The making of a North Korea expert: Smoke, mirrors, and speculation

Want to become a North Korea expert? Here’s the seven steps to follow

In the wild world of international affairs, few titles sound as alluring and mysterious as “North Korea expert.” But peel back the layers, and you’ll find that expertise in this niche space isn’t necessarily built on the hard labor of professional experience, solid education, or in-country experience. It doesn’t even depend on groundbreaking revelations.

Instead, it often thrives on a cocktail of guesswork, recycled talking points, and a sprinkle of doom-and-gloom predictions. And I’m not talking about the sudden pop-up North Korea experts - I mean the “this is my life” North Korea experts. So, what does it really take to become a North Korea expert? Spoiler: It’s not as complicated—or as credible—as you might think. Here’s the steps to follow:

Step one: Master the art of speculation

If there’s one skill that separates the wheat from the chaff in the North Korea business, it’s speculation. In the absence of reliable information, you’ll need to make some bold claims.

• “Kim Jong-un is dead.”

• …