The second U.S.-North Korea summit, which had been expected to mark a decisive turning point in peace and the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, concluded with no agreement.

A wide array of possible outcomes for the meeting — from “big deal” to a “small deal” — had been widely predicted, but not many foresaw that the summit would end in complete breakdown.

This unexpected outcome reaffirms three limitations in handling North Korea’s denuclearization issues.

First, an abstract agreement between Pyongyang and Washington over the issue led to the absence of follow-up measures — and, in a sense, the breakdown of