Kyung-young Chung, Professor at the Graduate School of International Studies at Hanyang University, defines the transition of wartime operational control (OPCON) from the U.S. to the ROK as an absolute necessity for Korean national survival. Chung underscores that the expeditious transition of OPCON would eliminate North Korea’s arrogance toward South Korea and provide the ROK military with independent deterrence and counter-offensive capabilities, establishing a direct path to genuine strategic autonomy. To institutionally support this, the author proposes establishing a national War Guidan...

Commentary

• Kyung-young Chung
• April 28, 2025

Hyeong Jung Park, Emeritus Research Fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU), analyzes North Korea’s strategic perception in the era of “Trump 2.0” and the trajectory of Kim Jong Un’s policy toward the United States. Park argues that Kim harbors a fundamental distrust toward both Trump and the U.S., and is therefore likely to prefer a strategy that dramatizes the talks themselves as diplomatic achievements while maximizing one-off gains within a single term. Furthermore, Park suggests that Kim may consider the “overwhelming display of force” a necessary precond...

Commentary

• Hyeong Jung PARK
• April 25, 2025

Ho-ryong Lee, Senior Research Fellow at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA), identifies the contradiction between Trump’s personal diplomatic overtures and his administration’s formal denuclearization goals. The analysis reveals DPRK's tripartite approach to strengthening nuclear readiness—developing sea-based capabilities, enhancing anti-aircraft systems, and expanding special operations forces—while simultaneously intensifying relations with Russia. According to Lee’s assessment, prospects for denuclearization will become increasingly remote as the DPRK continues to str...

Commentary

• Ho-ryong LEE
• April 18, 2025