38 North, founded in 2010, is a research program focused on North Korea that investigates how internal and external dynamics are influencing the country’s strategic calculus and shaping the security environment around it, to inform new strategies for addressing this complex geopolitical challenge.
Our work incorporates open-source research, strategic dialogues, network building, and comparative studies to enhance understanding of one of the most difficult intelligence targets. These insights are essential to crafting more effective policies and approaches toward North Korea to help prevent conflict within an economically and politically critical, nuclear-armed region.
Without substantive investments, such as developing better transport networks or improving energy provision, North Korea's Komdok mining region will remain underperforming.
August 17, 2022
The second year of our Understanding Kim Jong Un’s Economic Policymaking project continues with a focus on North Korea’s tourism industry
July 26, 2022
The history and evolution of the US-ROK military command architecture reveal the inherent push and pull at the heart of the alliance.
June 21, 2022
Though the Biden and Yoon administrations have signaled continued support for US-ROK relations, the fitful evolution of the U.S. force presence highlights concerns regarding a lack of cohesion within the alliance.
June 9, 2022
As President Biden’s Asia trip comes to a close, Stimson experts weigh in on its impact across four critical players: South Korea, China, Taiwan, and Japan.
May 25, 2022
The military working group aimed to discuss the challenges of North Korea’s advancing capabilities and provide recommendations for the U.S.-ROK to prepare against an evolving threat.
March 31, 2022
Understand the implications of the election for U.S. interests on the Korean Peninsula and in the broader Indo-Pacific region.
March 25, 2022
After a year of research, we present our findings on how to examine and better understand North Korea’s economic policymaking under Kim Jong Un
March 24, 2022
