The Next American President and North Korea

As part of CFR’s Campaign 2012 series, I have a new video discussing the policy challenges that the next U.S. administration is likely to face as North Korea faces a “transformative moment” that may require substantial time and resources. The opportunities and costs will be determined by how developments in U.S. presidential leadership track with leadership transitions in South Korea and China, as well as how North Korea’s own leadership transition challenges unfold.

The next U.S. president will likely have to consider North Korea through four primary channels that will interact to shape U.S. policy: the priority of North Korea as a challenge to the international non-proliferation regime; U.S.-ROK alliance coordination under a new South Korean president; where North Korea falls as an issue following China’s leadership transition; and how the United States decides to deal with the regime in Pyongyang. You can watch the video here.