In the peculiar realm of the North Korea Watcher, a curious phenomenon unfolds: a seemingly insatiable desire among watchers, commentators, and analysts to remind us, repeatedly, of their former positions in government, think tanks, and academia. It's as if proximity to power—even when that power produced failure—is a badge of honor. This ostentatious display of credentials is not just unseemly; it’s counterproductive, undermining the credibility of the very insights they purport to offer.
In the world of the North Korea Watcher, there is an abundance of variety. One particularly interesting group is the insight peddler - the consultancy services that seek to sell their wares. Of these, there are five broad groups who, just like itinerant peddlers of old, can be categorized according to the wares they’re selling - in this case, the level of analysis undertaken.
If you're a Korea Watcher, you are a target for disinformation, surveillance, espionage, and intimidation. Every second member of the tribe will tell you that North Korea’s cyber capabilities are among the most sophisticated in the world. With thousands of hackers operating under organizations like Bureau 121, the regime targets governments, corporations, and individuals - including Korea watchers. Few however, think about the threats emanating from closer to home.
Fiction can be speculative but more often reflects reality from a different perspective. Either way, sorting fact with fiction builds creativity in strategic analysis.
In the wild world of international affairs, few titles sound as alluring and mysterious as a North Korea expert
The pop-up North Korea experts appear out of nowhere whenever North Korea makes the headlines, offering their insights on everything from Kim Jong-un’s latest missile tests to his relationship with his sister.
After twenty-five years in government, academia and consultancy, with much of my time working on Korean Peninsula affairs, I’ve seen the best and worst North Korea Watchers.
Can you be an expert on a place without speaking the main language? In the case of North Korea, of course, that means Korean, and whether an analyst can read, write and speak Korean.
Who is watching, researching, analyzing and reporting on the potential for the next Korean Peninsula crisis to occur?
