Committee On Forei United States Senate

U.S. Policy Toward North Korea Committee On Forei United States Senate

Recent developments in North Korea, most notably, the February 12, 2013, nuclear test and the December 12, 2012, missile tests, highlight the growing threat that North Korea poses to the United States, our allies and friends in the region, and the increasing dangers of severe instability on the Korean Peninsula. Given this growing set of circumstances, I believe the committee needs to take a close look at current United States policy toward North Korea, evaluate its effectiveness, and identify any midcourse corrections or new measures that are required to get our North Korea policy right. I also believe that we need to do more to better determine how the United States can combine effective sanctions and military countermeasures with strong and realistic diplomacy aimed at North Korea and at China-and with the clear goal of North Korea's abandonment of its nuclear programs.