Ideas

Former South Korean National-Security Adviser: The US May Have to Withdraw Some Troops

Breaking with his fellow conservatives, Chun Yung Woo says "there will be no solution" to the North Korean nuclear crisis without willingness to compromise on the U.S. alliance.

Ideas

What the North Koreans Told Me About Their Plans

I was one of a handful of former officials to meet with them when they were just developing their current strategy. Those talks offer the best information we have about how to achieve denuclearization.

Ideas

Ep. 4: Trump vs. Kim; Military algorithms; ISIS’ new war narratives; USAF’s next plane and more.

Welcome to the fourth episode of our podcast about the news, strategy, tech, and business trends defining the future of national security.

Threats

The Campaign to Denuclearize North Korea Crashes Back to Earth

Kim Jong Un "has been playing a high-risk, high-return game. And he has never lost a bet thus far.”

Ideas

Ep. 3: Bye-bye, Iran deal; Hello, North Korea; Future of special ops in Niger and more.

Welcome to episode three of our weekly podcast about the news, strategy, tech, and business trends defining the future of national security.

Ideas

Making the Most of North Korea’s Mixed Motives

To work toward peace, the White House will need to lead a tightly coordinated balancing act to deter Kim Jong-un’s worst intentions while leveraging his desire for economic development.

Ideas

Ep. 2: Korean summit; Space Force?; Conversations with Eric Fanning, Paul Scharre and more.

Welcome to episode two of our weekly podcast about the news, strategy, tech, and business trends defining the future of national security.

Threats

The Deceptively Simple Promise of Korean Peace

It might have to start with something like the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe treaty concluded at the end of the Cold War.

Ideas

How North Korea Learned to Live With 'Fire and Fury'

Kim Jong Un’s concessions on his weapons program suggest that he has adapted to President Trump’s threats.

Ideas

North Korea Is Not De-Nuclearizing

The Trump administration shouldn’t get too excited about Kim Jong Un’s pledge to limit his weapons program.

Ideas

Pompeo’s Secret Korea Trip May Not Save His Nomination, But It Could Save Trump’s Summit

The president needs a "win" somewhere so badly that at the summit he may accept a nuclear freeze and a determined process as a major victory. That is a good thing.

Threats

What Does 'Denuclearization' Mean to Kim Jong Un?

A close reading of what the Korean leader reportedly told Xi Jinping in Beijing.

Ideas

A Deal with North Korea Won't Happen Without China

How Kim Jong-Un's surprise visit to Beijing underscores China’s influence.

Policy

What John Bolton's Appointment as National Security Adviser Means

Until today, Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster was considered Trump's most militant adviser on North Korea.

Threats

The Return of the Iraq War Argument

The North Korea debate shows the enduring attraction of "preventive war."

Ideas

How Postponing a Wargame Helped Create a Diplomatic Opening

Delaying Foal Eagle 2018 made an underappreciated contribution toward the first meeting of U.S. and North Korean heads of state.

Ideas

A Trump-Kim Summit: 'Why the Hell Not?'

Direct talks between America’s and North Korea’s heads of state have never been tried, and nothing else has worked.

Ideas

Trump Risks Trading Away the US-South Korean Alliance

Kim Jong Un is offering a deal at a price that could be way too high—and that the president could easily accept.

Ideas

What's There to Talk About With North Korea?

Kim Jong Un wants to talk to Trump and pause nuclear and missile tests—but the line between diplomacy and brinkmanship isn't that simple.

Ideas

Let the Korean Breakthrough Run Its Course

The new round of talks can only succeed if the Trump administration resists its own worst impulses.