Bibliograph

Criminal sovereignty, understanding North Korea's illicit international activities, Paul Rexton Kan, Bruce E. Bechtol, Jr., Robert M. Collins

Type

Label

Criminal sovereignty, understanding North Korea's illicit international activities, Paul Rexton Kan, Bruce E. Bechtol, Jr., Robert M. Collins

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references (pages 28-36)

resource.governmentPublication

federal national government publication

Illustrations

illustrations

Index

no index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Criminal sovereignty

Nature of contents

dictionariesbibliography

Responsibility statement

Paul Rexton Kan, Bruce E. Bechtol, Jr., Robert M. Collins

Series statement

The Letort papers

Sub title

understanding North Korea's illicit international activities

Summary

"North Korea's criminal conduct--smuggling, trafficking, and counterfeiting--is well known, but the organization directing it is understudied or overlooked. Policymakers, military leaders, and scholars may feel that they have a reasonable grasp on how and why North Korea is actively involved in criminal enterprises. However, unlike the other remaining communist states 'orphaned' after the Cold War, or ordinary corrupt autocratic regimes, or criminally linked warlords and insurgent groups, North Korea practices a form of 'criminal sovereignty' that is unique in the contemporary international security arena. North Korea uses state sovereignty to protect itself from external interference in its domestic affairs while dedicating a portion of its government to carrying out illicit international activities in defiance of international law and the domestic laws of numerous other nations. The proceeds of these activities are then used in a number of ways to sustain North Korea's existence and to enable other policies. For example, criminal proceeds are distributed to members of the North Korean elite (including senior officers of the armed forces); are used to support Kim Jong-il's personal life style; and are invested in its military apparatus. The authors of this monograph focus on North Korea's Office #39 as the state apparatus that directs illicit activities to include the manufacture and distribution of illegal drugs, the counterfeiting of U.S. currency, and the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit cigarettes. Finally, as Kim Jong-Il becomes more frail, the authors assess how his successor may continue or alter Office #39's activities."

resource.variantTitle

Understanding North Korea's illicit international activities

Contributor

Creator