by Carl Parkin* In its first few months, the second Trump administration has disrupted long standing alliance relationships by questioning existing arrangements. The project to recast the United States’ role in its alliances won’t end with Europe, and if nominations are anything to go by, South Korea may be next on the burden-sharing chopping block. […]
North Korea
Op-ed: North Korean Forces in Ukraine: What it Means and What to Do
Senior Policy Director John Erath wrote an op-ed for the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs on the presence of North Korean forces in Ukraine. The presence of North Korean forces in Ukraine could reinforce Russian propaganda aimed at forcing Ukraine into an unfavorable ceasefire by adding to misperceptions that the war might be unwinnable. However, […]
Op-ed: North Korea in Ukraine: What It Means for the World
Senior Policy Director John Erath wrote an op-ed in The Diplomat about North Korean troops in Ukraine. In October 2024, the news broke that North Korea was sending troops to Russia to participate in Moscow’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Although most international responses to this development involved condemnation of this latest escalation, there was also […]
The Fall of Assad: A Cautionary Tale for Kim Jong Un
By Shawn Rostker The recent fall of Syria’s Assad regime offers a stark lesson for North Korea: relying on Russia is a gamble that Pyongyang cannot afford to take lightly. Bashar al-Assad’s downfall was, in large part, the result of Moscow’s inability to provide the decisive support needed to save its partner. While the fall […]
How Koreans View Nuclear Issues: Lessons From My Visit
By John Erath I spent last week in Korea, courtesy of the 38 North Program of the Stimson Center, in association with the Korea Institute of Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control. I was asked to participate in a workshop and discuss the prospects for U.S. policy following the 2024 Presidential election. The workshop went well, but more […]
