1st Edition

Southeast Asia-North Korea Relations Drivers, Linkages, and Strategic Ambivalence

Edited By Chiew-Ping Hoo, Shine Choi, Brian Bridges Copyright 2025
256 Pages 3 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

256 Pages 3 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

256 Pages 3 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

Southeast Asia-North Korea Relations reveals the genesis and evolution of Southeast Asian countries’ diplomatic relations with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK/North Korea) by unpacking the underlying political, economic, and security connections. In this book, chapters analyse in detail the individual bilateral linkages of the ten states of the Association of Southeast Asian... Read more

List of Illustrations vii

List of Contributors viii

Preface xii

1 Introduction: Southeast Asia and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea 1

CHIEW-PING HOO AND SHINE CHOI

2 The DPRK’s Relations with Southeast Asia: Historical Legacies 11

BRIAN BRIDGES AND CHIEW-PING HOO

PART I  DPRK’s Traditional Friends: Plus Ça Change? 25

3 Modifiers of Indonesia’s Policy Towards North Korea 27

ANDREW W. MANTONG

4 From Close Allies to Distant Comrades: The Ups and Downs of the Vietnam-North Korea Relationship 40

KHANG VU

5 Lao PDR and the DPRK: Long-Standing Camaraderie 59

HIRZAWATI ATIKAH MOHD TAHIR AND BOUALAPHIANE SISOUK

6 Cambodia-DPRK Relations: Continuity and Changes 72

VANNARITH CHHEANG

7 Myanmar-DPRK Relations during Political and Geopolitical Instability 82

ANDRAY ABRAHAMIAN

PART II  DPRK’s Modern Haven 95

8 Malaysia-North Korea Relations: From Cold War Neutrality and Friendly Relations to Present Estrangement 97

CHIEW-PING HOO

9 The Origins of Singapore’s Non-aligned DPRK Policy 117

SHAWN HO

10 Thailand-North Korea Relations: The Odd Couple 129

KAVI CHONGKITTAVORN

11 Brunei’s Relations with North Korea: Practising Small State Foreign Policy and Minimal Pragmatism 137

MIKIO OISHI

12 The Shifting Sands: Duterte, the Philippines, and ASEAN’s Evolving Relations with the DPRK 154

RICHARD JAVAD HEYDARIAN

PART III  The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Republic of Korea, and China 175

13 ASEAN and the Korean Peninsula: Socialising North Korea and Beyond 177

SARAH TEO

14 South Korea’s Security Cooperation with Southeast Asia: Implications for the Korean Peninsula 191

JAEHYON LEE

15 The China Factor in North Korea-Southeast Asia Relations 212

CHOW-BING NGEOW

16 Conclusion: Smaller States’ Strategic Ambivalence: Southeast Asia’s Engagement with North Korea 224

CHIEW-PING HOO, SHINE CHOI, AND BRIAN BRIDGES

Index

Biography

Chiew-Ping Hoo is a Senior Fellow of the East Asian International Relations (EAIR) Caucus in Malaysia.

Shine Choi is Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand. Recent publications include North Korea in International Politics: Problems and Alternatives (Routledge, 2015).

Brian Bridges is former Professor of Political Science at Lingnan University in Hong Kong.