With diplomacy going nowhere, it's time to accept the status quo with North Korea



Opinion With diplomacy going nowhere, it’s time to accept the status quo with North Korea Military action would end in disaster, and lifting sanctions would set a dangerous precedent John Lee June 23, 2019 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON Rodong Sinmun A common question that one comes across is: “can we live with a nuclear North Korea?” I’ll save everyone a bunch of time and just give you the answer: not only can we live with a nuclear North Korea, we already are. This genie is out of the bottle and all the king’s horses and all the king’s men will not be able to mop up the spilled milk. That’s a no-brainer. The more important question is: “what’s next?” It doesn’t matter how many more punishing sanctions we impose on North Korea — they’ve been able to make their way © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update & Podcast Updates Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by Trending

Opinion

With diplomacy going nowhere, it’s time to accept the status quo with North Korea

Military action would end in disaster, and lifting sanctions would set a dangerous precedent

John Lee June 23, 2019

With diplomacy going nowhere, it’s time to accept the status quo with North Korea

Rodong Sinmun

A common question that one comes across is: “can we live with a nuclear North Korea?”

I’ll save everyone a bunch of time and just give you the answer: not only can we live with a nuclear North Korea, we already are. This genie is out of the bottle and all the king’s horses and all the king’s men will not be able to mop up the spilled milk. That’s a no-brainer. The more important question is: “what’s next?”

It doesn’t matter how many more punishing sanctions we impose on North Korea — they’ve been able to make their way

About the Author

John Lee

John Lee is the Managing Editor of Korea Pro, based in Seoul, where he leads daily executive briefings, in-depth analyses and high-level events for business leaders, diplomats and policy professionals. Since joining Korea Pro in 2022, he has expanded the platform’s coverage of South Korea’s economy, trade and foreign policy and moderates its flagship Korea Business Forum and Seoul Circuit series. Before taking the helm at Korea Pro, John contributed to NK News and Korea Pro as a writer focused on South Korean foreign policy and U.S.-ROK relations. His work blends on-the-ground reporting with data-driven analysis of South Korea’s political economy, economic security and its evolving role in global affairs.

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