A New Axis of Upheaval

Description

When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, few expected North Korea to rush to Putin’s aid. Several years later, however, North Korea and Russia praise their ‘invincible alliance’. Pyongyang has supplied Moscow with millions of rounds of artillery and thousands of troops in exchange for financial, food and technological assistance. Moscow has also procured invaluable dual-use technologies from Beijing and drones from Tehran.

Edward Howell asks whether the rapprochement between North Korea, Russia, China and Iran represents a new authoritarian alliance or is merely a marriage of convenience. Taking North Korea’s perspective as its starting point and drawing upon new evidence—including interviews with government officials—A New Axis of Upheaval argues that while these states have distinct interests, their shared opposition to the post-war international order cannot be ignored. This compelling and timely account also explores the implications of these relations for the military-political hotspot of East Asia, particularly South Korea and its neighbours.

With North Korea likely to maintain its ties with Russia in a post–Ukraine War world, and China continuing to coerce the US and its allies, the West must prepare for the unsettling prospect that the axis of upheaval will persist longer than many hoped.

Reviews

‘A timely and well-informed book about an extremely consequential development in global affairs. Howell’s understanding of the alignment of these autocratic powers is unparalleled. Should be required reading for all students of national security and foreign affairs.’ — Victor Cha, former National Security Council Director of Asian Affairs, White House, and author of Korea: A New History of South and North

‘Edward Howell lucidly lays out the dangers—and the limitations—of this “quartet of chaos” as they seek to upend the international order, and shows that we should not underestimate their ability to wreak havoc on the world.’ — Anna Fifield, author of The Great Successor: The Secret Rise and Rule of Kim Jong Un

‘Compellingly argued and grounded in solid evidence, this is a valuable resource. Highly recommended.’ — Yong-Chool Ha, Korea Foundation Professor of Korean Social Science, University of Washington

‘Howell’s expertise and experience shine throughout the book. A well-written and original contribution.’ — Ramon Pacheco Pardo, Professor of International Relations, King’s College London, and author of Shrimp to Whale: South Korea from the Forgotten War to K-Pop

‘Howell visualizes a new Eurasian Pandora’s Box or the “Axis of Upheaval” that aligns the largest real-estate on earth through four mismatched but powerful dictatorships. Regardless of internal leadership changes, this axis will continue to challenge the wider West for years to come.’ — Chung Min Lee, Senior fellow in the Asia Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

‘Howell looks closely at the new autocratic alignments from Pyongyang’s vantage point, showing how Kim Jong Un turned Russia’s war against Ukraine into durable strategic gain. A clear, well-sourced account of relationships too often caricatured.’ — Ankit Panda, author of Kim Jong Un and the Bomb: Survival and Deterrence in North Korea

Author(s)

Edward Howell is a lecturer and research fellow at the University of Oxford. He is also a research fellow at the Pharos Foundation and a non-resident fellow of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies. An expert on the international relations of the Korean Peninsula and East Asia, he regularly offers analysis for national and international media, including The Spectator. He is the author of North Korea and the Global Nuclear Order: When Bad Behaviour Pays (Oxford University Press, 2023).