The North Korean nuclear program has increasingly become one of the most pressing security issues for the United States. Korea analysts have long theorized that establishing a credible deterrent against external military threats is Pyongyang’s main reason for building up its nuclear program and related delivery systems, but non-traditional security roles are also at play. Nuclear weapons have been used by the Kim family as leverage in international negotiations to secure economic security and as a source of ideological legitimization at home. Understanding the complexity of the different factors behind North Korea’s nuclear strategy is crucial to the design and implementation of a viable and effective diplomatic framework aimed at limiting or eliminating the North Korean nuclear threat.
Leading up to the possible Trump-Kim summit, KEI will host a presentation by up-and-coming Korea policy expert Marco Milani on North Korea’s nuclear identity and how it should factor into upcoming negotiations.
Register here: http://keia.org/webform/rsvp-event
Speakers
Marco Milani, Lecturer, School of International Relations, University of Southern California
Kyle Ferrier (moderator), Director of Academic Affairs and Research, Korea Economic Institute of America