Myanmar’s Reforms and Lessons for North Korea

Does Myanmar provide a viable model for North Korea to follow? A new Asan Issue Brief considers the recent political changes in Myanmar and compares its domestic political structures and foreign relations with North Korea's. While the Burmese case may not represent a "model" for North Korea, recent developments in Myanmar offer useful lessons for both Pyongyang and other governments reworking their policies toward North Korea. Moreover, the two cases exhibit notable interaction such that Naypyidaw's successes and failures in implementing reforms will likely have demonstration effects for Pyongyang.