Is North Korea Communist?
Much is made of dynastic succession, of long periods when the organs of communist party rule are moribund, and of the military first policy in…
The Necessity of Religious Freedom in the Development & Future of the Korean Peninsula
By Nicholas Hamisevicz The feast day of Saints Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang and companions occurred this week on September 20. The celebration of…
Comparing the Successions: Kim Jong Il vs. Kim Jong Un
As the Kim Jong Un regime completes its eighth month in power following Kim Jong Il’s death in December 2011, there seem to be a…
Why Are Fewer Women Defecting From North Korea?
The 2012 Heritage Foundation/ Wall Street Journal Index of Economic Freedom ranks North Korea last, after Cuba and Zimbabwe, with an economic freedom score of…
North Korean Decision Making Regarding Foreign Policy
Main Actors within North Korea Decision Making North Korea’s political structure is a set of institutions built to sustain the Kim family. The Korean Worker’s…
Kim Kyong-hui’s Health and the Fate of Jang Song-taek
The Korean Times reported on September 7th that Kim Jong-il’s sister, Kim Kyong-hui, was in ill health stemming from her past abuse of alcohol. Kim…
Speculation Remains After North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly Fails to Announce Economic Reforms
By Nicholas Hamisevicz Initial KCNA and other reports about the September 25, 2012 Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA) meeting indicate North Korea has made no public…
North Korea – Japan Talks: Caution on Overhyping Agreements
By Nicholas Hamisevicz Last week North Korea and Japan held their first government-to-government talks in four years. These discussions seemed to be a part of…
Jang Song-taek Returns From China
By Nicholas Hamisevicz Jang Song-taek, Vice-Chairman of North Korea’s National Defense Commission and uncle to Kim Jong-un, returned from China after several days of meetings…
Refreshing Our Understandings of North Korea before Approaching its New Leader Kim Jong-un
Why a misunderstanding of North Korea could lead to a miscalculation by U.S. and Korean policy makers.