Stephen J. Del Rosso, Program Director, International Peace and Security

Who’s to blame for the growing tensions between the U.S. and North Korea?

Lately I’ve been asked my opinion on the growing tensions between the U.S. and North Korea. Yesterday morning I came across an article in the International Herald Tribune“Rendezvous” blog that addresses the issue better than I can. It cites James Church, the pseudonymous author of a series of detective novels set in that country (and a former intelligence officer), along with several people involved in Carnegie Corporation’s International Peace and Security-supported Track II work. Reporter Didi Kirsten Tatlow makes the point that the U.S. needs to talk directly with the North Koreans because our current approach simply is not working and the situation is becoming increasingly dangerous. 

Click here to read “North Korea: Not Crazy but Very Misunderstood”

Joel Wit’s  related Foreign Policy story “The North Korea Deal That Wasn't” reflects on the missed opportunity to halt the restart of the 5 MWe reactor, which the author considers one more sign that Pyongyang is moving full-steam ahead with becoming a small nuclear power.

Wit’s article mentions Stanford professor and Corporation grantee Siegfried S. Hecker, who also weighs in on the latest developments on the Korean Peninsula in this Q & A by Beth Duff-Brown of Stanford’s Center for International Security and Cooperation: “Hecker responds to NKorea's intent to expand nuclear arsenal