Warmongering and Worldmaking: North Korean Diplomacy, African Decolonization, and the Pyongyang Conference of 1987

North Korea is renowned for its military diplomacy. The launching of ballistic missiles at home and the selling of weapons abroad, such as ammunition to Russia or technology to Iran, enhances its status as a regime gone rogue. Since 2006, North Korea has been sanctioned by the United Nations for its expanding weapons programme, in particular because of the development of nuclear capabilities. North Korea’s role as a warmongering nation has a historical precedent, as Pyongyang had been a prolific exporter of arms and training since the 1960s. Military export was “an important part of its foreign policy strategy” during the Cold War, and numerous state and non-state actors around the world benefited from North Korean support. Especially in Africa, North Korea was an “exceptional player” in terms of military assistance. Today, its catalogue of violence remains impressive and serves as an important means of generating revenue. Yet, this is not the entire story of North Korea’s role in the world.

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