New Approaches to Verifying and Monitoring North Korea’s Nuclear Arsenal

On Tuesday September 28, 2021, Carnegie hosted an on-the-record discussion on new verification and monitoring approaches for North Korea’s nuclear arsenal.

North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile capabilities have increased in qualitative sophistication and size in recent years. As negotiators seek to limit and roll back Pyongyang’s capabilities, verification and monitoring will be critical to the political feasibility and practical utility of any potential agreement. As history shows, orthodox approaches to verification—with robust onsite inspections and other well-defined protocols—are unlikely to be accepted by Pyongyang. Accordingly, policymakers should consider the value that new tools and approaches can offer in verification and monitoring. 

Carnegie scholars and international technical experts, with the support of the Korea Foundation, have articulated a range of approaches in a recent report. Even if ideal verification conditions are not realized in the short-term, these approaches can help build trust and contribute to risk reduction.