A UN-centered, multinational stabilization framework—prepared in advance and limited to security and civilian protection—offers the most credible way to manage sudden instability in a post-Kim North Korea without triggering escalation or occupation dynamics.

With a coordinated plan in place, early stabilization can be achieved within the first 6–12 months after regime collapse, and then progressively institutionalized into a lasting security order—forming the foundation for political transition and economic reconstruction.