North Korea remains both a practical problem and an intellectual puzzle,with actions that sometimes appear self-defeating, aggressive, and unpredictable. This talk will make two overarching arguments that help make sense of North Korea. First, North Korea is more "normal" than is often expected, and its domestic politics, economy, and society function in ways familiar to, if not exactly identical to, other countries around the world. The institutions, economic life, and most importantly, the human beings who live in North Korea act and function in ways that are not only similar to the ways many people around the world live and act, but differ from them only by degree. Second, North Korea's continuing nuclear and military challenge is only one aspect of its overall relations with the world, and policies designed to affect its security policy may work at cross-purposes with policies designed to affect its economy and lives of its people. The complexities that arise in dealing with North Korea lead to a number of contradictory policy choices, and making progress in one issue area has often meant overlooking a different issue area or even allowing it to worsen. 

David C. Kang is Professor of International Relations and Business at the University of Southern California, with appointments in both the School of International Relations and the Marshall School of Business. At USC he is also director of the Korean Studies Institute. Kang's latest book is East Asia Before The West: Five Centuries Of Trade And Tribute(Columbia University Press, 2010). He is also author of China Rising: Peace, Power, and Order in East Asia (Columbia University Press, 2007); Crony Capitalism: Corruption and Development in South Korea and the Philippines (Cambridge University Press, 2002), andNuclear North Korea: A Debate on Engagement Strategies (co-authored with Victor Cha) (Columbia University Press, 2003). Kang has published numerous scholarly articles in journals such as International Organization and International Security, and his co-authored article "Testing Balance of Power Theory in World History" was awarded "Best article, 2007-2009" by the European Journal of International Relations. A regular consultant for U.S. government agencies, Kang has also written opinion pieces in the New York Times, theFinancial Times, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times, as well as writing a monthly column for the Joongang Ilbo in Korean. He received an A.B. with honors from Stanford University and his Ph.D. from UC Berkeley.