From the outset, the United States and North Korea approached the Hanoi Summit with different goals in mind. Despite President Trump having received support from both parties of the United States, both Trump and Kim walked away from Hanoi without signing any kind of joint deal. In this seminar, Dr. Siegfried S. Hecker questions whether or not President Trump made the right decision in declining to mediate with the DPRK. Was that a wise decision, or is this a hinge point for worse things to come?

As a nuclear scientist, Dr. Hecker analyzes technical and political issues in order to answer this question. He reviews past key decision points in the evolution of North Korea’s program from 1992 to 2017, and discusses ways in which to address and manage the security risks that could propel greater exchanges between the United States and North Korea.

Asia Pacific Leadership Network and East Asia Foundation Seminar (September 19, 2019)