North Korea Research Articles

Conscription and Gender in Mass Opinion on Foreign Affairs: South Korean Views of North Korea

Abstract How does military conscription influence mass opinion on foreign affairs? Is gender relevant for the impact compulsory service has on public opinion? Leveraging South Korea's mandatory military service for men and fluctuations in inter-Korea relations from 2003 to 2018, we assess conscription's impact on South Korean opinions of North Korea. We rely on the random nature of a child's gender, given the number of children in a family, to infer the effect of conscription on the views of parents via a “son effect." While the gender and foreign policy opinion literature suggests that female aversion to the costs of conflict can result in positive views toward an adversary, we find that the high costs of conscription result in mothers of sons subject to military service holding more negative and hostile perceptions of North Korea compared to women with no sons as well as men. We do not find such differences between fathers of sons and men without sons.

Correlation Between Seafood Production and Supply in North Korea: Focusing on Food Security

Correlation Between Seafood Production and Supply in North Korea: Focusing on Food Security

Eruption plumes extended more than 30 km in altitude in both phases of the Millennium eruption of Paektu (Changbaishan) volcano

AbstractThe Millennium Eruption of Paektu volcano, on the border of China and North Korea, generated tephra deposits that extend >1000 km from the vent, making it one of the largest eruptions in historical times. Based on observed thicknesses and compositions of the deposits, the widespread tephra dispersal is attributed to two eruption phases fuelled by chemically distinct magmas that produced both pyroclastic flows and fallout deposits. We used an ensemble-based method with a dual step inversion, in combination with the FALL3D atmospheric tephra transport model, to constrain these two different phases. The volume of the two distinct phases has been calculated. The results indicate that about 3-16 km3 (with a best estimate of 7.2 km3) and 4-20 km3 (with a best estimate of 9.3 km3) of magma were erupted during the comendite and trachyte phases of the eruption, respectively. Eruption rates of up to 4 × 108 kg/s generated plumes that extended 30-40 km up into the stratosphere during each phase.

The Effectiveness of Halting Measures in Constraining North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons Program

ABSTRACT This paper explores the concept of ‘irreversibility’ in relation to denuclearization efforts on the Korean Peninsula over the past 30 years, covering the most impactful US, South Korean, and North Korean approaches during this timeframe. Attempts to constrain North Korea’s nuclear programme have largely been characterized by ‘halting measures’, such as technical freezes or political moratoria; however, these measures did not have lasting effects. This paper examines the systemic barriers that challenged the sustainability of these halting measures, in particular disagreements over goals, terminology, sequencing, as well as a failure to achieve sustained momentum during challenging periods of domestic politics. It then considers what this suggests about the viability of these types of measures in promoting ‘irreversible’ disarmament in North Korea moving forward.

Brothers or not? The failure of Morning of the East, the first joint Soviet–North Korean film

ABSTRACT This paper studies the reasons for the banning of the first joint Soviet–North Korean film in history by North Korean authorities. Morning of the East, released in the Soviet Union as Brothers, was directed by Cheon Sang-in, Yun Yong-kyu, Vasily Losev and Ivan Lukinsky in 1957. Involving cooperation of both countries at each stage of production, it was filmed in the Gorky Film Studio and in natural locations in North Korea. Despite the significant involvement of the Korean intelligentsia and strong promotion of the film in DPRK magazines, the film was banned from distribution inside the country. The article provides historical background to the film production, and argues that the ban of Morning of the East cannot be explained by any political event alone. Rather, the film itself, heavily influenced by new trends in Soviet Thaw cinema, contrasted with the North Korean vision of socialist realism. Based on primary sources, and by providing historical context and film analysis, this article presents the history of an unsuccessful attempt to introduce the cinematic language of de-Stalinization into North Korean cinema.

Quasi alliance explanation for the fluctuating ROK-Japan relationship: analysing friction in 2019 and cohesion in 2023

ABSTRACT The ROK-Japan relationship, characterized as a quasi alliance, has oscillated between moments of friction and cohesion. This study endeavours to pinpoint the explanatory variables responsible for these fluctuations and to articulate a coherent causal mechanism. Drawing upon alliance theories and the quasi alliance model, two hypotheses centred on external factors – common threats and common allies – are posite. In 2019, divergent threat perceptions between the ROK and Japan, coupled with doubts about the US's reliability, strained their quasi alliance. Yet, as the prospects for North Korea's denuclearization grew murky, both the ROK and Japan began to share heightened threat perceptions. Concurrently, the US's commitment and credibility were reestablished, bolstering the cohesion of the quasi-alliance. This study strengthens the quasi-alliance model both theoretically and empirically. Furthermore, the study's findings suggest the necessity for more direct and binding bilateral ties between the ROK and Japan to ensure greater stability in future relations.

North Korea: The End of Strategic Seclusion?

