A recent paper by Professor Eun Yong-soo of the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Hanyang University, analyzing North Korea–U.S. relations through the lens of 'ontological security' theory, has been published in a prestigious academic journal at the University of Cambridge. Professor Eun went beyond traditional analytical frameworks such as 'power politics,' studying North Korea’s behavior in terms of national 'identity' and 'emotions,' and proposed a new framework for understanding North Korea–U.S. relations.

According to Professor Eun, national security is not confined merely to the physical defense of territory. Most nations are influenced less by the direct fear of territorial loss and more by the existential anxiety caused when their identity as a political ‘community’ is threatened. “To understand the behavior of North Korea, we need to look closely on this point,” he explained. 

He pointed out that traditional analytical frameworks struggle to explain North Korea’s seemingly irrational actions—particularly its continued hostility toward the United States after the end of the Cold War. For a small state to repeatedly provoke a superpower like the U.S., far superior in terms of military and economy, is highly irrational from the perspective of 'power logic.' Professor Eun began this study, he said, to see whether this gap between analysis and reality could be bridged from another perspective, using the 'ontological security' theory—which addresses the realms of the mind, ideas, and emotions—to fill the existing gaps in research of the topic.

The 'ontological security' theory presented by Professor Eun posits that states value the preservation of a consistent self-identity as much as physical survival. He compared this to 'homeostasis' in living organisms—the tendency to maintain stability in response to external change. Similarly, a state strives to maintain a consistent 'autobiographical narrative' to alleviate existential anxiety.

Sometimes, states may make seemingly irrational decisions to defend this autobiographical narrative while sacrificing material interests. From this perspective, Professor Eun analyzed that North Korea suffers from a 'dual vulnerability in security'—its physical security and its ontological security—because its national identity narrative is dependent on an oppositional relationship with the United States.

According to the paper, the core of North Korea’s identity lies in 'our-style communism' and an 'indomitable revolutionary spirit.' This narrative is completed by the story that the DPRK was founded in resistance against the colossal external enemy of the 'U.S. imperialists' and continues to stand firm against them today.

While this serves as a source of regime stability and pride, it also creates the paradox that without the hostile 'United States' as an external other, its sense of identity would be shaken. Professor Eun added, 'If North Korea ceases its hostile rhetoric and actions toward the U.S., it may actually experience even intensified anxiety as a nation due to an identity crisis. In this sense, North Korea’s hostility toward the U.S. is a rational choice to safeguard its identity.'

Professor Eun said, 'The key to improving North Korea–U.S. relations lies within North Korea’s autobiographical narrative.' He argued that condemning North Korea as part of the 'axis of evil' and isolating it only entrenches their adherence to their existing narrative. “To open the door to dialogue, we need a pragmatic approach that withholds moral judgment and instead addresses North Korea as a ‘rational negotiating counterpart,” he emphasized.

As an example, he cited the dramatic turnaround in North Korea–U.S. relations in 2018. 'At that time, the U.S. consistently used expressions recognizing North Korea as a rational partner for dialogue, such as calling one of the leaders a ‘smart guy,’ which can serve as a starting point for pragmatic engagement,' he noted.

“This research was a continuous process of bridging the gap between theory and reality,” Professor Eun said. He sought both to apply and to develop ontological security theory to North Korea–U.S. relations. This process led to the establishment of new concepts such as 'asymmetry of existential anxiety.' “In particular, I feel a great sense of fulfillment as a scholar from having created an analytical framework that offers a fresh perspective on the phenomena,” he added. 

To students concerned with Korean Peninsula issues, he emphasized 'imagination' beyond social preconceptions or internalized stereo types. “Imagination is not simply about daydreaming about concepts. It is an effort to deeply examine the unseen aspects of a problem. I hope this approach can be applied not only by researchers but by everyone in solving their own issues,” he concluded.