For Russia the DPRK is not a normal state. The two facts that it is one of Russia’s nearest neighbors and it was founded by the Soviet Union exert unquestionable influence on the current thinking about this country among Russia’s political elite. In this issue of the Asan Forum there is extended discussion in the Country Report: Russia of an August article by Evgenyi Bazhanov on Russia’s strategy toward the Asia-Pacific region. Reviewing how past strategy toward North Korea evolved, the article below emphasizes how strategic thinking in 2013 fits into current debates over Russia’s broader regional strategy.

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