Issue Brief posted March 23, 2012 by Bruce Klingner
U.S. Should Allow South Korea to Extend Its Missile Range
As President Obama travels to South Korea for next week’s nuclear summit, North Korea’s threat to launch a missile in mid-April will overshadow the gathering of world leaders. The United States and South Korea should work the room to prepare a strong international response to yet another North Korean violation…
Backgrounder posted January 7, 2011 by Bruce Klingner
The Case for Comprehensive Missile Defense in Asia
Abstract:
The United States and its allies are at risk of missile attack from a growing number of states and nonstate terrorist organizations. This growing threat is particularly clear in East Asia, where diplomacy has failed to stop…
Issue Brief posted February 29, 2012 by Bruce Klingner
North Korean Nuclear Freeze: A Positive but Limited Development
Washington has announced that North Korea has acquiesced to several longstanding U.S. and South Korean demands related to Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons programs. North Korea’s agreement to freeze its nuclear activities under international observation marks a major reversal after nearly four years of refusal. The development is particularly surprising since it…
WebMemo posted January 6, 2012 by Bruce Klingner
The Missing Asia Pivot in Obama's Defense Strategy
President Obama’s new defense strategy is long on rhetoric but bereft of details on how it will actually be implemented. The President boldly promised to maintain or augment U.S. military capabilities against a spectrum of global threats, but planned draconian defense cuts of $1 trillion would undermine the U.S.’s ability…
WebMemo posted April 18, 2011 by Bruce Klingner
Food Aid to North Korea: Time Is Not Right
North Korea has again appealed for food aid to alleviate the suffering of its people. Teams from the World Food Program and nongovernment organizations (NGOs) have chronicled the country’s abysmal nutritional deficits, particularly for children and the elderly. Pyongyang told visiting inspection teams that it is now willing to accept…
WebMemo posted November 8, 2010 by Bruce Klingner
Obama Should Approve Korea Trade Agreement
President Barack Obama’s trip to South Korea will be driven by several overlapping agendas. President Lee Myung-bak has laid the groundwork for progress on several economic issues at the G-20 summit, but breakthroughs may prove elusive given the disparity of participants’ national interests.
A greater potential…
Backgrounder posted May 20, 2010 by Bruce Klingner
U.S. Must Respond Firmly to North Korean Naval Attack
Abstract: The evidence is clear: North Korea is responsible for the torpedo attack that sank the South Korean naval frigate Cheonan. Now that North Korea’s culpability for this heinous act of aggression has been proven, South Korea and the United States must respond resolutely by imposing a comprehensive package of…
WebMemo posted November 24, 2010 by Bruce Klingner
North Korea Pressures U.S. Through Provocations
Twice in a month Pyongyang has used provocations in an attempt to leverage the United States and South Korea away from their pressure tactics, including U.N. sanctions, against North Korea. This week, the North Korean regime dangerously escalated tensions by attacking a South Korean island in the first artillery strike…