Missed Opportunities With North Korea.

The article reviews Siegfried S. Hecker’s book *Hinge Points: An Inside Look at North Korea’s Nuclear Program*, which analyzes key moments over the past two decades that shaped North Korea’s nuclear development and U.S. policy responses. Hecker, a former Los Alamos National Laboratory director, draws on his multiple visits to North Korea and technical expertise to argue that missed diplomatic opportunities and inconsistent U.S. strategies contributed to the current nuclear standoff. The review also discusses the April 2023 Washington Declaration between South Korea and the United States, highlighting its focus on alliance reassurance through a Nuclear Consultative Group rather than new measures to curb North Korea’s nuclear threat. Additionally, the article briefly notes a related volume on nuclear disarmament inspired by Pope Francis’s condemnation of nuclear weapons, emphasizing moral and strategic pathways toward a nuclear-free world.