Seunghee Ha, Research Professor at Dongguk University, contends that the culture of lyrical parody among North Korean residents functions as a form of cultural praxis that dismantles the symbolic language of state propaganda and confronts lived reality. Professor Ha argues that the emotions and creativity expressed through these adaptations embody a form of “quiet resistance,” revealing fractures in the regime’s apparatus of control. This phenomenon, the author concludes, signals the erosion of symbolic authority and the expansion of unofficial discourse within North Korean society.

Commentary

• Seunghee HA
• May 29, 2025

Chaesung Chun, Chair of the EAI National Security Research Center and Professor at Seoul National University, characterizes the Trump administration’s negotiation strategy as broker-style, privileging narrow tactical gains over structural resolution. Professor Chun asserts that future U.S.-North Korea summits are likely to adhere to this paradigm, cautioning that a diplomatic failure would likely precipitate renewed provocations, a gradual erosion of the international sanctions regime, and a deterioration of alliance cohesion. In light of these potential repercussions, the author advocates ...

Commentary

• Chaesung CHUN
• May 28, 2025

Jaewoo Jun, Associate Research Fellow at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, argues that the recent signs of estrangement between North Korea and China should not be interpreted as a straightforward rupture, but rather as an extension of North Korea’s long-term strategic posture. Drawing on historical patterns of realignment within the North Korea-China-Russia triangle since the Cold War, Jun contends that North Korea has consistently resisted subordination to any single power, instead seeking to exploit strategic fissures among major states to safeguard its autonomy and regime surviva...

Commentary

• Jaewoo JUN
• May 22, 2025