Assault Amphibious Vehicle Weapons Training

03/31/2014
03/31/2014: U.S. Marines with Combined Assault Battalion, III Marines Expeditionary Force conducted Mark-19 and M2-50 Cal training on Assault Amphibious Vehicles in support of Exercise Ssang Yong 14 at Suesongri Range, Pohang, South Korea, March 27, 2014.  Exercise SsangYong 14 is conducted in South Korea to showcase a full spectrum…

Defending South Korea: The Challenge of North Korean Missiles

12/23/2012
2012-12-23 by Richard Weitz Ballistic missile defenses (BMD) are an urgent acquisition and development capability for South Korea.  North Korea’s Artillery Guidance Bureau controlling some 800 mobile ballistic missiles poses a direct threat to the country. South Korea’s independent system for intercepting short- to medium-range ballistic missile, consisting of Patriot PAC-3…

Russia and DPRK Proliferation Issues: Positioning for Influence

12/02/2012
2012-12-02 By Richard Weitz Russian diplomats generally oppose using sanctions to punish countries whose governments misbehave. In the case of the DPRK, as with Iran, Russian policy makers argue that a non-coercive, incentive-based strategy offers the best means for persuading Pyongyang to denuclearize. Especially in the case of North Korea, Russian…

Russian-ROK Economic Ties

11/18/2012
2012-11-18 By Richard Weitz Even with the persistent security tensions, economic cooperation between Russia and South Korea has increased dramatically during the past decade. The commerce involves primarily the exchange of Russian oil and gas in return for ROK machinery and equipment. The South Korean military also purchases some Russian defense…

Russia and DPRK Proliferation Issues: Goals and Strategy

11/17/2012
2012-11-17 By Richard Weitz Throughout the past decade, under both presidents Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev, the Russia’s government policies towards North and South Korea have remained remarkably consistent. They have pursued several integrated key goals, strategies, and tactics in both the security and economic realms: Russian policy makers are eager…

Chinese Economic and Strategic Gains from the Korean Crisis

11/14/2012
2012-11-14 by Richard Weitz The PRC-DPRK relationship is no longer based primarily on ideology but relies more on overlapping national interests and mutual economic ties. Chinese policy makers continue to take steps to avert state failure in North Korea and counter other possible sources of chaos on the Korean peninsula.…

China and South Korea: Convergence or Conflict of Interests?

11/11/2012
2012-11-11 by Richard Weitz The close alignment between Seoul and Washington in recent years has reinforced Beijing’s caution about breaking with the DPRK. The PRC and South Korea established formal diplomatic relations in 1992. Since then, their economic exchanges have soared, with China overtaking the United States as the ROK’s main…