Southeast Asia-North Korea Relations: Drivers, Linkages, and Strategic Ambivalence

Southeast Asia-North Korea Relations reveals the genesis and evolution of Southeast Asian countries’ diplomatic relations with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK/North Korea) by unpacking the underlying political, economic, and security connections. In this book, chapters analyse in detail the individual bilateral linkages of the ten states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with the DPRK that vary in intensity and visibility. Bringing together an international group of experts, including, uniquely, authors representing every individual ASEAN state, this edited volume dissects the parameters of the bilateral relationships as well as the multi-faceted regional-level interactions and the roles of certain key external actors, especially South Korea and China. This book is a path-breaking addition to the study and analysis of regional inter-linkages in Asia and will be of interest to students and scholars working on North Korean studies, Southeast Asia, including ASEAN, and also on Korean Peninsula topics as well as international relations and security studies, especially considering the role of “small” states.