Daniel A. Pinkston, a lecturer in international relations with Troy University and based in Seoul, will explore party-military relations in North Korea and outline its importance for at least three major reasons. First, for the Kim family regime, control of the military and the internal security forces is critical to prevent or crush any rebellion. Second, is the standard military role: how would the North Korean leadership exert command and control of the Korean People’s Army (KPA) during a conventional conflict? Third, North Korea possesses several asymmetric capabilities including weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and delivery systems. The presentation will also explore the command and control of North Korea’s asymmetric capabilities including nuclear weapons. And how can we be confident about the ways in which the leadership might employ its asymmetric capabilities so that we can reduce the likelihood of catastrophe?