[Commentary]
Inter-Korean Trust-Building and North Korea's Strategy:
Implications and Limitations
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Ho Ryung Lee, a Senior Research Fellow at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, analyzes Kim Yo Jong's statements to examine North Korea’s strategic shifts concerning South Korea. Kim Yo Jong’s statements since 2020 reflect North Korea’s expansion of its strategic space and value. The current strategic environment, coupled with Seoul and Washington’s emphasis on dialogue and stability, presents an optimal timeframe for North Korea to exert pressure. Dr. Lee suggests that Seoul’s proactive trust-building should correspond with these changes in strategic circumstances because trust-building efforts without a strategic foundation are unlikely to succeed. |
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[Commentary] North Korea’s Countryside Is at War with “Corruption” and “Bluffing” |
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Youngsun Jeon, a HK Research Professor at Konkuk University, examines the reality and agenda of North Korea’s rural development. By analyzing A New Spring in the Paekhak Plain (2025), North Korea’s first ever contemporary television drama, Jeon identifies North Korea’s internal struggle against corruption and the people’s loss of faith in party policies. The drama candidly reveals the predicament of North Korea’s countryside and agriculture. However, it also presents North Korea’s commitment to boosting grain production through the eradication of “bluffing” and the implementation of systemic policies. |
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[Commentary] The Present Value of USFK and South Korea’s Path Forward |
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Jaewoo Jun, an Associate Research Fellow at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA), provides a sweeping analysis of the evolving role of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) within the broader currents of U.S. grand strategy and East Asian security. Tracing shifts from the Cold War through the present U.S.-China rivalry, Dr. Jun underscores that the ROK-U.S. alliance is not a static guarantee but a variable instrument of American strategic interests. The author highlights South Korea’s resulting structural dilemma and calls for a more rational, autonomous approach to alliance management that reflects both Seoul’s national power and the changing regional environment. |
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