Truth, Politics and Power: A North Korea update

Kim Jong Un and President Trump
A man watches a TV news program showing President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un at a railway station in Seoul on Aug. 9, 2017.
Jung Yeon-Je | AFP | Getty Images

The U.S. and South Korea this week commenced computer-simulated military drills designed to prepare for a possible war with a nuclear-capable North Korea.

Former NPR host Neal Conan recently explored the diplomatic and military situation with a former negotiator, a former high level Pentagon official and a historian.

Neal Conan is host of "Truth, Politics and Power."

While it's unclear what North Korea is capable of from a military standpoint, it's clear their intent is to develop a nuclear weapon capable of reaching the United States, said Christopher Hill, former U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.

"So I think it's a fundamental question, what are we going to do about this?"

While government officials seem split on how to react, it's paramount that the U.S. deny North Korea the capability of aiming their weapons at us, he said.

Guests

Christopher Hill, former U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, and assistant secretary of state. Now dean of the Josf Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver.

Sheila Miyoshi Jager, professor of East Asian studies at Oberlin College. Author of "Narratives of Nation Building in Korea" and "Brothers at War: The Unending Conflict in Korea."

Michele Flournoy, co-founder and CEO of the Center for a New American Security. Former Undersecretary of Defense for Policy 2009-2012.

To listen to the program, click the audio player above.

More from "Truth, Politics and Power"

America's history of impeaching presidents

A history of the FBI and former American presidents