North Korea’s Perception of Multilateralism＆＆ 145 As scholars and security specialists continue to call for a regional multilateral security framework for Northeast Asia, advocates of such a framework must contemplate the participation of the region’s most incorrigible actor, North Korea. However, one crucial question remains unanswered in the discourse: How does North Korea per- ceive multilateralism? To glean a better understanding I examine North Korean materials, statements, and behavior relevant to select cases of multilateralism, alongside secondary sources. North Korea’s realist interpretation suggests that Pyongyang largely equates multi- lateralism in the capitalist international system as ‘imperialism’. While some of North Korea’s statements and cooperative tendencies suggest it values rules and principles 학 one dimension of multi- lateralism 학 North Korea nevertheless does not subscribe to the western IR conception of the term, but rather equates multi- lateralism to that of a purely functional and strategic tool to pursue its own interests in an anarchical world. Key words: North Korea, multilateralism, United Nations, Non- 菱惭歮オ珝孙２＆７＜ ＆９．８６７９／２＆ ࢞＆８６７９＆オ ＆オ２＆ｖｖ４７：；兀８７９４ North Korea’s Perception of Multilateralism ０ Dean J. Ouellette (Kyungnam University) ０＆Ｚｎｋ＆ｇ｛ｚｎｕｘ＆｝ｕ｛ｒｊ＆ｒｏｑｋ＆ｚｕ＆ｚｎｇｔｑ＆ｚｎｋ＆ｐｕ｛ｘｔｇｒｙ＆ｇｔｕｔ｡ｓｕ｛ｙ＆ｘｋ｜ｏｋ｝ｋｘｙ＆ｌｕｘ＆ｚｎｋｏｘ＆ｉｕｔｙｚｘ｛ｉｚｏ｜ｋ＆ｉｕｓｓｋｔｚｙ＆ｕｔ＆ｇｔ＆ｋｇｘｒｏｋｘ＆ｊｘｇｌｚ＆ｕｌ＆ｚｎｏｙ＆ｇｘｚｏｉｒｋ４