Dear Colleagues,

The Waseda University Doctoral Student Network (WUDSN) is happy to invite you to the first event of the semester.

PhD Candidate Ryo Hinata-Yamaguchi will be presenting a paper with the topic:

Military Capability Management of “North Korea 3.0”
Military Capability and Strategy Under the Kim Jong-un Leadership

Mr. HINATA-YAMAGUCHIis a Ph.D Candidate from the University of New South Wales - Australian Defence Force Academy; Sergeant First Class Japan Ground Self Defense Force Reserve Component; Security Analyst FM BIRD Entertainment Agency Scholar Project; Non-Resident Fellow Sasakawa Peace Foundation Pacific Forum CSIS.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine North Korea’s military capability management. Specifically, the paper focuses on the connections between North Korea’s current domestic circumstances and its military capability and strategy.

In recent years, the Korean People’s Army (KPA) has diversified its asymmetric capabilities in recent years as a part of Pyongyang’s effort to strengthen its military leverage vis-à-vis the US-Japan-ROK alliance.
At the same time, strong politicization and centralization under the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) and the National Defence Commission (NDC) are also underway to legitimize the third generation Kim Jong-un leadership. While North Korea continues to be a belligerent regime and pursue its ideologies (juche and
songun) as well as the dangui gunsa roseon (Military Lines of the Party), the situation is not, “business as usual”.

This study examines North Korea’s military capability management by focusing on the following questions: What is the essential function of North Korea’s defence planning? What is the nature of North Korea’s military capability development? How are the KPA’s capabilities reflected in the North Korea’s military strategy and how is the situation different? What are the regional implications, and how should they be handled? The paper argues that Pyongyang faces numerous planning dilemmas, which not only have had decisive implications for the KPA’s capabilities, but also explain many aspects of North Korea’s military behaviour to date.

Faculty Discussant
Prof. Satoshi AMAKO
Professor, Graduate School for Asia-Pacific Studies Waseda University

Peer Discussants
Howie DENG, Ph.D. student, Peking University Ben ASCIONE, Associate Editor, East Asia Forum

Moderator
Takeshi ODAIRA
WUDSN Project Leader

P.S. Free Coffee if you bring your own mug.

2.00 PM, May 14, 2012 (Monday)
Waseda University, Graduate School for Asia-Pacific Studies Room 309, 3rd Floor, Nishiwaseda Building (19)

Best regards,

Andre Asplund (PhD Candidate)
Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies
Waseda University