Engage or isolate? Praise or punish? Depending on who you talk to, suggested strategies and tactics to improve the lives of ordinary North Koreans will range significantly.
Although some seek to help North Korean citizens in a way that is 100% amenable to the Pyongyang government, others believe it's better to do so in ways that explicitly undermine the Kim Jong Un leadership. Others, however, believe a middling approach is preferable, and that a "carrot and stick" approach can both improve the lives of North Koreans while simultaneously stimulating improvements in Pyongyang's "behavior".
Engage or isolate? Praise or punish? Depending on who you talk to, suggested strategies and tactics to improve the lives of ordinary North Koreans will range significantly.
Although some seek to help North Korean citizens in a way that is 100% amenable to the Pyongyang government, others believe it's better to do so in ways that explicitly undermine the Kim Jong Un leadership. Others, however, believe a middling approach is preferable, and that a "carrot and stick" approach can both improve the lives of North Koreans while simultaneously stimulating improvements in Pyongyang's "behavior".
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Chad O'Carroll is the founder of NK News/NK Pro and related holding company Korea Risk Group. In addition to being the group's CEO, O'Carroll is a frequent writer and commentator about the Koreas, having written about the two nations since 2010. He has visited the DPRK multiple times, worked and lived in Washington, D.C. with a focus on peninsula issues, and lived in the ROK since 2016.