▁Bel arus , ▁and ▁Z imb ab we . ▁The ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁U . S . ▁san ctions ▁brought ▁the ▁enfor cement ▁against ▁the ▁North ▁to ▁a ▁" normal " ▁level . ▁ ▁A vo iding ▁con cess ion ary ▁diplom acy ▁Lee ▁arg ues ▁that ▁the ▁North ▁Korean ▁regime ▁has ▁a ▁well - est ab lished ▁cycle ▁of ▁es cal ating ▁t ensions , ▁followed ▁by ▁over t ures ▁to ▁dialog ue ▁and ▁de es cal ation . ▁The ▁latter ▁b ait ▁counter parts ▁that ▁are ▁always ▁eager ▁to ▁res ume ▁peace ▁tal ks , ▁into ▁prem ature ly ▁soft ening ▁their ▁san ctions ▁on ▁the ▁North ▁and ▁even ▁sending ▁funds ▁and ▁aid , ▁just ▁to ▁see ▁the ▁North ▁viol ate ▁any ▁agre ements ▁made , ▁and ▁restart ▁the ▁cycle . ▁In ▁this ▁way , ▁the ▁North ▁has ▁extracted ▁prof itable ▁con cess ions ▁at ▁every ▁cycle . ▁Furthermore , ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁the ▁North ▁negoti ating ▁the ▁surrender ▁of ▁their ▁nuclear ▁program ▁is ▁all ▁but ▁an ▁ill usion ▁unless ▁the ▁regime ▁comes ▁to ▁a ▁point ▁of ▁near - collapse . ▁ ▁Information ▁campaign ▁Lee ▁has ▁written ▁that ▁" app lied ▁in ▁greater ▁force ▁and ▁scale , ▁propag anda ▁may ▁be ▁a ▁more ▁powerful ▁d eter rent ▁than ▁force . ▁Py ong y ang ▁right fully ▁fear s ▁the ▁preced ent ▁of ▁Se oul ▁respond ing ▁asym met r ically ▁with ▁information ▁war fare . ▁( ...) ▁Just ▁imagine ▁if ▁Se oul ▁and ▁Washington ▁vast ly ▁increased ▁fund ing