Kim Jong-il's death has prompted discussion about the future of the isolated country and its nuclear weapons program. Experts cited in this CFR Backgrounder believe a post-Kim regime in North Korea would remain a tough nuclear negotiator.

Former U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy, Stephen W. Bosworth, says it is necessary for the United States to continue to engage with North Korea.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak's visit to Washington is likely to see passage of the Free Trade Agreement and coordination on strategies for pushing North Korea toward denuclearization, says CFR's Scott Snyder.

Reuters investigates the legitimacy of North Korea's appeals for massive food aid that have gone mostly unanswered by a skeptical international community.

CFR scholars provide policy options for preventing a major crisis in the territories immediately adjacent to China: North Korea, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Central Asia.

Two trends represent Korea today: South Korea's extraordinary economic boom and North Korea's stagnation and provocation.

CFR's Director of Studies James Lindsay and Director of the International Institutions and Global Governance Program Stewart Patrick preview major world events in the week ahead.

In this week's podcast: The United States is expected to run out of money to pay its bills unless an agreement is reached on raising the debt ceiling; Ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak stands trial in Cairo; and senior U.S. and North Korean diplomats hold 'explanatory' talks

Emma L. Belcher says the recent detterence of a North Korean ship carrying nuclear material highlights the need for criminal codes that take nuclear crimes seriously.

UN Security Council Resolution 1985 regarding North Korea was adopted by the UN Security Council on June 10, 2011.

Following U.S. envoy Robert King's visit to North Korea to assess the food situation in the country, CFR's Adjunct Senior Fellow for Korea Studies Scott A. Snyder says that any U.S. decision to provide food aid to the country should be accompanied by steps to minimize moral hazard.

Even if a U.S. assessment of North Korea's food situation echoes a UN report earlier this year that warned of shortages, debate rages about whether new food aid should be provided to a recalcitrant Pyongyang.

As former president Jimmy Carter visits Pyongyang, any movement on resumption of stalled talks on North Korea's denuclearization is unlikely, says CFR fellow Sue Terry. Washington should continue to deter Pyongyang's aggressive behavior using sanctions and working with regional allies, she says.

Leslie H. Gelb argues that America's failure to knock out Ghadafi emboldens Iran and North Korea.

Writing for the Washington Post, Nicholas Eberstadt argues that for all of its many weaknesses, North Korea employs a coherent and consistent strategy for nuclear negotiations.

The latest inter-Korean talks were shadowed by North Korea's failure to apologize for the Cheonan sinking and Yeonpyeong Island shelling. This raises questions about renewed diplomacy on the North's nuclear program, says CFR's Scott Snyder.

South Korea's exercises on Yeonpyeong are a response to last month's North Korean attack and growing public anger, says CFR's Scott Snyder, who urges greater China-U.S. cooperation on the Korean peninsula and strengthening South Korean defenses.

WikiLeaks' cables on North Korea's missile sales to Iran have raised new concerns about the country's proliferation activities. Expert Jeffrey Lewis says Pyongyang's procurement networks pose the biggest threat, and recommends the international community strengthen interdiction measures.

With tensions on the Korean peninsula continuing to arouse U.S. concern, expert Leon Sigal calls for the United States and South Korea to support a peace process and political and economic engagement with North Korea.

Former U.S. secretary of state Condoleezza Rice reflects on her time in the Bush administration and issues faced after 9/11, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. She also discusses the damaging effects of WikiLeaks and the geopolitical challenges of Iran and North Korea.

Colonel Gian Gentile discusses the ability of the U.S. military to deal with the conflict in the Korean peninsula.