RSIS Roundtable with Ambassador Joseph Yun

After the lofty promises of the Singapore summit in June 2018 between President Trump and DPRK leader Kim Jong Un, we are back at square one.  Perhaps the situation is even worse, because today the US confronts a nuclear challenge greater than the one President Trump faced two years ago.  The DPRK has more nuclear weapons, perhaps as many as 60 nuclear devices, as its ability to produce additional fissile material has been unchecked. Pyongyang has also improved its nuclear capable missiles through continued testing of short and intermediate range missiles.  Viewed from Pyongyang, North Koreans also believe that their lot is no better despite the diplomatic campaign which resulted in three meetings with Trump, as well as four meetings with Chinese President Xi.  US-led sanctions are all in place; DPRK remains politically and economically isolated from the rest of the world; malnutrition and hunger remain all too common throughout the country.  So what now?  Ambassador Joseph Yun will discuss four basic options for the US to deal with the DPRK nuclear weapons program: back to “fire and fury;” a “military option” to end the DPRK nuclear program; accepting a nuclear North Korea; “arms control” negotiations.  Ambassador Yun will conclude by suggesting a path forward, which is to implement the key elements of denuclearisation and normalisation of relations as spelt out in the June 12, 2018 Singapore Joint Statement.