Correction at 1410 KST, January 18: A previous version of this article suggested that Russia had not been present at recent track 1.5 talks in Sweden. This was incorrect, and the article has been amended to reflect this.

Hugging the Pacific on Canada’s south-west corner, Vancouver no doubt serves as a gateway for the Great White North’s desire to be an important player in the Asia-Pacific. This week, foreign ministers from various nations, including Canada, Japan, South Korea, and the U.S. convened in Vancouver to discuss peace and security issues on the Korean peninsula.

But ahead of the conference,