NORTH KOREAN FOREIGN RELATIONS IN THE POST–COLD WAR WORLD

North Korea’s foreign relations are a blend of contradiction
and complexity. They start from the incongruity
between Pyongyang’s highly touted policy of
juche, or self-reliance, and North Korea’s extended and
heavy reliance on foreign aid and assistance over the
6 decades of its existence. This aid—both military and
economic—in the first 4 decades came from China, the
Soviet Union, and communist bloc states; in the past
2 decades, this aid has come from countries including
China, South Korea, and the United States.
In this monograph, Dr. Samuel Kim examines
North Korea’s foreign relations with China, Russia,
Japan, the United States, and South Korea during the
post-Cold War era. He argues that central to understanding
North Korea’s international behavior in the
21st century is the extent to which the policies of the
United States have shaped that behavior. Although
some readers may not agree with all of Dr. Kim’s interpretations
and assessments, they nevertheless will find
his analysis simulating and extremely informative.