Kyung-young CHUNG, President of the Korea Unification International Working Group, assesses that security on the Korean Peninsula is graver than ever before. The author asserts that, in the event of a preemptive strike by either party on the Korean Peninsula, the outcome would be devastating. Professor Chung posits that the state leaders of South and North Korea, as well as the U.S. and China, must convene to issue a non-aggression declaration and conclude a peace treaty.

Commentary

• Kyung-young CHUNG
• April 02, 2026

Ho Ryung Lee, Senior Research Fellow at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, evaluates North Korea's 9th Party Congress, noting that Pyongyang has shifted to a "two hostile states" system that prioritizes regime survival and anti-South hostility over economic growth. The author analyzes that this strategic pivot aims to consolidate internal unity for establishing Kim Jong-un's absolute leadership and succession plan, effectively subordinating inter-Korean relations to its military buildup and escalating security threats. Dr. Lee suggests that to prevent North Korea's coercion and miscalcu...

Commentary

• Ho Ryung Lee
• March 25, 2026

Hyeong Jung Park, an independent researcher on North Korea, analyzes the broader structural context of North Korea's 9th Party Congress and its strategy for establishing a permanent hostile coexistence between the two Koreas. The author explains that North Korea's nuclear capabilities have evolved from a mere security measure into the core of its regime identity, structurally locking in a long-term hostile coexistence. Dr. Park argues out that the "hostile two-states" approach is a calculated strategy to conceal internal vulnerabilities by keeping tensions with South Korea deliberately high, s...

Commentary

• Hyeong Jung Park
• March 17, 2026