Lawrence Grinter, a retired professor of Asian studies at UNC-Chapel Hill, spoke about North Korean nuclear policy and the measures that the United States has taken to counteract them in Park Shops Tuesday.
Grinter spoke about the structure of the North Korean government and the strategies that it used to remain in power for more than 65 years.
“This is a family thug regime,” Grinter said. “This is a family regime that has been in power longer than Stalin and Mao combined. It is the Sopranos of Northeast Asia.”
According to Grinter, the family that controls North Korea equates its security and personal well-being as the country’s national interest.
Furthermore, the approach the North Korean administration takes toward nuclear policy is similar to the approach that was taken by the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq, Grinter said.
“[The approach] is to agree to talk about giving up North Korean nuclear weapons in return for aid and civilian nuclear reactors on energy and hopefully a peace treaty, but then Pyongyang backs out or complicates implementation of every agreement they’ve ever signed,” Grinter said.
North Korea is able to maintain its supremacy by employing a strategy that allows it to manipulate the strategic imbalances between countries, according to Grinter.
If the administration in North Korea was deposed, it threatens China with the possibility of a million refugees crossing the Yellow River and coming into China, Grinter said.
The United States should continue its policy of containment and have no diplomatic relations with North Korea unless significant changes have been made to nuclear policies, according to Grinter.
“The United States should continue to work closely with our partners in South Korea and Japan and continue talking to the Chinese and Russians about better sanctions and better constraints,” Grinter said.
According to Grinter, without significant changes in North Korean policy, the regime will definitely not last, but it’s unknown as to how or when this will happen.
Nick Hatley, a junior in political science, said that he didn’t expect Gritner to advise the United States toward a wait-and-see approach because of the current tensions between the two countries.
William Boettcher, an associate professor in political science at N.C. State, said that although there may not be a large opportunity for change, with new leaders in North Korea and South Korea there is a small prospect for change.
“Until there’s some resolution of the nuclear element of this we are not going to see progress between the relationship of North Korea and South Korea” Boettcher said.
According to Boettcher, the biggest concern for the United States, as far as North Korea is concerned, is that there is a country who will trade nuclear materials without any conscience on whom it will trade with.
Additionally, Grinter has also authored several books discussing the various security issues that are present within Northeast Asia.
