Episode 23 - William Brown on Economics and Security in the Korean Peninsula

For this episode with Prof. Bill Brown, we focus on Korean economies. We cover both South and North Korean economic systems and the different paths the Koreas took following the establishment of the 38th parallel in 1945. We have an introductory discussion on those economic systems and their performance all the way up to 2018.

We then dug a bit deeper into South Korea - one of the world’s poorest nations in the 1950s and 60s - and it’s miraculous ability to flourish in decades later despite no real strategic resource advantages over the North.

We then discussed DPRK’s socialist command economy system and how it was able to maintain a tightly controlled domestic economic policy amid a liberalizing global economy. Moving toward current day economic policy, we discussed Kim Jong Un’s ascent to power in 2011 and his 2013 callback to the “Byungjin” Line - effectively merging DPRK’s nuclear and economic policy into one. We discussed how and why North Korea is finally coming to the table for discussions.

With a cautious optimism, Professor Brown and I discussed the fictional economic future of Korean integration and reunification - what might peace and collaboration between the Koreas look like? And what does Professor Brown expect from the planned meeting between Trump and Kim Jong Un.

The Security Studies Podcast is produced by Jeffrey Palmer. 


Music: www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music