Foreign Relations

As the economy of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea becomes increasingly isolated, it depends more and more on the People’s Republic of China for survival and development. The PRC…

Fundamental changes to the nature of politics inside China’s Communist Party are occurring at the same time Beijing and Pyongyang work out a new relationship. These developments are already affecting…

The expansion of the Group of Eight (G-8) to the Group of 20 (G-20) was received by developing countries with high expectations and optimism. The expansion was considered an important…

Just as the world economy was about to be thrown into another Great Depression in late 2008, leaders of the Group of 20 (G-20) and emerging economies gathered for the…

By Nicholas Hamisevicz  Dennis Rodman and Seth Rogen have made the same mistake on North Korea. Both have mistakenly viewed North Korea as a helpless entity. Rodman viewed North Korea as so helpless that all it needed was someone to talk to, play basketball with, and sing “Happy Birthday” to its leader. Rogen saw North…

By Troy Stangarone At first glance, the prospect of a summit meeting between Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin makes sense. Both Russia and North Korea find themselves increasingly isolated internationally and a summit meeting presents a potential opportunity to demonstrate that they are not as isolated as some may believe. However, below the surface, a…

By Troy Stangarone The 2014 mid-term elections will likely mark an important turning point in U.S. foreign policy and the Obama Administration. While presidential elections can bring in entirely new administrations, mid-term elections, especially those in the second administration of a presidency, can also serve as decisive moment. As administrations look to cement their legacy…

This is the second in a 2 part series looking at the North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Act of 2014 (H.R. 1771). The first piece is available here. By Stephan Haggard To date, U.S. sanctions on North Korea have had both a strategic and defensive purpose. The strategic aim is to sharpen the choices Pyongyang faces…