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1. Preparing for the worst: Was North Korea’s decision to develop nuclear weapons rational?

Author:
Sanghoon Kim
Publication Date:
04-2020
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Pacific Forum
Abstract:
North Korea’s foreign policy decision-making procedure is highly centralized to a single leader or, at most, a few political/military elites. While democratic governments are restrained both horizontally and vertically, authoritarian regimes are relatively free of constraints from the public. This paper examines the motivations behind North Korea’s nuclear weapons development in light of the rational deterrence model, then discusses the strategic implications of a rational, or irrational, North Korea. It concludes that North Korea’s decision to develop nuclear weapons was rationally motivated by the deteriorating security environment surrounding the state, but that this will not guarantee deterrence.
Topic:
Nuclear Weapons, Authoritarianism, Deterrence, Denuclearization, and Rationality
Political Geography:
South Korea, North Korea, and Korean Peninsula

2. The North Korea Nuclear Deal: Our Students Did It

Author:
Micheline Calmy-Rey and Marc Finaud
Publication Date:
08-2019
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Pacific Forum
Abstract:
There is no end in sight to the North Korean nuclear problem. And yet a group of international students in Geneva, Switzerland, have sketched out the contours of a possible deal. Their work, which describes mutual concessions and when/how they should be implemented, offers each of the concerned parties some helpful ideas on how to achieve a much-needed agreement.
Topic:
Treaties and Agreements, Nonproliferation, Denuclearization, and Students
Political Geography:
North Korea

3. Weighing Future Paths for the Korean Peninsula

Author:
Keoni Williams
Publication Date:
08-2019
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Pacific Forum
Abstract:
In April 2019, Pacific Forum hosted the Northeast Asia Regional Young Leaders Security Symposium (NEARYLSS), a two-day dialogue in Tokyo, Japan, during which 25 young scholars and security analysts from China, Japan, the Republic of Korea (ROK), and the United States explored regional security perspectives and opportunities for multilateral cooperation. Forming teams based on nationality, young scholars identified their country’s top regional threats in Northeast Asia and their desired, acceptable, and unacceptable outcomes for the Korean Peninsula. The shared challenge of dealing with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) provides a basis for regional cooperation, and the extent to which each team’s desired, acceptable, and unacceptable outcomes converge serves as a useful guide in determining possible scenarios on the Korean Peninsula. During off-the-record plenary discussions, country teams explained the rationale for their assessments and answered follow-up questions from other country teams. Team responses were then compiled into a win-set (Figure 1). Notable convergences and divergences observed in the win-set and plenary discussions were identified around three key themes: denuclearization, Korean reunification, and the status quo of intermittent negotiations.
Topic:
Diplomacy, Regional Cooperation, Nonproliferation, and Denuclearization
Political Geography:
Korean Peninsula