Analysis of Korean Security Police Officers’ Perceptions of Threats from Northeast Asian Countries: Suggestions for North Korean Defectors, China, and North Korean Regime Change

Purpose: Northeast Asia is experiencing increasing military tensions and diplomatic turmoil due to the Russia- North Korea military alliance and the US-China hegemony struggle. Various issues such as territorial disputes, historical conflicts, economic uncertainty, and cyber-attacks are intertwined in the region, which shows the lack of trust and cooperation among Northeast Asian countries. Various threats exist, such as North Korea’s refugee problem and human rights abuses in China, which have a negative impact on regional stability. Therefore, this study aims to explore the perception of various threats from neighboring countries in the midst of geopolitically uncertain security in Northeast Asia and contribute to the establishment of national security strategies. Method: This study surveyed Korean security police officers on their perception of threats in Northeast Asia. One-Way ANOVA was conducted to examine differences according to the number of police officers in the affiliated police organization, and t-Test was conducted to examine differences according to the work area (large city/medium city). Results: First, in places with a large number of police officers, the increase in defense spending, the worsening of US-China relations, and the issue of North Korean defectors were most prevalent in police organizations with a large number of officers. In addition, the influence of military tensions between other continents, trade conflicts between Northeast Asian countries, environmental climate change, and cyber-attacks were also prevalent in police organizations with a large number of officers. Next, the worsening of US-China relations and the thirdgeneration hereditary succession of North Korean power were prevalent in police organizations in large cities. Conclusion: Through this study, the process of change in North Korean defectors following the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the communist system after the Korean War in 1950 was analyzed and divided into generations 1-4. Focusing on the defection course of North Korean defectors, the position of the South Korean government on North Korean defectors, diplomacy toward North Korea in Southeast Asian countries, and the causes of regime change between China and North Korea in Northeast Asian countries were examined from the perspective of a regional researcher who has studied North Korea for a long time in South Korea.