A Korean affairs expert at a leading conservative U.S. institute has urged the Obama administration to prepare for a problematic North Korea.

Nicholas Eberstadt, a senior researcher at the American Enterprise Institute, made the remark in a contribution piece to the Wall Street Journal. In the article, he said the next U.S. president, Barack Obama, could face “an uncomfortable surprise” on behalf of North Korea.

Eberstadt warned that the North could pose humanitarian or security threats, such as a massive defection of North Korean people, a military clash or nuclear proliferation.

Although he did say that the collapse of North Korea could pave the way for unification between the North and South.