North Korea Research Articles

RUSSIA’S EMBRACE OF ATTRITIONAL WARFARE: "WINNING BY NOT LOSING"

Abstract: This paper argues that once President Putin was no longer able to achieve his initial objectives of regime change in Kyiv in 2022 by using blitzkrieg operations, Russia’s grand strategy underwent a reassessment towards narrower strategic objectives. This paper will provide an account of the changing nature of Russia’s strategic aims and goals, as well as exploring the ‘Russian’ way of warfare. The shift in war aims is evident in the partial mobilisation of fresh troops, the annexation of Ukrainian territory and waging of a war of attrition. Russia has increased its military budget, the manufacturing of weaponry, as well as the import of military technology from Iran and North Korea. However, NATO allies, including Romania, have provided military aid to Kyiv to continue fighting. Taking all these factors into account, this paper argues this conflict has become a ‘long war’ of attrition.

Old Wine in New Bottles? A Triple Nexus Approach to Linking Aid Cooperation to Peacebuilding on the Korean Peninsula

ABSTRACT This article examines the utility of the Triple (Humanitarian, Development, Peace) Nexus in linking aid cooperation to peacebuilding by conducting a case study on the Korean peninsula. Since the 1990s, humanitarian and development cooperation in North Korea has raised hopes that such cooperation could contribute to peacebuilding on the Korean Peninsula. However, these aid efforts have been marked by significant fluctuations due to heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula. This study employs a qualitative methodology, including problem-centred expert interviews with former/current officials from the UN, and European aid agencies, who are considered relatively neutral, and the US and South Korean aid agencies, whose countries are main parties in the Korean conflict. Drawing on the interrelated theoretical insights of contact theory and strategic peacebuilding, the findings suggest that aid actors have different strategic advantages and disadvantages in operationalizing the Triple Nexus, according to their positionalities concerning the protracted Korean conflict context. We argue that for the Triple Nexus to represent more than a mere rebranding of contentious efforts to connect aid and peacebuilding, it requires, not only the recognition of potential comparative advantages of different sectors, but also the understanding of strategic advantages and disadvantages of actors with different positionalities.

Transformation of the currency regulation regime and foreign economic relations of Russia in the context of expanding anti-Russian sanctions

The article discusses the features of currency regulation and foreign economic relations of the Russian Federation (hereinafter referred to as RF, Russia) in the context of the introduction and growth of anti-Russian sanctions by the United States of America, European Union countries and other unfriendly countries, issues related to ensuring the sustainability of the Russian economy and its ability to withstand negative internal and external influences, issues of financial security, which is an important component of the country’s economic security, issues of the current state of the state’s banking system and the Russian economy as a whole. The article also discusses the possible expansion of international economic relations between Russia, China, North Korea and other countries. The purpose of the article is to identify directions for the transformation of the currency regulation regime and foreign economic relations of the RF in the context of the expansion of anti-Russian sanctions. The subject of the study is the currency and foreign economic relations of the RF with friendly and unfriendly countries in the current conditions of growing anti-Russian sanctions and the conduct of a special military operation in Ukraine. In conclusion, the article highlights key changes associated with changes in Russia’s foreign exchange and foreign economic activeities, promising opportunities for further expansion of international economic relations with China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and other friendly countries.

International Variables Affecting US Foreign Policy Towards North Korea After 2017

International Variables Affecting US Foreign Policy Towards North Korea After 2017

Book review: Scott A. Snyder and Kyung-Ae Park, (Eds.), North Korea’s Foreign Policy: The Kim Jong-Un Regime in a Hostile World.

Book review: Scott A. Snyder and Kyung-Ae Park, (Eds.), <i>North Korea’s Foreign Policy: The Kim Jong-Un Regime in a Hostile World</i>.

Adelphomyia crane flies (Diptera, Limoniidae) of Korea with identification key for all Palaearctic species.

