Updated July 30, 2021
Diplomacy with North Korea: A Status Report
Overview
Hanoi (February 2019); and Panmunjom, on the inter-
Since the early 1990s, the United States periodically has
Korean border (June 2019). The U.S.-DPRK diplomacy
engaged in diplomacy with the Democratic People’s
was complemented—and at certain points facilitated—by
Republic of Korea (DPRK, North Korea’s official name). A
increased diplomacy between North and South Korea.
central focus of these efforts has been the DPRK’s nuclear
President Biden has indicated that he will seek to return to a
and missile programs , which have emerged as threats to the
more traditional diplomatic approach that emphasizes
U.S. homeland and U.S. East Asian allies , particularly
working-level talks.
South Korea and Japan. Over the decades, the United States
and North Korea also have discussed bilateral
The Biden Administration has indicated that the United
normalization, officially ending the Korean War, and
States could build on 2018 agreements the United States
human rights in North Korea. Since 2019, following the
and South Korea separately reached with North Korea,
collapse of personal diplomacy between former President
along with prior agreements negotiated with Pyongyang. In
Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un,
a 2018 joint declaration issued in Singapore, Trump and
Pyongyang largely has ignored attempts by the Trump and
Kim agreed to “commit to establish” new bilateral relations,
Biden Administrations to resume dialogue. Kim’s
build “a lasting and stable peace regime,” and cooperate to
reluctance to engage also may be due to increased strains
recover the remains of thousands of U.S. troops
from dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak, which led
unaccounted for from the Korean War. Kim said he
North Korea to seal its borders in early 2020.
“commits to work toward complete denuclearization of the
Korean Peninsula.” Subsequent negotiations in Hanoi in
In April 2021, the Biden Administration announced it had
2019 collapsed, however, due to differences over the scope
completed a review of U.S. DPRK policy, and that it will
and sequencing of DPRK denuclearization measures
pursue a “calibrated, practical approach that is open to and
required in exchange for sanctions relief.
will explore diplomacy with North Korea” to eventually
achieve the “complete denuclearization of the Korean
If U.S.-DPRK talks restart, Members of Congress could
Peninsula.” U.N. Security Council and U.S. sanctions bar
debate the merits of the Biden Administration’s apparent
nearly all of North Korea’s exports and many of its imports,
aim to push in the near term for incremental dismantlement
with exceptions for livelihood and humanitarian purposes.
of North Korea’s nuclear program in step with gradual
The Biden approach, overseen by a Special Representative
sanctions relief, rather than trying for earlier and/or more
for the DPRK who concurrently serves as U.S. Ambassador
extensive DPRK denuclearization concessions. The
to Indonesia, appears to envision offering partial sanctions
possibility of sanctions relief is complicated by, among
relief in exchange for partial steps toward denuclearization.
other factors, U.S. legal requirements to address a range of
Incremental sanctions relief could be difficult to accomplish
security, regional stability, human rights, and governance
without congressional support, given limitations enacted
issues before sanctions can be suspended or altogether
into law. U.S. officials say they have reached out to North
terminated. U.S. sanctions on North Korea target not just
Korea, offering to meet without preconditions, and that “the
weapons development but also human rights abuses, money
ball is in [Pyongyang’s] court.” Some analysts characterize
laundering, weapons trade, international terrorism, and
the Administration’s approach as overly passive, with little
cyber operations. Members may also debate whether and
substantive content in its public offers to engage.
how to push the Administration to more effectively shield
humanitarian aid from the impact of sanctions.
In the near term, some analysts worry that DPRK leader
Key Developments
Kim will abandon his November 2017 unilateral
moratorium on nuclear tests and long-range ballistic missile
North Korea’s Nuclear and Missile Programs
tests. Pyongyang has resumed short- and medium-range
missile tests and taken other steps to enhance its military
Kim in 2018 publicly agreed to “work toward complete
capabilities since 2017. It also has continued to conduct
denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” pledging
cyberattacks around the globe and expand its efforts to
“permanent dismantlement” of nuclear weapons
evade international sanctions.
production facilities in Yongbyon—an important
nuclear site—“as the United States takes corresponding
Background
measures.” The DPRK has partially shut down some
In 2018, following two years of a steadily escalating crisis
parts of its nuclear testing and missile launch sites. As
that threatened to erupt into military conflict, Trump and
U.S.-DPRK talks stalled, promises to allow inspections
Kim defused tensions. Departing from the bottom-up
or completely dismantle sites went unfulfilled.
