Introduction

Abstract

A collapsed North Korea would be a watershed event, unleashing dynamics that would redefine the geopolitical landscape and test the future of the region. The regional powers—South Korea, China, Japan, Russia, and the United States—are ill prepared to handle short-and long-term challenges to their vital national interests emerging from a collapsed North Korea. If Pyongyang collapses, the result could be mass migration, mass suffering due to political, institutional, and economic instability, and uncontrolled nuclear weapons. The regional powers should anticipate several possible scenarios and develop plans to mitigate negative consequences.