SWP Berlin 35d ago

North Korea should no longer be dismissed as a reclusive authoritarian regime in the Indo-Pacific. Through cyberattacks, arms supplies and military support for Russia’s war against Ukraine, Pyongyang has become a direct security threat to Europe, argues Eric Ballbach. Guest: Dr Eric Ballbach is SWP’s Korea Foundation Fellow. His research focuses on Foreign and security policies of North and South Korea. Host: Esme Nicholson Recommended Reading: Eric J. Ballbach: The K(orea)-Factor in the Zeitenwende. South Korea and the Rebuilding of Germany’s Defence Industrial Base, SWP Comment 2026/C 04, 28.01.2026, https://www.swp-berlin.org/en/publication/the-korea-factor-in-the-zeitenwende Eric J. Ballbach, et al.: Schockwellen nach Osten: Wie der Iran-Krieg die politische Landschaft Asiens verändert 360 Grad, 27.04.2026, https://www.swp-berlin.org/publikation/schockwellen-nach-osten-wie-der-iran-krieg-die-politische-landschaft-asiens-veraendert Eric J. Ballbach: Nordkoreanische Truppenentsendung nach Russland. Motive Pjöngjangs und Implikationen für Europa, SWP-Aktuell 2024/A 57, 14.11.2024, https://www.swp-berlin.org/publikation/nordkoreanische-truppenentsendung-nach-russland