CRS Products on North Korea CRS Products on North Korea

December 28, 2017 (R45056)

North Korea has posed one of the most persistent U.S. foreign policy challenges of the post-Cold War period. With recent advances in its nuclear and missile capabilities under leader Kim Jong-un, North Korea has become a grave security threat to the United States and its allies. Below is a selective list of CRS products covering North Korea, followed by a list of CRS experts and their contact information.

CRS has several types of general distribution products:

CRS Insights are 1,000-word discussions, often written in the manner of a blog, designed to provide information and analysis for a short time period.
CRS In-Focus products are two-page briefs.
CRS Reports are full-length analyses.
CRS Congressional Distribution Memoranda are prepared for a focused audience or for a specific event (for example, documentation for a conference committee or a markup). These are available to Members of Congress and their staff from the author, by request.

In addition to the products listed below, a number of CRS products on other countries (e.g., U.S.-Taiwan relations) may discuss those countries' relations with North Korea. For more, see CRS.gov or contact one of the authors below.

Products Covering the 2018 North Korean Crisis

CRS In Focus IF10246, U.S.-North Korea Relations, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed]

CRS In Focus IF10467, Possible U.S. Policy Approaches to North Korea, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed]

CRS In Focus IF10472, North Korea's Nuclear and Ballistic Missile Programs, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report R44994, The North Korean Nuclear Challenge: Military Options and Issues for Congress, coordinated by [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report R41438, North Korea: Legislative Basis for U.S. Economic Sanctions, by [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report R45033, Nuclear Negotiations with North Korea: In Brief, by [author name scrubbed], [author name scrubbed], and [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report R44912, North Korean Cyber Capabilities: In Brief, by [author name scrubbed] et al.

Related Products on South Korea-U.S. Relations

CRS In Focus IF10165, South Korea: Background and U.S. Relations, by [author name scrubbed], [author name scrubbed], and [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report R41259, North Korea: U.S. Relations, Nuclear Diplomacy, and Internal Situation, coordinated by [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report R44950, Redeploying U.S. Nuclear Weapons to South Korea: Background and Implications in Brief, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed]

Products on North Korea-Related Legislation

CRS Report R43835, State Sponsors of Acts of International Terrorism—Legislative Parameters: In Brief, by [author name scrubbed]

CRS In Focus IF10694, Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, by [author name scrubbed], [author name scrubbed], and [author name scrubbed]

CRS Congressional Distribution Memorandum, "CAATS Act Deadlines," October 5, 2017, by Dianne Rennack (available from author, by request)¹

CRS Congressional Distribution Memorandum, "North Korea: Compendium of Current Law and Executive Orders Updated Through Executive Order 13810," September 20, 2017, by Dianne Rennack (available from author, by request)²

CRS Congressional Distribution Memorandum, "Economic Sanctions Imposed on North Korea: U.S. and U.N. Security Council," September 22, 2017, by Dianne Rennack (available from author, by request)

Archived Products on North Korea

CRS Report R41259, North Korea: U.S. Relations, Nuclear Diplomacy, and Internal Situation, coordinated by [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report RL34256, North Korea's Nuclear Weapons: Technical Issues, by [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report R43480, Iran-North Korea-Syria Ballistic Missile and Nuclear Cooperation, coordinated by [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report R40095, Foreign Assistance to North Korea, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report R43865, North Korea: Back on the State Sponsors of Terrorism List?, by [author name scrubbed] et al.

CRS Insight IN10659, China's February 2017 Suspension of North Korean Coal Imports, by [author name scrubbed], [author name scrubbed], and [author name scrubbed]

CRS Insight IN10647, Why Did March 2016 U.N. Sanctions Not Curb China's Imports of Coal from North Korea?, by [author name scrubbed], [author name scrubbed], and [author name scrubbed]

CRS Report RL31696, North Korea: Economic Sanctions Prior to Removal from Terrorism Designation, by [author name scrubbed]

Table 1. CRS Experts on North Korea

Issue	Name	Phone	Email
General North Korea issues, including overall U.S. North Korea policy
	Mark Manyin	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]
	[author name scrubbed]	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]
North Korea's military capabilities and the U.S. military response
Nuclear Capabilities	Mary Beth Nikitin	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]
Missiles & Missile Defense	Steven Hildreth	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]
Cyber Capabilities	Catherine Theohary	7- 0844	[email address scrubbed]
U.S. Military Planning	Kathleen McInnis	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]
Sanctions
	Dianne Rennack	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]
Legislation relating to North Korea
	Dianne Rennack	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]
North Korea's economy
	Mark Manyin	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]
North Korea-China relations
	Susan Lawrence	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]

Note: For requests in other topic areas, please contact CRS Inquiry ([phone number scrubbed]).

Author Contact Information

[author name scrubbed], Specialist in Asian Affairs ([email address scrubbed], [phone number scrubbed])

Footnotes

1.	A list of all the reporting and determinations requirements deadlines that were enacted in the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATS Act, P.L. 115-44), including those required in the Korean Interdiction and Modernization of Sanctions Act (KIMS Act, title III, P.L. 115-44) relating to North Korea.
2.	A collection of the legislation and Executive Orders on which the United States' economic sanctions regime relating to North Korea is based. The memorandum includes the amended text of the North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act of 2016 (P.L. 114-122), the Korean Interdiction and Modernization of Sanctions Act (KIMS Act, title III, P.L. 115-44), as well as other laws.