How Closing VOA and RFA Undermines U.S. Influence in North Korea
The decision to shutter these agencies impacts their important role in the Indo-Pacific region broadly and on the Korean Peninsula.
The decision to shutter these agencies impacts their important role in the Indo-Pacific region broadly and on the Korean Peninsula.
Despite Rubio’s Senate record on North Korea, it’s unclear how or whether North Korean human rights will fit into this administration
The Las Vegas region has become a powerful driver of trade, business, and people-to-people ties between the United States and South Korea.
Donald Trump apparently wants to reconnect with Kim Jong Un, but it’s unclear what a potential third summit might mean for denuclearization.
The U.S. has played a uniquely important role in sustaining the global movement for truth, justice, and accountability for the people of North Korea. Today, that movement is in crisis.
All indications are the abduction issue will continue to define Japan-North Korea relations for at least the rest of this decade.
The United States will cease to participate in the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and eliminate positions supporting the US representative.
Kim Jong Un continues to fire ballistic missiles into the East Sea/Sea of Japan, showcasing an orderly and stable government. But this may be deceptive, aimed to fool the country’s troubled citizenry and Trump, more than it is a reality.
There are clear indications that Kim and his government are particularly unhappy with the attention and criticism his government’s human rights violations have received. Modest changes have been made by Pyongyang to minimize human rights criticisms. That will only continue if the United States, the United Nations, and other UN member countries continue to call attention to the human rights abuses.
The year 2024 ended with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law, his impeachment by the National Assembly, and the ensuing political turmoil and uncertainty. While 2025 will be largely defined by South Korean efforts to regain normalcy and stability in its domestic and global affairs, as well as the inauguration of the Donald Trump administration, other key issues will define and impact the Korean Peninsula this year.