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September 27, 2026Sep 27, 2026

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Benjamin R. Young

Benjamin R. Young

Benjamin R. Young, Ph.D. has taught at Virginia Commonwealth University, Dakota State University and the U.S. Naval War College. He was a 2024-25 Stanton Foundation Nuclear Security Fellow at the RAND Corporation. He is now an Assistant Professor of Intelligence Studies at Fayetteville State University. He is the author of the book "Guns, Guerillas, and the Great Leader: North Korea and the Third World" (Stanford University Press, 2021).

Opinion

North Korea is marching deeper into Moscow’s orbit, and aims to stay

DPRK troops at Russia’s Victory Parade suggest the allies are building ties to outlast the war in Ukraine

Benjamin R. YoungBenjamin R. YoungMay 28, 2026
Analysis

After Kursk: The foreign wars where North Korea could deploy its soldiers next

A full-blown mercenary force is unlikely, but a heavily sanctioned DPRK will still look to capitalize on conflict abroad

Benjamin R. YoungBenjamin R. YoungNovember 28, 2025
Opinion

Book review: Interrogating North Korea’s role in Africa’s fight for freedom

‘Comrades Beyond the Cold War’ reveals how DPRK exported arms, ideology and art to Southern Africa, defying hermit label

Benjamin R. YoungBenjamin R. YoungSeptember 10, 2025
Opinion

The myth of human wave attacks obscures what North Korea is learning in Ukraine

Stereotypes about communist tactics risk minimizing how DPRK troops are adjusting to modern combat in Kursk

Benjamin R. YoungBenjamin R. YoungJanuary 30, 2025
Opinion

North Korea’s bold turn toward Russia poses test for Trump’s second term

Kim Jong Un has thrown off isolation to support invasion of Ukraine, but Trump’s rapport with leader provides an opening

Benjamin R. YoungBenjamin R. YoungNovember 28, 2024
Evergreen

Spick and span: How North Korea’s clean streets sanitize its image abroad

Foreign friends and foes have long fixated on Pyongyang’s tidiness, highlighting regime’s success in hiding its flaws

Benjamin R. YoungBenjamin R. YoungAugust 30, 2024
Opinion

Biden’s North Korea policy has failed. It’s time for something different.

Trump has been willing to ditch Beltway fantasy of complete denuclearization and should pursue arms control if reelected

Benjamin R. YoungBenjamin R. YoungJuly 19, 2024
Analysis

Why North Korea overhauled its foreign policy focus from small fry to big fish

DPRK once cultivated ties with smaller nations but has now set its sights on more powerful players, and Russia above all

Benjamin R. YoungBenjamin R. YoungJune 28, 2024
Analysis

The revolutionary axis linking North Korea, Iran and Hamas

DPRK weapons and unique expertise are a welcome asset for Iran and its proxies in a global assault on US leadership

Benjamin R. YoungBenjamin R. YoungApril 9, 2024
Analysis

Cuba’s move to establish ties with Seoul betrays North Korea’s economic weakness

Pyongyang is likely fuming over perceived disloyalty of longtime ally, but bilateral ties have been marginal for years

Benjamin R. YoungBenjamin R. YoungFebruary 22, 2024
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