The paralysis of American policy -- Nationalism and the "permanent siege mentality" -- The Confucian legacy -- Reform by stealth -- Gold, oil, and the basket-case image -- Kim Jong Il and his successors -- Trading places -- Confederation or absorption? -- The United States and reunification -- Tripwire -- The United States and the military balance -- New opportunities for arms control -- Ending the Korean War -- The tar baby syndrome -- Guidelines for U.S. policy -- The U.S. nuclear challenge to North Korea -- The North Korean response -- The 1994 compromise : can it survive? -- Japan and nuclear weapons -- South Korea and nuclear weapons -- Guidelines for U.S. policy -- Will history repeat itself? -- Korea, Japan, and the United States -- Korea, China, and the United States -- Korea, Russia, and the United States -- Then and now : the case for a neutral Korea.