June 14, 2017

Andrew Yeo, associate professor, politics, published a blog with the Peterson Institute for International Economics on engagement with North Korea.

Engagement with North Korea is a tough sell. Although the Trump Administration has called for both “maximum pressure and engagement”(link is external) in response to North Korea’s growing nuclear capability and ongoing missile tests(link is external), the U.S. media has focused mostly on pressure tactics. What about the engagement part?

The Trump administration’s use of the term “engagement” captures its stated willingness to negotiate, but that lens is limited. Despite the unfavorable political climate, proponents of people-to-people engagement(link is external) with North Korea continue to press forward with various projects inside North Korea which are humanitarian, business, or capacity-building oriented in scope. In a recent academic paper published in Asian Perspective(link is external), I take stock of the range of activities quietly taking place in North Korea which foster interaction and exchanges between North Koreans and the outside world. ...

Continue reading at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.