Will North Korea Denuclearize?

4:30 pm – 6:00 pm 
U.C. Berkeley Campus, Doe Library, Room 180

Han Sung-Joo, former Asia Foundation grantee, ambassador to the United States and Korean foreign minister will speak at The University of California, Berkeley’s Institute of East Asia Studies on September 12.

After the failure of Hanoi U.S.-North Korea summit held in February this year, the impasse between the two countries seemed irreversible. Washington wanted a “big deal” on North Korean nuclear weapons; Pyongyang insisted on a “small deal” first.

President Trump said after the break-up that North Korea wanted too much (“complete lifting” of sanctions) and offered too little (only dismantling Yongbyon nuclear facilities). In response, North Korea charged the United States acted like a rogue asking for everything and not offering much. Then, the two leaders met again for the third time at Panmunjom on June 30th and agreed to hold working level meetings to resolve the differences. So what is likely to happen now?

There is a good possibility of North Korea and the United States reaching a compromise agreement that looks like a big deal and that includes the first installment of a smaller deal. Why is such a compromise deal a likely outcome? If the deal is made, will it denuclearize North Korea? What is the implication of such a deal for the security situation in the Korean Peninsula? Please join us for this lively discussion.

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Co-sponsored with the Center for Korean Studies & the Institute of East Asian Studies.