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North Korea
In-depth analysis and commentary on North Korea from RUSI publications and experts.
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RUSI RESEARCH PROGRAMMES ANALYSING NORTH KOREA
North Korea's Nuclear Weapons: Proliferation and Nuclear Policy
China and Region: International Security Studies
Sanctions: Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies
KEY RUSI PUBLICATIONS
Sanctions
A House Without Foundations: The North Korea Sanctions Regime and its ImplementationTarget Markets: North Korea’s Military Customers in the Sanctions Era
Options for UK
Why the UK Needs to be Thinking Now about a Possible Korean War
"'Kim has not changed his policy ... but claims that he's now moved from research-and-development and onto mass production.' "
North Korea launched no missiles in 2018 - But that isn't necessarily due to Trump
In The News, 27 December 2018 Tags: North Korea, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy
Delicate Footwork: Security and Diplomacy on the Korean Peninsula
Commentary, 17 December 2018
Cristina Varriale
The suspension of US–South Korean military exercises is a vital step in the broader effort to build confidence on the Korean peninsula.
Tags: Armed Forces, United States, North Korea, UK Project on Nuclear Issues, Global Strategy and Commitments, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, Defence Policy, Asia, Global Security Issues, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, Pacific
A Long Road to Denuclearisation: Challenges to Security-Based Diplomacy with North Korea
Occasional Papers, 6 December 2018
Cristina Varriale
This paper sets out the case for a gradual, step-by-step approach to remove North Korea's nuclear weapons.
Tags: North Korea, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, Pacific
North Korea’s Missile Programme and Supply-Side Controls: Lessons for Countering Illicit Procurement
Article, 17 October 2018
Daniel Salisbury
Pyongyang has proved adept at evading sanctions.
Tags: Aerospace, North Korea, Technology
Security on the Korean Peninsula: The Latest from RUSI
Newsbrief, 4 October 2018
Tom Plant and Cristina Varriale
A flurry of recent activity on the North Korean diplomatic front has kept researchers in the Proliferation and Nuclear Policy programme at RUSI extremely busy over the past few months. Their latest research findings indicate that policymakers should focus on pursuing small gains over a grand bargain, as well as balancing Tokyo’s long-term view and scepticism of China with Seoul’s focus on short-...
Tags: China, United States, Japan, North Korea, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, Asia, Global Security Issues, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy
All to Play For: Sports Diplomacy on the Korean Peninsula
Commentary, 25 September 2018
Tom Plant
The two halves of the Korean peninsula have engaged in sports diplomacy before. But latest agreements between the leaders of the two countries have taken this diplomacy much further, with broader implications for the security of the region.
Tags: North Korea, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, PacificPages
Delicate Footwork: Security and Diplomacy on the Korean Peninsula
Commentary, 17 December 2018Cristina Varriale
The suspension of US–South Korean military exercises is a vital step in the broader effort to build confidence on the Korean peninsula.
Armed Forces, United States, North Korea, UK Project on Nuclear Issues, Global Strategy and Commitments, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, Defence Policy, Asia, Global Security Issues, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, Pacific
All to Play For: Sports Diplomacy on the Korean Peninsula
Commentary, 25 September 2018Tom Plant
The two halves of the Korean peninsula have engaged in sports diplomacy before. But latest agreements between the leaders of the two countries have taken this diplomacy much further, with broader implications for the security of the region.
North Korea, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, Pacific
China’s Xi Jinping Will Sleep More Soundly After the Singapore Summit
Commentary, 13 June 2018Charles Parton
China was absent from the US-North Korea summit, but is a beneficiary of what has emerged from that gathering in Singapore.
China, United States, North Korea, International Security Studies, Global Security Issues, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy
Upstaging Armageddon: Kim Jong-un and the Inter-Korean Summit
Commentary, 27 April 2018Adam Cathcart
When attempting to assess today’s inter-Korean summit, the adage ‘Hope for the best, prepare for the worst’ seems more appropriate than ever.
North Korea, Pacific
Bad Chemistry: A Re-analysis of the Assassination of Kim Jong-un’s Brother
Commentary, 5 April 2018Ryan Henrici
Russia’s alleged use of a nerve agent in an attempted assassination of a former intelligence agent in Salisbury provides a good opportunity to look at North Korea’s capabilities in this field.
North KoreaPages
The North Korean Nuclear Summit
Multimedia, 9 March 2018Tom Plant, Director, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy programme at RUSI on the proposed nuclear summit between North Korea and the US
Tags: United States, North Korea, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, Pacific
President Trump's Nuclear Button Tweet
Multimedia, 3 January 2018 Tags: United States, North Korea, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, Pacific
Dealing with the Latest North Korea Missile Threat
Multimedia, 11 August 2017Following a war of words between US President Donald Trump and the Pyongyang regime, are we at risk of escalation? RUSI experts Tom Plant, Cristina Varriale and Emil Dall discuss.
Tags: United States, North Korea, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, Global Security Issues, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy
Cristina Varriale on the North Korea Missile Tests
Multimedia, 6 July 2017Watch Cristina Varriale, a research analyst at RUSI's Nuclear and Proliferation programme discuss North Korea's latest missile test on BBC World News.
Tags: North Korea, UK Project on Nuclear Issues, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy
The New South Korean President
Multimedia, 12 May 2017On 9 May 2017, South Korea voters elected Moon Jae-in as president. RUSI research analyst Cristina Varriale assesses the policies of the new leader and what this means for relations with North Korea.
