Borderlands

Chinese Contingency Plan: An Improbable Scenario

By | May 18, 2014

If the North Korean government collapsed, what would China do? After the leak of an alleged Chinese contingency plan, Dr. Jennifer Lind offers an assessment based upon extensive research.

A Bifurcated Review of De-bordering Korea: Tangible and Intangible Legacies of the Sunshine Policy

By | May 12, 2014

Seven full years have passed since the second and final “sunshine policy” president, the late Roh Moo-hyun, left office. Yet debate over the historic value of the decade of sunshine persists. In Sino-NK’s latest review, two members of the team look at a brand new Routledge edited volume that attempts to assess the social legacy of the era.

Of Eruptions and Men: Science Diplomacy at North Korea’s Active Volcano

By | May 08, 2014

Dr. Kayla Iacovino of the US Geological Survey was witness to a fascinating moment of scientific connection between North Korea and the wider world. Recalling her experiences getting to and working from the volcanic frontline at Mt. Baekdu, she considers the broader implications of cooperation and engagement with North Korea.

Public-Private Partners: Rethinking North Korean “Command Criminality”

By | May 02, 2014

Sometimes it is possible to forget that among all the narcotics and nuclear weapons, North Korea also engages in licit businesses. Much of it takes place in the country’s near abroad, and during Sino-NK’s recent AKS research trip to Manchuria, Christopher Green took time to think it over.

Bullet Trains and Wood-Burning Trucks

By and | May 01, 2014

In an effort to cut down travel time and spur economic growth, China is lacing high-speed rail throughout its northeastern provinces. Lessons abound for North Korea, as this essay from eastern Jilin indicates.