Newsletter by SAND
2024. 12. 6 Number 40 | publisher Kyong-hui Choi
South And North Development
www. sand.or.kr
Just as Sand means sand in English, the SAND Research Institute will fill the empty space in inter-Korean relations and North Korea research amid the social focus, and communicate with society with a confident attitude and innovative research results. The SAND Research Institute, comprised of researchers from North and South Korea, will play its role as the main material to build a new 'house of unification' and pave the 'path to unification', just as sand is used as a key material for semiconductors in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Analysis of Issues
Hwang Jihwan
Professor, University of Seoul
U.S.-North Korea Relations During Donald Trump's Second Term: Assessment and Prospects
Donald Trump has returned. As the Joe Biden administration took a passive approach to North Korea, some hold high hopes for a fresh policy under Trump. However, to state it plainly, such optimism may amount to nothing more than wishful thinking. Biden largely adhered to Barack Obama’s “Strategic Patience” policy, which maintained that the U.S. would only engage actively if North Korea altered its behavior. While Biden characterized his policy as “calibrated and practical,” he offered no clear roadmap or actionable plan.
Opinion
Lee Young-hyun
Lawyer, Corporate Law Firm IRE
North Korean Defector as Prosecutor Leads Mock Trial Against Kim Jong-un: What ICC Charges Could Mean
A recent international mock trial in Seoul addressed crimes against humanity in North Korean political prison camps, marking the first event of its kind in the city. Organized to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the 2014 UN COI report, it renewed global calls to hold Kim Jong-un criminally accountable. The tribunal included prominent former international judges, such as Silvia Rose Cartwright of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), with prosecutors and defense attorneys from South Korea , the United States...
Current Affairs Analysis
Kim Dong-soo
Former North Korean Diplomat / Ph.D. in Political Science
Chilly DPRK-China Ties Mark 75 Years as Closing Ceremony Is Scrapped
The "Year of DPRK-China Friendship," which began in April, has yet to conclude with its planned closing ceremony as December nears its end. On November 26, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson sidestepped questions about the event, stating, “If there is any news, we will announce it promptly.” With both nations focused on year-end activities, the ceremony appears to have been quietly shelved. This year, marking the 75th anniversary of DPRK-China diplomatic ties, the "Year of Friendship" began with an April ceremony in...
NK Focus
North Korean Woman Produces and Sells 4kg of Drugs at Home as Drug Crisis Reaches Pyongyang
Drug use in North Korea has reached alarming levels, with a woman arrested for producing and selling 4kg of drugs from her home. This case underscores the nation’s drug crisis, now affecting even the capital, Pyongyang, as a societal issue rather than merely a criminal one. The SAND Institute Newsletter Team obtained videos from North Korean authorities (2021–2022) detailing drug production, trafficking, and use within the country. The video reveals that Kim Ok-geum, a housewife from South Hamgyong Province, was previously...
Defectors' Podium
Lee Jong-woo
Former Official in Charge of Judicial and Prosecution Affairs at the Workers' Party of Korea
North Korean Officials Criticize Kim Jong-un Over South Korean Dramas
In the late 1990s, the Korean Wave (Hallyu) and foreign cultural influences began reshaping North Korean society. South Korean movies and dramas quickly gained popularity, captivating the youth and even influencing government officials. North Korean officials, myself included, were both fascinated and unsettled by South Korean culture, which revealed stark social disparities and unfamiliar sophistication. As a judicial official for the Workers' Party of Korea, I secretly watched South Korean dramas and...
Feature Article Series
Jeon Byung-kil
Senior Consultant of YESInnovation
former of Secretary General of UniKorea Foundation
Marketing In North Korea (12) - The Winds of Quality over Quantity Principle Blows to North Korea
In January 2020, the term “quality over quantity principle” first appeared in the North Korean media. Some foreigners who have interests in the country but could not understand the word written in Chinese characters became curious about its meaning. In fact, most South Koreans do not understand the meaning of this word either. The quality over quantity principle simply means “improve the quality of products first before considering the quantity of products.” Ever since the term was first introduced by the...
kim Myong-sung's Inside North Korea
Kim Myong-sung
Secretary General of the SAND Institute
Notification of North Korean Soldiers' Deaths: Families Ordered Not to Mourn Publicly
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