| This Special APB Series on North Korea in the World is a collaborative effort of the National Committee on North Korea and the East-West Center in Washington. In this collection of articles, scholars and experts provide analysis on the diplomatic and economic ties North Korea has with nations in Africa, Asia, and Europe. For additional insight into North Korea's external relations, see the associated series of webinars and a dedicated website |
 |
A Monumental Relationship: North Korea and Namibia
Tycho van der Hoog, PhD student at the African Studies Centre Leiden, explains that in Namibia, "much of the capital’s architectural landscape is designed and constructed by North Korea" and explores the relationship between Namibia and North Korea by providing historical and political context for this connection.
North Korea-Guyana Relations in the Burnham Era
Dr. Moe Taylor, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Fellow, explains that during the reign of Forbes Burnham, "Guyana perhaps did more than any other single actor to help North Korea become viewed as an economic model for developing countries."
From Close Allies to Distant Comrades: The Ups and Downs of the Vietnam-North Korea Relationship
Khang X. Vu, a doctoral candidate in the Political Science Department at Boston College, explains that the "evolution of the Vietnam-North Korea relationship since 1948 demonstrates the importance of Party ideology and state interests in their bilateral ties and why a "shared communist ideology alone was insufficient to keep Vietnam and North Korea together after 1975."
From Coy to Cold Shoulder - The European Union and North Korea
Glyn Ford, Director of Track2Asia and five-term Member of the European Parliament, elucidates how from a high point in 2002, EU-North Korea "relations began what was to prove a long and slow atrophication into seeming irrelevance…"
North Korea-Germany Relations: An Ambassador's Perspective of Diplomacy with Pyongyang
Dr. Thomas Schäfer, German ambassador to North Korea (2007-2010 and 2013-2018) and author of "From Kim Jong Il to Kim Jong Un: How the Hardliners Prevailed," explains how Germany has "sought to moderate North Korea through a 'Policy of Critical Engagement' to convince it of the benefits of international cooperation, respect for the rule of law, and improving the political and economic situation of its people."
United Kingdom Engagement with North Korea
Alastair Morgan CMG, Tokyo College Ushioda Fellow of the University of Tokyo and Visiting Senior Research Fellow of King's College London, summarizes the course of the United Kingdom's engagement with North Korea, from the Post-WWII era through the Covid-19 pandemic.
Two Peripheries: The Ukraine War's Effect on North Korea-Russia Relations
Anthony V. Rinna, Senior Editor for Sino-NK, explains how "the Kremlin’s post-2022 diplomatic and economic estrangement from much of the world has provided Pyongyang with an opening to leverage ties with Russia to push for an easing of its own diplomatic and economic isolation."
What North Korea Has Been Learning From Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine
Dr. Tereza Novotna, Korea-Europe Center Fellow at Free University Berlin, Korea Associate at 9DashLine and Senior Associate Fellow at EUROPEUM Prague, reflects on "two lessons and three opportunities that the War in Ukraine presents to Kim Jong Un and concludes with recommendations on what the Europeans could do in the near future."
| This Special APB Series on North Korea in the World is a collaborative effort of the National Committee on North Korea and the East-West Center in Washington. In this collection of articles, scholars and experts provide analysis on the diplomatic and economic ties North Korea has with nations in Africa, Asia, and Europe. For additional insight into North Korea's external relations, see the associated series of webinars and a dedicated website |
| |
A Monumental Relationship: North Korea and Namibia
Tycho van der Hoog, PhD student at the African Studies Centre Leiden, explains that in Namibia, "much of the capital’s architectural landscape is designed and constructed by North Korea" and explores the relationship between Namibia and North Korea by providing historical and political context for this connection.
North Korea-Guyana Relations in the Burnham Era
Dr. Moe Taylor, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Fellow, explains that during the reign of Forbes Burnham, "Guyana perhaps did more than any other single actor to help North Korea become viewed as an economic model for developing countries."
From Close Allies to Distant Comrades: The Ups and Downs of the Vietnam-North Korea Relationship
Khang X. Vu, a doctoral candidate in the Political Science Department at Boston College, explains that the "evolution of the Vietnam-North Korea relationship since 1948 demonstrates the importance of Party ideology and state interests in their bilateral ties and why a "shared communist ideology alone was insufficient to keep Vietnam and North Korea together after 1975."
From Coy to Cold Shoulder - The European Union and North Korea
Glyn Ford, Director of Track2Asia and five-term Member of the European Parliament, elucidates how from a high point in 2002, EU-North Korea "relations began what was to prove a long and slow atrophication into seeming irrelevance…"
North Korea-Germany Relations: An Ambassador's Perspective of Diplomacy with Pyongyang
Dr. Thomas Schäfer, German ambassador to North Korea (2007-2010 and 2013-2018) and author of "From Kim Jong Il to Kim Jong Un: How the Hardliners Prevailed," explains how Germany has "sought to moderate North Korea through a 'Policy of Critical Engagement' to convince it of the benefits of international cooperation, respect for the rule of law, and improving the political and economic situation of its people."
United Kingdom Engagement with North Korea
Alastair Morgan CMG, Tokyo College Ushioda Fellow of the University of Tokyo and Visiting Senior Research Fellow of King's College London, summarizes the course of the United Kingdom's engagement with North Korea, from the Post-WWII era through the Covid-19 pandemic.
Two Peripheries: The Ukraine War's Effect on North Korea-Russia Relations
Anthony V. Rinna, Senior Editor for Sino-NK, explains how "the Kremlin’s post-2022 diplomatic and economic estrangement from much of the world has provided Pyongyang with an opening to leverage ties with Russia to push for an easing of its own diplomatic and economic isolation."
What North Korea Has Been Learning From Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine
Dr. Tereza Novotna, Korea-Europe Center Fellow at Free University Berlin, Korea Associate at 9DashLine and Senior Associate Fellow at EUROPEUM Prague, reflects on "two lessons and three opportunities that the War in Ukraine presents to Kim Jong Un and concludes with recommendations on what the Europeans could do in the near future."
