Trapped in No-Man's-Land: The Future of US Policy Toward North Korea

In: http://hdl.handle.net/10945/57357

Abstract

US policy toward North Korea has reached a dead end. Built upon a foundation of dubious assumptions, the Obama administration's approach—whether called "strategic patience" or by some other name—has failed to achieve any progress toward US objectives in the region and no longer serves US foreign policy and national security interests. During the administration's time in office, the North's nuclear and missile threat has expanded, the danger of periodic tensions and unintended escalation on the peninsula has grown and little or nothing has been accomplished in terms of effectively dealing with non-security challenges such as Pyongyang's human rights violations. Moreover, the North has managed to improve its economy while at the same time moving forward with its nuclear and missile programs. In fact, by adopting a policy that in effect stands back from the fray, the United States has diminished its status as the arbiter of peace and security issues on the peninsula. ; NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center San Diego ; John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation ; Naval Postgraduate School's Project on Advanced Systems and Concepts for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (PASCC) ; NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center San Diego ; John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation ; Naval Postgraduate School's Project on Advanced Systems and Concepts for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (PASCC) ; Funded by Naval Postgraduate School ; NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center San Diego Grant No. N00244-14-1-0024 ; NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center San Diego Grant No. N00244-14-1-0024