North Korean leader Kim Jong Il
#3. North Korea Agrees to Disarm
Feb. 13: Months after testing a nuclear device, North Korea agrees at six-party talks in Beijing to take the first steps towards disarmament. The deal involves North Korea turning off and dismantling its reactor at Yongbyon in exchange for energy aid, although an important aspect of the agreement is the promise of peace talks, via a separate forum, aimed at ending the conflict and normalizing relations between North Korea and the U.S. Progress in implementing the deal has been slow, but substantial nonetheless, although the behavior of the North Korean regime remains unpredictable.