Andrei Lankov is a Director at NK News and writes exclusively for the site as one of the world's leading authorities on North Korea. A graduate of Leningrad State University, he attended Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung University from 1984-5 - an experience you can read about here. In addition to his writing, he is also a Professor at Kookmin University.
Moscow needs soldiers for war of attrition but fears backlash to draft, giving Pyongyang an opportunity to capitalize
Regime change and unification by absorption are unrealistic, suggesting main goal is to appeal to president’s base
Two sides have traded threats around Ukraine war since signing of Putin-Kim defense pact, but both prefer the status quo
The DPRK turned to foreign trade companies to earn cash when state agencies failed, sometimes through outlandish schemes
Moscow is an unreliable treaty ally that shirks security promises, and two sides have few ways to expand economic ties
An invasion may look unlikely for now, but geopolitical changes around peninsula could one day inspire Pyongyang to act
Demanding denuclearization is a fool’s errand, but arms control through ‘interim steps’ can make the peninsula safer
Fatherland United Democratic Front started as scheme to legitimize communist rule before shifting focus to South Korea
Apathy about DPRK will likely persist if Biden is reelected, but Beltway insiders expect dramatic changes if Trump wins
Policy change has stunned pro-DPRK groups in South Korea, which have long viewed regime as champion of national unity
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