After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the possibility of China seizing control of Taiwan is being taken seriously and North Korea tested long-range missiles, drawing attention to the rapidly changing political, diplomatic and military situation in Asia. Accordingly, the KDI Office of North Korean Economic Studies hold a special interview with Sang Hyun Lee, President of the Sejong Institute. He diagnosed today’s world order in Northeast Asia in a completely fragmented international environment, and discussed likely changes surrounding the peninsula. He then suggested North Korea policy tasks for South Korea’s next administration to take on while also acknowledging the importance of integrative approach to understanding North Korea issues.

Since 2014, KDI and Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements have been holding seminars to disseminate government-run research institutes’ achievements with respect to North Korea studies on economy, land and infrastructure status. The March issue summarizes the key findings from nine representative researches in 2021 and outlines the recent trends in North Korea studies.