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[Global NK Interview] Ep. 14 Yanzhong Huang: “Beijing, Pyongyang, and Seoul – Geopolitical Ramifications of the COVID-19 Situation in East Asia”
In this interview, Yanzhong Huang, Senior Fellow for Global Health at the Council on Foreign Relations discusses the geopolitical ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic in East Asia, centered on developments in Beijing, Pyongyang, and Seoul. Dr. Huang notes that North Korea and China have initially been quite successful in enforcing their zero COVID-19 strategy. However, China’s strategy has led to a free fall of its economy; North Korea has undergone a rapid outbreak over the recent months, which may further deteriorate due to internal issues such as malnutrition. Furthermore, he states that North Korea’s rejection of South Korean and U.S. humanitarian assistance is reflective of the incorporation of great power competition in the global COVID-19 response, which has heavily politicized the process. Concerning prospects for South Korea’s humanitarian assistance towards the North, Dr. Huang suggests that the Yoon administration could integrate its offer into multilateral efforts, engaging not only international organizations, but also China.
[Global NK Commentary] The Yoon-Biden Summit and Prospects for the Yoon Administration’s North Korea Policy
Young-Ho Park, Director at the Korea Peace Foundation and an Invitation Research Fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, evaluates the May 2022 ROK-U.S. Summit and provides prospects for the Yoon administration’s North Korea policy. Dr. Park highlights that the summit symbolizes the progression of the ROK-U.S. into a comprehensive strategic alliance not only pertaining to the Korean peninsula, but also the Indo-Pacific region. He forecasts Seoul to pursue a strategy of “peace through strength,” normalize inter-Korean relations, and cooperate with other countries to denuclearize the peninsula.
[Global NK Research Review] Human Rights in North Korea and Peace on the Korean Peninsula
In this Research Review, Keum Soon Lee, Senior Research Fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification examines how the North Korean human rights issue, which has emerged as a major threat to peace on the Korean peninsula along with North Korea’s nuclear proliferation, has become publicized in the international community. The author proposes that Seoul should fully implement the North Korean Human Rights Act, pursue inter-Korean cooperation for humanitarian issues, encourage Pyongyang to expand its participation in the human rights agenda, and strengthening South Korea’s human rights capacity.
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