Your Trusted Source for National Security News & Analysis

January 19th, 2025 | 2:43 AM ET

Purges, Missiles, and Nukes

Tweet
Share
Pin
Share
0 Shares
Posted: November 2nd, 2015

By John McLaughlin

John McLaughlin is the Distinguished Practitioner in Residence at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).  He served as both Acting Director and Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. McLaughlin served as a U.S. Army Officer in the 1960s, with service in Vietnam.

Amid all the uncertainties about North Korea’s unpredictable young leader, Kim Jong Un, one thing is clear: he has an unrelenting focus on security – his own personal security and the authoritarian regime’s security from external pressure. For personal security and to consolidate his hold on power, Kim – in power for nearly four years — has carried out what appear to be the most extensive and violent purges in the country’s history.  For regime security, Kim has pushed the country’s nuclear and missile programs to new levels, aiming for systems intended to deter anyone tempted to use military force against the North and to make the country’s retaliatory and attack capabilities more secure. 

As always, however, the regime’s stability is an open question, and some of Kim’s actions may be laying the groundwork for dangerous miscalculation that could jeopardize Kim’s leadership and regional security.

Access all of The Cipher Brief’s national security-focused expert insight by becoming a Cipher Brief Subscriber+ Member.

Sign Up Log In

Categorized as:Asia ReportingTagged with:

Related Articles

Search

Close