Arms Control

[Beijing is] incredibly aware of the extent to which North Korean actions impinge on China’s vital interests.

These are individuals [young South Koreans] who have grown up with multiple announcements and declarations about the North's threatening postures and programs. So in a way, they've become very familiar with this narrative.

The North Korean leadership has convinced itself that its existence as an autonomous state derives directly from its possession of nuclear weapons.

While the U.N. sanctions have made access to funds and goods more difficult, they have caused no lasting and severe damage as North Koreans have become very resourceful and entrepreneurial at bartering and trading on the black market. One could say that sanctions encourage them to take more individual risks as well as seek other ways to make money.