That would give both sides something to show for their efforts and improve the political conditions in Pyongyang and Washington for negotiations to defuse the conventional military confrontation in Korea. Tokyo has not helped. It was slow to put up its share of funding for construction of the replacement reactor and drew back from signing an accord with KEDO after the missile test. It has yet to offer food and other help. Hawks stress the need for deterrence to keep Pyongyang at bay, but deterrence alone won't keep the peace in Korea, especially if North Korea begins to fall apart.
Reassurance is essential.
It will take sustained political engagement and military reciprocity by Washington, Seoul, and Pyongyang to avoid a military tragedy in Northeast Asia. The Northeast Asia Peace and Security Network invites your responses to this essay. Responses will be considered for redistribution to the network only if they include the author's name, affiliation, and explicit consent.