North Korea and the Global Nuclear Order

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North Korea and the Global Nuclear Order

When Bad Behaviour Pays

Political science and theory Political leaders and leadership Political structures: totalitarianism and dictatorship International relations Nuclear weapons

Author: Edward Howell

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Language: English

Published by: OUP Oxford

Published on: 26th April 2023

Format: LCP-protected ePub

ISBN: 9780192888402


North Korea and the Global Nuclear Order

For a state that has gained a global reputation as a violator of international norms, not least through its unwavering pursuit of nuclear weapons, North Korea's determination to become a nuclear-armed state is puzzling. If nuclear weapons beget security, insecurity, and other costs for the state, how might we understand this pursuit, and the delinquent behaviour that has arisen from it?

Edward Howell offers an answer to this question, focusing on North Korea's quest for status in the international system and developing the theoretical framework of strategic delinquency. Featuring previously unpublished and new interviews with international negotiators with North Korea, and drawing upon new academic literature, Howell proffers an original theoretical framework to apply to the North Korean case.

Covering a time period from the 1990s to the present-day, and using unprecedentedly rich empirical evidence, he makes the overarching argument that North Korea has strategically deployed behaviour that breaks international norms in order to reap benefits. In so doing, this book posits how over time, North Korea has learnt that despite the low status and opprobrium that might ensue, bad behaviour can pay.

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