What North Korea Really Wants

With the six-party negotiations, North Korea certainly has some goals, but those remain a mystery to many observers from the West. The nation could want some economic rewards, including energy, food or other forms of aid. Or, the nation could want security or diplomatic relations. Robert Carlin and John Lewis, long-time analysts of North Korea, contend that the nation really wants “a long-term, strategic relationship with the US” and a “US presence on the Korean Peninsula.” Members of the talks also include neighbors Japan, South Korea, Russia and China – and Carlin and Lewis surmise that North Korea welcomes the US role in providing balance to the region and that’s why its leaders are so intent on securing bilateral talks with the US. Analysts who study Asia often suggest that China holds the power in denuclearizing North Korea, but if Carlin and Lewis are correct, the US may have more influence than many realize. – YaleGlobal