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John Everard was the British ambassador to the DPRK from February 2006 to July 2008, a period that overlapped with the first nuclear test, the quick negotiation of two nuclear agreements and the beginning-of-the-end of that progress in the summer of 2008. The title of his thoughtful memoir (Amazon here, a very nice Korea Society [...]
After our disappointment at the President’s and Governor Romney’s VFW speeches, we were greatly heartened to listen to the very thoughtful discussion at Brookings starring Rich Williamson, representing the Governor, and Michele Flournoy, speaking for the President. Flournoy served as Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, where she had a hand in DoD’s Strategic Guidance, was [...]
In honor of the great leader’s recent wedding announcement, here’s a tribute to the young couple in the spirit of another great leader, David Letterman. Top 10 signs you might be married to Kim Jong Un 10. Your honeymoon took place at a nearby funpark. 9. Your wedding registry consisted entirely of requests for foreign [...]
I guess it was only a matter of time. Last week, North Korean state run media has been airing what appears to be the official theme song of Kim Jong-Un. Like his father before him, whose theme song was entitled “No Motherland Without You,” the younger Kim can now proudly hum along to “Forward to [...]
The North Koreans are great at political theatre. The latest example: the arrest of a North Korean defector who had re-entered the country with the purpose of blowing up monuments. Detained before carrying out these “hideous crimes,” he asked for a press conference which took place last Thursday at the People’s Palace of Culture; the [...]
US foreign policy in Asia—let alone with respect to North Korea—is hardly a headline or vote grabbing issue. And campaign speeches are admittedly not the venue for outlining detailed policy proposals. Nonetheless, the performance of the two presidential candidates at the VFW was underwhelming. The President’s speech can be found here; Mitt Romney’s here. Romney [...]
A recent New York Times story made reference to South Korea’s North Korean Refugees Foundation (NKRF); we were not familiar with it so we took a closer look. Established in 2010, NKRF was set up as one of the country’s many quasi-governmental foundations. The head of the foundation is appointed by the Ministry of Unification, [...]
Three sets of personnel changes have sparked speculation—some of it over-the-top—about deeper political and economic changes in North Korea: The fall of Ri Yong Ho and newly-minted Vice Marshal Hyon Yong Chol’s assumption of the position of Chief of the KPA General Staff; Kim Jong Un’s assumption of the rank of Marshal; The political ascent [...]
Chung-in Moon is one of Korea’s most important foreign policy intellectuals and a perennial thorn in the side of South Korea’s hawks. In the 1980s, when it was genuinely risky to do so—both politically and professionally—Moon was thinking about alternative approaches to North Korea. He subsequently became an advisor to both the Kim Dae Jung [...]
As we are gearing up to comment on a host of new books on North Korea, you might be interested in also perusing last year’s reading list. Summer reading on abductions? Hey, this is a North Korea blog, and what the country has done makes for some pretty amazing stories. Unfortunately, most are tragedies. Daniel [...]
