North Korea policy

Singing waitresses entertain crowds at a North Korean restaurant in the Chinese border city of Dandong, on May 28, 2009.

Why North Korean peace talks may hinge on 12 singing waitresses

Seoul calls them “defectors,” but North Korea accuses the South of kidnapping a dozen waitresses and insists on their return.

Why North Korean peace talks may hinge on 12 singing waitresses
North Korean soldiers

She once served in North Korea’s army. Now she thinks Trump is a ‘cool guy.’

She once served in North Korea’s army. Now she thinks Trump is a ‘cool guy.’
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un cheers with scientists and technicians after the test-launch of the intercontinental ballistic missile

Here’s what it’d look like to have a nuclear North Korea capable of bombing the US

Here’s what it’d look like to have a nuclear North Korea capable of bombing the US
Tourists enjoy the beach in Tumon, Guam

Guam residents are more afraid of typhoons than they are of Kim Jong-un

Guam residents are more afraid of typhoons than they are of Kim Jong-un
US F-22 stealth fighter jets fly over Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, Feb. 17, 2016.

The US has a massive military presence in the Asia-Pacific. Here's what you need to know about it.

The US has a massive military presence in the Asia-Pacific. Here's what you need to know about it.
A test launch of a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, August 2nd 2017

The only effective arms against North Korea's missile bunkers are nuclear weapons, says a top war planner

The Trump administration wants North Korea to get rid of its nuclear weapons. And it has threatened a military response if North Korea launches missiles toward Guam. But what can the US and its allies really do? Col. Sam Gardiner has a bleak outlook.

The only effective arms against North Korea's missile bunkers are nuclear weapons, says a top war planner
A North Korean image said to be the launch of that nation's first inter-continental missile, on July 4th 2017

The case for Trump negotiating with North Korea

North Korea's test of an intercontinental missile is a significant threshold. It can now strike US soil. There's no indication that North Korea intends to do so. But it is a challenge to the Trump administration. How should the US respond?

The case for Trump negotiating with North Korea
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un watching the test of an anti-aircraft guided weapon system

North Korea has fired a short-range ballistic missile

The US has confirmed that North Korea fired off a missile, just when Trump is seeking to tougher sanctions against the regime.

North Korea has fired a short-range ballistic missile
It looks cool, but does it work? A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptor is launched during a test, in this undated photo provided by the Pentagon’s Missile Defense Agency.

How good is the new missile defense system the US just deployed in South Korea?

The US military says its THAAD missile defense system is now operational in South Korea. The hope is that it can shoot down North Korean missiles. But how effective is it?

How good is the new missile defense system the US just deployed in South Korea?
A North Korean military exercise is seen in this handout photo made available April 26th 2017.

Is North Korea really a threat to the United States?

Some US officials and pundits are fond of saying North Korea is a threat. But is it?

Is North Korea really a threat to the United States?
Rex Tillerson

When it comes to North Korea, the era of ‘strategic patience’ is over

On Friday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called for an end to Barack Obama's "strategic patience" policy.

When it comes to North Korea, the era of ‘strategic patience’ is over