Why North Korea Is Planning a Second Korean War and How to Stop It

Dmitri Alperovitch sits down with Andrei Lankov, one of the west’s foremost experts on North Korea, and Sergey Radchenko, a leading Cold War historian, for a deep dive into North Korea. They discuss the threats posed by North Korea's nuclear program and possibility of a new war, the chances of a Trump-brokered peace deal with Kim Jong Un, and the nature of North Korea’s relationships with China, Russia, and Iran. Andrei also offers rare insights into daily life under the regime, its surveillance state, hackers and IT workers, political succession, and long-term foreign policy ambitions.

• 00:00 Introduction
• 01:02 Can Trump Get a Peace Deal Done With North Korea?
• 15:19 Does Kim Jong Un Need America as an Enemy?
• 18:36 Chances of a Second Korean War and Nuclear Weapons Use
• 22:58 China's Frustrations With North Korea
• 27:17 China's Concerns of Nuclear Proliferation Across Asia
• 29:49 Nature of Transactional Relationships Between North Korea and China/Russia
• 35:28 Iran-North Korea Relationship
• 40:16 Why Do North Korean Soldiers Commit Suicide Rather Than Surrender?
• 44:52 Life in North Korean GULAGs
• 47:04 The Intricacies of Societal Surveillance in North Korea
• 51:21 Technology Use and Intranet Access in North Korea
• 54:24 North Korean Hackers and IT Workers
• 01:02:40 Female Empowerment in North Korea
• 01:15:21 Does North Korea Have the World's Most Effective Foreign Policy?

Dmitri and Sergey's NYT article about the potential for a peace deal with North Korea: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/29/opinion/us-north-korea-china-russia-axis.html