One of the most severe misunderstandings of U.S. engagement with North Korea is what, exactly, the two sides are negotiating. And as tensions once again rise on the peninsula, this misunderstanding now stands in the way of de-escalation and re-engagement efforts.

For the U.S., denuclearization is the goal of any talks with the Kim Jong Un regime. The DPRK represents a critical threat to nonproliferation rules and norms established by the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and to the national security of the U.S. and its allies in the Northeast Asia region.

But the