North Korea's Nuclear Program - Assessment and a Path Forward
April 30, 2008
Dr. Siegfried S. Hecker, Co-director of the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University and Director Emeritus of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, reported on his third visit to North Korea's closely guarded nuclear facility at Yongbyon from February 12-16, 2008. Hecker offered his assessment of the dimensions and dangers of North Korea's nuclear program and suggestions for a path toward denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.
Dr. Hecker's trip on February 14 was to assess the disablement actions of the October 3 (2007) six-party agreement. His reported included a confirmation that the Yongbyon nuclear facility had been shut down and were being monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). At the time of the visit, the disablement actions at the three facilities was almost complete, and in Dr. Hecker's judgement, these actions were serious and would require significant time and effort to restart the facilities. According to DPRK officials, 10 of the required 12 disablement actions were complete and Dr. Hecker found the level of cooperation from DPRK nuclear specialists to be "excellent."
Read more about the disablement process and the status of the six-party talks in Dr. Hecker's Summary Statement or download his full Trip Report.
Read Dr. Hecker's article, "Declearizing North Korea," published in the May/June 2008 issue of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
Read a copy of Dr. Hecker's report of his visit to the Yongbyon Nuclear Center, presented to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on March 14, 2008.
RELATED RESEARCH
Small Blast, Explosive Effects: Roller Coaster Inter-Korean Relations Michael Yo reports on the political, economic and cultural aspects of inter-Korean relations of the past year from the nuclear test to the summit meeting.
The "Teeth of Diplomacy": U.S.-DPRK Relations and the Six-Party Talks Rian Jensen surveys the Six-Party Talks and assesses prospects for continued progress in U.S.-North Korea relations.
RELATED EVENTS
Failed Diplomacy (audio available) Charles L. Pritchard presented the findings of his book, Failed Diplomacy: The Tragic Story of How North Korea Got the Bomb.
Report from Pyongyang: North Korea's Nuclear Future (audio and remarks available) Insights from David Albright, a physicist and President of the Institute for Science and International Security, and Joel Wit, a member of the State Department's negotiating team on the 1994 Agreed Framework, based on discussions in Pyongyang prior to Six Party Talks.
Kim Jong Il and the Prospects for Korean Unification (remarks available) Former ROK Minister of Unification, Chung Dong Young, offered his insights on North Korea's future based on his extensive discussions with Kim Jong Il.
Biography of a Bomb: Portrait of the North Korea Nuclear Program (audio available) Experts discuss the history and making of North Korea's nuclear program.