Author Archive
Occupation at the Local Level: Kim Dong-choon on Korean War Atrocities
In an extensive new review essay, Adam Cathcart offers a sweeping assessment of Kim Dong-choon’s 2009 text on the Korean War, reinvigorating debate over both Korean War history and the societal tensions that come with it.
Kim Jong-un, Jeremy Corbyn, and the Trident Debate
At a recent Parliamentary debate in London, North Korea was raised time and again as justification for the renewal of Britain’s submarine nuclear deterrent. Adam Cathcart parses what it means for the besieged opposition Labour Party, and peers into shadows of Korean War destruction for the Conservatives.
Reinterpreting the Withdrawal of Chinese Troops from North Korea, 1956-1958
Did Kim Il-sung’s nationalism force the Chinese out of North Korea in the 1950s, or was it an agreed strategy meant to bolster anti-US propaganda? This post reviews new data on a pivotal moment in Chinese-North Korean relations.
Rumblings from Dandong: Banks and Bayonets
To understand politics in East Asia it is vital to keep a close eye on events in state capitols. However, it is also necessary to know what is going on at ground level – in Rason, Yanji, Hyesan, Ji’an, Sinuiju, Jilin, and of course right here in Dandong.
Wang Haiyun and China’s North Korean Contingency Scenarios
An op-ed by a retired PLA General in Shanghai urges preparation for all-out war around Korea. What signals does this send? Also, reflections on Xi Jinping’s heavy hand and the North Korea discourse.





