North Korea and Myanmar

North Korea and Myanmar (Burma) are Asia’s most mysterious, tragic stories. They were the region’s most militarized and repressed societies, sitting out the greatest wealth creation project in the history of the world, one that created a belt of middle classes, comfort and security from Singapore to Japan. They were self-isolating and under sanctions by the international community.How did Myanmar find its way out of this isolation? Why does North Korea remain stuck?Both states found themselves isolated and obsessed with their security threats during a tumultuous decolonization process. For Burma, this threat was the fracture of the country by rebellions. For North Korea, it was a hostile superpower—the United States—and eventually a far more successful rival state—South Korea—occupying half of the Korean peninsula. Over time, Myanmar defeated most of its enemies, giving it the space to explore a form of democratization and openness that has led to its reintegration into international society. Meanwhile, North Korea’s leaders believe its nuclear and missile arsenals are vital for regime survival. Yet these weapons are the primary reason for North Korea’s pariah status. Because of this overlap, North Korea is unable to sequence a solution the way the Myanmar leadership has. It remains Asia’s last pariah.

"Andray Abrahamian has done a valuable service in comparing and contrasting the two regimes." - Asian Review of Books, 2018

Andray Abrahamian has lived in Myanmar, worked in North Korea for a non-profit and has held multiple fellowships and teaching positions, including at the Ulsan University, the University of Yangon, UC Berkeley and the Jeju Peace Institute. He has published extensively on North Korea and Myanmar.