Tensions on the Korean Peninsula are high. How South Korea, the United States, and other countries, including China, engage North Korea remains a sensitive issue, as policies tying aid to denuclearization are debated. This month, the United States, South Korea, Japan, and China have been discussing the situation, including a meeting between Chinese President Hu Jintao and U.S. President Obama in Washington. These conversations, focused on conventional security concerns, would benefit from the articulation of mutual humanitarian goals.