Joseph Yun: North Korea

The two historic meetings between Trump and the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un alleviated tensions between the two nations who at one time seemed on the brink of a military encounter. But there is a “fundamental difference in understanding” between the two sides regarding the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the major goal of the summits.

While Washington was only considering a peace treaty and loosening sanctions on Pyongyang after it had denuclearized, North Korea’s position was a phased approach in which it would receive concessions for every step taken toward denuclearization. That difference is a major reason for the current stalemate in negotiations.

This is a complicated game of diplomacy with both sides looking to make the next best move. Ambassador Yun will share his insights into North Korea and its short and long-term goals and discuss the prospect of Kim abandoning North Korea's nuclear weapons.