Crisis on the Korean Peninsula: Implications for U.S. Policy in Northeast Asia

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As part of the Brookings Leadership Forum series, former Secretary of Defense William J. Perry will present his views on the current nuclear threat posed by North Korea.

North Korea’s resumption of its nuclear program has raised concerns in South Korea, Japan, China, and Washington about Pyongyang’s intentions, and about the possibility of an American military response. The Bush administration has signaled its willingness to engage in direct talks with North Korea in an effort to resolve the standoff diplomatically.

But the path to a peaceful resolution is complicated. Among the obstacles are the possibility of a policy divergence between Washington and Seoul, America’s focus on disarming Iraq, and the lack of a clear consensus among the United States, China, Russia, and Japan about how to proceed.

William Perry was secretary of Defense from 1994 to 1997, and Special Advisor on North Korean Relations to the president and secretary of State in the Clinton administration. He is currently co-director of the Harvard-Stanford Preventive Defense Project.

At this forum, he will address the issues involved in the current standoff between the United States and North Korea as well as answer questions from the audience.

Co-sponsored by the Brookings Institution Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies and National Committee on U.S.-China Relations.