North Korea's Complex Alliances

Dmitri Alperovitch sits down with Andrei Lankov, one of the west’s foremost experts on North Korea, and Sergey Radchenko, a leading Cold War historian, for a deep dive into North Korea. They discuss the threats posed by North Korea's nuclear program and possibility of a new war, the chances of a Trump-brokered peace deal with Kim Jong Un, and the nature of North Korea’s relationships with China, Russia, and Iran. Andrei also offers rare insights into daily life under the regime, its surveillance state, hackers and IT workers, political succession, and long-term foreign policy ambitions. 00:00 Introduction 01:02 Can Trump Get a Peace Deal Done With North Korea? 15:19 Does Kim Jong Un Need America as an Enemy? 18:36 Chances of a Second Korean War and Nuclear Weapons Use 22:58 China's Frustrations With North Korea 27:17 China's Concerns of Nuclear Proliferation Across Asia 29:49 Nature of Transactional Relationships Between North Korea and China/Russia 35:28 Iran-North Korea Relationship 40:16 Why Do North Korean Soldiers Commit Suicide Rather Than Surrender? 44:52 Life in North Korean GULAGs 47:04 The Intricacies of Societal Surveillance in North Korea 51:21 Technology Use and Intranet Access in North Korea 54:24 North Korean Hackers and IT Workers 01:02:40 Female Empowerment in North Korea 01:15:21 Does North Korea Have the World's Most Effective Foreign Policy? Dmitri and Sergey's NYT article about the potential for a peace deal with North Korea: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/29/opinion/us-north-korea-china-russia-axis.html