September 11, 2016
Preventing Nuclear War with North Korea
Few anticipated that 2016 would see such unprecedented missile and nuclear testing in North Korea, most recently its fifth and largest ever test, reportedly coming in at 10 kilotons. But none of this should have come as a surprise. Under Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s approach to developing its strategic forces is markedly different—more aggressive—than it was under his father or grandfather. The striking change puts the Korean Peninsula on a path to nuclear war unless the U.S.-South Korean alliance can adapt to the constraints of deterrence and defense against a second-tier nuclear-armed adversary.
To read the full article, visit the Foreign Affairs website.
More from CNAS
-
Digital Entanglement
Reports
China’s push to dominate digital infrastructure leaves liberal democratic countries at a critical juncture....
By Kristine Lee, Martijn Rasser, Joshua Fitt & Coby Goldberg
-
Trump, Not Biden, Wrecked American Power in the Pacific
Commentary
By any measurable indicator, America’s standing has been lower in Asia during Trump’s presidency than before it....
By Van Jackson & Hunter Marston
-
Assessing the Impact of Dialectical Materialism on Xi Jinping’s Strategic Thinking
Commentary
Xi Jinping has made his views rather plain to Party members....
By Coby Goldberg
-
What to Do About Xinjiang
Commentary
A more aggressive U.S. approach is needed in order to generate the sort of economic reaction required to have any hope of influencing Chinese policymaking....
By Jordan Schneider
