Quick Take - North Korea’s New Posture with Dr. Soo Kim

April 25, 2024 - In 2024, North Korea’s leadership has made a number of striking changes to its foreign policy, including abandoning its goal of unification and declaring South Korea its “principal enemy.” Pyongyang has also doubled down on its relationship with Moscow, shipping artillery and missiles off to Russia for use on the battlefields of Ukraine. Speculation has also risen that Kim Jong Un may have made the strategic decision to go to war, or to engage in provocations against the US-ROK Alliance. What is motivating these policies and what does the future hold? Join us for an analytic perspective from Dr. Soo Kim, Principal Technical Advisor at LMI Consulting and formerly the Central Intelligence Agency and RAND Corporation, in conversation with policy director Jonathan Corrado.
For more information, please visit the link below:
www.koreasociety.org/policy-a...

[@jamespark2437]

Well done, Soo and Jonathan!

[@learkingofalbion8520]

Thanks for this video.

[@Armaiti_Iris]

Thank you as always, Dr. Soo Kim! you always bring valuable insight and calculated opinion to any views of North Korea 👏

[@supremeheavenlydeity5742]

Does sincerely mean they do what we want? And if they do what we want does that mean now they're sincere?

[@supremeheavenlydeity5742]

What does it mean to sincerely engage with the outside world? I think North korea sincerely tried to engage in 2018-2019 summits and if i remember correctly Kim had no problem with a partial denuclearization. In fact that was Kim's proposal. It was the US led by hardline John Bolton (the real negotiating power) who advocated for an all or nothing approach. In the end Kim was left embarrassed by his failure to get any sanction releif at all. After a summit like that what else is there to talk about? The US side made it clear they want full irrevocable verified denuclearization and they wanted everything before kim would get anything. Why talk? To get embarrassed again? Offers to "talk" are nothing more than an attempt to see how desperate North Korea is. Even the guests' vision of the only possible unification method is for the laws and systems of the south to cover the north with Kim deposed and possibly put on trial. This scenario gives no thought of compromise, give and take or even a symbolic position. In her mind the only hope of reunification is north korea on its knees desperate and begging the south to take them in. Even China who seeks reunification with Taiwan at least gives lip service to "one country two systems" signaling, even if rhetorical, at least some respect and dignity for the other side of the divide and their developments and accomplishments in the time since seperation.

[@supremeheavenlydeity5742]

Is the guest forgetting Juche doctrine? Self- reliance is key. Kim argued for the well being of his people when he talked about sanction relief. They sincerely believe that without the sanctions handicap they could flourish. They were never looking for imf loan handsouts and foreign "investments" those things lead to where Hati is at now or Africa since the end of colonialism plus a bunch of foreign influences. Him not wanting foreign influence does not mean he doesn't care about the well being of his people. Kim from what i can see wants to be liked by the people he wants to be seen improving his people's lives because he knows thats the only way he can get their undying devoution. That was the whole reason for the diplomacy any why he was embarrassed not to get any sanction relief. It is why he has turned so decisively against further talks with US and ROK, its a dead end. Let's also not forget the death of the Iran deal asked the question, is the US agreement-capable? Will sanctions comeback with the next president?

[@supremeheavenlydeity5742]

I disagree with the guest's conclusion sanctions have failed in all forms. First they were and are effective at evading sanctions as seen by their clearly existing nuclear program. Second there is little to no trade between the US and North Korea. Without Russia and/or China, who are the north's biggest trading partners, how can sanctions actually have any impact. The US has a proxy war with Russia even cutting it from swift while the US is pumping taiwan for a proxy conflict with china. There is no incentive to follow American initiatives in respect to North Korea. Third, Russia being cutoff from swift means Russia relies more on their own and chinese currencies, meanig they dont need to use dollars and so is harder for US to track. What US should do Stop eith denuclearization and move to arm control aim to freeze their program at current specifications, stop leading negotiations and play support to south korea What South Korea should do Stop the belligerent attitude and play down reunification for now. and assert the goal of peaceful coexistence. Take lead in all inter Korean dialog and demand US back you in support of its ally. Follow through on inter-korean agreement without waiting on US approval. Be bold in a new innovative way to stimulate dialog on peaceful coexistence

[@learkingofalbion8520]

Thanks for this video.

[@supremeheavenlydeity5742]

Is the guest forgetting Juche doctrine? Self- reliance is key. Kim argued for the well being of his people when he talked about sanction relief. They sincerely believe that without the sanctions handicap they could flourish. They were never looking for imf loan handsouts and foreign "investments" those things lead to where Hati is at now or Africa since the end of colonialism plus a bunch of foreign influences. Him not wanting foreign influence does not mean he doesn't care about the well being of his people. Kim from what i can see wants to be liked by the people he wants to be seen improving his people's lives because he knows thats the only way he can get their undying devoution. That was the whole reason for the diplomacy any why he was embarrassed not to get any sanction relief. It is why he has turned so decisively against further talks with US and ROK, its a dead end. Let's also not forget the death of the Iran deal asked the question, is the US agreement-capable? Will sanctions comeback with the next president?