February 24, 2017
Beyond palace intrigue: How North Korea's antics threaten US interests
Last week in Malaysia, North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un’s estranged half brother was assassinated in shockingly public fashion.
Apparently poisoned by two young women as he walked through Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Kim Jong-nam’s death appears to be the latest example of his tyrannical brother’s enthusiasm for violence that is both bizarre and cruel.
Yet Kim Jong-un’s murderous antics are not merely palace intrigue; his brother’s death is the latest in an effort to cleanse the North Korean government of people with whom the international community could quietly communicate, or even exert influence. Kim Jong-un is ruthlessly isolating himself and his government from the outside world — and in so doing, further deepening the threat faced by the United States and its allies.
Read the full article at The Hill.
More from CNAS
-
Regional and Global Responses to a Taiwan Contingency
Reports
A contingency across the Taiwan Strait has the potential to reshape the Indo-Pacific and even global security environment. This report explores how states beyond the United St...
By Jacob Stokes, Kareen Hart, Ryan Claffey & Thomas Corel
-
Democracy in South Asia amid U.S. Aid Cuts
Reports
The practice of democratic governance and the increased number of people across the world participating in national elections are positive trends that will help ensure governm...
By Lisa Curtis, Kareen Hart & Keerthi Martyn
-
Lessons from the U.S.-China Trade War
Podcast
America and China have agreed to a 90-day truce of their month-long trade war, but the economic uncertainty has not yet ended. Beyond tariffs, the spat had begun spilling over...
By Edward Fishman
-
Why China’s Amphibious ‘Invasion Platforms’ Are Troubling Sign for Taiwan
Video
Beijing’s new ships can land on beaches and link to form massive mobile piers. Analysts, including Tom Shugart from Center for a New American Security, say they’re intended to...
By Tom Shugart
