October 17, 2019, by Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. and Victor Cha—
Analysis of satellite imagery of the Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Facility acquired during 2019 and more specifically on September 23rd and October 9th, 2019 shows the facility in caretaker status, likely being maintained by security personnel. While there is no evidence of current efforts to restore any of the nuclear test portals, several observations lead us to believe the facility has not been permanently disabled and that the detonations in May 2018 are not necessarily irreversible.
October 2, 2019, by Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., Victor Cha and Dana Kim—
Around 7:11 am on October 2 (KST), North Korea launched what may have been a submarine launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from waters northeast of the Wonsan, Kangwon Province area into the sea between Korea and Japan. The last Beyond Parallel report on the Sinpo South Shipyard indicated the possibility of ongoing preparations for a launch.
September 30, 2019—
On September 30, 2019, the Honorable John R. Bolton, National Security Advisor (2018-2019) and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (2005-2006), delivered the keynote address at our JoongAng Ilbo-CSIS Forum 2019: Navigating Geostrategic Flux in Asia: The United States and Korea.
August 2, 2019, by Victor Cha and Dana Kim—
Three projectile launches, all within the past eight days, demonstrate North Korea’s intention to perfect its short-range strike capabilities, guidance systems, and solid fuel development... North Korea conducted three separate tests that launched two projectiles each on July 25 (KN-23…
July 2, 2019, by Victor Cha and Joseph S. Bermudez Jr.—
As the first sitting president in U.S. history to step into North Korea, Donald Trump’s action could be seen as a significant representation of the U.S. intention eventually to conclude a peace treaty... As the first sitting president in U.S. history to step into North Korea, Donald Trump’s…
June 24, 2019—
In this episode, Andrew and CSIS’s Victor Cha welcome Anna Fifield, Beijing Bureau Chief of the Washington Post. Fifield is the author of the recent biography, The Great Successor: The Divinely Perfect Destiny of Brilliant Comrade Kim Jong Un. They discuss the challenges of reporting on a reclusive state, the recent Trump-Xi summit, and the future of the relationship between the U.S. and North Korea. (Recorded from remote locations on Friday, June 21, 2019.)
May 29, 2019, by Robert King—
Kim Jong-un has inserted himself squarely into the U.S. presidential campaign. Ambassador Robert R. King discusses the implications of the recent article by the Korean Central News Agency criticizing former vice president Joe Biden. .. Kim Jong-un has inserted himself squarely into the U.S. presidential campaign with the publication of…
April 30, 2019, by Robert King—
Ambassador Robert R. King discusses the implications of the recent article by the Washington Post that reported that the North Korean government insisted U.S. officials to sign a pledge to pay a $2 million medical bill treatment of Otto Warmbier... Anna Fifield from the Washington Post reported on April 25 that the North Korean government insisted U.S. officials…
March 8, 2019—
In this first live episode of The Impossible State, four esteemed guests join host H. Andrew Schwartz to discuss the latest Trump-Kim summit in Hanoi. Panelists included former US Ambassador to South Korea Alexander Vershbow, CSIS Korea experts Victor Cha and Sue Mi Terry, and Washington Post White House reporter David Nakamura.
March 7, 2019, by Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. and Victor Cha—
Commercial satellite imagery acquired March 6, 2019—four days after the previous image—shows that North Korea has essentially completed the rebuilding of both the rail-mounted transfer transfer/processing structure on the launch pad and the vertical engine at the Sohae Launch Facility.
