Amidst tension, harsh rhetoric, and a focus on nuclear issues and security, the human element of North Korea sometimes seems cast aside.

Approximately 25 million people live in the DPRK. Various groups and scholars have espoused ways to advocate for the best interests of ordinary North Koreans, but how do approaches differ? And what is the best way to really help the people?

North Korea watchers would benefit from clarity on the first question, but the second is highly contested and there is no definitive answer. Three main schools of thought have emerged.

Human rights activists focus largely on the