North Korea’s strategy for coping with the consequences of nukes – Ep. 287

From the outside, it appears the Kim Jong Un regime is no closer to giving up its nuclear weapons than it was a decade ago. State media frequently trumpets the newest nuclear strategy or delivery vehicle, and the leader himself said he will never again entertain denuclearization talks. But Taeho Uhm, a director at the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, sees a country struggling with its choices as it copes with its self-imposed pariah status. Uhm joins the NK News podcast to discuss Pyongyang’s strategy for muddling through, the South Korean government’s “audacious initiative” and how Yoon Suk-yeol is working to deter, dissuade and enter into dialogue with Kim Jong Un. He also talks about the South Korean nuclear debate, working on inter-Korean relations across multiple administrations and makes the case that the denuclearization of North Korea is a global issue — not just a Korean one. Taeho Uhm is the director for North Korean nuclear affairs negotiations in the Office of the Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs at the South Korean foreign ministry (@MOFAkr_eng). About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.