Tags: North Korea, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, PacificPages
A Long Road to Denuclearisation: Challenges to Security-Based Diplomacy with North Korea
Occasional Papers, 6 December 2018Cristina Varriale
This paper sets out the case for a gradual, step-by-step approach to remove North Korea's nuclear weapons.
Occasional Papers, North Korea, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, Pacific
North Korea’s Missile Programme and Supply-Side Controls: Lessons for Countering Illicit Procurement
Article, 17 October 2018Daniel Salisbury
Pyongyang has proved adept at evading sanctions.
Aerospace, North Korea, Technology
Security on the Korean Peninsula: The Latest from RUSI
Newsbrief, 4 October 2018Tom Plant and Cristina Varriale
A flurry of recent activity on the North Korean diplomatic front has kept researchers in the Proliferation and Nuclear Policy programme at RUSI extremely busy over the past few months. Their latest...
China, United States, Japan, Newsbrief, North Korea, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, Asia, Global Security Issues, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy
Underwriting Proliferation: Sanctions Evasion, Proliferation Finance and the Insurance Industry
Occasional Papers, 9 July 2018Emil Dall and Tom Keatinge
This paper seeks to establish the baseline for a discussion on proliferation finance in the (re)insurance sector. The insurance industry can play a vital role in contributing to the successful...
Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies, Counter-Proliferation Finance, United Nations, Occasional Papers, North Korea, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, Sanctions, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy
The Rise of the Chemical Weapon State: From Salisbury to Syria
Newsbrief, 8 June 2018Ryan Henrici
The recent execution of chemical attacks by Moscow, Damascus and Pyongyang for diverse purposes may not only suggest that the prohibitive power of international conventions is now fading away, but...
Newsbrief, North Korea, International Security Studies, Russia, Syria, Global Security Issues, TechnologyPages
UK PONI Roundtable: Denuclearising North Korea
Events, 31 October 2018This roundtable will discuss the current efforts of engagement to reduce and remove North Korea’s nuclear weapons, responses from regional governments and the future of diplomacy.
North Korea, UK Project on Nuclear Issues, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy
Preparing for a Second Korean War: RUSI Whitehall Report Launch
Events, 28 September 2017RUSI launched a new report that examines the potential for a second Korean War and the options for the UK to respond to what would be one of the most momentous strategic shocks of the post-Cold War...
North Korea, UK
Professor Liu Ming on Security Challenges of the Korean Peninsula
Events, 20 March 2017Professor Liu Ming will examine what precisely North Korea’s objectives are for its nuclear programme and the options available to the Trump Administration in response.
North Korea, International Security Studies
A New Dimension of UK-Japan Security Cooperation
Conference, 18 March 2016Building on the momentum generated by last year’s UK-Japan Strategic Dialogue, RUSI is delighted to host another conference that will bring together leading British and Japanese defence and security...
China, Third UK-Japan Security Dialogue, Japan, North Korea, International Security Studies, Asia, Global Security Issues, Pacific
Whitehall Paper Launch: Target Markets: North Korea’s Military Customers in the Sanctions Era
Events, 4 February 2016Despite a decade-long UN arms embargo, North Korea continues to export conventional weapons to state and non-state clients around the world, helping sustain its nuclear-weapons and ballistic-missile...
North Korea, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy
"'Kim has not changed his policy ... but claims that he's now moved from research-and-development and onto mass production.'"
North Korea launched no missiles in 2018 - But that isn't necessarily due to Trump
In The News, 27 December 2018 Tags: North Korea, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy
"“Kim referred only to Yongbyon, when we know that North Korea has other nuclear related facilities, which most analysts – and the US and ROK [South Korean] governments – believe includes at least one undeclared uranium enrichment plant,” he said. “The promised missile site dismantlement is neither nothing, nor tremendously meaningful. It is a positive step, but should be seen more as a confidence building measure than a serious concession,” he added."
Grand Olympic gestures are no substitute for progress on North Korean nukes
In The News, 19 September 2018 Tags: United States, North Korea, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy
"Much of North Korea’s shipping sector is subject to sanctions, but Pyongyang has used a combination of evasion techniques to keep goods flowing. “Any connection on paper to North Korea or North Korean illicit activities may therefore not be immediately obvious to the insurer,” the report said."
The Morning Risk Report: Insurers Hold a Key to North Korea Sanctions
In The News, 10 July 2018 Tags: Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies, North Korea, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy
"Much of North Korea’s shipping sector is subject to sanctions, but Pyongyang has used a combination of evasion techniques to keep goods flowing. “Any connection on paper to North Korea or North Korean illicit activities may therefore not be immediately obvious to the insurer,” the report said."
The Morning Risk Report: Insurers Hold a Key to North Korea Sanctions
In The News, 10 July 2018 Tags: Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies, North Korea, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy
" “If you knew everything they had, if they were fully committed and if you had unlimited resources, something might be achieved quite rapidly,” says Tom Plant of RUSI, a London think-tank. “But all those conditions are hypothetical.”"
North Korea presents nuclear disarmament’s biggest challenge yet
In The News, 5 July 2018 Tags: United States, North Korea, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy
The Role of Verification in the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty Dispute
Unexplained Strategy: Putting Unexplained Wealth Orders to Work
Modern Deterrence and Societal Resilience