The U.S. and The Korean Peninsula: Understanding America’s Longest War

The Stimson Center and Stimson’s 38 North program, working with the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for East Asian Studies (CEAS), brought together analysts as well as former US and South Korean military officers to assess the current situation on and around the Korean Peninsula.

The webinar examined lessons learned from President Trump’s approach to North Korea and what aspects of that approach the incoming Biden administration can or should maintain; how both diplomacy and defense are mutually reinforcing when it comes to North Korea; and the prospects and challenges for diplomacy in 2021 and beyond amidst COVID-19, a rapidly shifting strategic environment, and changing US leadership. The speakers engaged the audience on the issue of China’s relationship to North Korea and the sanctions regime, possible differences between the US and ROK approaches to talks with the North, alarming advancements in North Korea’s conventional weaponry and asymmetric capabilities, and the historical origins of and shared values within the US-ROK alliance.

Audience members were also given three polling questions, asking: whether or not President Biden should be willing to meet directly with Kim Jong UN; what the best policy options were in approaching North Korea in the future; and how best to approach US alliances.