Reducing the North Korean Nuclear Threat
Our Work
January 27, 2016
On Jan. 27, 2016 the Arms Control Association and The Lugar Center hosted a private off-the-record dinner discussion on North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs and options to reduce the risks posed by the North Korean nuclear threat. Senior Advisor for North Korea, Asian and Pacific Security Affairs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense Frank Aum and Visiting Scholar at the U.S.-Korea Institute at SAIS and Senior Research Fellow at the Weatherhead Institute for East Asian Studies at Columbia University Joel S. Wit discussed their viewpoints on some of the following questions.
- What is the status of North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missiles programs? What might North Korea have learned from the fourth nuclear test it conducted on Jan. 6 to advance its program?
- Does the recent nuclear test demand in shift in the current U.S. diplomatic strategy of "strategic patience" to stem the growing North Korean nuclear threat?
- Is the U.S. defense posture in the region adequate to protect against the growing North Korean threat? Are additional measures needed to strengthen deterrence, assurance, and military preparedness in the region?
- What steps can Congress take to combat the North Korean nuclear threat, reduce the proliferation risk posed by the program, and encourage Pyongyang to return to the negotiating table?
Below you can find resources provided for further reading:
- “A Fourth North Korean Nuclear Test: What It Means; What Must Be Done,” by Daryl G. Kimball and Kelsey Davenport, Arms Control Now, January 6. 2016, Updated January 19.
- North Korea's Nuclear Future Series, Project coordinated by Joel S. Wit at 38 North.
- “North Korea's Nuclear Futures Project: Technology and Strategy,” report by Joel S. Wit and Sun Young Ahn, 38 North, Feb. 25, 2015.
Source: Arms Control Association
