Diplomacy
Dead on Arrival? Taking Trade Notes in Dandong
Which North Koreans turned up in the Chinese city of Dandong for a recent trade fair? And does this event represent a real stabilization or upgrade in bilateral relations? Sino-NK reads the sources.
History, Smoke and Mirrors: Assessing North Korea’s Association for the Study of Human Rights
Can anything be learned from crawling through North Korea’s own report on its human rights situation and outlook? Adam Cathcart goes spelunking to find out.
King, Wu, B-52: North Korea’s Rational Dis-invitation to the US Special Envoy on Human Rights
This piece of (recent) history by Morgan Potts explores the tensions of the 2013, when Robert King’s invitation to Pyonyang was rescinded, examining what could have been a turning point for US-DPRK relations that was lost amidst other diplomatic crises.
Does a New Ambassador Mean a “Reset” In China-North Korea Relations?
With a deep dive into Beijing’s internal bureaucratic politics and Li Jinjun’s predecessors in Pyongyang, Nathan Beauchamp-Mustafaga sheds light on China’s evolving stance toward North Korea.
“Parties with Different Ideologies:” China’s New Ambassador to North Korea
The appointment of a new Chinese Ambassador to Pyongyang, Li Jinjun, will serve as both a Rohrschach test and a means of ascertaining where China thinks things might go, argues Simone van Nieuwenhuizen.