March 19, 2024

About the author

Rob York

Rob York is director for regional affairs at the Pacific Forum. He previously worked as a production editor for The South China Morning Post and chief editor of NK News. He is also a Ph.D. candidate in Korean history at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

More articles by 'Rob York'

A dubious history undergirds claims that North Korea has resolved to go to war

A dubious history undergirds claims that North Korea has resolved to go to war

Narrative that US failed to respond to DPRK efforts to normalize ties distorts the picture of Kim Jong Un’s intentions

A dubious history undergirds claims that North Korea has resolved to go to war
Rob York
Rob York February 23, 2024
Kim Jong Un’s foreign policy failures have left the entire peninsula worse off

Kim Jong Un’s foreign policy failures have left the entire peninsula worse off

North Korea had no backup after talks with US collapsed and has not pursued options that could help end its isolation

Kim Jong Un’s foreign policy failures have left the entire peninsula worse off
Rob York
Rob York September 1, 2023
US policy toward North Korea has not failed

US policy toward North Korea has not failed

Denuclearizing the DPRK is secondary to the greater goal of preserving South Korea’s democracy and economy

US policy toward North Korea has not failed
Rob York
Rob York December 14, 2022
Accepting North Korea as a nuclear state is no solution

Accepting North Korea as a nuclear state is no solution

Dropping demands that DPRK denuclearize will only facilitate its hostile geopolitical ambitions, not peace

Accepting North Korea as a nuclear state is no solution
Rob York
Rob York October 20, 2022
Why the US should focus less on Iran and more on North Korea nuclear threat

Why the US should focus less on Iran and more on North Korea nuclear threat

How Washington handles adversaries like Iran, Cuba and Venezuela sends message to Pyongyang and world about its motives

Why the US should focus less on Iran and more on North Korea nuclear threat
Rob York
Rob York October 12, 2022
The problematic assumptions that cause North Korea predictions to go wrong

The problematic assumptions that cause North Korea predictions to go wrong

Hawks and doves often believe the worst about each other, leading to unrealistic prognostications and poor policy

The problematic assumptions that cause North Korea predictions to go wrong
Rob York
Rob York January 21, 2022
South Korean conservatives: Right on North Korea, wrong on everything else?

South Korean conservatives: Right on North Korea, wrong on everything else?

Elections tend to feature progressives who don’t get the DPRK and reactionaries out of step with 21st-century values

South Korean conservatives: Right on North Korea, wrong on everything else?
Rob York
Rob York December 22, 2021
On North Korea, it’s not just the US that’s using ‘strategic patience’

On North Korea, it’s not just the US that’s using ‘strategic patience’

Biden has prioritized China over the DPRK, and Beijing and Moscow have shown no urgency on denuclearization

On North Korea, it’s not just the US that’s using ‘strategic patience’
Rob York
Rob York November 25, 2021
The implications of North Korea’s tactical nuclear warheads

The implications of North Korea’s tactical nuclear warheads

New capabilities may not radically alter status quo, but experts underscore urgent need for dialogue with Pyongyang

The implications of North Korea’s tactical nuclear warheads
Rob York
Rob York October 7, 2021
Why North Korean arms control is likely to fail, just like denuclearization

Why North Korean arms control is likely to fail, just like denuclearization

North Korea has historically entered into agreements without intending to keep them

Why North Korean arms control is likely to fail, just like denuclearization
Rob York
Rob York April 26, 2021
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