Frank Aum
frankaum.bsky.social
Frank Aum
@frankaum.bsky.social
Senior Expert on Northeast Asia, U.S. Institute of Peace; former senior advisor on Korea, Defense Department 2011-2017
Reposted by Frank Aum
@frankaum.bsky.social outlines how President Lee Jae-myung's North Korea policy should position South Korea to shape its own security.
Despite Significant Geostrategic Challenges, President Lee Can Make Progress on Korean Peninsula Security - 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea
Despite not being as prominent an issue for the South Korea public as it has been in the past, ...
bit.ly
June 10, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Reposted by Frank Aum
On 6/9, my colleague @jwdwerner.bsky.social and I will be discussing the recent ROK presidential election and its foreign policy implications. Panelists will include Rep. Kim Joon-hyung, @frankaum.bsky.social, @darciedraudt.bsky.social. Register now! quincyinst.org/events/will-...
Will Lee Jae-myung Reorient South Korea’s Foreign Policy?
The implications of Lee Jae-myung's presidential election.
quincyinst.org
June 5, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Reposted by Frank Aum
HUGE: In federal court today, Judge Howell found that the Trump Administration and DOGE illegally removed USIP Board members, thereby nullifying ensuing actions including:
- replacement of Board members with DOGE officials,
- USIP staff purge, and
- transfer of USIP property to GSA.
May 19, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Reposted by Frank Aum
This is major. As a reminder, DOGE stormed the USIP building in March with the help of DC Metro Police who were originally called there by building employees. Even tho, USIP owned the building, DOGE just…took it. Background: www.thehandbasket.co/p/us-institu...
JUST IN: Judge Howell rules that the Trump/DOGE takeover of the U.S. Institute of Peace was illegal and should be treated as null and void.

ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show...
May 19, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Reposted by Frank Aum
JUST IN: Judge Howell rules that the Trump/DOGE takeover of the U.S. Institute of Peace was illegal and should be treated as null and void.

ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show...
May 19, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Sharing a review of US policy toward North Korea by @nktpnd.bsky.social and me that explores a new way forward. Our main recommendation, which is consistent with Trump’s desire to “get along” with North Korea, promotes the pursuit of “stable coexistence” with North Korea.
Denuclearization through exerting pressure isn’t a sustainable, or effective, approach for the U.S. to take with North Korea. Instead, Washington should work towards stable coexistence with Pyongyang.

@frankaum.bsky.social and @nktpnd.bsky.social explained 3 principles for a new way forward.
May 7, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Reposted by Frank Aum
BREAKING — Nearly all employees at the US Institute of Peace (USIP) received an email tonight informing them they were fired effective immediately, multiple staffers confirmed with me.

Just a few HR and IT staffers are being kept on to assist DOGE’s illegal dismantling of the independent nonprofit.
March 29, 2025 at 4:36 AM
Reposted by Frank Aum
My latest for KEI, on the rising discussion of the nuclear option, and "nuclear latency," among Korean progressives.
keia.org/the-peninsul...
South Korea Mulls Nuclear Latency - Korea Economic Institute of America
Anxiety about the U.S. is opening conversations about reprocessing spent fuel from reactors to extract plutonium or even enrich uranium
keia.org
March 14, 2025 at 11:18 PM
One confidence-building measure that Trump can take to lower tensions and improve diplomacy with the DPRK, consistent with Trump 1.0 actions, is suspending unnecessary deployments of US strategic assets.
March 4, 2025 at 2:54 PM