Columns

On Security

Ecuador

Mexico

Venezuela

Syria

North Korea

Belgium

Netherlands

Seized marijuana bricks are incinerated in Guadalajara, Mexico.

While narco-states exist on a spectrum of severity, they can all have dramatic geopolitical, operational and tactical impacts that raise a wide variety of risks.

What Is a Narco-State, and Why Does It Matter?

On Geopolitics

United States

South Korea

A photo provided by the South Korean Defense Ministry on Nov. 9, 2022, shows the retrieved debris of a ballistic missile that North Korea recently fired across the two countries’ de facto maritime border. 

Military & Security

Politics

Its response to recent U.S.-South Korean military drills shows Pyongyang is growing more confident in its ability to manage escalation and reshape its own security environment.

The Implications of North Korea’s Shifting Deterrence Strategy

Assessments

China

File footage of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is seen on a television screen at a train station in Seoul, South Korea, on Sept. 9, 2022. 

Seoul will likely react with its own show of force, but the risk of Chinese retaliation and restarting the Korean war will limit how far it can go. 

Gauging South Korea's Response to the North's Upcoming Nuclear Test

Iran

Russia

A Russian flag flies next to the U.S. Embassy building in Moscow, Russia, on March 18, 2021.

Cyber

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

 In the second part of this series, we explore the risk of external meddling in next month's vote from actors like Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.

What to Expect From Disinformation Campaigns During the 2022 U.S. Midterms, Part 2

U.S.-China Relations

U.S.-Iran Relations

Japan

People watch a television screen showing a news broadcast with file footage of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea, on Jan. 20, 2022, after North Korea hinted it could resume nuclear and long-range weapons tests. 

Pyongyang's upcoming nuclear test is unlikely to fundamentally change regional security dynamics -- so long as it's in line with previous tests.

What to Expect as North Korea Restarts Nuclear Weapon Tests

Angola

Europe

Ukraine

Angolan President Joao Lourenco addresses MPLA supporters at an election rally July 23, 2022, in Luanda, Angola. Lourenco will face off against Adalberto Costa Junior of the opposition UNITA on Aug. 24. 

Economics

Social Issues

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Independence Day in Ukraine, Election Day in Angola

Snapshots

Poland

South Korean soldiers sit on a K2 tank in Pyeongtaek.

Warsaw's purchase of an estimated $15-20 billion worth of tanks, artillery and fighter jets will deepen Seoul's ties with NATO countries and cause concern with China and North Korea.

A Major Arms Deal With Poland Opens South Korea to More Business -- and Threats

Taiwan

Members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) disembark from an aircraft during a military exercise at the East Fuji Maneuver Area in Gotemba, Japan on May 28, 2022. 

A bigger budget will enable Tokyo to bolster its offensive capabilities amid China’s increasing aggression toward Taiwan and North Korea’s continued missile tests.

In the Face of Growing Threats, Japan Ramps Up Defense Spending

Media

Podcasts

We discuss the message contained in North Korea's missile recent tests.

Essential Geopolitics: Timing Pyongyang's Missile Tests

A TV at the Seoul Railway Station on March 24, 2022, in Seoul, South Korea, shows a file image of preparations for a North Korean missile launch. The launch will likely trigger a reaction from Seoul that could lead to new South Korean tensions with China and improved South Korean ties with Japan.

Coping With a Nuclear North Korea

The launch will likely trigger a reaction from Seoul that could lead to new South Korean tensions with China and improved South Korean ties with Japan.

How North Korea's Recent ICBM Test Will Affect the Region

A photo released by North Korean media shows leader Kim Jong Un watching a missile test in July 2017. 

Pyongyang’s recent focus on conventional weapons appears aimed at providing the regime with a calibrated escalation capability.

North Korea’s Non-Nuclear Option

Security

Shifting security dynamics on the Korean Peninsula as North Korea launches missiles and South Korea prepares to vote for a new president.

Essential Geopolitics: Missile Tests and Presidential Votes on the Korean Peninsula

Environment, Science & Technology

North Korea's attempt to launch its first military reconnaissance satellite, the Chollima-1, failed, Yonhap News Agency reported on May 30.

North Korea: Failed Satellite Launch Prompts Evacuation Scare

Japan and South Korea will agree at the Shangri-La Dialogue on June 2-4 to link their radar systems through the U.S. radar system to share real-time intelligence on North Korea's ballistic missiles, Reuters reported on May 9.

Japan, South Korea, U.S.: Tokyo and Seoul to Link Radar Systems Through Washington

U.S. President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will produce a "Washington Declaration" on April 26 aimed at strengthening security cooperation, a key element of which will involve the United States sending a nuclear-armed submarine to dock in South Korea for the first time since the early 1980s, The Korea Herald reported the same day.

U.S., South Korea: Countries to Produce Security-Focused 'Washington Declaration'

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un recently inspected newer, smaller warheads and new technology for mounting warheads on ballistic missiles, and Pyongyang pledged to produce more weapons-grade nuclear material, according to the state-backed Korean Central News Agency on March 28.

