A few days ago the U.S. Ambassador to UN Nikki Haley publicly described Kim Jong Un as an “irrational person.”

As a long-time Korea watcher, I am hardly surprised by her remarks. In three decades I have frequently heard similar talk about North Korea’s supposed ‘irrationality,’ often coming from people in positions of power and authority.

Of course, these statements help sell a certain political line in dealing with the North Korean regime, but their usefulness does not make them true. Let’s face it: the North Korean ruling elite are great masters of political survival, and you do not survive against seemingly