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North Korea

North Korea
commentary
Will the Real Kim Yo Jong Stand Up?
Bruce W. Bennett @bwbennett
Jul 6, 2020
The Hill
It is incredibly difficult to get any reliable information about the leaders in North Korea. This is especially true with Kim Jong Un's younger sister, Kim Yo Jong. But it's in the best interests of the United States to get to know as much as possible about someone who could become the leader of a nuclear-armed state like North Korea.
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North Korea
commentary
Is North Korea Prepared to End the Korean War?
Bruce W. Bennett @bwbennett, Soo W. Kim @mllesookim
Jun 29, 2020
The National Interest
The end of the Korean War and peace on the peninsula are no more likely to occur as the result of a peace agreement than has North Korean denuclearization occurred as the result of multiple denuclearization agreements. Ultimately, North Korean objectives matter, and real peace does not appear to be part of those objectives.
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North Korea
commentary
For the U.S., South Korea, and Japan, It’s the North Korean Regime, Not Kim Jong Un Per Se, That Is the Threat
Scott W. Harold @ScottWHarold, Soo W. Kim @mllesookim
Jun 8, 2020
RealClearDefense
Would Kim Jong Un's death improve U.S., South Korean, and Japanese security? Maybe not. North Korea's advancing nuclear and other military capabilities are driving an expanded set of problems, and while Kim's sudden death might constitute a destabilizing factor for the regime, the available evidence suggests the regime itself is the problem.
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North Korea
commentary
North Korea Post–Kim Jong Un Reappearance: Expect Business as Usual in the Hermit Kingdom
Soo W. Kim @mllesookim
May 19, 2020
The National Interest
Kim Jong Un's return, while it leaves much to be desired in the way of explanation, should send one message to the international audience: North Korea's fate rests still in the hands of Kim Jong Un. And judging by appearances in recent days, Kim does not appear to intend to change the course of his strategy to reduce tensions with the United States.
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North Korea
commentary
North Korean Provocations, Not Denuclearization
Bruce W. Bennett @bwbennett
May 8, 2020
The National Interest
Kim Jong-un's reappearance raises questions about the course of U.S.–North Korea relationships in the coming year. What should we expect? What can we learn from the past?
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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
blog
A Proposed COVID-19 Cure, Economic Decline, North Korea: RAND Weekly Recap
May 1, 2020
This weekly recap focuses on the unintended consequences of a proposed COVID-19 treatment, another wave of economic destruction, North Korea after Kim Jong Un, and more.
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North Korea
commentary
North Korea After Kim Jong Un: 'How' Matters More Than 'Who'
Soo W. Kim @mllesookim
Apr 28, 2020
Nikkei Asian Review
With rumors swirling that Kim Jong Un has suffered a health crisis, some are already asking who might succeed him as leader of North Korea. But who is not the most important question. What will matter more is what the new regime does to establish its legitimacy and how the United States and its allies respond.
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North Korea
commentary
Why We Really Don't Know What Happens If Kim Jong Un Dies
Soo W. Kim @mllesookim
Apr 27, 2020
The National Interest
The potential changes in the North Korean regime pose more questions than they answer. How prepared are observers and keen watchers from the “outside world” for a North Korean contingency? Should there be a power vacuum in Pyongyang, will U.S. policy toward the DPRK remain largely as-is?
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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
blog
Medical Supply Shortfalls, Parenting Through the Pandemic, North Korea: RAND Weekly Recap
Apr 17, 2020
This weekly recap focuses on reducing medical supply shortfalls, understanding who's in charge during a pandemic, North Korea's nuclear blackmail, and more.
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North Korea
commentary
The Coronavirus and North Korea: Is There a Cure for Kim's Nuclear Blackmail?
Soo W. Kim @mllesookim
Apr 13, 2020
The National Interest
Despite the pandemic, North Korea's recent activities suggest that Kim Jong Un will likely stay the course in his ongoing campaign against the United States and the broader Northeast Asia region.
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Security Cooperation
commentary
U.S.–South Korea OPCON Transition: The Element of Timing
Soo W. Kim @mllesookim
Apr 2, 2020
Council on Foreign Relations
As Washington and Seoul continue to examine the feasibility and conditions for wartime operational control transition, decisionmakers will likely face political pressure on timing. It may well be to the advantage of both allies that the determination of the transfer be driven by a hard, thorough diagnosis of military capabilities against emerging threats.
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North Korea
commentary
North Korea: Denying COVID-19
Bruce W. Bennett @bwbennett, Diana Myers
Apr 2, 2020
The National Interest
According to Pyongyang, North Korea has not yet suffered any cases of COVID-19. That would be surprising, since it is a neighbor and extensive trading partner of China. There are signs that this claim is yet another North Korean deception.
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Security Cooperation
commentary
Japan's North Korea Challenge in 2020
Naoko Aoki
Jan 27, 2020
East Asia Forum
North Korea began 2020 by announcing a shift toward a more hard-line foreign policy approach. While this is bad news for all countries in the region, it is particularly unwelcome for Japan.
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North Korea
commentary
North Korea: Selling Political Deception
Bruce W. Bennett @bwbennett
Jan 3, 2020
The National Interest
Why did Kim Jong-un substitute releasing the North Korean Workers' Party Plenary report instead of his traditional New Year's address? As with many things in North Korea, we do not know, forcing us to speculate.
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Health and Wellness Promotion
blog
Preventing the Winter Blues, North Korea, Opioids: RAND Weekly Recap
Jan 3, 2020
This weekly recap focuses on how to ward off the winter blues, Kim Jong Un's latest threat, how to spend opioid settlement funds, and more.
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North Korea
commentary
Stability in Northeast Asia and the North Korean 'Christmas Present'
Bruce W. Bennett @bwbennett
Dec 24, 2019
CGTN
North Korea's extreme rhetoric is worrying people in Northeast Asia. Pyongyang is threatening a presumably violent “Christmas gift” to the United States at the same time that Washington's patience with Pyongyang has worn thin.
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