Breaking the Korean Peninsula Nuclear Stalemate 

Joint Statement

May 11, 2026 

A group of leading American and South Korean security experts and former senior officials today issue a joint statement ahead of the Trump-Xi summit on 13-15 May, calling on both leaders to place Korean Peninsula security on their bilateral agenda and to take urgent steps toward renewed engagement with North Korea. 

The statement and an accompanying policy report draw from a closed-door expert workshop co-hosted by APLN, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and the Institute for National Security Strategy (INSS) in Washington, D.C., on 27 March 2026. The workshop was generously supported by the Pacific Century Institute and INSS. 

Joint Statement: “The US-China Summit Must Address Intensifying DPRK Threats” 

In the joint statement, select workshop participants warn that North Korea’s nuclear and strategic capabilities are expanding and diversifying at an accelerating pace. Pyongyang has operationally deployed new missile systems, unveiled a nuclear-powered submarine, and announced a new Five-Year Defence Plan committing to advances in ground- and sea-launched ICBMs, AI, electronic warfare, UAV, and anti-satellite capabilities. 

 In a significant policy shift, the statement calls on Washington and Seoul to pursue “stable co-existence” as the basis for negotiations with Pyongyang, moving away from previous frameworks centred on “denuclearisation” or a “nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.” The experts argue that while denuclearisation remains a desirable long-term outcome, it is most achievable within a stable coexistence framework rather than as a precondition for talks. 

The statement’s core recommendations include: 

• The US and China should place Korean Peninsula security on the agenda for the May 2026 summit and subsequent high-level interactions, with cooperation on this issue decoupled from the broader US–China relationship; 

• Washington should seek direct leader-level talks with Pyongyang at an early opportunity, informed by prior US–ROK consultations to align on goals, key definitions, and acceptable concessions; 

• A high-level US–ROK taskforce should be established to expedite alignment, and the US should appoint a Special Envoy for the DPRK; 

• Washington and Seoul should consider proposing an end-of-war declaration to Pyongyang, with Beijing invited to participate in its commemoration; and 

• China should engage in structured dialogues with the US on Korean Peninsula stability and support norms against destabilising DPRK capabilities such as potential space-based nuclear weapons. 

 

Policy Report: “Breaking the Korean Peninsula Nuclear Stalemate” 

The joint statement is accompanied by a detailed policy report, which analyses the evolving DPRK threat landscape, Russian and Chinese influences on peninsula security, the US-ROK alliance relationship, the contemporary South Korean nuclear debate, and the case for a stable co-existence framework. The report includes specific policy recommendations for the United States, the Republic of Korea, and China. 

 The report finds that the 2026 US National Defense Strategy has notably shifted language on Korean Peninsula commitments and omitted reference to DPRK denuclearisation, while the deepening Russia–DPRK strategic partnership has fundamentally altered the regional security landscape and eroded the UN sanctions regime. It also includes further policy recommendations to operationalize and support those outlined in the joint statement. 

Relevant Recent Publications by Workshop Participants 

Frank Aum (Interview), “Kim Jong Un Was Right – and Everyone Else Is Taking Notes”, The Diplomat, May 4, 2026. 

Frank Aum, “The 2026 Window: Can the ‘Ember’ of US-North Korea Diplomacy Still Catch Fire?”, 38North, February 12, 2026. 

Toby Dalton, “Non-Proliferation as a Strategic Imperative: Experts Respond to ROK Foreign Minister”, Asia-Pacific Leadership Network, April 2, 2026. 

Chung-in Moon (Interview), “Does Trump Get Another Shot at North Korea?”, The American Conservative, April 29, 2026. 

Ankit Panda, “North Korea Is Getting Serious About Space Weapons”, Foreign Policy, March 9, 2026. 

Andrew Yeo, “Rethinking North Korea Diplomacy”, Brookings Institution, April 30, 2026.