Episode 23: Family as Strategy: How the Kims of North Korea Are Challenging the World Since 1948
Guest
Anatol Klass, Andrew R. Wilson
Files
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Description
This episode of Strategy Matters supports the Korean War case study by examining the conflict and developments on the Korean Peninsula from an unusual angle: through the Kim family regime that has ruled North Korea since 1948. In modern times, no other political dynasty has matched the Kims' longevity and influence, or presented such a vexing strategic problem for the rest of the world. Host Dr. Vanya Eftimova Bellinger discusses the regime with Dr. Andrew (Dex) Wilson and Dr. Anatol Klass, two East Asia experts from the Strategy and Policy Department. The episode commences with an exploration of the life and times of the dynasty's founder, Kim Il Sung, before turning to the changes his successors, Kim Jong Il and Kim Jong Un, have introduced to the regime. The guests then assess how this small state has managed to punch above its weight internationally and why, despite common perceptions, North Korea has proven to be a tough proxy for China. They also explain why sending troops to fight in the Russo-Ukrainian War is nothing new, but rather a long-standing North Korean practice. Finally, they consider what else we can expect from the Kims and their relationship with the world.
Guests:
Dr. Andrew R. Wilson is the John A. van Beuren Chair of Asia-Pacific Studies. He has written many books and articles on Chinese military history, Chinese sea power, and Sun Tzu's The Art of War. His most recent book is the edited volume Traversing the Belt and Road: The World According to China and China According to the World (together with Min Ye, Jorge Heine, and Grant Rhode, Harvard University Press, 2026). Dr. Wilson is also featured on The Great Courses, with lecture series including “The Art of War”; “Masters of War: History’s Greatest Strategic Thinkers”; and “Understanding Imperial China: Dynasties, Life and Culture.”
Dr. Anatol Klass is an assistant professor in the Strategy and Policy Department. He studies modern Chinese history and is writing a book about the bureaucratic development of the institutions through which the Chinese state engages with the world and the professional identities of experts working within those institutions. He has a Ph.D. in history from Berkeley and has held fellowships at Harvard University's Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, the Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center, and the Columbia-Harvard China & the World Program. His research has been published in the International History Review and Cold War History, and his writing has appeared in the Washington Post and Foreign Policy.
The opinions expressed on this podcast represent the views of the presenters and do not reflect the official position of the Department of War, the United States Navy, or the U.S. Naval War College.
Episode Length
46:30
File Size
17.5 MB
File Format
MP3
Release Date
10-5-2026
Keywords
U.S. Naval War College, Strategy and Policy, S&P, Strategy and War, Strategy Matters, Military History, Military Strategy, North Korea, Korean War, Korean Peninsula, Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un, Kim Dynasty, East Asia, China, Russia, Russo-Ukrainian War, Ukraine, Communism
Recommended Citation
Bellinger, Vanya Eftimova, "Episode 23: Family as Strategy: How the Kims of North Korea Are Challenging the World Since 1948" (2026). Strategy Matters Podcast. 23.
https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/strategy-matters/23
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