’s rock-solid bond based on shared values and combined military strength. This foundation is essential for the alliance to engage and negotiate with Pyongyang from a position of strength, not appeasement.

October 22, 2020 | Thomas Joscelyn |

One Term of ‘Maximum Pressure’ on North Korea

A new book from H.R. McMaster offers a look back at Trump's attempted containment and wooing of Kim Jong-un.

October 16, 2020 | Mathew Ha |

Prime Minister Suga Must Reassess His Priorities for the Korean Peninsula

New Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga refused to attend an annual trilateral summit with the leaders of China and South Korea until Seoul meets Tokyo’s demands regarding a disputed court case over...