Since Chairman Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump’s historic summit in Singapore, North Korea has suspended nuclear missile tests, deconstructed an ICBM launch facility, demolished a nuclear test site, released American hostages, and sent American remains home. The Trump administration has postponed or reduced joint South Korea and U.S. military exercises also. However, North Korea still resists providing an inventory on its nuclear program, which is considered the first crucial step toward the final and fully verified denuclearization of North Korea. Many experts are skeptical on the issue of North Korea’s denuclearization even though President Trump plans to meet face-to-face with Chairman Kim in February, 2019 for a second nuclear summit. There exists the possibility of renewed tensions on the Korean Peninsula if the denuclearization negotiations collapse. This presentation reviews how much progress has been made since the historic summit in Singapore and explores the possible scenarios in case the denuclearization deal fails. In addition, the audience will be able to learn various issues such as the current situation in the Korean Peninsula, reunification, and human rights in North Korea from the perspectives of a North Korean defector, a South Korean, a Korean American, and a Canadian American.

Speaker: Dr. Byeong-Keun You, Associate Professor; Jisoo Han, Adjunct Professor; Owen Sirrs, Adjunct Professor; and Sanghyup Lee, Graduate Teaching Assistant.