Limnophilinae crane flies belonging to the genus Adelphomyia Bergroth, 1891 of the Korean Peninsula were studied starting from 1937, but only one species A.macrotrichiata (Alexander, 1923) has been recorded from North Korea so far. The genus was unknown from South Korea. Four species were found during our studies on the Peninsula, one of them from Jeju Island described as new, Adelphomyiajejuana Podenas, sp. nov. Three species are recorded from both northern and southern parts of the Peninsula. Specimens on which was based the record of A.macrotrichiata from North Korea was misidentified and no more specimens were collected; therefore, A.macrotrichiata is deleted from the Korean species list. Habitat, elevation range, and seasonality data is presented for each species. Images of taxonomically important morphological characters, and an identification key for all Palaearctic species of the genus Adelphomyia are presented. Distribution maps are presented for all Korean species.

A Constructivist Perspective on Inter-Korean Relations: The Evolution of Identity and Interstate Interactions

The issue of the confrontational relationship between the two countries on the Korean Peninsula has been widely discussed worldwide, but there are still shortcomings in research on the Cold War period. Based on the current situation, this article utilizes constructivist theory, represented by Alexander Wendt’s viewpoint, to analyze the evolution of identity recognition and interaction between North and South Korea during the Cold War. Through analysis, the relationship between North and South Korea was at a freezing point at the end of the Korean War, and there were signs of easing in the following twenty years. The idea and concept of peaceful reunification were proposed, and after the end of the Cold War, the relationship took a big step forward, beginning cultural and economic exchanges and cooperation. Therefore, this article concludes that the relationship between North and South Korea gradually shifted from extreme confrontation to a certain degree of cooperation during the Cold War.

On the Prospects of Security in Europe: Reflections on the Baltic Defence Conference 2023, Vilnius

The arguments made in this article are divided in three sections. First, the analysis looks at some of the immediate security-related concerns that have come to shape the Baltic Sea region. The second section branches out from the Baltic confines and takes into account the impact that the so-called CRINK states (China, Russia, Iran, North Korea) have gained on the war against Ukraine through their support for Russia. This has turned the war into a broader conflagration than most observers have admitted for an extended period. Finally, the analysis cautiously addresses some of the imponderabilities provided by the upcoming presidential election in the United States.

In the land of the blind, the one- eyed person is king: Social and professional isolation in covering North Korea from Pyongyang or News from Pyongyang: A place for Associated Press?

In the land of the blind, the one- eyed person is king: Social and professional isolation in covering North Korea from Pyongyang or News from Pyongyang: A place for Associated Press?

The Impact of Sexual Violence Victimization on Acculturative Stress and Hazardous Drinking Among North Korean Refugee Women in South Korea.

North Korean refugee women face significant risks of traumatic experiences, including sexual exploitation and violence, both in North Korea and during migration. However, there is limited research on the long-term effects of sexual violence among these women. Using data from 245 North Korean refugee women, collected by the National Human Rights Commission of Korea in 2017, we examined the impact of sexual violence victimization during pre-migration and intermediate stages on acculturative stress and hazardous drinking. Our findings revealed that women who experienced sexual violence during the intermediate stage were more likely to engage in hazardous drinking, though no significant effect was found on acculturative stress. This study provides valuable insights for policymakers aiming to reduce negative psychological outcomes in vulnerable populations.

Seismic Discrimination Using Regional Distance Coda-Wave Ratios

Abstract This study utilizes regional seismic coda-wave amplitude ratios to distinguish earthquakes and declared nuclear explosions in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). We compute the coda spectral ratios at common stations to isolate source information from propagation and site effects. The resulting frequency-dependent amplitude ratios help identify differences between source types at DPRK. We use parametric models to validate observations, linking them to seismic source parameters. Our method effectively distinguishes the spectral signatures of explosions, nearby earthquakes, and a post-explosion collapse event. The measurements show clear differences between source-type combinations and agree with estimated seismic source models. Notably, the coda spectral ratios between explosions and earthquakes indicate that explosive sources exhibit relatively lower high-frequency S-wave energy and corner frequency compared to P waves. We leverage these spectral differences to develop a Bayesian inference framework for seismic source discrimination at the DPRK test site. This study demonstrates that spectral differences between source types can be exploited in coda spectral ratios to provide critical information for seismic discrimination.

