Summary

Abstract

The North Korean regime cannot execute one of the most important functions of a government—feeding its people—which damages its legitimacy. It is unlikely to implement substantive reform and open up its economy, because such actions could invite new ideas that would challenge the regime itself. This unsustainable posture could lead to a collapse. After reviewing various unification scenarios, the author identified indicators and triggers of collapse. A collapse would be a momentous event that could drastically change the geopolitical realities in a region where some of the world’s major powers’ interests converge. These powers need to cooperate and prepare for such an event, because the challenges would be too great to ignore.