North Korea is perhaps the most volatile hotspot in East Asia today. As a new administration takes to the White House in Washington and political scandals rock Seoul, Pyongyang appears intent on taking advantage of fortuitous timing to confirm advances in its nuclear deterrence capability in the form of a much-anticipated test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile. The risk of instability and violence on the Korean Peninsula seems only to increase with time. Two renowned experts on North Korea and the diplomacy of dealing with the regime in Pyongyang will provide their views on this crucial element of regional security.

• Victor Cha, Senior Adviser and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington D.C. and a former Director for Asian Affairs at the National Security Council under George W. Bush (2004-2007)
• John Everard, former Coordinator of the United National Panel of Experts on sanctions against North Korea (2011-2012) and former British Ambassador to North Korea (2006-2008)

Chair: Françoise Nicolas, Director, Center for Asian Studies, Ifri