North Korea Watchers and insight peddlers
When the goal shifts from fostering understanding to maximizing transactions, the essence of insight is lost.
In the world of the North Korea Watcher, there is an abundance of variety. One particularly interesting group is the insight peddler - the consultancy services that seek to sell their wares. Of these, there are five broad groups who, just like itinerant peddlers of old, can be categorized according to the wares they’re selling - in this case, the level of analysis undertaken.
It’s just the news
At the most basic level, analysis involves summarizing or repeating headlines from mainstream media outlets. In the context of North Korea, this might mean echoing reports from major news agencies like Reuters or Yonhap News on events such as a missile test. For example, a report might simply state, “North Korea launched a ballistic missile into the East Sea,” without offering any additional context or interpretation.
On the positive side, these providers are useful for quick updates on breaking news, and provide reports that are easily accessible and straightforward for general audiences. On the …