In response to its increased isolation , North Korea redoubled its efforts to develop nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles . In 1994 , US President Bill Clinton considered bombing the Yongbyon nuclear reactor , but he later dismissed this option when he was advised that if war broke out , it could cost 52,000 US and 490,000 South Korean military casualties in the first three months , as well as a large number of civilian casualties . Instead , in 1994 , the US and North Korea signed an Agreed Framework which aimed to freeze North Korea 's nuclear program . In 1998 , South Korean President Kim Dae-jung initiated the Sunshine Policy which aimed to foster better relations with the North . However , in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks , U.S. President George W. Bush denounced the policy , and in 2002 branded North Korea as a member of an " Axis of Evil " . Six-party talks involving North and South Korea , the United States , Russia , Japan , and China commenced in 2003 but failed to achieve a resolution . In 2006 , North Korea announced it had successfully conducted its first nuclear test . The Sunshine Policy was formally abandoned by South Korean President Lee Myung-bak after his election in 2007
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Korean conflict