Young-seon Jeon, Professor of Konkuk University, argues that North Korea’s leadership perceives the younger generation, defined by attenuated loyalty and a faint sense of revolutionary consciousness, as a serious threat to regime stability. In response, the Kim Jong Un regime has elevated ideological and cultural indoctrination targeting youth as...

Seung-ho Jung, Professor of Incheon National University, contends that despite North Korea’s extensive provision of manpower and military materiel in support of Russia’s war in Ukraine, the resultant economic compensation has remained markedly limited. Professor Jung attributes the constraints impeding substantive economic cooperation between P...

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 ...

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 lik...

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, enhanc...

Leif-Eric Easley, Professor at Ewha Womans University, identifies nine theories from the academic literature on China–North Korea relations and applies them to recent geopolitical and foreign policy developments. The article examines Chinese perceptions of Kim Jong-un’s expanding cooperation with Vladimir Putin, whether Beijing is willing to re...

Ihn-hwi Park, Professor at Ewha Womans University, emphasizes the urgent need for U.S.–ROK policy coordination at the presidential level on the North Korean issue, which has evolved beyond the peninsula to become deeply embedded in the global security architecture. He argues that the South Korean president’s central role in inter-Korean policy,...

Jihwan Hwang, Professor at the University of Seoul, examines the impact of President Trump's "America First" foreign policy on U.S.-DPRK relations, highlighting the risks of “unstrategic impatience.” While Trump has expressed interest in direct engagement with Kim Jong Un, his transactional approach and shifting priorities raise concerns about ...

Dong Ryul Lee, Chair of EAI’s China Research Center and Professor at Dongduk Women’s University, examines the evolving North Korea-China relationship under the second Trump administration. He argues that while Pyongyang seeks stronger ties with Beijing amid deepening cooperation with Moscow, China remains cautious, balancing its strategic inter...

Won Gon Park, Chair of EAI’s Center for North Korea Studies and Professor at Ewha Womans University, explores the potential for leadership collapse in North Korea under Kim Jong Un. He identifies three key challenges to regime stability: the expansion of marketization weakening state control, the erosion of ideological legitimacy among younger ge...