Updated March 26, 2024
U.S.-North Korea Relations
Since 2016, North Korea’s advances in nuclear weapons
support for refugees from the DPRK. In 2023, the Senate
and missile capabilities under leader Kim Jong-un have
confirmed the Biden Administration’s appointee for Special
catapulted Pyongyang from a threat to U.S. interests in East
Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issues, a post that
Asia to a potential direct threat to the U.S. homeland. U.S.
had been vacant for over six years. In February 2024, the
policy on North Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of
Departments of the Treasury, State, and Commerce
Korea, or DPRK) has focused primarily on the DPRK’s
announced new coordinated policies to improve the
nuclear weapons and missile programs. Other U.S. concerns
licensing of humanitarian delivery of agricultural
include the DPRK’s illicit activities (including cyber-
commodities and medical devices by nongovernmental
crime), weapons trade (including arms deals with Russia),
organizations, steps some Members of Congress had sought
systemic human rights abuses, and the potential for North
for years.
Korea to resume small-scale conventional attacks against
U.S. ally South Korea (Republic of Korea, or ROK).
Since U.S.-DPRK negotiations to freeze and dismantle the
North’s nuclear weapons program broke down in 2019,
North Korea largely has ignored attempts by the United
States and ROK to resume dialogue. In 2022, Kim declared
North Korea will never denuclearize. North Korea also
appears to have boosted its military capabilities and its
diplomatic position. In late 2023 and early 2024, Kim
abandoned decades of official policy and declared that
South Korea is not inhabited by “fellow countrymen” but is

