Updated January 12, 2021
Diplomacy with North Korea: A Status Report
Overview
weapon to be possessed by the DPRK in the near future.â€
Since 2006, when the Democratic People’s Republic of
Also in 2019, the U.S. Director of National Intelligence told
Korea (DPRK, North Korea’s official name) first tested a
Congress “North Korea is unlikely to give up all of its
nuclear weapon, it has made significant advances in both its
nuclear weapons and production capabilities, even as it
nuclear and missile programs, raising the threat it poses to
seeks to negotiate partial denuclearization steps to obtain
the U.S. homeland and U.S. East Asian allies. In 2018,
key U.S. and international concessions.â€
President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim
Jong-un launched denuclearization talks that relied on
If talks restart under Biden, U.S. negotiators—and
summits and communication between the two leaders. Their
Members of Congress conducting oversight—could face the
effort departed from the bottom-up approaches undertaken
question of whether to aim for incremental dismantlement
by previous administrations. Trump and Kim exchanged
of North Korea’s nuclear program in step with gradual
more than 25 letters and held three meetings: in Singapore
sanctions relief, or to try for a “big deal†and demand that
(June 2018); Hanoi (February 2019); and Panmunjom, on
complete denuclearization precede full sanctions relief. A
the inter-Korean border (June 2019).
related question is whether the United States would accept
partial denuclearization as an outcome of talks. The
The Trump-Kim personal diplomacy reduced U.S.-DPRK
possibility of sanctions relief is complicated by, among
hostility, which had flared in 2017 and raised alarm that
other factors, legal requirements to address a range of
war could break out. The diplomacy also may have helped
security, regional stability, human rights, and governance
preserve North Korea’s self-imposed moratoria on nuclear
issues before sanctions can be suspended or altogether
tests and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests.
terminated. U.S. sanctions on North Korea target not just
Nevertheless, negotiations have stalled, and Pyongyang has
weapons development but also human rights abuses, money
enhanced its military capabilities, resumed short-range
laundering, illicit weapons trade, international terrorism,
missile tests, rejected agreements it had reached in 2018
and illicit cyber operations.
with South Korea, and expanded its efforts to evade
international sanctions. Meanwhile, many critics argue that
Key Developments
Trump’s moves have weakened the U.S.-South Korea
alliance. President-elect Joe Biden has indicated that he will
North Korea’s Nuclear and Missile Programs
seek a more traditional diplomatic approach toward North
 Kim in 2018 publicly agreed to “work toward complete
Korea, emphasizing working-level talks, should
denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,†pledging
negotiations resume.
“permanent dismantlement†of nuclear weapons
Status of U.S.-DPRK Negotiations
production facilities in Yongbyon—an important
nuclear site—“as the United States takes corresponding
U.S.-DPRK diplomacy stalled after the February 2019
measures.†The DPRK has partially shut down some
Hanoi summit, which broke down due to differences over
parts of its nuclear testing and missile launch sites. As
the scope and sequencing of DPRK denuclearization
U.S.-DPRK talks stalled, promises to allow inspections
measures required in exchange for sanctions relief. Since
or completely dismantle them went unfulfilled.
the June 2019 Panmunjom meeting, the United States and
ï‚· North Korea has not tested a nuclear weapon or test-
North Korea have held one round of official talks, in
launched ICBMs since November 2017,
October 2019. U.S. officials say their North Korean
notwithstanding Kim’s 2019 statement that the
counterparts refused to engage in additional negotiations.
moratoria no longer hold.
Under Trump and Kim, the two countries did not agree on
ï‚· Since May 2019, North Korea has conducted over a
denuclearization steps, whether an agreement will include
dozen short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) tests, in
DPRK missiles, or the mechanisms for verifying any
violation of U.N. Security Council prohibitions, likely
agreement, including inspection and monitoring
advancing the reliability and precision of its missile
arrangements. China and Russia have called for lifting
forces and improving its ability to defeat regional
several categories of U.N. sanctions, a move the Trump
Administration rejected as “premature.â€
missile defense systems. In October 2020, North Korea
publicly paraded a new ICBM and other new advanced
In late December 2019, Kim announced “there is no
military hardware.
ground†for North Korea to maintain its
ï‚·
nuclear and long-
In January 2021, Pyongyang announced it aims to
range missile testing moratoria. Kim criticized the United
develop tactical nuclear weapons, deploy multiple
States’ continuation of sanctions, military exercises with
warheads on a single missile, improve its ICBMs’
South Korea, and sales of advanced military equipment to
accuracy, and launch a spy satellite. Achieving these
Seoul. Kim warned “the world will witness a new strategic
goals may require testing.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Diplomacy with North Korea: A Status Report
Figure 1.Timeline of North Korean Ballistic Missile and Nuclear Tests,
U.N. Security Council Sanctions, and Major Summits/Leader Meetings, 2016-2020
Other Military Developments
inter-Korean projects favored by Moon, who has pushed
ï‚·
for more sanctions exceptions for inter-Korean projects.
