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Alexandre Mansourov
Alexandre Mansourov is a specialist in Northeast Asian security, politics, and economics, focusing primarily on the Korean peninsula, doing his research as a Visiting Scholar at the U.S.-Korea Institute at SAIS and serving as a Founding Member of the U.S. National Committee on North Korea and a Senior Associate of the Nautilus Institute. He worked as a professor of security studies at the College of Security Studies of the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies from October 2001 to January 2008. Dr. Mansourov received his Ph.D. in Political Science from Columbia University; a B.A. in International Relations from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO); and an Advanced Diploma in Korean studies from Kim Il Sung National University in Pyongyang, DPRK.Dr. Mansourov has broad research interests including the defense, foreign and domestic policies of two Korean states, China, Japan, Russia, Mongolia, and Taiwan; comparative political and economic development in Northeast Asia; proliferation of WMD; the IT revolution; and the impact of globalization and revolution in military affairs on security dynamics in Northeast Asia. He is also a specialist on post-conflict stabilization and reconstruction, as well as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief with on the ground experience in Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Brunei. Dr. Mansourov has done consultancy work related to Korean affairs and SSTR/HADR for corporate and government clients in the United States, Republic of Korea, Australia, and Japan.
Fear Prevails Over Greed: The Kaesong Shutdown
North Korea’s shutdown of the Kaesong Industrial Complex (KIC) is the culmination of a steady deterioration in inter-Korean relations during the political transition from Kim Jong Il to Kim Jong Un in the North and conservative rule in the South. Pyongyang appears to have decided to close the KIC primarily for internal security concerns and for [...]
North Korea: Turning in the Wrong Direction
When Kim Jong Un assumed power, the world saw him as a young new leader who, given his education in Europe, might be reform-minded. Just over a year later, he comes across more like a reckless bully. Since the beginning of 2013, the security situation on the Korean peninsula has taken a dramatic turn for the worse, following North Korea’s [...]
Kim Jong Un’s Foreign Policy Record: The Juche Revolution Continues
During his first year in power, Kim Jong Un maintained the strategic foreign policy line he inherited from his father without making any major adjustments. In a nutshell, that approach seeks to alter the regional balance of power in North Korea's favor, expand its resource base, and gain international recognition by building up strategic arms [...]
Kim Jong Un’s Domestic Policy Record in His First Year: Surprisingly Good
The year 2012 started with hysterical nationwide mourning for the deceased leader Kim Jong Il. The country was gripped with the fear of abandonment, uncertainty and chaos. But, by the time 2012 came to a close, one could detect hope in the air, and new positive expectations about the future. There was also plenty of public thirst for new [...]
Part III: Overhauling the Legacy Government
This is Part III of a three-part series written by Dr. Alexandre Mansourov assessing the leadership changes during Kim Jong Un’s first year in office. This article will analyze the main drivers and directions shaping the transformation of the government Kim inherited from his father. It argues that in the past year, the young leader has [...]
Part II: The Kim Family Reigns: Preserving the Monarchy and Strengthening the Party-State
This is Part II of a three-part analytical series written by Dr. Alexandre Y. Mansourov assessing the leadership changes during Kim Jong Un’s initial year in office. This article will analyze key dynamics within the Kim family, including the rising influence of Kim Jong Un’s uncle Jang Song Thaek and the emergence of Kim’s wife, Ri Sol Ju as [...]