Revisiting inter‐Korean events and South Koreans’ perception on unification

AbstractObjectiveThis study aims to examine how inter‐Korean events influence South Korean public opinion on unification. It seeks to understand the impact of various political events, including South‐North contacts and North Korean nuclear provocations, on South Koreans' attitudes towards unification.MethodsUsing annual survey data from the Institute for Peace and Unification Studies at Seoul National University (IPUS), this study creates a novel time‐series dataset spanning from 2007 to 2021. We test how each of the inter‐Korean political events affects support for unification and how key individual dispositions moderate the level of support.ResultsThe empirical findings reveal that inter‐Korean summits and family reunions positively affect unification sentiment, with family reunions showing surprisingly stronger impacts than inter‐Korean summits. Regarding North Korea's provocations, nuclear tests negatively influence public support for unification, while ballistic missile launches do not significantly impact unification sentiment, likely due to public habituation.ConclusionThis study contributes to existing literature by providing new empirical insights into the relationship between inter‐Korean political events and public opinion. The findings suggest that policymakers should focus on strategic short‐term initiatives, particularly increasing inter‐Korean contacts, to foster long‐term positive sentiment towards unification. However, it's important to note that individual variables become more influential in shaping public opinion over the long term.

뉴스 기사 빅데이터 분석을 통한 북한이탈주민의 사회적 이슈와 언어 문제 탐색: 2019-2024

Objectives The purpose of this study is to explore social issues and language problems that appear in news articles related to North Korean defectors and to suggest their implications. Methods 561 news articles related to North Korean defectors covered by major domestic newspapers and media companies from 2019 to June 2024 were collected. For analysis tools, language network analysis and topic modeling techniques were used to analyze major keywords and topics and visualize them. In addition, based on the analysis results, social issues and language problems of North Korean defectors were explored, and Korean language education implications were presented. Results he research results are as follows. First, the amount of news coverage has been increasing significantly over the past three years, and political articles have shown an overwhelmingly high proportion. Second, the main keywords are ‘government, support, human rights, protection, and settlement’. The main topics were protection of human rights of North Korean defectors, increasing number of North Korean defectors among elites and the 2030 generation, and complaints of difficulties due to mental and economic discrimination and prejudice in the process of settling in Korea. The content of the government's integrated support policy accounted for a high proportion. Third, it was found that North Korean defectors were struggling with the language difference between North and South Korea, and Korean language education focusing on pronunciation, accent, and vocabulary in each area was necessary for them. Conclusions The main topic of the news article was the integrated support for the protection of human rights and stable settlement of North Korean defectors. However, although North Korean defectors complain of ‘difficulty’ due to economic, psychological, emotional, and linguistic differences, these related topics are hardly covered in the media. Therefore, this paper suggested implications for Korean language education research for North Korean defectors' language adaptation.

Answering the challenges: the surge of political violence in North Korea and militarisation of North Korean police force in the first half of 1946

Answering the challenges: the surge of political violence in North Korea and militarisation of North Korean police force in the first half of 1946

On the creation of state-owned companies in the field of food retail: the experience of Russia and foreign countries

With regard to the discussions circulating among practitioners, retailers and the scientific community on the idea of launching a new state-owned retail chain in Russia, the article analyzes approaches to the legal framework of state-owned retail chains in Brazil, North Korea and China, which adhere to diametrically opposite arguments regarding their activities, which, of course, is useful for the Russian scientific and practical community to know. The author comes to the conclusion that the idea of state-owned retail chains is discredited as having tendencies towards bureaucratization, corruption, the formation of an incorrect distribution of national wealth, poor organization of their activities, rooted not in the phenomenon itself, but in the minds of the people who lead them into life, many of whom are greedy and always look for and often find loopholes in the laws. Thus, further development of existing digital mechanisms in the form of assessment systems based on econometric approaches as Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) will solve this problem.

