The North Korean Nuclear Conundrum from Pyongyang's Perspective

For her destabilising effect from encouraging nuclear arms proliferation, North Korea is unique. While both hawkish and dovish works address Pyongyang s nuclear weapons programme, analysis concerning the mindsets, psychological paradigms and survival motivations of President Kim Il Sung, his successor, Chairman Kim Jong Il and the DPRK's current leader, Kim Jong Un appears to be lacking. As President Kim and Chairman Kim held dictatorial power while Kim Jong Un has been anointed as supreme leader, it would be prudent to understand the thinking, decision making rationales and mindsets of President and Chairman Kim as well as the constraints facing Kim Jong Un. In short, this monograph will attempt an in-depth analysis of the crucial events, ideological environments, and both domestic and international pressures that explain why a nuclear weapons programme was initiated under Kim Il Sung, further developed by Kim Jong Il and is being maintained by Kim Jong Un. Therefore, knowing the mental frameworks behind Pyongyang s nuclear ambiambitions would help analysts and their policy maker bosses derive effective strategies to promote and bring about lasting North Korean denuclearisation.

Autorentext

Liang Tuang Nah is an Associate Research Fellow of the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, RSIS, NTU. His core research speciality is the politics and strategy of nuclear arms acquisition and nuclear disarmament. Liang Tuang holds an MSc in International Relations from RSIS and serves as a tutor to officers from the Singaporean Military.