Show Notes
Leading a largely closed-off society and rarely engaging with foreign leaders, Kim Jong-un is one of the most misunderstood leaders in the world. Is Kim a rational actor? Does he have a long-term strategy for North Korea? What resources does Kim have at his disposal and how does he achieve his objectives? David Shin’s new book, Kim Jong-un's Strategy for Survival: A Method to Madness, provides answers to these questions and more. The book focuses on four cases that reveal North Korea’s survival strategy: the 2013 nuclear crisis, the 2015 landmine incident, the 2017 nuclear crisis, and the 2018 charm offensive. Dr. Shin argues that Kim Jong-un is far from a madman and, like the two Kims before him, has consistently been underestimated. In this episode of the China in the World podcast, Paul Haenle speaks with David Shin, Associate Professor and Deputy Chair of the National Intelligence University (NIU), about his new book, Kim Jong-un's Strategy for Survival: A Method to Madness. The discussion covers Kim Jong-un’s strategy and tactics in 2017 and 2018, gauges the future of US-DPRK relations, and applies the book’s finding to assess the Biden administration’s early approach toward North Korea.
More from China in the World
Indonesia has been trying to find its footing as a major international player over the past decade. These efforts include trying to deepen investment and trade relationships with the People's Republic of China while skirting around differences over territorial claims and addressing Beijing’s rising prominence across Southeast Asia. Of concern as well is the pressure Chinese exports are placing on small and medium-sized enterprises in Indonesia, along with the safety of the hundreds of thousands of Indonesian citizens working in Taiwan should Beijing escalate the use of force across the Taiwan Strait. Host Ian Chong examines these issues with guests Natalie Sambhi and Yohanes Sulaiman. Natalie Sambhi is Founder and Executive Director of Verve Research, Señor Policy Fellow at the Asia Society Australia, and Non-Resident Fellow with the Brookings Institution’s Foreign Policy Program. She is also a lecturer with the Australian War College. Yohanes Sulaiman is an associate professor of international relations at Universitas Jenderal Achmad Yani in Bandung, Indonesia and a non-resident fellow with the National Bureau of Asian Research.
Caught between economic opportunity and security imperatives, South Korea finds itself navigating one of Asia's most complex relationships with China. Seoul has constantly sought to calibrate the management of economic gains and security concerns, but growing U.S.-China competition complicates its options. South Korea must consider its trade and investment partnership with China, political pressure from Beijing, stability on the Korean Peninsula, regional tensions, alliance commitments with Washington, and the demands of its population. In this episode, host Ian Chong and his guest speakers from Korea explore the intricate dance of diplomacy, economics, politics, and strategy that defines Korea-China relations today. Sung Eun Kim is Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Korea University. She is also a visiting scholar at the Harvard-Yenching Institute, 2024-25. Injoo Sohn is Professor from the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Seoul National University (SNU). He is also the Deputy Director of the SNU Institute of Future Strategy and the Chair of the institute’s Global Korea Cluster.
Ian Chong explores how Malaysia adjusts its domestic concerns and external relations in an increasingly contested environment with guests - Khoo Ying Hooi and Shahriman Lockman.
Joining Ian Chong to discuss China's relationship with Vietnam are Huong Le Thu and Nguyễn Khác Giang.
Join Ian Chong as he explores how Japan seeks to evaluate its economic and security ties with the People's Republic of China.