After the death of Kim Il Sung in 1994, there was a period of uncertainty over the future of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). Based on the limited information available, it seemed almost a certainty to Western analysts ... that the regime was unsustainable—that it had neither the ability nor the resources to survive the country’s hardships at the time. Despite those predictions, it became clear by 1998 that the regime would not topple under Kim Il Sung’s son and successor, Kim Jong Il. In the lead-up to 2012, history repeated itself when observers again predicted the inevitable collapse of the DRPK regime after the death of Kim Jong Il and the succession of Kim Jong Un. Unfortunately, none of these predictions has been realized. This begs the questions as to why predictions about the future of the DRPK regime have consistently been incorrect. This paper will seek to consider the theoretical foundation of U.S. foreign policy and its weaknesses and to consider how U.S. policy makers have sought to overcome those weaknesses in relation to the DPRK. Based on these findings, this paper will propose a shift in the U.S.’s theoretical approach to North Korea and offer operational recommendations. Andrew Kwon is a Master of International Security graduate of the University of Sydney Centre for International Security Studies (CISS). He received his Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Politics and International Relations, from the University of New South Wales. In 2013, Andrew was based in Washington D.C., completing a research internship at both the Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI) and the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). Deeply interested in the role of the Asia-Pacific on international security, his writing on the subject (single and co-authored) has been published on The Diplomat, The National Interest, Foreign Policy and CNN. View »

Having exhausted the “catch-up” model of economic growth, South Korea has recognized the importance of developing home-grown innovation capacities. Lower-cost manufacturing competitors, automation technologies, and the realities of being a small country with limited natural resources are some of the ... factors driving Korea to transition from an emerging, manufacturing-based economy to one that is more advanced and knowledge-based. To achieve this end, developing and attracting talented human capital is an important ingredient in generating new knowledge and technologies, which in large part take place at world-class universities. The key to creating a world-class research university is to attract the best scholars, regardless of their country of origin. As the primary drivers of the quality of research and graduate programs at any university, faculty scholars must be successfully integrated in their university and research environment. In the case of South Korea, a concerted effort is being made to recruit international scholars, but not to integrate them in Korea. This paper will explore the issues surrounding the difficulties in integration and retention of foreign scholars in Korea and will propose solutions based on a literature review of international best practices. Jin Noh is currently a Master’s in Public Policy student at the University of California, Berkeley where he is pursuing his studies in clean energy technologies, policies, and markets. Prior to attending Goldman, he was an analyst at SRI International where he focused on various science and technology policy issues, as well as innovation-driven economic development strategies. He also previously worked at World Vision, Korean American Sharing Movement, and InterAction. Jin received his B.A. in Public Policy Studies from Duke University. View »