Signs Point to North Korea Rejoining Talks

“Unnamed sources in Beijing over the weekend confirmed that North Korea is ready to rejoin the Six Party Talks [aimed at ending Pyongyang’s nuclear program] as soon as early April. This sounds like a rather ambitious schedule, unless ‘resumption’ of the talks will take place in the kind of three-step process envisioned by Chinese diplomats (U.S.-DPRK bilaterals; six party preparatory meeting; formal six party talks). But even with a rapid resumption of the talks, the difficult issues that caused their breakdown in 2008 will quickly resurface: How to verify compliance with commitments? How to sequence reciprocal steps? How to balance one nation's priorities with those of the group as a whole? The key for U.S. and Northeast Asian diplomats now is less forcing a resumption of the talks than figuring out how to make their resumption moderately successful in the early stages,” says John Delury, Associate Director of Asia Society’s Center on U.S.-China Relations.

John is based in New York. To arrange an interview, contact the Asia Society communications department at 212-327-9271 or [email protected].