Open Source Research on North Korea: Challenges and Opportunities
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Published on May 28, 2015
The U.S.-Korea Institute at SAIS and the Sejong Society of Washington, D.C. present:
Open Source Research on North Korea: Challenges and Opportunities
Featuring:
Joseph S. Bermudez Jr.
Co-Founder and Chief Analytics Officer
AllSource Analysis, Inc.
Michael Madden
Author and Editor
North Korea Leadership Watch
Curtis Melvin
Researcher
U.S.-Korea Institute at SAIS, Johns Hopkins
Moderated by:
Jenny Town
Assistant Director, USKI
Managing Editor and Producer, 38North
The persistent lack of reliable information on North Korea poses unique and significant challenges for policymakers, researchers, academics, and businesses who have an interest in understanding North Korea. With limits on the integrity and diversity of information coming out of the country, we are often driven to make decisions under conditions of information asymmetry and false perceptions, or sometimes fail to make a decision at all because no information is available. This challenge has not only affected our decision-making with regards to North Korea’s nuclear program and human rights issues, but has also hindered us from gaining a strategic understanding of the country’s leadership, politics, and economy.
Over the past decade, however, the advent of new technologies and methods has opened new opportunities to mitigate this information gap through open source research. Several analytical websites on North Korea have also begun to provide an open forum for disseminating and discussing the research and information. This type of open source information has often become the foundation for further research, analysis, and policy decisions, and therefore merits further discussion.
On June 3, Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., Michael Madden, and Curtis Melvin will share their experience conducting research and analysis on North Korea and will offer perspectives on enhancing open source research on the reclusive country.
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
6:00-8:30pm
*Light dinner provided at 6:00pm, event will start 6:30pm
Room 500
Bernstein-Offit Building (BOB)
Johns Hopkins SAIS
1717 Massachusetts Ave NW
Washington, D.C., 20036
This event is on the record.
Please RSVP here:
https://uskoreainstitute.org/events/opensourcenk/
Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. is an internationally recognized analyst, award winning author and lecturer on North Korean defense and intelligence affairs and ballistic missile development in the Third World. He is Chief Analytics Officer and co-founder of AllSource Analysis, Inc. and has served as: senior all-source analyst for DigitalGlobe’s Analysis Center; senior analyst, consultant and author for IHS Jane’s (formerly the Jane’s Information Group); the publisher and editor of KPA Journal; author and consultant for the US-Korea Institute at SAIS’s 38North and other related positions. Mr. Bermudez has consulted and lectured extensively in academic and government environments and worked as a consultant, both in the US and overseas. He has also testified before the United Nations and U.S. Congress as a subject matter expert concerning North Korea’s ballistic missile and nuclear, chemical and biological warfare programs, and the use of satellite imagery to monitor North Korean political prisoner camps.
Michael Madden is the author and editor of the website NK Leadership Watch, and is a Leadership Specialist at NK News Pro. NK Leadership Watch focuses on North Korea’s leadership and political culture and the political and military organizations and institutions under the leadership’s direct and indirect control including the Korean Worker’s Party (KWP), the National Defense Commission (NDC), and the North Korean government.
Curtis Melvin is the author and editor of North Korean Economy Watch since 2006 and is a researcher at the U.S.-Korea Institute at SAIS, Johns Hopkins University and a contributor to 38 North. Among other numerous research and analysis on North Korea, Curtis is a chief contributor to 38 North’s Digital Atlas, the most comprehensive satellite mapping project of North Korea. Curtis received his BBA in Economics from the University of Georgia and his MA in Economics from George Mason University. He is a doctoral candidate in Economics at George Mason University.