The 2018 inter-Korean military confidence-building
ï‚· Following the Hanoi summit, Pyongyang largely
agreement called for reducing military activity around
ignored Seoul’s offers of humanitarian assistance, small-
the border and removing guard posts along the
scale initiatives, and diplomatic engagement. In June
demilitarized zone (DMZ). South Korea met its
2020, North Korea declared South Korea its “enemy,â€
obligations under the agreement; North Korea has
severed all overt inter-Korean communication channels,
threatened to renege on the small steps it has taken.
ï‚·
and blew up the liaison office near Kaesong, DPRK.
In June 2018, Trump cancelled major annual U.S.-South
ï‚· In May 2018, North Korea released three American
Korea military exercises to facilitate diplomacy with
detainees. Previous administrations also secured the
North Korea. Congress later included provisions in
release of U.S. citizens detained in the DPRK, including
defense authorization legislation setting conditions on
11 individuals freed during the Obama Administration.
the President’s authority to reduce U.S. troops in South
ï‚· In 2018, North Korea repatriated remains of possible
Korea (P.L. 115-232; P.L. 116-92; and P.L. 116-283,
U.S. Korea War-era troops, resulting in more than 40
overriding Trump’s veto).
ï‚·
positive identifications, and the two countries appeared
The United States and South Korea attempted but were
poised to resume the repatriation program that had
unable to renew their Special Measures Agreement
identified over 400 remains prior to the United States
(SMA), which determines cost-sharing for basing U.S.
terminating the program in 2005. No progress was made
troops in South Korea, before the previous SMA expired
on this issue during 2019 or 2020.
at the end of 2019. The Trump Administration sought
steep increases in South Korea’s contributions, and
Economic Developments
Trump said it is debatable whether the U.S. troop
ï‚·
presence in South Korea serves U.S. interests.
Several countries are less robustly enforcing U.N.-
required sanctions than before the rapprochement. China
Diplomatic Developments
and Russia also have blocked new sanctions
ï‚·
designations at the Security Council. The U.N. has
North Korea and China have restored close diplomatic
documented North Korea’s growing successes in
relations. The relationship had been strained since Kim
evading sanctions. The Trump Administration said
became leader in 2011.
ï‚·
China was enabling much of the evasion.
Kim has met five times with Chinese President Xi
 In 2020, North Korea’s economy appears to have
Jinping, three times with South Korean President Moon
contracted significantly after closing its borders to fight
Jae-in, and once with Russian President Vladimir Putin,
COVID-19 and following severe weather that wreaked
none of whom he had met before 2018.
ï‚·
havoc on domestic agriculture.
In 2018, the two Koreas and the United States agreed to
ï‚· In December 2019, Congress enacted the Otto
build a “peace regime,†which could start with a
Warmbier North Korea Nuclear Sanctions and
declaration formally ending the Korean War. The
Enforcement Act of 2019 (title LXXI, P.L. 116-92) to
United States and DPRK have discussed exchanging
further restrict financial institutions from providing
diplomatic liaison offices. There has been no progress in
significant financial services to those subject to North
these areas since the February 2019 Hanoi summit.
ï‚·
Korea-related sanctions.
Inter-Korean relations improved markedly in 2018
before cooling in 2019 and plummeting in 2020. In
Mark E. Manyin, Specialist in Asian Affairs
2018, the two Koreas held three summits, signed a
military agreement and other pacts, and opened a
Emma Chanlett-Avery, Specialist in Asian Affairs
permanent liaison office, their first-ever channel for full-
Mary Beth D. Nikitin, Specialist in Nonproliferation
time person-to-person contact. International and U.S.
Dianne E. Rennack, Specialist in Foreign Policy
sanctions, however, prevent Seoul from pursuing many
Legislation
IF11415
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Diplomacy with North Korea: A Status Report
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11415 · VERSION 3 · UPDATED