The U.S. government recently withdrew visas for North Korean envoys planning to visit the States, halting any hopes for informal talks between the two countries.
This takes place after the poisoning of Kim Jong Nam – current leader Kim Jong Un's older half brother by the nerve agent VX, which is considered to be a chemical weapon – but before the reported execution of at least five senior officials by antiaircraft guns as punishment for "false reports."
Meanwhile, the European Union has expanded sanctions on Democratic People's Republic of Korea, in line with last November's United Nations Security Council resolution 2321, restricting trade of coal and metals like copper and iron, as well as scientific and technical cooperation with the DPRK. These actions are in response to the North's ballistic missile test earlier this month.
How will the DPRK's relationship with the international community change? And how can diplomacy move forward in the face of potential threat?
Tomorrow, global experts will convene at St. Mary's University to explore these questions on the challenges and opportunities for North Korea.
Guests:
- Bill Newcomb, economist, served on the UN Security Council Panel of Experts on DPRK sanctions
- Ambassador Thomas Hart Armbruster, former Ambassador to the Republic of the Marshall Islands
- Stephen Noerper, Korea Society senior director and Columbia University professor.
