A United States Civil Affairs Response to the Pending Humanitarian Crisis Following the Collapse of the North Korean Regime

The People’s Democratic Republic of Korea is showing signs that the regime’s control of information and its people are weakening. Increasing defections, more public officials taking bribes and a public demonstration against the regime in 2006 demonstrate the slipping state controls. The possibility that the North Korean regime will collapse has never been greater under its new leader, Kim Jong Un. The humanitarian problems, shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, will only become worse following a collapse of the North Korean regime. This study explores the niche role United States civil affairs will play in the humanitarian response following the regime’s collapse. The magnitude of the problem the collapse will precipitate, a survey of civil affairs doctrine, and lessons learned from the 2010 Haiti Earthquake demonstrate a unique capability civil affairs provides in a large-scale humanitarian response. The study concludes that civil affairs planners need to lay the groundwork now for a successful humanitarian response to a post-collapse North Korea.