Sections

Commentary

Podcast

Why has North Korea escalated tensions in the run-up to the Korean War anniversary?

A soldier stands guard at a checkpoint on the Grand Unification Bridge which leads to the inter-Korean Kaesong Industrial Complex in North Korea, just south of the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, in Paju, South Korea, June 17, 2020. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji - RC2RAH9I02ID

The Korean War started 70 years ago, on June 25, 1950, but the division of the peninsula at the 38th parallel continues to influence every aspect of both North and South Korea’s national goals. Former CIA analyst and Brookings Senior Fellow Jung Pak examines recent events, from the explosion of the joint liaison office in Kaesong to the increasing prominence of Kim Jong Un’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, and what’s driving North Korea’s escalation of tensions.

Related material:

Listen to Brookings podcasts here, on Apple or on Google podcasts, send email feedback to [email protected], and follow us at @policypodcasts on Twitter.

Thanks to audio producer Gaston Reboredo, Chris McKenna, Fred Dews, Marie Wilken, and Camilo Ramirez for their support.

The Current is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Authors