EVENTS

The Korean peninsula has historically been a victim of great power rivalries in Northeast Asia, and North Korea's nuclear ambitions need to be understood within the context of the persistent nuclear threats and the erosion of traditional arms control measures in the region. Due to the unchanging security scenario on the Korean peninsula, even after the Cold War and North-South confrontation, North Korea's nuclear issue has been caught in the web of great power rivalry. So far, the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) has failed to stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons in Northeast Asia. The urgency of banning nuclear weapons has become more pronounced due to the escalating horizontal proliferation exemplified by North Korea's continued nuclear testing, acquisition of nuclear weapons, and uncertain delivery and export systems. Additionally, vertical proliferation is evident in the expanding nuclear deterrence strategies of the United States and China. The traditional arms control regime has weakened, notably with the United States' withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 2018. Furthermore, the 2023 Nuclear Posture Review and the Washington Declaration between South Korea and the United States have reinforced a robust nuclear deterrence strategy, including the potential use of nuclear weapons against North Korea. In this context, the seminar explores the possibility of all the parties joining the Nuclear Ban Treaty, considering the ever-present risk of escalating nuclear conflict in the region. Further, converting the existing truce Agreement to a permanent or partial peace agreement on the Korean War could be a starting point in solving North Korea's nuclear deadlock and denuclearizing process.’

About the Speaker

Sudhakar Vaddi is working as an Assistant Professor at the Centre for East Asian Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). His area of specialization is the Modern History of Korea. Dr. Vaddi was also associated with the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), a primer think tank under the Ministry of External Affairs, Govt. of India. As an academic distinction, Dr. Vaddi received the prestigious Korea Foundation Scholarship and was also awarded a pre-doctoral fellowship from the Academy of Korean Studies (AKS) from the South Korean Government.

About the Chair

Skand Ranjan Tayal is currently the Chairman of India-Republic of Korea Friendship Society. He is also an Adjunct Fellow at the Institute of Chinese Studies, New Delhi. After joining the Indian Foreign Service in 1976, Ambassador Tayal has served at various prestigious positions including Consul General, and Ambassador in several countries. He was also the Secretary of the Indian National Commission for UNESCO; Joint Secretary (Consular, Passport and Visa) in the Ministry of External Affairs, and the Chief Passport Officer of India during 1999-2002. Ambassador Tayal has broad experience in bilateral and multilateral diplomacy and has been a frequent speaker on contemporary affairs. He regularly writes for academic journals and the Asian Age.

Event Registration Link Here