In this research I propose that the concept of diversionary theory provides at least a partial explanation for North Korea’s conflict activities. I examine and analyze the country’s data on diplomatic and military activities from 1997 to 2011 and argue that North Korea’s domestic conditions influence its willingness to engage in external conflict. I also examine the impact of such external influences as UN sanctions, leadership changes in the region, national capacities of the US, South Korea and Japan, and strategic military exercises on DPRK-initiated conflicts. This study provides insight into the activities of this reclusive state and also demonstrates useful techniques that can be applied to analyze other similarly closed nations. The findings suggest that there are identified links between internal conditions and the Kim regime’s aggressive actions between 1997 and 2011 in support of the diversionary argument. Concurrently, there is less evidence that North Korea’s hostile diplomatic and military activities are based on external pressures.
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June 2014
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Research Article|
May 09 2014
North Korea and diversion: A quantitative analysis (1997–2011)
Robert Daniel Wallace
Robert Daniel Wallace
Center for Strategic Intelligence Research, National Intelligence University, 200 MacDill Blvd Southeast, Washington, DC, USA
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Communist and Post-Communist Studies (2014) 47 (2): 147–158.
Citation
Robert Daniel Wallace; North Korea and diversion: A quantitative analysis (1997–2011). Communist and Post-Communist Studies 1 June 2014; 47 (2): 147–158. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postcomstud.2014.04.004
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