Since the collapse of the last round of summit diplomacy in 2019, North Korea has fundamentally altered its approach to both nuclear negotiations and relations with South Korea. Pyongyang has emphatically rejected denuclearization, expanded its nuclear ambitions, and embraced a new “two-state” policy that challenges longstanding assumptions about the future of the Korean Peninsula.
As Washington and Seoul seek to revive diplomacy with Pyongyang, these shifts raise difficult questions: What can realistically be achieved through renewed negotiations? Which issues demand the most urgent attention? And what opportunities remain to reduce tensions and advance peace and security on the Korean Peninsula?
38 North and the Sejong Institute are pleased to host a half-day seminar examining the challenges and opportunities for diplomacy in this dramatically changed environment.
Featured Speakers
Rachel Stohl, Acting President & CEO, Stimson Center
Panel 1: The Future of Nuclear Negotiations with North Korea
This session will explore the prospects for renewed US-DPRK engagement, including potential objectives, priorities, and negotiating strategies should a new summit become possible.
Stephen Biegun, Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, U.S. Department of State
Sang Hyun Lee, Emeritus Senior Fellow, Sejong Institute
Susan Thornton, Trustee & Director of the Forum on Asia-Pacific Security, National Council on Foreign Affairs
Inwook Kim, Associate Professor, International Relations, Sungkyunkwan University
Jenny Town, Senior Fellow & Director, 38 North Program, Stimson Center (Moderator)
Panel 2: Whither Inter-Korean Relations and Peace on the Korean Peninsula
This session will examine the evolving inter-Korean relationship and consider potential pathways toward reducing tensions and building a more durable peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.
Rachel Minyoung Lee, Senior Fellow, 38 North Program, Stimson Center
Seong-ho Sheen, Professor & Dean of Graduate School of International Studies, Seoul National University
Frank Jannuzi, President & CEO, Mike & Maureen Mansfield Foundation
Jung-Chul Lee, Professor, Department of Political Science & International Relations, Seoul National University
Park Ro-Byug, Chairman, Sejong Institute (Moderator)
