The Ends, Ways, and Means of
US Policy Towards North Korea
By
Cynthia M. Lewis
Inter/National Security Studies
Lesson 8
22 June 2012
Instructor: Dr. Bruce Bechtol Jr.

Air Command and Staff College
Distance Learning
Maxwell AFB, AL One of the security challenges facing the United States (US) is the US and North Korea relations. The US policy toward North Korea is diplomatic yet firm. North Korea is our longest standing adversary. Policy toward North Korea is one of the most enduring foreign policy challenges. In this essay I will discuss the security challenge of U.S. and North Korea, the theory of international relation, realism, how it illuminates this challenge and how the instruments of …show more content…

to alter its diplomacy was their nuclear program and their treatment of human rights. In 2005 the U.S. wanted peace talks with North Korea. They sought Six Party peace talks, while North Korea demanded one on one talks with the U.S. In 2006, North Korea took an initial step to implement an agreement under the support of the Six Party Talks to abandon its nuclear weapons program in return for specified economic and political concessions (Corin, 2010, 163). According to Klinger, (2009, 1), the Six Party Talks should continue but should not be the only venue where the U.S. engages North Korea. If we expect to have any influence over events in North Korea, the U.S. policy must involve commitment with North Korea. The ways of the U.S. policy are the policies and commitments. The involvement with North Korea should include discussions, negotiations, cultural exchanges, and even diplomatic relations. To involve North Korea, an understanding and influence of the U.S on North Korea can be created. Although, the public perceive a major policy shift toward North Korea, President Obama is continuing the Bush engagement strategy (Kingner, 2009, 1). The goal of the U.S. is to maintain a stable, peaceful Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons. To achieve this goal, the U.S. will work to ensure the implementation of U.S. and international sanctions against North Korea. Nuclear negotiations are currently in a deadlock because North Korea rejects a verification