Military
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.
It’s Not About the Moon: The Military and Economic Logics to South Korean Space Exploration
The University of Washington’s Clint Work and Kim Seon-hee pen a critical overview of recent developments in South Korea’s space program, highlighting the military and economic logics behind the country’s interest in tackling humanity’s last frontier.
Warfare by Feelings: Strategy, Spontaneity, and Emotions in Kim Il-sung’s Tactical Thinking
Benjamin Katzeff Silberstein of UPenn and North Korea Economy Watch examines the role of emotion in DPRK military and political culture. Real KPA commanders surely see things very differently, but rhetorically the DPRK is at odds with the Western ideal of a modern soldier.
Chests Full of Brass: A DPRK Political History in Orders, Medals, Prizes, and Titles
The DPRK state structure can be hard to discern from the outside, but it is possible to structure analysis so as to dissipate the fog somewhat. Here, Martin Weiser wields the state system of awards and medals to shed light on national history.
2nd Miracle on the Han: Mass Media Unites over History by Ministerial Fiat
The South Korean mass media rarely unites in condemnation of a domestic policy, but controversial and deeply flawed plans to “re-nationalize” the production of secondary school history textbooks made it happen. Christopher Green investigates.
From the Borderland to Beijing: Chinese Civilian Shot in Changbai
A number of incidents involving North Korean soldiers in the Sino-NK borderland have recently been reported in the South Korean and Chinese media. Christopher Green takes a closer look at one of them from the Korean perspective.
Unpacking Beijing’s “Sinocentric Narcissism” during the Loudspeaker Crisis
Sino-NK translates a key editorial about how recent events along the Korean DMZ might impact the Chinese-North Korean relationship.
