North Korea: Nuclear Tests, Threats, & Missile Launches

“Perpetual peace is guaranteed by no less an authority than the great artist Nature herself.” – Immanuel Kant[1] Is there still hope for peace as North Korea advances its nuclear agenda? As the Second World War ended, the US and the Soviet Union divided Korea in half and the Korean War deepened the divide.[2] Today, North … Read more

Sony Pictures’ “The Interview”— Freedom of speech or act of war?

            The Interview, starring Seth Rogen and James Franco is a comedy about the assassination of North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un.  Bitterly offended by the film, North Korea called the content an “act of war.” North Korea began making threats during the summer of 2014, going so far as involving the … Read more

Critical Analysis: Will the Crimes Against Humanity perpetrated in North Korea be prosecuted in the ICC?

October 28, 2014 Speaking before the UN General Assembly on Oct. 28, 2014, Marzuki Darusman, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) encouraged action to stem the ongoing human rights abuses in the country.  Specifically, Mr. Darusman encouraged submitting the Commission of Inquiry’s report to … Read more

Critical Analysis: North and South Korea’s Talks Working Towards Conflict Resolution

by Samantha Peaslee, Denver Journal of International Law and Policy October 19, 2014 In mid-October 2014, North and South Korea resumed talks at Panmunjom.  While the two countries are technically still at war, as they never entered into a truce after the Korean War in 1953.  The two countries have proceeded through various discussions and … Read more

North Korea Undeterred by U.N. Sanctions

Kim Jong-un

On April 15, 2013, North Korea celebrated the 101st birthday of its founding leader, Kim Il Sung.   The day was filled with flowers to honor both its founder and current leader, Kim Jong Un; however, North Korea did not take a reprieve from threatening South Korea and the United Nations.  From Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital, the … Read more

Critical Analysis: What’s up with North Korea?

Since being sanctioned by the UN in March for carrying out a third nuclear test, Pyongyang has threatened nuclear strikes on the US, formally declared war on the South, and pledged to reopen a nuclear reactor in blatant defiance of UN Security Council resolutions. On Friday, North Korea warned it would not be able to … Read more

Are Current U.N. Sanctions Insufficient to Deter North Korea’s Nuclear Proliferation?

2013 Nuclear Test While the exact details remain unknown, on February 13, 2013, North Korea conducted its first nuclear test since 2010.  Early morning reports of February 13 included a large seismic event located near a prior North Korean underground nuclear test site.  Following this report, the Korean Central News Agency released a government statement … Read more

Critical Analysis: Eccentric 90’s American Basketball Player Attempts Diplomacy – Korean War Reignites

  Late last month, Dennis Rodman traveled to North Korea to try his hand at unsanctioned “Basketball Diplomacy.”  More famous for his antics off the court, Rodman was a power forward for, among several other teams, the 1995 – 1998 championship winning Chicago Bulls.  Modeled after the ping pong diplomacy that the United States and … Read more

Critical Analysis: Google Earth Helps Inspire Human Rights Response Towards North Korea

North Korea has been a frequent topic in news headlines lately – from the country’s threat of a nuclear launch to Google CEO Eric Schmidt’s trip to Pyongyang.  However, another story that has been percolating just below the surface for years is just now starting to get attention: Google Maps’ and Google Earth’s revelation of … Read more

Discussion: A Path to Peace in North Korea

Yesterday, the University of Denver Sturm College of Law hosted Eric Sirotkin, a widely regarded peacebuilder and mediator who has worked to resolve conflict in the Koreas and South Africa (to name just a few).  Earlier this year, he presented a Peace Conference hosted by the North Korean government.  He created a twelve-step plan to … Read more