YIKUS Issue Brief No. 168 Cho Jin Soo (Senior Researcher, Institute for North Korean Studies, Yonsei University)   In January 2024, Unification Minister Kim Yung Ho stated during the New Year’s greeting of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council that “in North Korea, collectivism is declining as individualism grows, and mobile phones along with other digital devices are becoming more widespread.”1 If so, what is the essence of the weakening collectivism and emerging individ

YIKUS Issue Brief No. 170 Kim Myungse (Research Fellow, Yonsei Institute for Unification Studies, Yonsei University)   It's common in most countries for a newly established regime to distinguish itself from its predecessor. This differentiation becomes clear through significant policy shifts when opposition parties take power, but it's minimal when the ruling party is re-elected. The subtle policy differences observed during re-elections are also present in one-party dictator

YIKUS Issue Brief No. 158 Kwon So Young (Senior Research Fellow, Yonsei Institute for Unification Studies, Yonsei University) Research on North Korea has progressed steadily despite epistemological limitations and challenges in data collection. The methodologies used in North Korean studies have gradually become more specialized and diverse, moving beyond traditional perspectives. With the rise of the global era, extrinsic approaches based on universal human values or area st

North Korea’s growing alignment with Russia has reshaped the security landscape of Northeast Asia, drawing renewed attention from global analysts and policymakers alike. In his latest article, “The North Korea–Russia Strategic Partnership and Moscow–Washington Great Power Rivalry in a Regional Security Context,” published in the Fall 2025 issue of North Korean Review , Anthony V. Rinna examines how great power competition influences Pyongyang’s evolving ties with Moscow. Foll