KEI Contributor – Yonoho Kim

By Yonho Kim North Korea’s transportation system traditionally centered around the railway, as Kim Il-sung, the founder of the communist state, stated: “Railways are the arteries of the country.” However, with the economic crisis in the 1990s, the railway system was no longer able to properly function due to a lack of energy and deterioration…

By Yonho Kim Last month, Pope Francis’s indication of his interest in visiting North Korea drew keen attention throughout the world. In response to an invitation from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un verbally conveyed by South Korean President Moon Jae-in, the pope said he will be “available for the trip” promising his answer to an…

By Yonho Kim While the American media was assiduously covering the controversies over sexual misconduct allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, the leaders of two Koreas signed a historic agreement in Pyongyang on September 19. At the end of their third summit, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un announced…

By Yonho Kim  South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s speech on Korea’s 73rd Liberation Day revealed his strategic approach to resuscitating the stalled denuclearization negotiations between the United States and North Korea. By saying that “advancement in inter-Korean relations is the driving force behind denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” Moon signaled Seoul’s determination to start to…