Author Description

North Korea's foreign policy behavior has long intrigued scholars, puzzled laymen, frustrated negotiators, and aggravated policy-makers. This book brings together the work of ten of the world's foremost scholars and leading experts on North Korea to critically analyze the key factors and issues that are shaping North Korea's foreign policy behavior and its future direction. Witnessing the rapid changes in North Korea's foreign policy environment, the contributors to this volume examine the implications for Pyongyang's foreign policy of the domestic challenges posed by the changing national identity and ideology, people's exiting of the country, economic stagnation, and the military-first politics. They also offer insight into the impact of various external challenges on North Korea's foreign policy, such as China 'rising,' multilateralism, and leadership changes in the United States and South Korea, and asses Pyongyang's strategies for coping with these challenges.