This episode of The IR thinker explores the evolving dynamics of inter-Korean relations with Professor Yangmo Ku, focusing on North Korea’s designation of South Korea as its “primary foe”, the implications of Pyongyang’s nuclear and conventional build-up, and Seoul’s strategic options in response. The discussion situates the Korean Peninsula within a wider regional context, examining North Korea’s growing cooperation with Russia, China’s dilemmas, ASEAN’s stance, NATO’s role in the Indo-Pacific, and the deepening of Japan–South Korea security cooperation.

Yangmo Ku

Yangmo Ku is Chair of the History and Political Science Department and Associate Professor of Political Science at Norwich University in the United States, where he also serves as Associate Director of the Peace and War Center and Editor of the Journal of Peace and War Studies. His research focuses on North and South Korean politics, East Asian security, United States foreign policy and the politics of memory and reconciliation in East Asia and Europe, and he is co-author of Politics in North and South Korea: Political Development, Economy, and Foreign Relations.

Publications:

Analyzing Security Conditions Surrounding the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, 2019-2024

A Treasured Sword of Justice? Explaining the Key Reasons behind North Korea’s Nuclear Development and US Policy Implications

Content

00:00 - Introduction

02:16 - Impact of North Korea Severing Land Connections with South Korea

10:01 - North Korea’s Shift to Viewing South Korea as its “Primary Foe”

14:15 - Interest in North Korea Amongst South Korean Youth

16:59 - Role of the DMZ, Provocations, and the UN Command

22:32 - South Korea’s Response to North Korea’s Arms Build-up

26:17 - Impact of South Korea Acquiring Nuclear Weapons

29:57 - Cooperation Between North Korea and Russia

36:16 - South Korea’s Strategy for North Korea’s Nuclear Threat

39:33 - Implications of North Korean Nuclear Weapons for China

42:18 - ASEAN’s Position on the Korean Peninsula

44:32 - North and South Korean Perspectives on NATO’s Role in the Indo-Pacific

49:02 - Japan-South Korea Security Cooperation in Response to North Korea

52:10 - Key Influences on North Korean Leadership

56:35 - Can Putin or Xi Mitigate North Korea’s Aggressive Narratives and Policies?

01:00:12 - Russia-China-North Korea Triangle: Future Security Outlook

At 36:07, there is a two-second audio omission due to some unknown Internet issues. Professor Ku talks about the second option for South Korea, developing its own nuclear weapons.

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