Understanding the North Korea Problem: Why it Has Become the "Land of Lousy Options" - Softcover

Boik, William

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1478110902 ISBN 13: 9781478110903

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2012

Synopsis

This monograph is intended to draw attention to the challenges faced by the United States in developing a coordinated strategy for dealing with North Korea. Despite the many decades of direct U.S. involvement on the Korean Peninsula, we continue to have little understanding of the North Korean culture or of events inside North Korea. We also do not have a longterm coordinated strategy for North Korea. Over the past decade, the United States has focused much of its attention on the Middle East and the War on Terror, and seems to only focus on North Korea in response to crises when they arise on the peninsula. Mr. Boik provides a timely analysis and thoughtful insights into the significant challenges faced by the United States in developing a strategy for North Korea. He examines the complex history of U.S. policy toward North Korea over the past decade that has left the United States in a position of having no real strategy and virtually no influence over North Korea. He accurately addresses the complicated regional concerns and national security interests of North Korea’s neighbors and their impact on each country’s approach to North Korea. Most importantly, he looks at how the North Korean culture and history have influenced the attitudes of North Korean society and their relationship with the outside world. He concludes by pointing out that, despite the numerous inherent challenges, the United States must develop a strategy to engage Pyongyang if we expect to have any influence over the future direction of events in North Korea. Mr. Boik is uniquely qualified to write this analysis, having served as the Senior U.S. Government Representative in Pyongyang, North Korea, during two 30-day Joint U.S.-Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) Missing-in-Action (MIA) Recovery Operations, which searched for missing American soldiers from the Korean War. In this position, he was able to travel throughout North Korea and had daily contact with senior North Korean military and foreign ministry officials. Additionally, Mr. Boik has participated as a member of a Department of Defense delegation negotiating access to North Korean sites for the MIA recovery teams. Strategic Studies Institute.

About this title

About the Author:

BILL BOIK is a senior civilian staff member in the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office. He retired from the U.S. Army as a Colonel in 2005 after 30 years of active and reserve service. During his career, he served in various Armor and Military Intelligence positions in South Korea, the United States, and Germany. He led two separate Joint Missing in Action (MIA) Recovery Teams to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) from September- October 2001 and July-August 2002 in search of missing U.S. servicemen from the Korean Conflict. While in North Korea, he served as the Senior U.S. Government Official in Pyongyang during each of these month-long recovery operations. Colonel Boik is the author of Orders, Decorations, and Medals of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (2008). Colonel Boik holds a Master of Arts Degree in Strategic Security Studies from the National Defense University, a Master of Arts Degree in International Relations from Boston University, and a Master of Science Degree in Strategic Intelligence from the Defense Intelligence College.

About this edition

• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 1478110902
• ISBN 13: 9781478110903
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 78