Supported by: Korea Foundation
Head of Project: Eric J. Ballbach
Since the failure of the last diplomatic attempt to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue in 2018, prospects for North Korea's integration into stable structures of international cooperation have further diminished. Against the backdrop of North Korea's military provocations, an increasingly severe sanctions regime against the country, and a self-imposed national lockdown (since January 2020 in the wake of the global Covid 19 pandemic), North Korea has practically ceased engagement with the international community on (traditional) security issues. However, despite the closure of most security communication channels, Pyongyang has shown a willingness to talk with the international community on a range of environmental issues. Indeed, there is currently no other area in which North Korea is as active, open, and unideological in seeking international cooperation as in environmental issues. For example, despite the national lockdown and steadily deteriorating security situation on the Korean Peninsula, North Korean officials continued to participate in the UNFCCC and attended both the 26th and 27th COP meetings in Scotland and Egypt. North Korean officials also participated in several meetings with international institutions on reforestation.
What explains North Korea's continued interest in environmental issues despite its unwillingness to engage with the international community on other issues? Could more intensive engagement with North Korea on environmental issues also positively influence the international community's engagement with North Korea on other issues? To answer these questions, this research project uses an “environmental peacebuilding” approach to examine North Korea's participation in the institutional structures of the UNFCCC. Thus, it will be investigated whether environmental challenges in politically charged conflicts such as the one on the Korean peninsula can also be addressed from a less politicized perspective and whether this creates opportunities for the involved parties to engage in issues that are important for both sides beyond traditional security.