Ideas

China Should Consider Supporting a Korean Nuclear Deal

If Beijing hoped that a nuclear North Korea would decrease U.S. presence in the Pacific, that strategy has backfired.

Threats

The Day America's Denuclearization of North Korea Died

The first Trump-Kim summit was about convincing Pyongyang to give up nuclear weapons. By the third meeting, it never even came up.

Policy

The Normalization of Meeting Kim Jong Un

Trump probably won’t convince the North Koreans to give up their nuclear weapons. But that doesn’t mean he has accomplished nothing.

Science & Tech

North Korea’s Nuclear Bomb Is Much Bigger than Previously Thought

A new look at 2017 test data reveals an explosion 16 times as powerful than the one that leveled Hiroshima.

Ideas

The Disturbing Logic of Trump’s Lovefest With Kim Jong Un

“The cheapest concession you can make in a negotiation is to give the other fellow a little respect.”

Ideas

Time to Abandon Denuclearization?

An unwavering faith in the gospel of denuclearization is not supported by its track record, and some of the fears of moving toward a new policy are overblown.

Ideas

Trump’s Bet on Kim Might Not Pay Off

All that’s preventing the collapse of talks is that North Korea’s missiles haven’t flown far enough yet.

Ideas

Deter? Detente? NATO Has Lessons for the North Korean Conundrum

The U.S.-ROK alliance needs a strategy that supports best-case outcomes — and hedges against worst-case scenarios.

Ideas

The Plan to Resurrect the North Korea Nuclear Talks

Trump wants a “big deal” with North Korea. Seoul would like him to settle for something a little smaller.

Ideas

Trump's Strange Tweet May Have Kept Nuclear Talks Alive

The president is finally reckoning with the role of sanctions in North Korean diplomacy.

Ideas

The US and North Korea Are Back to Talking Tough

Pyongyang’s latest threats don’t necessarily mean diplomacy is dead. But they are a sign of just how deadlocked nuclear talks have become.

Ideas

How the White House Is Spinning the North Korea Summit Collapse

The administration no longer thinks Trump alone can reach a deal with Kim Jong Un.

Ideas

The Inevitable Return of Muddling Along in North Korea

Trump’s best option is to reduce the scope of the country’s nuclear ambitions—even if he can’t eliminate them.

Ideas

Is Trump Giving Up on a Nuclear-Free North Korea?

The Vietnam summit showed just how high the price of denuclearization will be.

Ideas

Trump Was Right to Walk Away — If He's Telling the Truth

North Korea disputes his account, but either way they must reset and try again, soon.

Ideas

After Raising the Stakes for North Korea Summit, Trump Walks Away

It seemed history was about to be made. Then the second meeting between the U.S. and North Korean leaders concluded abruptly.

Ideas

The India-Pakistan Crisis Has Lessons for Trump and Kim

As the U.S. president meets with North Korea’s dictator, he ought to heed the military escalation in South Asia.

Threats

What to Watch as Trump-Kim II Gets Underway

Let's review how we got here — and why some observers say the stakes are even higher this time around.

Ideas

Trump Thinks Only He Can Fix North Korea, Cutting Experts Out

His negotiators are in a bind: putting the U.S. and North Korean leaders in a room is a high-risk gamble.