[Commentary]
What to Make of the Latest on
Vietnam-North Korean Relations?
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Leif-Eric Easley, Professor at Ewha Woman’s University provides an in-depth analysis of the complex diplomatic implications surrounding the recent visit by a top Vietnamese leader to North Korea. The author cautions against viewing this meeting merely as a resurgence of the socialist bloc, instead framing it as a component of Vietnam’s “middle power diplomacy”—a strategy designed to secure autonomous diplomatic space amidst great power rivalry. In addition, Professor Easley critically examines the expectation that North Korea might adopt the Vietnamese model of economic reform given the Kim Jong Un regime’s prioritization of nuclear development and regime survival. |
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