Success or Sellout?

The U.S.-North Korean Nuclear Accord

Task Force Report
Analysis and policy prescriptions of major foreign policy issues facing the United States, developed through private deliberations among a diverse and distinguished group of experts.

More on:

North Korea

Treaties and Agreements

Nonproliferation, Arms Control, and Disarmament

The U.S.-North Korean Agreed Framework of October 1994 holds the potential for resolving the Nuclear proliferation threat from the North, promoting stability on the Korean Peninsula, and furthering North-South dialogue. Yet it also could exacerbate tensions on the peninsula and introduce new problems into U.S. ties with both South Korea and Japan. The key now lies in Washington, Seoul, and Tokyo; how they manage the pact's implementation will determine—even more than its terms—whether the accords leads to good or ill.

This report—the result of an expert bipartisan task force—traces the history of the negotiations, explains what the accord contains, what it requires from the parties, and provides responses to commonly raised questions and criticisms. It also suggests some guidelines for the United States, South Korea, and Japan as they implement the agreement—or protect themselves against its failure.

More on:

North Korea

Treaties and Agreements

Nonproliferation, Arms Control, and Disarmament

Task Force Members

Kenneth L. Adelman

Byung-Joon Ahn

Chang-Yoon Choi

Yoichi Funabashi

Leslie H. Gelb

William Gleysteen, Jr.

Donald P. Gregg

Richard N. Haass

Hong-Choo Hyun

Arnold Kanter

Kyung Won Kim

Dong-Bok Lee

Jessica Tuchman Mathews

Don Oberdorfer

Douglas H. Paul

Nicholas Platt

Sang-Woo Rhee

Robert W. RisCassi

William Y. Smith

Stephen J. Solarz

Richard H. Solomon

Top Stories on CFR

United States

Each Friday, I look at what the presidential contenders are saying about foreign policy. This Week: Joe Biden doesn’t want one of America’s closest allies to buy a once iconic American company.

Immigration and Migration

Dara Lind, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the record surge in migrants and asylum seekers crossing the U.S. southern border.

Center for Preventive Action

Every January, CFR’s annual Preventive Priorities Survey analyzes the conflicts most likely to occur in the year ahead and measures their potential impact. For the first time, the survey anticipates that this year, 2024, the United States will contend not only with a slew of global threats, but also a high risk of upheaval within its own borders. Is the country prepared for the eruption of election-related instability at home while wars continue to rage abroad?