South Korea's Foreign Minister Discusses Six Party Talks at KSG Forum

Only days after North Korea signed an historic agreement to end its nuclear weapons program, Ban Ki-moon MPA 1984, South Korea's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, shared his insights on the contentious Six Party Talks with a Harvard audience at the Kennedy School Forum on Tuesday night.

It was the first public speech Ban has delivered since the signing of the agreement. Joining him in the discussion were Kennedy School professors Graham Allison, Ashton Carter, and Joseph Nye, all experts on international security.

"By agreeing on the goals and principles [of the Joint Agreement resulting from the Six Party Talks], we will be able to build a firm foundation to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue, which has been the main threat on the Korean Peninsula and northeast Asia," Ban said.

While admitting that details need to be worked out when the groups meet again in November, Ban expressed optimism that the six parties can resolve any bumps during the implementation process by working from a spirit of cooperation and flexibility.

Ban also told the Forum audience that he hopes the Six Party Talks can grow to become a more permanent security mechanism for northeast Asia, explaining that the talks have institutionalized communication and built confidence among the participants.

In counterpoint to Ban's optimism, however, each of the panel members expressed doubts about North Korea's commitment to seeing the agreement through, while also praising the work Ban has done to get the negotiations as far along as they are.

"There are a lot of details for the devil to reside in," said Carter, pointing to the issue of compliance as one example. "We can't tolerate a continuing nuclear weapons program in North Korea." He voiced particular concern with the possible sale of such weapons.

Allison spoke of his fear of nuclear proliferation in the region should North Korea actually become a nuclear power. He said he was encouraged, however, that China has recently taken a stronger leadership role in the talks and that the U.S. is now willing to take a "carrots and sticks" approach to negotiating with North Korea; both offer a glimmer of hope, he said.

Nye also expressed pessimism, explaining that North Korea, by coming to an agreement with the other five parties, might simply be buying time to keep their program going. But Nye acknowledged that there is a glimmer of hope for a permanent resolution of the crisis.

"A policymaker doesn't say are the odds 50/50 or are they against me and then give up," Nye said. "A policymaker says if there are any odds at all, I'm going to work like the devil on that."