North Korea's nuclear gamble pays off, with the WSJ's Jonathan Cheng

In this episode of GZERO World, Ian Bremmer sits down with Jonathan Cheng, Wall Street Journal's Korea Bureau Chief and author of 'Korean Messiah,' to dissect North Korea's evolving nuclear strategy and the enduring cult of personality around the Kim dynasty. Cheng argues that North Korea is not just a nation-state but a deeply religious society where the Kims are venerated as messianic figures, a belief system reinforced through decades of total information control, state propaganda, and societal conditioning. Despite international sanctions and global isolation, North Korea's nuclear arsenal has become a shield against external threats, while the regime's internal stability is maintained through a combination of fear, loyalty, and spiritual transcendence tied to sacrifice for the state. Cheng reflects on his firsthand experiences in Pyongyang, the regime's strategic pivot toward Russia, and the surprising public grooming of Kim Jong-un's daughter as a potential successor—a radical departure from traditional patriarchal succession. The conversation also explores how North Korea leverages its nuclear status to deter U.S. pressure, the limits of diplomacy under Trump, and the geopolitical game of balancing China and Russia. Ultimately, the episode underscores a grim reality: North Korea has successfully turned its isolation into strength, and the world may have to accept a nuclear-armed Kim dynasty as a permanent feature of global security. Key takeaways include: North Korea’s nuclear program is not just a military asset but a core pillar of its ideological survival; the regime’s cult of personality is both authentic and deeply entrenched due to decades of information control; succession planning through Kim Jong-un’s daughter signals a bold, unprecedented shift in dynastic tradition; the U.S. has no viable leverage over North Korea due to its nuclear deterrence and strategic alliances with China and Russia; and the international community must grapple with the uncomfortable truth that containment, not denuclearization, may be the only sustainable policy.