A Closer Look at North Korea

On Tuesday, President Obama met with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak to discuss North Korea’s nuclear threat. At NPR, an analysis of that threat, along with a more wide-ranging discussion of North Korea’s role in international conflict and plans for dealing with a collapsed North Korean state. Former ambassador Jack Pritchard talks about the “Hermit Kingdom”.

When President Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak met Tuesday in Washington, the “grave threat” posed by North Korea’s nuclear weapons program topped their agenda. The two leaders vowed to end the North’s cycle of acting aggressively, only to be rewarded with incentives for backing down.
Some experts believe that the United States and North Korea’s neighbors should be discussing what to do in the event of instability or even regime collapse in North Korea.
But concerns about antagonizing Pyongyang make it difficult to talk about such plans.