Nuclear Challenges in 2013

April 17, 2012

There is no shortage of nuclear challenges as we immerse ourselves in 2012, despite the apparent willingness of both North Korea and Iran to discuss cooperation.

In the case of North Korea, most experts believe that openness to talks, while positive, is tied to the celebrations scheduled in April 2012 to celebrate the centenary of Kim Il-sung’s birth. As the year matures, so will the new North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s understanding of his job and his political calculus of what he needs to maintain power. By 2013, however, it should be a little more apparent whether the North Koreans are serious about cooperating and all that it entails. The next U.S. administration should not be surprised by the decades-old demand of North Korea for help with electricity generation—whether it is nuclear based, coal fired, or based on renewables.