Session: Plenary Session 4
Date/Time: April 27, 2016 / 15:15-16:45

Moderator:
Christopher Nelson, Samuels International Associates, Inc.

Speakers:
Bessho Koro, Embassy of Japan to the ROK
Chun Yungwoo, The Asan Institute for Policy Studies
Gary Samore, Belfer Center for Science and Int’l Affairs, Harvard University
Yang Xiyu, China Institute of Int’l Studies

Panel Description
North Korea’s fourth nuclear test in January was a flagrant violation of multiple UN security resolutions and a grave threat to Northeast Asian security. Nonetheless, the international community once again failed to mount a unified response that would prevent further nuclear weapons development or end North Korean provocations. Kim Jong Un has shown no signs of pursuing better relations with North Korea’s neighbors or seeking integration into the world economy. What can the international community do to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula? What are the broader implications of North Korea’s nuclear program beyond Northeast Asia? Will North Korea threaten regional and global stability through missile tests? Will the bilateral defense treaties in Asia survive the North Korean security threat? Are the prospects of a peace treaty on the Korean peninsula or Korean reunification diminished or enhanced in the “New Normal”?