Publication

This paper examines what it contends are the three key drivers behind North Korea’s pursuit of its nuclear program. These are 1) external threats, both perceived and real; 2) domestic politics; and 3) Pyongyang’s political and economic necessities of maintaining internal patronage networks and elite cohesion. The text’s author also outlines why any international effort aimed at bringing about the denuclearization of North Korea must address all three of these drivers if it is to be successful.