North Korea

In 1994, President Carter negotiated terms for the first dialogue in 40 years between the United States and North Korea.

Waging Peace

North Korea, a historically isolated communist nation, began its nuclear energy and weapons program in the early 1990s, raising concerns among U.S. government officials. In 1994, hostilities between the United States and North Korea escalated to the brink of military engagement. As a last-resort effort to preserve the peace, U.S. President William Clinton sent former U.S. President Jimmy Carter to North Korea for negotiations. The Carter Center continues President Carter's example to prevent and resolve conflict through dialogue and negotiation.

Read full text on the Carter Center's peace work in North Korea >

Fighting Disease

In April 1999, the Center joined several relief and development agencies to undertake a pilot initiative to boost potato production and improve food security in North Korea. The group purchased 1,000 metric tons of potato seed and oversaw its planting in May on farms in a southeastern North Korean province. Agencies included Adventist Development and Relief, Amigos Internacionales, CARE, Catholic Relief Services, Church World Service, Korean American Sharing Movement, and Mercy Corps International.

Read full text on the Carter Center's health work in North Korea >