What game theory says about dealing with North Korea

By Dr Byung-Seong Min, Senior Lecturer, Department of International Business and Asian Studies
North Korea fired its third missile in three weeks on May 29, once again drawing protests from South Korea and Japan. Tensions have been rising in the region since the start of the year when Kim Jong-Un’s regime started a series of tests, of which this is the ninth.
Senior Lecturer Byung-Seong Min
National leaders attending the recent G7 meeting in Italy agreed that deterring North Korea should be a top priority, according to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, but given the reclusive nation’s belligerence, options are scarce.
One way to try to choose the best way forward is by applying game theory to the situation on the Korean peninsula.
Roll of the dice
Game theory applies to conflict and cooperation within competitive situations. It posits that a cooperative outcome is possible when the game is repeated infinitely, the number of players is small

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