The Hanoi Summit – We Asked 80 Experts What Happens Next in U.S.-North Korea Relation

Reuters

The Hanoi Summit – We Asked 80 Experts What Happens Next in U.S.-North Korea Relation

The world’s top North Korea and national security experts discuss the aftermath of a summit that ended in a way almost no one expected. Are we headed back to the days of “Rocket Man” or is a third summit right around the corner? 

Editor’s Note: Please see other past North Korea symposiums featuring a collection of essays on what U.S.-North Korea relations will look like in 2019 as well as 76 different predictions on the now past Hanoi Summit

Some have called it the Hanoi Holdup. Many have called it a total failure. Others, such as myself, were hopeful that history would be made. Personally, I had big expectations going into the second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.

Nonetheless, we are once again at a familiar place in U.S.-North Korea relations: another crossroads where dialogue could turn into disaster, or where failed talked in Hanoi could spark a flurry of diplomacy, with both sides realizing a repeat of the events of 2017 may not end in summitry, but a series of escalatory incidents where neither side feels they can walk back from the brink.

As we have done on two separate occasions over the last few months, The Center for the National Interest’s New Korean Studies Program in partnership with The National Interest asked the world’s best experts the following question: Where do U.S.-North Korea relations go in the aftermath of the Hanoi summit?

Below, you will find a varied collection of the all responses we received to this simple yet important question. Special emphasis in our outreach efforts was placed on reaching out to voices in Korea, scholars outside of the United States and especially the beltway. In addition, we focused on ensuring gender balance, seeking out the top female voices across the globe.

Thank you to all who participated. 

Christine AhnGraham AllisonNaoko Aoki, Frank Aum

Doug BandowAbigail Bard, Alexandra BellBruce BennettNeil Bhatiya, Ian Bremmer

Ted Galen CarpenterGordon ChangMary Chesnut, Chiew-Ping HooJoe Cirincione, Michael CohenLindsay CohnErin Connolly, Ralph Cossa, Patrick Cronin

Jung Da-min, Daniel DavisMalcolm Davis, Abraham DenmarkDaniel DePetris

Olivia Enos

Erica Fein, Zhu FengHenri FéronKarl Friedhoff

Lyle Goldstein, Eric Gomez, John Dale Grover

Stephan Haggard,  Peter Harris, John HemmingsKate Hewitt, Richard Javad HeydarianJames HolmesJihwan Hwang

Amber JamilSe Young JangDagyum Kate Ji

Harry J. Kazianis, Jeongmin KimJoon-hyung Kim, Soo KimSung-han Kim, Minseon KuTimo Kivimäki

Christopher LawrenceCynthia Lazaroff, Kristine Lee, Mitchell LernerGrace Liu

Narushige MichishitaKatharine Moon

Joshua NezamJohn Nilsson-WrightStephen Noerper

Michael O'Hanlon

Ankit PandaRamon Pacheo PardoJihyun Park, Rosa Park

Bill RichardsonCheryl RoferDenny Roy

Alicia Sanders-Zakre, David SantoroPatricia Schouker, Elizabeth ShimTim ShorrockLeon Sigal, Devin StewartAbigail Stowe-Thurston

Stein TønnessonJenny Town

John Van Oudenaren

Andrew Yeo