DPRK Sanctions, Evasion, and Diplomacy

Thursday, July 11th –  Partnership for a Secure America (PSA) hosted a lunch briefing on the Hill to discuss the efficacy of sanctions in light of North Korea’s illicit finance networks and economic integration with China, while outlining what opportunities remain for diplomatic engagement between Washington and Pyongyang. Richard Johnson, Senior Director for fuel cycle and verification at the Nuclear Threat Initiative, provided context between economic and proliferation-specific sanctions on the DPRK and parallels to his experience working on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran. Keith Luse, Executive Director at the National Committee on North Korea, provided insight on his extensive experience working with North Korean negotiators as the Staff Director for Senator Lugar on the Senate Agriculture Committee. Rachel Paik of PSA moderated the discussion for a bipartisan and bicameral group of about 80 congressional staff, who attended the briefing.