By NKR Intern Dwayne Melendez The recent alleged H-bomb test by North Korea has sparked yet another round of the usual speculation and incredulousness at the audacity of North Korea’s defiance of international norms. Hawks discuss the threat posed by North Korea while others discuss the need to abandon strategic patience before it’s too late. What is seldom questioned is whether this test carries any real meaning given the previous tests and missile launches which already clearly signaled the regime in Pyongyang’s position which has fallen on deaf, or rather patient, ears. Therefore, given the ongoing nature of the North Korean nuclear program and the seeming ignorance of said program by
Bom Suk Kim Researcher, Yonsei Institute for North Korean Studies Recently, the main diplomatic challenge for South Korean leaders is having to choose between the US and China. In the beginning of 2015, South Korea was stuck in the crossroads of siding with either the US for the implementation of Thermal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), an anti-ballistic missile system, or siding with China by joining the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). If we take a look at THAAD, Chinese Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Liu Jianchao expressed China’s concerns in March claiming that South Korea’s security policy should not negatively affect its neighboring countries. The Chinese Foreign
