Evil from the North: The DPRK-Syria Axis and its Strategic Dimensions

Abstract

Abstract The Israeli Air Force attack on a Syrian military base reportedly containing materials of strategic value supplied by North Korea, has shed some light on the largely concealed issue of the relations between the two countries. Considered “rogue states” and a part of the alleged “axis of evil,” both the DPRK and Syria are internationally isolated, economically backward and politically oppressive. Yet, their attempts to acquire strategic weapons should not only, or necessarily, be interpreted as an indication of strength and aggressive intentions, but could and perhaps should be interpreted as a reflection of a sense of vulnerability and persecution and subjective weakness rather than strength, as well as a response to perceived threats and actual encirclement. However, whatever their motivations, these measures—explicitly or implicitly supported by Russia and China—raise security concerns that are common to both Israel and the ROK. Facing a similar threat from the north, Israel and the ROK—both eco...