Patience or Lethargy?: US Policy toward North Korea under the Obama Administration

Since the Obama administration adopted a "strategic patience" policy toward North Korea, no noticeable progress has been made in U.S. North Korean relations. By closely examining the policy goals and strategies of the Obama administration, this paper seeks to uncover what is missing from U.S. policy toward North Korea. This paper argues that the success of the Obama administration in achieving the denuclearization of North Korea is dependent on an appropriate understanding of Pyongyang's security concerns and a careful analysis of North Korean nuclear policy. It suggests that President Obama should radically change his North Korea policy. More specifically, he should abandon the current strategic patience policy and instead adopt a "constructive engagement" policy in order to achieve the denuclearization of North Korea and the security of the East Asian region.