Paper
Eugene Rumer, Richard Sokolsky
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Source: Getty
Other
Right-Sizing North Korea’s Military Establishment: Can Pyongyang Pull Off Demobilization?
Whether Pyongyang has the capacity and the resources for large-scale demobilization and reintegration—and is prepared to implement market reforms that would be required to make the most efficient use of these resources—remains an open question.
Published on Apr 19, 2019
Source: 38 North
Kim Jong Un has used military personnel in the past to carry out civilian construction and infrastructure projects and in his 2019 New Year address, the North Korean leader mentioned the importance of the military in the country’s construction projects. Kim has also reportedly expressed his desire to reallocate resources from the military to the civilian sector, which could include future manpower reductions if North Korea decides that peace and security on the peninsula would allow it to downsize its conventional forces. Whether Pyongyang has the capacity and the resources, however, for large-scale demobilization and reintegration—and is prepared to implement market reforms that would be required to make the most efficient use of these resources—remains an open question. South Korea might be willing and able to help Pyongyang develop a viable plan to deactivate many of its troops and reintegrate them into the civilian economy, but a multilateral effort will likely be required depending on the scope and pace of the effort.
About the Author
Richard Sokolsky
Nonresident Senior Fellow, Russia and Eurasia Program
Richard Sokolsky is a nonresident senior fellow in Carnegie’s Russia and Eurasia Program. His work focuses on U.S. policy toward Russia in the wake of the Ukraine crisis.
- Russia’s National Security Narrative: All Quiet on the Eastern Front
- Putin’s War Against Ukraine and the Balance of Power in EuropeCommentary
Eugene Rumer, Richard Sokolsky
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
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