Name? Kim Jong-un
Westphalian identity? North Korean
Age? 37
Why is he in the news? Kim Jong-un has reopened communication channels to South Korea one year after they were closed by his sister Kim Yo-jong.
Why do we care? Kim Jong-un is acknowledging that the food security situation in North Korea is getting worse. A crippling heatwave this year and flooding last year have diminished North Korean Crops, international sanctions are increasing pressure on Kim Jong-un. Reopening communication with the South might lead to an easing of the crippling economic sanctions, signalling that Kim Jong-un is in search of a solution.
Why should you care? Apart from the fact that millions of North Koreans are suffering hunger from natural disasters and economic sanctions from the global community, this reopening is part of the Kim Jong-un’ soap opera. Every few months there is a silent rapprochement until any incident is used to publicly demonise the rest of the world. Overall, you should care 4/10.
Who else cares? China’s President Xi Jinping, aka Kim Jong-un’s closest ally. North Korea has been a headache for him as on the one hand, Xi feels the need to protect Kim Jong-un against the West and keep the US away from its own borders (South Korea is already too close). On the other hand, the North Korean problem is a constant pain in China’s strategy and solving it would bring China a lot of direly needed points on the diplomatic world stage. Indicators of this are the restart of forced return of North Korean refugees since the beginning of the pandemic and the first recorded visit of a North Korean oil tanker to China, potentially breaching UN sanctions.
Any further comments? Although Kim Jong-un has just reopened communication channels with the South, he has imposed stricter rules on the behaviour of his citizens. Especially with regards to cultural influence from the South, such as K-Pop with its hairstyles and clothing.
