ABSTRACT
In the 1990s, North Korea used its missile capabilities and exports as diplomatic tools, first implicitly but then explicitly. When it launched the Taepo Dong missile in August 1998, missiles became a focus of attention in U.S.–DPRK talks, and in 1999 the United States undertook a major review of its policy toward North Korea. 1 The new policy called for a comprehensive approach to relations with Pyongyang and as a result the United States and North Korea took significant steps for normalization toward the end of 2000. Nevertheless, U.S. President William Clinton announced his decision not to visit Pyongyang in December 2000. North Korea’s missile diplomacy ultimately failed to produce a diplomatic breakthrough.
