As internal North Korean events dominate the news, the path back to the Six-Party Talks1
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