As internal North Korean events dominate the news, the path back to the Six-Party Talks
to address North Korea’s nuclear weapons program appears distant and bilateral relations are tense. North Korea has refused to release Kenneth Bae, a U.S. citizen accused by Pyongyang of trying to undermine the regime after entering the country in November 2012. North Korean authorities also held an 85-year old Korean War veteran Merrill Newman for six weeks before releasing him in early December 2013. In early 2014, former basketball star Dennis Rodman traveled to North Korea to participate in an exhibition game and birthday celebration for Kim Jong-un, prompting criticism from several members of Congress. Meanwhile, satellite imagery indicates that North Korea has likely restarted its plutonium production reactor at the Yongbyon complex