Improving Regional Security and Denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula: U.S. Policy Interests and Options (October 2009)
Joel Wit, an Adjunct Senior Visiting Scholar at Columbia University’s Weatherhead Institute for East Asia and a Visiting Fellow at the U.S.-Korea Institute at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, has written a report outlining actions to be taken by the United States government in addressing the challenges posed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
This report, U.S. Strategy towards North Korea: Rebuilding Dialogue and Engagement by the US Korea Institute at SAIS and the Weatherhead East Asian Institute at Columbia University, includes a realistic set of objectives and recommendations for dialogue and engagement, as well as for consultation and cooperation with key actors in the international community.
The report describes recent developments in North Korea, explains how U.S. interests have been challenged, and establishes objectives that can be achieved through a new U.S. strategy based on five key initiatives: a road map to denuclearization, a new plan for limiting North Korea’s missile program, a Korean peace process, a pragmatic human rights dialogue and new approaches to combating North Korea’s illicit activities. It also provides suggestions to restart dialogue. The report concludes with recommendations for working with allies and other stakeholders in this process.
The executive summary is available here:
The full report is available here:
The report and executive summary are also available at the U.S.-Korea Institute/SAIS website.
In writing this report, Joel Wit, the principal author, was assisted by a number of prominent experts who provided background papers for this study.
Transformation and Modernization of North Korea
Bradley Babson
Prospects for Pragmatic Engagement on Human Rights with North Korea
John Feffer
DPRK Energy Sector Assistance to Accompany Progress in Denuclearization Discussions
David Von Hippel and Peter Hayes
Humanitarian Assistance, Development Assistance and Exchange Programs with the Democratic People’s Republic
Karin Lee
Considerations Bearing on a Possible Retraction of the American Nuclear Umbrella Over the ROK
Patrick Morgan
Countering DPRK Illicit Activities
William Newcomb
China and North Korea
Alan Romberg
Non-Proliferation Policy Toward North Korea
Sharon Squassoni and Fred McGoldrick
A Korean Peace Process
The Allies and North Korea
Lee Sigal
North Korea’s Missile Program
David Wright
These reports are also available here at the Nautilus Institute website.
Many thanks to the Ploughshares Fund for their support of this project.
The Nautilus Institute and NCNK have commissioned additional reports in support of this project. These reports, addressing topics such as the DPRK nuclear program, interdiction, Russia’s stake, will be released later this year.
