Korea, North

With Washington DC stuck in a snowstorm, please enjoy this episode of Korean Kontext originally published in 2012.   B.R. Myers is the author of “The Cleanest Race” and regular…

Every January, KEI publishes its predictions for the 10 issues to watch for on the Korean Peninsula in the coming year. Then, in December, we revisit our predictions to see…

North Korea watchers have been trying for years to understand the inner workings of the reclusive regime. With the country launching its 4th nuclear test this week, recognizing the structure and…

Since the death of Kim Il-sung in 1994 there have been numerous predictions that the collapse of the North Korean political system would be imminent, yet the Kim dynasty continues…

By Taehwa Hong The mainstream view of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program holds that it is the regime’s ticket to survival; Pyongyang’s nuclear stockpiles serve as a deterrence against American military intervention. Having seen Muammar Qaddafi and Saddam Hussein fall after giving up their nuclear programs, the Kim regime is unlikely to forgo its’ strongest…

By Casey Robinson Under diplomatic and economic pressure, North Korea has ceased weapons tests and has expressed a willingness to denuclearize. In meetings with South Korea, North Korean officials stated that North Korea has no need for nuclear weapons if its security is guaranteed. However, due to lingering distrust and resentment, the denuclearization of North…

By Juni Kim While North Korea has aggressively pursued its nuclear and missile programs for years, the reclusive nation under the Kim Dynasty’s third generation leader Kim Jong-un has been particularly committed to demonstrating its weapons advances. 2017 alone saw North Korea conduct three intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests that showcased their range to reach…

By Troy Stangarone Since President Donald Trump accepted Kim Jong-un’s invitation to meet, North Korea has gone conspicuously silent. While North Korea has suggested that a potential thaw in relations is thanks to its own efforts rather than sanctions and a Chinese news report stated that Kim Jong-un told Chinese President Xi Jinping that he…

Please join KEI for a discussion on North Korea’s potential incorporation of AI into its cyber arsenal.