EAST ASIA FORUM

APLN Vice Chair Chung-in Moon writes for the East Asia Forum on North Korean denuclearisation and argues that to deal with the North Korean nuclear issue from a comprehensive regional security perspective higher-level representation is needed.

The ideal would be the convening of a Northeast Asian security summit held annually. At this summit, the North Korean leader’s participation would be indispensable. Kim would attend the summit if a US president attended and if China persuades him. The issue here is whether the United States and China can cooperate. Within an institutional framework, all agenda items could be addressed. These include denuclearisation, nuclear arms control, extended deterrence, South Korea–US–Japan joint military exercises and new ideas such as a Northeast Asian nuclearweapon-free-zone. Denuclearising North Korea is a perilous odyssey. Pragmatic attitudes coupled with multilateral arrangements can serve as a useful guide to navigating that odyssey.

To read the full article, please download the PDF file.

Image: A photo released by the North Korean Central News Agency shows Kim Jong-un walking ahead of the Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile before its launch (March 2022)