HONOLULU—North Korea insists on displaying outward signs of competitiveness with its neighbors, such as through its recent satellite launch, even when such demonstrations are not good for the country, a noted scholar of Korea said Thursday.

University of Chicago history professor Bruce Cumings said that the North is a “ritualistic” regime that insists on following ritual displays, and the recent launch of a satellite into orbit demonstrates its commitment to signs that it can keep pace with South Korea and Japan technologically, even though it long ago lost the ability to compete with them economically.