The articles collected here were published on blogs undercurrentnk. blogspot.com between 2023 and 2024. Written with a sense of urgency, these pieces now read as something more than timely commentary-they form a record of emerging shifts, evolving perceptions, and the policy crossroads that defined that moment. In this respect, they offer not only a window into a specific period but also a foundation for reflection and a basis for anticipating and analyzing what lies ahead.
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PART I _North Korea as Conundrum
1 A Variable, not a Constant! The Hermit Kingdom’s Paradox 2 Will Kim Ju-ae Succeed Her Father? 3 Games Between Leaders and Elites in North Korea 4 Kill Numerous Birds with One Stone: North Korea’s International Relations Signaling 5 North Korea’s Identity and Development of ICBMs and Nuclear Weapons 6 The Veiled Statistics of North Korea 7 Is the Socialist Enterprises Management System a Remedy or a Poison for North Korea? 8 Is North Korea’s Agricultural Reform Policy Sustained? 9 No Taxes in North Korea? The Rise of Local Tax Collection 10 Kim Jong Un’s Trip to Russia: A Train of Thought
PART II _Two Koreas in Vortex
1 “Who are you?”: Daehanminguk or Nam Chosŏn? 2 How Should We Understand the Social Impact of a Divided Nation? 3 North Korea Human Rights Issue from the Perspective of the Two Axes 4 “Si vis pacem, para bellum”: Preparing for War to Preserve Peace 5 Why Inter-Korean Agreements Keep Falling Through 6 An Impossible Dream: The Permanent Division of South and North Korea 7 A Unified Korean Design for Future Generations 8 De-territorial Unification: The Emergence of “Individuals” in Korean Unification Discourse
PART III _In Search of Peaceful Exit
1 When Does the Korean War End? - From the Armistice Agreement to an End-of-war Declaration 2 Will Kim Jong-un Overcome the Hanoi Trauma? 3 Was the Korean Peninsula Free from Nuclear Damage? 4 Only a Strong Korea-U.S. Alliance Can Prevent North Korea’s Nuclear Provocations 5 Circumstances of Japan-South Korea-U.S. Alliance on the North Korean Issue 6 Basic Perspectives on Japan’s Security Policy toward East Asia, Especially the Korean Peninsula 7 A New Approach to Understanding North Korea: Development Cooperation with North Korea 8 North Korea and Development Cooperation: Exploring Pathways through the Paradigm of Sustainable Development 9 From Plan to Market: Finance and North Korea’s Future 10 Finding Answers in R&D Talent: North Korea’s Intensive Growth Strategy 11 Digital Tech and North Korea: Pathways for Leapfrogging Development 12 A New Paradigm for Health and Medical Cooperation in North Korea: From Humanitarian Assistance to Systemic Reconstruction Partnership 13 Climate Change, Extreme Weather, and North Korea 14 The Need for Biodiversity Research in Korean Peninsula 15 Can North Korea’s Circular Economy Reduce Trash in the West Sea? 16 The boiling Korean Peninsula and Trauma of North Korea 17 Can we make Pyongyang host COP33? 18 Returning to Dialogue Is Essential for Denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula 19 Amid the Crisis in Northeast Asia, What Choices Does Korea Have?