Media Conference Call April 11 on Possible North Korean Missile Launch, Nuclear Test

RAND experts Bruce Bennett (from Seoul) and Andrew Scobell are conducting a media conference call on Wednesday, April 11, 2012, to discuss a widely anticipated North Korean satellite missile launch and reports that North Korea is preparing to conduct a third nuclear test. Bennett and Scobell are also available to conduct individual media interviews upon request.

Bennett and Scobell can discuss a variety of issues related to these developments, including:

• What are the potential consequences if North Korea conducts a third nuclear test and launches a satellite?
• Would the satellite launch void the February 29 agreement reached with the U.S.?
• What is the range of policy options available to the Obama administration?
• Can—and should—the West shoot down the missile?
• How might the West—and China—influence North Korea's nuclear ambitions?
• Could North Korea export its nuclear technology?
• Why is Pyongyang doing this and why now?

WHAT:	Media Conference Call
WHEN:	10 a.m. ET, Wednesday, April 11
WHO:	Bruce Bennett is a senior defense analyst specializing in North and South Korea, particularly deterring North Korean provocations and nuclear threats. He is the author of "Uncertainties in the North Korean Nuclear Threat." Andrew Scobell is a senior political scientist focused on U.S.-China relations, including its influence over North Korea. He is co-author of "Conflict with China: Prospects, Consequences and Strategies for Deterrence."

To RSVP and to receive the conference call instructions, e-mail media@rand.org or call (703) 413-1100, ext. 5137.