North Korea: More Nuke Platforms Extend Deterrence, Point to Policy Stalemate

North Korea on March 12 test-launched two "strategic cruise missiles" from the 8.24 Yongung submarine in Kyongpho Bay toward the East Sea, Yonhap News Agency reported the next day.

North Korea: Submarine Missile Test Bolsters Nuclear, Conventional Deterrence

North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that flew 560 miles (901 kilometers) before landing in the waters west of Japan, Reuters reported Feb. 18.

North Korea: Missile Tests Confirm Escalated Conventional Response Pattern

North Korea held a military parade late on Feb. 9 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of its army, during which the government displayed 11 of its largest inter-continental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) -- the greatest number shown in any parade -- as well as a potential prototype of a solid-fuel ICBM and a bevy of conventional weapons.

North Korea: Military Parade Highlights Need for Expanded Deterrence

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-Sup, and the two agreed to expand military exercises and training as a means of addressing the threat posed by North Korea, Reuters reported Jan. 31.

South Korea, U.S.: Expanded Joint Drills Could Prompt North Korean Retaliation

Afghanistan

Algeria

Antigua and Barbuda

Luxembourg

South Sudan

A view of the Register in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Argentina

Armenia

Australia

Bahrain

Lithuania

Covering an area that spans the entire width of the continent beginning at the Sahara Desert and ending at the southernmost tip of South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa is home to countless cultures, languages, religions, plants, animals and natural resources.

Barbados

Benin

Egypt

Maldives

Malta

Belize

Botswana

Brunei Darussalam

India

North Macedonia

Tajikistan

Bhutan

Bolivia

Burkina Faso

Cambodia

Germany

Iraq

The President palace in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

The administrative center of the Gakh region of Azerbaijan, located at the foot of the southern slope of the Greater Caucasus, on the river Kurhumchai.

Brazil

Burundi

Finland

Israel

Nepal

Cameroon

Canada

Georgia

Jordan

Pakistan

Mir Castle in the Minsk region of Belarus.

Cabo Verde

Chile

Federated States of Micronesia

Kuwait

Liechtenstein

Sri Lanka

Central African Republic

Colombia

Fiji

Latvia

Lebanon

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Chad

Costa Rica

Indonesia

Libya

Comoros

Cuba

Czech Republic

A horse grazes in front of Kara-Kul lake in the Chon-Ak-Suu valley, 300 kilometers southeast of Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.

Morocco

Cote d'Ivoire

Denmark

Dominica

Kiribati

Moldova

Oman

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Dominican Republic

Laos

Palestinian Territories

Djibouti

Holy See (Vatican City)

Malaysia

Qatar

El Salvador

Equatorial Guinea

Greece

Marshall Islands

Saudi Arabia

Eritrea

France

Grenada

Mongolia

<p>The Democratic People&#39;s Republic of Korea, or North Korea, lies on a peninsula extending outward from northeast Asia. The country borders China and Russia to the north, the Republic of Korea to the south, and Japan across the sea to the east. North Korea&#39;s primary geographic challenge is securing its northern and southern borders from the threat of its much larger regional neighbors. The Kaema Plateau and Hamgyong Mountains comprise much of the northern border region, providing a strong but not unbreachable geographic barrier. The Taebaeck Mountains run along the east coast, limiting the potential for invasion from the sea. Since the time of earlier North Korean kingdoms including Koguryo, The Dandong-Sinuiju gap across the Yalu River in the northwest and the wide Imjin-Han river valley in the south leave the country vulnerable, particularly with the lack of geographic barriers along the north-south axis. North Korea&#39;s mountains do provide ample hydropower, and the country also has numerous natural mineral resources and coal, but its terrain and climate limit agricultural activity. Given its larger neighbors, North Korea has two core imperatives. It must secure its southern and northern borders via political accommodation, defensive lines or outward expansion, and it must engender a strong sense of national unity and exploit differences among its neighbors to balance external political pressure. From the launching of the Korean War to the heavily fortified DMZ, from the exploitation of relations between China and Russia to the development of a nuclear deterrent, North Korea&#39;s actions in many ways are shaped by similar constraints and pressures as felt by its predecessor kingdoms due to its location and geography.</p>

China in Transition

Korea, Dem. People’s Rep.

Female

Male

South Korean President Yoon Seok Yeol maintained that South Korea and the United States were discussing joint plans and information sharing regarding American nuclear assets, Yonhap News Agency reported Jan. 3.

North Korea, South Korea: Koreas Start New Year With Focus on Nuclear Armaments

SITUATION REPORTS

North Korea: Failed Satellite Launch Prompts Evacuation Scare

Japan, South Korea, U.S.: Tokyo and Seoul to Link Radar Systems Through Washington

U.S., South Korea: Countries to Produce Security-Focused 'Washington Declaration'

North Korea: More Nuke Platforms Extend Deterrence, Point to Policy Stalemate

North Korea: Submarine Missile Test Bolsters Nuclear, Conventional Deterrence

North Korea: Missile Tests Confirm Escalated Conventional Response Pattern

North Korea: Military Parade Highlights Need for Expanded Deterrence

South Korea, U.S.: Expanded Joint Drills Could Prompt North Korean Retaliation

Forecasts

ANALYSES

SECTIONS

Explore

Subscribe

Help & Support