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Ambassador Joseph Yun, Special Envoy on North Korea from 2016 to 2018, was just in Hanoi for the summit between the leaders of North Korea and the U.S. as talks broke down and a potentially momentous diplomatic event came to an abrupt halt. What was on-the-ground perception of events and dialogue? Is this a "deal" breaker? What will it take to bring the parties back to the table - and what might be the road ahead for U.S.-North Korea relations? This is an exceptionally rare opportunity to hear a report from the front-lines of international diplomacy, from one of the nation’s leading experts on relations with North Korea.

Ambassador Joseph Yun is senior advisor to the Asia Program at United States Institute of Peace. As Special Envoy on North Korea from 2016 to 2018, Ambassador Yun led the State Department’s efforts to align regional powers behind a united policy to denuclearize North Korea. He was instrumental in reopening the “New York channel,” a direct communication line with officials from Pyongyang, through which he was able to secure the release of the American student, Otto Warmbier, who had been held in captivity for 15 months.

He also served as US Ambassador to Malaysia and previously as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs he led efforts to normalize diplomatic relations with Myanmar, traveling to Rangoon as the first US-based government official to meet with Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi following her release from house arrest. He also worked to lay the foundation for official participation by the President of the United States in the annual East Asian Summit, starting from 2011.