A lonely but unbroken North Korea stands up against the South Korean-U.S. alliance, playing diplomatic overtures in between crises and skillfully using contradictions between other actors in Northeast Asia. Yet although North Korea has nuclear weapons, the military balance on and around the Korean Peninsula is not developing to Pyongyang’s advantage. This puts North Korea’s security at risk, especially due to the unpredictability of Seoul’s future policy. In terms of Kenneth Waltz’s structural realism, North Korea’s ability to balance the mounting strategic risks internally by mobilizing its own resources is extremely limited. This leaves the option of external balancing through alliance with strong military powers. The theory of structural realism remains relevant and helps to better understand the ongoing rapprochement between Pyongyang and Moscow.

Understanding pediatric surgical needs in North Korea: a modeling analysis

BackgroundSixty-five percent of children worldwide lack access to surgical care, the majority of whom live in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). Developing surgical infrastructure requires information on surgical need; however,...

Possible Bioterrorism by North Korea and South Korea's Preparedness.

This paper reviews the elements and infection mechanisms of bioterrorism, assess North Korea's capability for biological warfare, and propose strategies for South Korea to counter potential bioterrorist threats from the North. The four critical elements of bioterrorism include the biological agent, the weaponization of the agent, the delivery system, and the impact of weather conditions on the attack. The infection routes for biological agents in bioterrorism include inhalation, ingestion, dermal exposure, and injection. The potential agents under development could include anthrax, smallpox, plague, and botulinum toxin, which might be deployed using missiles, artillery shells, or through covert operations. Proximity to North Korea significantly increases vulnerability to biological attacks. Possible methods include contaminating water supplies, food sources, or densely populated areas. Anthrax, smallpox, plague, and botulinum toxin could theoretically be delivered using packages attached to balloons. Minimizing the impact of a bioterrorism event requires strategy that includes four key actions: detection, decision-making, distribution, and dispensation. By integrating these steps, authorities can effectively manage and mitigate the effects of a bioterrorism event. Civilian doctors play a role in the early detection, diagnosis, treatment, and management of biological agents. Educating medical professionals is crucial for preparing against potential biological warfare or bioterrorism threats.

North Korea: The End of Strategic Seclusion?

North Korea will hunker down in the years to come, seeking to maintain the status quo. The main impetus for change in the geopolitical situation on the Korean Peninsula will come from Seoul rather than Pyongyang.

Cunnilingus in North Korea and other Sensations of Non-Nationalism

ABSTRACT: Cunnilingus in North Korea is a fictional, early 2000s, text-based Flash animation piece by Young-Hae Chang Heavy Industries in which the North Korean leader Kim Jong-il delivers a speech to the South Korean people reprimanding them for their prudishness, a supposed product of capitalism, and encouraging all Koreans to adopt the North’s policy of constant nationwide cunnilingus, which is a communistic elixir that makes for harmonious, triumphant societies. By situating this piece within scholarship on contemporary U.S. imperialism and the neoliberalization of South Korea, this article argues that Cunnilingus in North Korea deploys estrangements and reversals in order to enliven and decompose the postcolonial common sense in which North/South Korean nationalisms self-organize along the oppositionality of their respective political economies. Further, I show how the piece hails erotics—theorized as a poetic practice and sense of world—as vital to digital aesthetic forms that agitate against logics of contemporary imperialism.

North Korea's 2023 Trade with China: Analysis and Forecasts

North Korea's 2023 Trade with China: Analysis and Forecasts

ISCNT embryo culture system for restoration of Cervus nippon hortulorum, presumed to be sika deer in the Korean Peninsula.

Sika deer inhabiting South Korea became extinct when the last individual was captured on Jeju Island in Korea in 1920 owing to the Japanese seawater relief business, but it is believed that the same subspecies (Cervus nippon hortulorum) inhabits North Korea and the Russian Primorskaya state. In our study, mt-DNA was used to analyze the genetic resources of sika deer in the vicinity of the Korean Peninsula to restore the extinct species of continental deer on the Korean Peninsula. In addition, iSCNT was performed using cells to analyze the potential for restoration of extinct species. The somatic cells of sika deer came from tissues of individuals presumed to be Korean Peninsula sika deer inhabiting the neighboring areas of the Primorskaya state and North Korea. After sequencing 5 deer samples through mt-DNA isolation and PCR, BLAST analysis showed high matching rates for Cervus nippon hortulorum. This shows that the sika deer found near the Russian Primorsky Territory, inhabiting the region adjacent to the Korean Peninsula, can be classified as a subspecies of Cervus nippon hortulorum. The method for producing cloned embryos for species restoration confirmed that iSCNT-embryos developed smoothly when using porcine oocytes. In addition, the stimulation of endometrial cells and progesterone in the IVC system expanded the blastocyst cavity and enabled stable development of energy metabolism and morphological changes in the blastocyst. Our results confirmed that the individual presumed to be a continental deer in the Korean Peninsula had the same genotype as Cervus nippon hortulorum, and securing the individual's cell-line could restore the species through replication and produce a stable iSCNT embryo.

