ABSTRACT
The often heard refrains “Kim Jong Il is irrational” and “North Korea’s conduct is unpredictable” typify many political observers’ frustrations when deciphering North Korea’s responses to the outside world. Also often repeated is the claim that North Korea is “secretive” and information about it lacking. Such expressions reveal more about those who utter them than about North Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, or DPRK). They are admissions of ignorance rooted in the assumption that North Korea’s leaders share the same views and priorities as outside observers.