a separate, “hostile” state that North Korea would
Sources: CRS. Boundaries, U.S. Department of State.
“subjugate” if war broke out. North Korea test-launched
more than 30 ballistic missiles in 2023 and 2024 to date,
U.S. and ROK Approaches to the DPRK
including multiple tests of intercontinental ballistic missiles
Biden and his South Korean counterpart, Yoon Suk Yeol,
(ICBMs) capable of delivering nuclear warheads. The tests
have pursued a coordinated approach to North Korea that
appear to have advanced the reliability and precision of the
heavily emphasizes deterrence, which the United States
DPRK’s missile forces, and improved North Korea’s ability
says it is calibrating to North Korea’s “escalatory” actions
to defeat regional missile defense systems. Analysts debate
and rhetoric. In contrast, President Trump for most of his
whether North Korea’s moves since 2021 are signs that it is
term and Yoon’s predecessor, Moon Jae-in (2017-2022),
preparing for war.
emphasized dialogue and diplomacy with North Korea.
Since Yoon’s May 2022 inauguration, Biden and Yoon
As the DPRK demonstrates greater military capability,
have expanded the scope and scale of combined military
some Members of Congress are pushing the Biden
exercises—including with Japan—that Trump and Moon
Administration to increase pressure while others are calling
curtailed from 2018 until Moon left office. The United
for offering greater incentives for North Korea to return to
States also has introduced new unilateral sanctions
negotiations. Congress has created new tools to shape North
designations and increased its visible deployments of
Korea’s information environment, both through sanctions
“strategic assets,” including nuclear-capable weapons
and international broadcasting. The Otto Warmbier
systems, to the Korean Peninsula. With Japan, the United
Countering North Korean Censorship and Surveillance Act
States and ROK have created new trilateral tools for
of 2022 (Title LV, Subtitle F, P.L. 117-263) required the
responding to North Korea, including a mechanism for
President to develop a strategy to combat the DPRK’s
exchanging real-time warning data on DPRK missile
“repressive information environment” and authorizes $10
launches and establishing a working group on DPRK cyber
million annually through FY2027 to increase U.S.-
activities. The United States and ROK have offered
government-sponsored broadcasting and information
Pyongyang unconditional humanitarian assistance, the
dissemination into North Korea. Some Members have
Biden Administration has offered to meet with North Korea
expressed support for reauthorizing the North Korean
“without preconditions,” and Yoon has pledged to provide
Human Rights Act of 2004 (H.R. 3012/S. 584), which
large-scale economic assistance if North Korea “embarks
established a Special Envoy on North Korean Human
on a genuine and substantive process for denuclearization.”
Rights Issues in the State Department and funded assistance
Pyongyang reportedly has rejected these offers. The Biden
from FY2005 through FY2022 for human rights,
Administration says it seeks the DPRK’s denuclearization,
democracy, freedom of information, and humanitarian
but that it would consider “interim steps” along the way
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U.S.-North Korea Relations
toward that goal, and that it is ready to hold “threat
fissile material for nuclear weapons. The U.S. Defense
reduction” talks with North Korea.
Intelligence Agency reportedly has assessed that North
Korea has successfully developed a nuclear warhead that is
U.S. and International Sanctions
“miniaturized” or sufficiently small to be delivered by long-
North Korea is the target of scores of U.S. and U.N.
range ballistic missile. North Korea’s ICBM tests appear to
Security Council (UNSC) sanctions. UNSC sanctions
be an effort to improve its ability to strike the United States,
require member states to curtail trade with North Korea,
and its ballistic missile tests more generally appear aimed at
affecting over 80% of the items it once could sell abroad.
advancing its ability to thwart regional missile defenses and
North Korean imports, such as oil, are capped at levels to
strike U.S. allies and assets. U.S. officials also have voiced
meet basic livelihood requirements. In 2016, 2017, and
concerns about Pyongyang’s improving cyber capabilities,
2019 Congress passed, and Presidents Obama and Trump
including suspected DPRK-affiliated attacks on
signed, legislation expanding U.S. sanctions (P.L. 114-122,
cryptocurrency-related companies that North Korea
P.L. 115-44, and P.L. 116-92). Both Administrations issued
reportedly has used to steal billions of dollars since 2017.
executive orders and designations to authorize and apply
sanctions against North Korean entities and secondary
North Korea’s Human Rights Record
sanctions targeting those engaged in, financing, or
Reports portray extreme human rights abuses by the North
otherwise facilitating trade with North Korea. More
Korean government, including a system of prison camps
recently, the Biden Administration has designated for
housing approximately 100,000 prisoners. In 2014, a U.N.
sanctions North Koreans conducting illicit cyber and crypto
Human Rights Council commission concluded that North
activities, weapons procurement and transfers (to Russia),
Korea had committed “crimes against humanity” and
and fuel trade that violates U.S. and UNSC restrictions.
argued that the individuals responsible should face charges.
The North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act of
The UNSC has documented North Korea’s efforts to evade
2016 (P.L. 114-122) requires the President to certify,
sanctions, including ship-to-ship transfers of oil and coal in
among several metrics, human rights improvements in order
the waters off China’s and Russia’s coasts. During 2022,
to suspend or terminate most sanctions.
China and Russia blocked U.S.-led efforts at the UNSC to
tighten restrictions on DPRK’s petroleum imports. In
The DPRK’s Internal Situation
contrast, from 2006 to 2017, both countries supported the
Kim Jong-un, believed to be in his late 30s, succeeded his
adoption of 10 UNSC sanctions resolutions following North
father in 2011. On assuming power, Kim conducted several
Korean ICBM and/or nuclear tests. China accounts for over
purges of high-level officials to solidify his status as
80% of North Korea’s trade. Kim may believe he has
paramount leader. For the first several years of his tenure,
greater room to maneuver due to increased support from
the DPRK economy appeared to expand, in part due to the
China and Russia. North Korea also has upgraded its
government allowing previously prohibited markets and
partnership with Russia, reportedly in return for food, fuel,
granting enterprises somewhat greater autonomy. Since
and other goods and services. In 2023, Kim visited Russia
2016, when the UNSC began to impose sanctions targeting
and met President Vladimir Putin. In 2024, the State
critical sectors, growth appears to have fallen, in part due to
Department reported that North Korea has transferred
the near-collapse of DPRK exports as trading partners
ballistic missiles as well as 10,000 containers of
implemented sanctions.
ammunition to Russia for use in the war in Ukraine.
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, North Korea
Nuclear, Missile, and Cyber Capabilities
largely closed its borders and restricted economic activities.
North Korea has said its nuclear weapons are intended to
In 2020 and 2021, North Korea’s official trade, which
deter an attack by the United States. Some analysts worry
already had been reduced to a trickle due to sanctions, fell
that the DPRK may become emboldened to launch attacks
by nearly 90%. The difficulty of importing food and
or to use nuclear blackmail to achieve other policy
agricultural products during the border shutdown, combined
objectives if it believes it has developed a sufficiently
with poor weather, likely exacerbated North Korea’s
robust deterrent against U.S. and South Korean retaliation.
chronic food shortages. The U.N. estimates that over 10
In its 2024 worldwide threat assessment, the U.S.
million North Koreans, roughly 40% of the population, are
intelligence community said that Kim “almost certainly has
undernourished. There are few outward signs, however, that
no intentions of negotiating away his nuclear program,
economic difficulties are threatening the regime’s stability
which he perceives to be a guarantor of regime security.” In
or compelling it to engage with the United States or South
2022, North Korea adopted a new law to expand the
Korea. In 2023, North Korea reopened to trade and
conditions under which it would use nuclear weapons to
diplomatic exchanges with China and Russia. Its trade with
include non-nuclear attacks and situations that threaten the
China in 2023 nearly matched 2019 levels.
regime’s survival.
Mark E. Manyin, Specialist in Asian Affairs
North Korea has tested six nuclear devices: in 2006, 2009,
Mary Beth D. Nikitin, Acting Section Research Manager
2013, twice in 2016, and in 2017. Since the Six-Party
Dianne E. Rennack, Specialist in Foreign Policy
nuclear talks (among China, Japan, North Korea, Russia,
Legislation
South Korea, and the United States) broke down in 2009,
North Korea has restarted its nuclear facilities that produce
IF10246
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U.S.-North Korea Relations


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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10246 · VERSION 18 · UPDATED

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