North Korea

These [North Korean tourist attractions] are not just vanity projects, but they reflect [Kim Jong-un's] desire to look modern and upscale and counter the existing narrative. On one hand, there is the respect aspect of it. [Kim wants people to think] that North Korea is not this terrible, awful place where people are starving. [It's] free advertising. The Olympic outreach was a zero cost effort for them in terms of getting international attention for the facilities that they built for this occasion.

[The Trump Administration's decision to drop Victor Cha's candidacy to be the next U.S. ambassador to South Korea] is a huge story. And extremely worrying...For months I thought Trump admin was bluffing on a preventive strike...but the news about Victor Cha no longer being nominated is the type of costly signaling that convinces me I may have been wrong. They are seriously considering it.

I think it's a mistake for any administration to draw red lines...By trumpeting a minor strike in Syria and drawing red lines on Korea, the Trump administration has repeated Obama's mistake. They are now ignoring the breach of those red lines because it was a political talking point rather than a strategic one, just as was the case with Obama.