Benjamin R. Young is an Assistant Professor of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness at VCU (Virginia Commonwealth University). He is the author of Guns, Guerillas, and the Great Leader: North Korea and the Third World (Stanford University Press, 2021). He received his Ph.D. from The George Washington University in 2018. He has previously taught at the U.S. Naval War College and Dakota State University. He has published peer-reviewed articles on North Korean history and politics in a number of scholarly journals and is a regular contributor to NK News.
Box office hits glosses over North Korea’s complex history in Third World and is riddled with stereotypes about Africa
Pyongyang mixed economics and politics as it competed with Seoul and sought new trade partners in the Global South
Short turnaround since last conference suggests North Korea aims to root out anti-socialist ideas, boost production
DPRK support for the Nicaraguan revolutionaries dates back to early 1970s and reflects support for liberation movements
While Mansudae is more famous, the little-known Paekho studio can raise funds for the regime while avoiding detection
A mistrust of outsiders and desire for self-reliance drive Bhaktapur to embrace North Korean style communism
Analysts and researchers often disagree on core issues, from how to label the Kim regime to the DPRK’s nuclear program
Elite force featured in parade is akin to the National Guard, helping to repel invasion and respond to natural disasters
North Korea’s idolatry is rooted in past accomplishments while China’s Xi stakes his legitimacy on future performance
For top North Korean officials, the quickest way to ensure their system’s long-term survival is through reunification
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