Benjamin R. Young

Iran Conflict Hardens North Korea’s Nuclear Posture - Korea Economic Institute of America The ongoing conflict in Iran will harden, not moderate, North Korea's nuclear resolve, with implications for U.S.-South Korea security planning.

My piece for @koreaeconinst.bsky.social examines how the Iran crisis influences North Korea’s once close relationship with the Islamic Republic and why the North Koreans are so glad they have a robust nuclear arsenal.

keia.org/the-peninsul...

So cool that the World Cup is coming to MAGA world and cartel country. Tourists can either choose risk of long term detention by wannabe Gestapo or potentially getting shot by some 14 old cartel member after brunch at the Holiday Inn Guadalajara.

... has experience in intelligence (broadly defined), please encourage them to submit an application. The position is NOT remote as it does involve some in-person teaching. Here is a link to the job ad: jobs.uncfsu.edu/postings/28285

My university, Fayetteville State University in North Carolina, is hiring a full-time lecturer for the Intelligence Studies program. The position is open to both MA and PhD recipients. If you know of anybody interested in teaching at the undergraduate level and....

... has experience in intelligence (broadly defined), please encourage them to submit an application. The position is NOT remote as it does involve some in-person teaching. Here is a link to the job ad: jobs.uncfsu.edu/postings/28285

My university, Fayetteville State University in North Carolina, is hiring a full-time lecturer for the Intelligence Studies program. The position is open to both MA and PhD recipients. If you know of anybody interested in teaching at the undergraduate level and....

How Russia Hopes to Help North Korea Blunt the U.S.-South Korea Alliance - Korea Economic Institute of America The two nations are steeped in the same ideological brew of ultra-nationalism, hyper-militarism, and illiberalism.

I wrote a piece for the Korea Economic Institute blog about the Russia-North Korea alliance and why I don't think this is merely a short-term transactional relationship. It goes much deeper into social and cultural issues.

keia.org/the-peninsul...

From a purely historical standpoint, Cuban security agents guarding Maduro is not unprecedented in global affairs. But it’s certainly a throwback to the Cold War when small poor communist states carved out niches. For example, North Koreans once guarded Prince Sihanouk in Cambodia

In the grand history of dictators, I don’t think Maduro even ranks in the top 10% of worst all time. Sure, he was a corrupt asshole but Pinochet, Batista, and the Shah (all U.S allies) were even more repressive. So dressing this abduction as a victory for freedom is shallow.

If Trump tries to abduct Kim Jong Un, Pyongyang would launch an ICBM at Guam or Hawaii. So North Korea remains the big winner this weekend!

This is all going to come back to bite the U.S in the butt and the fact that so many folks are celebrating this operation is appalling. I guess we forgot that Iraq turned into a den for jihadists and Afghanistan turned into a hotbed for opium production.

The Coming Venezuelan Insurgency At the height of the Iraq War, US forces confronted a relentless insurgency waged by fighters from a wide range of political movements and religious orientations, including ex-Baathists, Salafists, Wa...

My latest for Compact magazine

In short, I think a U.S ground invasion of Venezuela would be incredibly stupid. And I think we are vastly underestimating the ELN in Colombia who would come to the aid of Maduro’s regime.

www.compactmag.com/article/the-...

Reds, Revolutions, and Rebellions: How China, Cuba, and Vietnam Transformed Guerilla Warfare (Battlegrounds: Cornell Studies in Military History) Reds, Revolutions, and Rebellions: How China, Cuba, and Vietnam Transformed Guerilla Warfare (Battlegrounds: Cornell Studies in Military History) - Kindle edition by Young, Benjamin R.. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Reds, Revolutions, and Rebellions: How China, Cuba, and Vietnam Transformed Guerilla Warfare (Battlegrounds: Cornell Studies in Military History).

You can now pre-order my forthcoming book, "Reds, Revolutions, and Rebellions: How China, Cuba, and Vietnam Transformed Guerilla Warfare," with @CornellPress. It is an intellectual history of leftist guerilla warfare from Mao to now.

www.amazon.com/Reds-Revolut...

You’re not for Juche American style!? It works great.

North Korea is not mentioned once.

China is mentioned over 20 times, Russia 10, and Iran 5.

Did they forget Pyongyang has nuclear weapons and helped to bolster Russia’s war machine on a sizable level?

My latest for NK News

Inside North Korea’s Hidden Global Power | From Arica to Malcolm X, Black Panthers and Latin America YouTube video by Dr Lokman Karadag

Inside North Korea’s Hidden Global Power

Explore North Korea’s surprising global influence, from Africa to Latin America, and its unexpected ties with historic movements and leaders.

www.youtube.com/live/7vlNIo-...

Beyond Nukes: Inside North Korea’s Hidden Global Power YouTube video by Dr Lokman Karadag

🎙️ This week, in my interview series on IR, I’ll be joined by Dr. Benjamin R. Young (@dubstepindprk.bsky.social) as we bring North Korea to the table for discussion.

Subscribe to my YouTube channel and click the notification bell to get alerts when we go live.

www.youtube.com/live/7vlNIo-...

Very preliminary look at my next book cover. Entitled “Reds, Revolutions and Rebellions: How China, Cuba, and Vietnam Transformed Guerilla Warfare,” it is scheduled to come out in summer 2026 with Cornell University Press.

Famous Putinist sycophant Russian Singer, Shaman, meeting Kim Jong Un after his recent concert in North Korea. This renewed Russo-DPRK alliance is going to outlive the end of the Ukraine war. Military, diplomatic, and socio-cultural channels have all been strengthened.

I bet even the North Koreans hate him…

And even your Cuba analysis is spot on. David Kang, Korea AND Cuba expert.

I contributed a review to this roundtable. It’s a Good book, with some problems.

My latest publication. A review of a new book on North Korea- Africa relations.

Kim Jong Un is going to Beijing and sees himself as an equal international leader to both Putin and Xi. Despite North Korea’s small geographic size and isolation from the Western order, Pyongyang has always had an inferiority complex and sees its as a global player in international affairs

Now, North Korea will really NEVER give up nukes. Let’s stop this CVID cosplay and accept North Korea as a nuclear state because that’s what it is, whether we like it or not.

Unpopular opinion: we have learned to live with a nuclear-armed North Korea. We can learn to live with a nuclear Iran. Sure, it's not great but war is far worse.

The amount of really smart DC think tank types who are okay with another forever war in the Middle East absolutely baffle me. Because Iraq and Afghanistan worked out so well!? Now, let's go to war with a country of 92 million and has a rich proud history. Crazy people.

For those that know my professional journey, getting a tenure track position in a desirable location close to family not been easy for me so I’m really excited about this.