About the Analysis Centre

What is the Korean Peninsula Analysis Centre (KPAC)?

The KPAC is a platform developed to collect and communicate to the public open-source information and analysis regarding nuclear risks on the Korean Peninsula.

What is the purpose of KPAC and how is it intended to be used?

The purpose of the KPAC is two-fold:

1. it serves as a continuous monitoring tool for analysts to stay apprised of events that may change the risk of nuclear use on the Korean Peninsula; and
2. it serves as a repository allowing the public, analysts, and decision makers to have open access to important information and analysis regarding nuclear risks on the Korean Peninsula.

What is KPAC's structure and functionality?

In the Monitor section of the KPAC (available only to ONN analysts at the current time), relevant news sources are automatically collected for review. ONN analysts review all the new items and decide if they are relevant, and for which nuclear risk area they are relevant. The relevant items are then saved in the Library, where they are made available to the public via the Nuclear Risk Levels dashboard.

The Nuclear Risk Levels dashboard shows the 15 areas that impact the risk of nuclear use on the Korean Peninsula. It is here that the public can see the curated news items and assessed level of risk for each area. By clicking on each risk area, the user can see a brief summary of how ONN assesses that Nuclear Risk Level, and how that level has changed over time.

Parallel to the dashboard, and also publicly available, is the Knowledge Base. This is a repository of relevant information for assessing nuclear risks on the Korean Peninsula. Here the user can find accurate and reliable information ONN has produced on Korean Peninsula political issues, nuclear and military programmes on the peninsula, and on open-source analytical methods.

The third and final pillar of KPAC is the Sanctions Database. Here the user will find a repository of all DPRK-related sanctions legislation. The database classifies these sanctions by the reasons (objectives behind the sanctions), types, and sectors.

How does KPAC help reduce the risk of nuclear weapon use on the Korean Peninsula? How does it contribute to ONN's mission?

The KPAC helps reduce the risk of nuclear weapon use on the Korean Peninsula by: sharing accurate and reliable open-source information to balance out information asymmetry and counter dis- and mis-information; detailing different types and sectors of sanctions to provide systemic understanding of the interplay of sanctions policies; and collating different information and analysis sources into one, easy-to-use location to help decision makers make sound judgements.

Who is the primary audience for KPAC?

There are three levels of audience for the KPAC:

• Analysts – both ONN and external analysts working on nuclear issues related to the Korean Peninsula can benefit from a single repository of reliable information and up-to-date analyses in order to work together towards the mission of nuclear risk reduction
• Public – disseminating accurate information to the public at large is important in order to stop the spread of dis- and mis-information, which can negatively impact nuclear risks due to uncertainty or misunderstanding
• Decision Makers – having a single platform that gather the necessary information can reduce nuclear risks due to uncertainty or misunderstanding, especially if that information is directly given to decision makers or people that can make a direct impact in the reduction of nuclear risk on the Korean Peninsula

How does Analyst Team plan to develop KPAC?

The ONN Analyst Team is continuously working to upgrade and streamline the user experience to make the KPAC easier to use and more impactful. The Team is currently working to bring in more directly relevant information and expand and further automate the Knowledge Base.

In the longer-term, as ONN expands its areas of focus, follow-on systems that mirror the KPAC for more regions will be developed and made publicly available.

Is there anything else the external audience needs to know about KPAC?

This is a continuously evolving platform, so please keep checking back to see updates, additional features, and newly added information and analyses. And we love hearing from users, so please send us your feedback and suggestions for improvement!