Muchun is a PhD candidate in politics research in the Department of Political Economy. Her research interest centres on East Asian geopolitics, with a specific focus on the political dynamics and security issues of the Korean Peninsula. Muchun is particularly interested in exploring the formation and rationale behind the foreign policy of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). Her research employs theoretical frameworks alongside detailed case studies to unravel complex issues in international relations and political science.

Research interests

• Politics of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
• Foreign policy analysis
• Inter-Korean relations
• East Asian politics
• Security

Doctoral research

Muchun’s doctoral research applies Role Theory to analyse how the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s national role conceptions (NRCs) influence its (foreign) policy towards the Republic of Korea (ROK) from 2012 and 2024. This study examines the interplay between the DPRK’s NRCs and its foreign policy behaviours, providing insights into the broader implications of these NRCs on inter-Korean relations and regional stability in East Asia.

PhD supervisors

Professor Ramon Pacheco Pardo and Dr Isabelle Hertner.