For its part, North Korea routinely demands the end of the United States’ “hostile policy” as a necessary precondition for a treaty, while the U.S. has resisted taking such a step without concrete evidence of denuclearization. Moreover, North Korea tested nine missiles this year prior to the South Korean presidential election. Such bellicose actions would be expected to sour South Korean public interest in a peace treaty.
North Korea’s supreme leader Kim Jong Un recently emphasized again the importance of strengthening North Korea’s “self-reliant” defense and military capabilities as the stalled nuclear talks have de facto been dormant.
North Korea’s most important event for this year – the 110th birth anniversary of Kim Il Sung, the founder of the country and late grandfather of Kim Jong Un – is scheduled on April 15.
Professor Marc Lanteign. Professor Marc teaches in Political Science, including international relations, comparative politics (China, Asia-Pacific, Oceania, Polar Regions), security studies and comparative political economy.