Disenchanted comradery: The social process of persistent mistrust among North Korean refugees in the United Kingdom

AbstractPrevious research on refugees demonstrates that low interpersonal trust impedes their social adaptation in host countries. However, a pervasive sense of low trust among refugees, particularly within their own communities, remains less understood. Using survey and interview data from North Korean refugees in London, United Kingdom, this study probes the social processes that foster mistrust towards their in‐group peers. The quantitative findings show that refugees have created a close‐knit, in‐group community bounded by strong emotional bonds that, counterintuitively, do not necessarily develop into mutual trust. The interviews show that the asylum‐seeking experiences and the cultural norms they bring from North Korea continue to shape how they perceive in‐group contacts as potential threats. Additionally, interactions with locals, especially South Korean immigrants, amplify perceptions of inferiority and mistrust towards in‐group members. These findings illuminate the complex social process through which mutual mistrust continues to persist among refugees, offering insights into the multifaceted challenges refugees face in resettlement.

Automating Power: Cybernetics and Sovereignty in Cold War North Korea.

This study challenges the conventional Cold War narrative that portrays cybernetics as inherently opposed to communist authoritarianism and the perception of cybernetic control as a mechanism of liberal governmentality. It analyzes the introduction of cybernetics into the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) during the Cold War. Previous studies about cybernetics in the socialist world have described how the discipline's emphasis on objectivity and decentralization clashed with orthodox political economists and Stalinist science and led to liberal reforms. Yet in the DPRK, the introduction of cybernetics was followed by an increase in authoritarianism.

The Sacred Text and the Language of the Leader: “Cultured Language” and the Rhetorical Turn in North Korea

Abstract This article examines the emergence of munhwaŏ (“Cultured Language”) in relation to the primacy of the leader in the DPRK. The articulation of the linguistic and cultural policies of munhwaŏ was inseparable from the development and formalization of the political leadership. The active translation, reception, and development of the Stalinist and Soviet linguistic tradition by North Korean intellectuals, together with the death of Stalin in 1953, importantly shaped the state’s quest for linguistic modernity. By tracing the “rhetorical turn” in North Korean linguistics in the 1960s, the author explores the development of munhwaŏ and its relation to the distinctive development of a charismatic oratory and a linguistic etiquette for the leader. One significant feature of North Korea’s quest for linguistic modernity is the way in which it diverges from its Soviet counterpart. By meticulously theorizing the language to be used of and for the leader, or what the author describes as the linguistic ritualization of charisma, North Korea offered an original contribution to the field of charismatic rhetoric. A comprehensive manual describing this rhetoric was developed, serving as a guide to the “sacred text” of the leader and describing how to articulate and express the presence of the leader in the public sphere.

Hinge Points: An Inside Look at North Korea's Nuclear Program by Siegfried S. Hecker with Elliot A. Serbin (review)

Hinge Points: An Inside Look at North Korea's Nuclear Program by Siegfried S. Hecker with Elliot A. Serbin (review)

Investigating compressed SAR technique efficiency for land deformation analysis along Hwanggang dam

Abstract Monitoring and determining the land deformation in dam reservoirs is very crucial as it is one of the main factors of dam failure around the world. Hwanggang Dam is located at a strategic location near the inter-Korean border. North Korea frequently released water from the Hwanggang Dam, which often triggers floods and landslides in areas near the inter-Korea border in South Korea. Consistent monitoring of the Hwanggang Dam is very crucial to avoid catastrophic loss of infrastructure and life. This research paper exploits the potential of the Compressed SAR (ComSAR) technique for deformation analysis along Hwanggang Dam. A total of 171 Sentinel-1 images of Hwanggang Dam were downloaded from Alaska Satellite Facility in ascending track acquired between 2016 and 2023 to generate a time-series interferogram stack. The generated interferogram stack was exploited by using the ComSAR technique to estimate deformation along Hwanggang Dam. The resultant estimated deformation shows instability along the Hwanggang Dam embarkment.