Влияние Индии на формирование многополярного ядерного порядка

India’s decision not to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty has led to its labelling as a state that is not fully aligned with the global nuclear order. This places it in the same category as other nuclear-armed countries outside these agreements, such as Israel, North Korea, and Pakistan. India’s nuclear weapons testing in 1998, followed by a similar move by Pakistan, has been viewed as a challenge to international security and the nuclear non-proliferation regime. This article aims to examine India’s stance on these treaties and its choice to become a nuclear-armed state in 1998 within the context of its efforts to influence the establishment of a fair global order that serves the interests of not only the major nuclear powers (USSR/Russia, Great Britain, China, the United States, and France) and their allies, but also the rest of the world. Delhi’s actions in the realm of nuclear arms control highlights the emerging multipolar world. Although India has refrained from actively participating in disarmament negotiations after the end of Cold War, its previous experiences remain relevant today. The breakdown of the U.S. – Russia nuclear arms control as well as crises over the nuclear non-proliferation and testing banning regimes have given weight to the arguments put forth by Indian leaders and diplomats. These arguments emphasize the urgency of reducing nuclear risks and exercising strategic restraint, including maintaining a moratorium on nuclear testing. Since 1998, India has adopted an approach different from its previous policy on various nuclear disarmament issues. This shift is evident in the country’s solidarity with other nuclear powers in opposing the 2021 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. However, India’s longstanding support for multipolarity in international security policy, particularly regarding nuclear weapons, remains unchanged.

Պարենային անվտանգության ոլորտում ԵԱՏՄ երկրների համագործակցության զարգացման հնարավորությունները և ռիսկերը/ OPPORTUNITIES AND RISKS OF COOPERATION DEVELOPMENT IN THE FIELD OF FOOD SECURITY OF EAEU COUNTRIES

At present, the world is very concerned. This is connected with the policy of the formation of a new world order and the transfer of spheres of influence on the part of the great powers. The indefinite cessation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, the unpredictable Russian-Ukrainian war, in which the USA and Western Europe participate in supporting Ukraine, the ongoing confrontations in the countries of the Middle East, especially in Syria, Israel and Yemen, the position of the Islamic Republic of Iran in them and, finally, China-Taiwan and the South, as well as the tension between North Korea, are serious concerns about a new world war. This situation, as well as threats of global climate change, seriously affect the normal state of international trade and people's well-being. Moreover, the implementation of the declared UN Sustainable Development Goals is under serious threat. Although the Republic of Armenia is a country with a small territory and a limited population, it is not isolated from world events and is integrated into the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), but it is to one degree or another subject to the influence of global and regional tensions. This influence is especially evident in the military, political and economic spheres. Nevertheless, the food supply sector is more sensitive, as it is directly related to the daily nutrition of the population, or, figuratively speaking, the provision of daily bread. This paper presents the state of food security in EAEU countries, trade in food products within the Union, in particular, opportunities for cooperation with Armenia and existing risks.

Values to Visit a Culturally Significant But Forbidden Land: A Case of North Korea

This study aims to identify tourists’ values, develop a tool that measures tourist values with regard to visiting culturally significant, but forbidden, destinations, such as North Korea, and segment the relevant market. A composite method of qualitative and quantitative approaches constituted the procedure for the value measurement scale development. Using this scale, market segments were constructed based on the value profile in order to test the differences among the segments with respect to key factors. Application of a mixed method approach indicates four values relevant to visiting North Korea: curiosity/novelty; historical nostalgia/wish for reunification; natural landscape appreciation; and ease of travel. Three value profiles emerged: nostalgia and reunification advocate, middle of the roader, and nature espouser. The findings of this study indicate unique values for tourists to want to visit North Korea and add to existing evidence on alternative motives, addressing the absence of a customized tourists’ value scale, in that it extracted authentic values to visit North Korea by focusing on cultural and historical context. The findings will provide DMOs, developers, and policy-makers with practical guidelines to create useful marketing tools and design targeted promotions and tourism products.

Сравнительный потенциал торговли стран Северо-Восточной Азии

The purpose of the study is to assess the comparative trade potential of Northeast Asian countries based on the border effect estimation. In general, intraregional trade in North-East Asia (NEA) was less intensive than NEA trade with other countries. This indicates high trade barriers between NEA countries. It was determined that the reduction of trade barriers between China, Japan and the Republic of Korea can increase the total trade turnover of NEA. It was found that access to the Chinese market, as well as the inflow of Chinese direct investment in cooperation projects, can significantly increase the foreign trade of Russia and Mongolia. The estimates of the border effect for the DPRK indicated the close relations of its economy with the Chinese market, as well as North Korea’s foreign trade could significantly increase in the event of reduction high trade barriers with the Republic of Korea. The assessments indicated the existence of economic conditions for expanding trade in NEA, and China is a «connecting link» between the NEA countries. However, political conflicts between some NEA countries, as well as the political and economic influence of other countries, significantly complicate the implementation of the existing trade potential of the sub-global region

North Korea's Climate Change Challenges and the Need for International Cooperation

North Korea's Climate Change Challenges and the Need for International Cooperation

Market Prices in North Korea: 2006~2022

Market Prices in North Korea: 2006~2022

North Korea's Declining Fertility Rate Seen Through a Survey of North Korean Defectors and its Implications for Inter-Korean Population Integration

North Korea's Declining Fertility Rate Seen Through a Survey of North Korean Defectors and its Implications for Inter-Korean Population Integration