Jean Lee on CNN’s The Situation Room with host Jim Acosta and Bruce Klingner of the Heritage Foundation on Sept. 4, 2023.
“It's also such an interesting time for North Korea as the country comes out of more than 3 1/2 years of self-imposed isolation. I do believe, and I've been saying, that Kim Jong Un was preparing to make this reemergence on the world stage after he got done with his big … Korean War celebration in July.”
“He is resurrecting and strengthening this traditional relationship, this traditional alliance with Russia, at a pivotal time. This is a way for him to reassure his people that they may have been isolated for three years, but they have not been forgotten by this superpower. Also, remember that because of the border closures, they are in desperate need of food, supplies, and perhaps some of that technological know-how to help them get the military, their nuclear program, to the next level.”
“There isn't often a time where North Korea, which is of course one of the poorest countries in the world, can offer something to Russia. Here is a moment where Russia and Putin has very few friends, and North Korea has something that he needs: munitions. It comes at a time when they are standing together in opposition to a US-led coalition at the U.N. Security council, where they're facing sanctions for provocative behavior.”
“So, it's very interesting for me. I am not completely surprised, but, like Bruce, I am very worried. This clearly has implications that go beyond the Korean Peninsula. They extend globally in terms of proliferation and in terms of the war in Ukraine.”