approaches undertaken by previous administrations, their
Under Trump and Kim, the two countries did not agree
diplomatic efforts relied on summits and leader-to-leader
on denuclearization steps, whether an agreement will
communication. Trump and Kim exchanged more than 25
include DPRK missiles, or the mechanisms for verifying
letters and held three meetings: in Singapore (June 2018);
any agreement, including inspection and monitoring.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Diplomacy w ith North Korea: A Status Report
Figure 1.Timeline of North Korean Ballistic Missile and Nuclear Tests,
U.N. Security Council Sanctions, Major Summits and Leader Meetings, 2016-2021
North Korea has not tested a nuclear weapon or test-
A key element of the Biden approach, which Moon
launched intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs)
publicly has welcomed, is revitalizing the U.S.-South
since November 2017, notwithstanding Kim’s
Korea relationship. Many observers contend Trump
December 2019 statement that “there is no ground” for
damaged the alliance during his term.
North Korea to continue the moratorium because of the
In 2018, the two Koreas held three summits, signed a
breakdown in U.S.-DPRK talks since the Hanoi summit.
military agreement, and opened a liaison office in North
In October 2020, North Korea publicly paraded a new
Korea. International and U.S. sanctions, however,
ICBM and other new advanced military hardware.
impede Seoul from pursuing many inter-Korean projects
Since May 2019, North Korea has conducted over a
favored by Moon. Moon’s term-limited presidency ends
dozen short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) tests, in
in May 2022.
violation of U.N. Security Council prohibitions, likely
Since the Hanoi summit, Pyongyang generally has
advancing the reliability and precision of its missile
rejected Seoul’s offers of aid, cooperation, and
forces and improving its ability to defeat regional
diplomatic engagement. In June 2020, North Korea
missile defense systems.
declared South Korea its “enemy,” severed all overt
In January 2021, Pyongyang announced it aims to
inter-Korean communication channels, and blew up the
develop tactical nuclear weapons, deploy multiple
liaison office. In July 2021, following a months -long
warheads on a single missile, improve its ICBMs’
exchange of letters between Kim and Moon, the two
accuracy, and launch a spy satellite. Achieving these
Koreas announced North Korea was rejoining many of
goals may require testing.
the telephone hotlines it had abandoned.
In 2018, North Korea repatriated remains of possible
Other Military Developments
U.S. Korea War-era troops, resulting in more than 40
identifications. No progress has been made since.
A 2018 inter-Korean military confidence-building
agreement required reducing military activity around the
Economic Developments
border and removing guard posts along the demilitarized
zone (DMZ). South Korea met its obligations under the
Many countries are less robustly enforcing U.N.-
agreement; North Korea has threatened to renege on the
required sanctions than before the Trump-Kim meetings.
small steps it has taken.
China and Russia have blocked new sanctions
In June 2018, Trump cancelled annual U.S.-South Korea
designations at the Security Council and have called for
military exercises, calling them “expensive” and
lifting several categories of sanctions. The U.N. has
“provocative.” Due in part to the pandemic, 2021
documented North Korea’s growing success in evading
exercises are being scaled back; major in-person
sanctions.
exercises have not resumed.
In 2020 and 2021, North Korea’s economy appears to
have contracted significantly after closing its borders to
Diplomatic Developments
fight COVID-19 and following storms that wreaked
havoc on domestic agriculture. In June 2021, the Kim
Pyongyang used the Trump-Kim diplomacy to break out
government said the country was facing a “food crisis.”
of the relative isolation the international community had
imposed following DPRK’s 2016 and 2017 nuclear and
missile tests. In particular, North Korea and China have
Mark E. Manyin, Specialist in Asian Affairs
restored close diplomatic relations.
Emma Chanlett-Avery, Specialist in Asian Affairs
Although the United States and DPRK before the Hanoi Mary Beth D. Nikitin, Specialist in Nonproliferation
summit discussed exchanging liaison offices, there has
Dianne E. Rennack, Specialist in Foreign Policy
been no upgrade to the bilateral relationship nor
Legislation
progress on building a “peace regime,” which could start
with a declaration formally ending the Korean War.
IF11415
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Diplomacy w ith North Korea: A Status Report
Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to
congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress.
Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has
been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the
United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be
reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include
copyrighted images or material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permissio n of the copyright holder if you
wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.
https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11415 · VERSION 4 · UPDATED