This week, long-time North Korea aid worker Kathi Zellweger joins the podcast to discuss her more than two decades of work to help the people of the DPRK, especially children with hearing disabilities.  She talks about her last trip to the country in 2019 before North Korea shut its borders to prevent the spread of the COVID-19. She also shares how she first got involved in humanitarian work, her hopes for humanitarian and development assistance in the DPRK and a new book she is working on with previous podcast guest Mike Chinoy, who appeared on episode 213. Kathi Zellweger has worked to help the people of North Korea for over 25 years with Caritas Internationalis, a confederation of 162 national Catholic relief, development and social service organizations. She was based in Pyongyang for five years (2006-2011) as North Korea country director for the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and then with her own organization KorAid Limited, which is based in Hong Kong and focuses on helping people with disabilities.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

NK News Lead Correspondent Jeongmin Kim sits down in the studio to discuss the latest events on the peninsula since South Korea President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law on Dec. 3.  She explains the confusion over who is in charge of defending the country against North Korean attack after Yoon ceded his authority, growing calls for the president’s impeachment over allegations of treason and reports the South Korean military put special forces units on alert for a “serious situation regarding North Korea” hours before Yoon declared martial law. She also talks about how Pyongyang has yet to publicly react or mobilize any “unusual” response to the ongoing political turmoil south of the border.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol made the unprecedented decision to impose martial law on Tuesday, plunging the country into political chaos and leading the parliament to take action to force him to rescind the order just hours later. In a special joint episode, members of the NK News and Korea Pro teams dissect the dramatic and unexpected turn of events, from why Yoon justified martial law as necessary to combat “pro-North Korea elements” to the standoff between lawmakers and security forces at the National Assembly. Korea Pro Editorial Director Jeongmin Kim shares her insights from reporting on the ground, while Editor John Lee and junior news reporter Joon Ha Park outline how South Korea’s political parties reacted to Yoon’s declaration and how Pyongyang could seek to exploit the situation. The episode also explores the immediate fallout of Yoon’s decision, including mass Cabinet resignations and likely impeachment proceedings. About the podcasts: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The Korea Pro Podcast is a weekly 15-minute conversation hosted by Editorial Director Jeongmin Kim and Editor John Lee diving deep into the most pressing stories shaping South Korea — and dissecting the most complicated ones for professionals monitoring ROK politics, diplomacy, culture, society and technology. Uploaded every Friday.

North Korea launched more balloons filled with trash across the border last week, just days after the leader’s sister denounced another round of alleged anti-regime leafleting.  NK News Seoul Correspondent Ifang Bremer joins the podcast to discuss the latest launches and how local governments in South Korea are clamping down on activist leafleting due to fears of DPRK retaliation. He also talks about what he’s observed during recent reporting trips to the inter-Korean border, and details an NK News investigation that identified at least three television channels broadcasting content into the DPRK.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

On this week’s episode, retired Major General Urs Gerber joins the podcast to discuss the current state of inter-Korean relations and what has changed since he served as head of the Swiss Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC) in Panmunjom a decade ago. He also talks about the changing role of the NNSC since its formation following the end of the Korean War and the most memorable incident from his time at the inter-Korean border.  Urs Gerber is a retired major general of the Swiss Army. He is also a historian and has worked in strategic intelligence. From Feb. 2012 to Aug. 2017, he served as head of the Swiss Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission in Panmunjom. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Kim Jong Un blasted U.S. support for Ukraine at a major army conference this week, despite ongoing military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow.  NK News Junior Correspondent Joon Ha Park joins the podcast to discuss the Fourth Conference of Korean People’s Army Battalion Commanders and Political Instructors held in Pyongyang earlier this month, as well as reports that North Korea has received air defense systems and anti-aircraft missiles from Russia in return for dispatching troops to support Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

On today’s episode, former U.S. government official and scholar Sean King joins the podcast to discuss what Washington’s foreign policy is likely to look like under President-elect Donald Trump.  He’ll also talk about who Trump has picked for his administration so far and their relevance to events on and around the Korean Peninsula, as well as how North Korea’s deployment of troops to aid Russia will impact Trump’s promise to end the war in Ukraine.  Sean King is senior vice president at Park Strategies in New York and writes frequently on U.S.-Asia matters. He is a former scholar and used to work in the U.S. Department of Commerce. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Editor’s note: Starting Nov. 21, our full-length episodes with special guests will only be available to NK News subscribers. This shift allows us to invest in bringing you top-quality interviews, exclusive insights and a more comprehensive NK News experience. Listeners who sign up before Nov. 30 pay just $1 for their first month, then get 50% off for the next 12 months. Visit nknews.org/join to subscribe and get access to daily news and analysis, as well as special invites to webinars and events. Beijing took a particularly firm stance on security issues related to the Korean Peninsula at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting in Peru this week, saying it “will not sit idly by when its strategic security and core interests are under threat.” Korea Pro Editor John Lee joins the podcast to discuss how North Korea’s deployment of troops to aid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has changed the dynamics on the peninsula, as well as the possibility of Seoul providing weapons to Kyiv.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Editor’s note: Starting Nov. 21, our full-length episodes with special guests will only be available to NK News subscribers. This shift allows us to invest in bringing you top-quality interviews, exclusive insights and a more comprehensive NK News experience. Listeners who sign up before Nov. 30 pay just $1 for their first month, then get 50% off for the next 12 months. Visit nknews.org/join to subscribe and get access to daily news and analysis, as well as special invites to webinars and events. In this week’s episode, Minjung Kim joins the podcast to discuss the Ten Principles for the Establishment of a Monolithic Leadership System, a North Korean doctrine that outlines how citizens should act and that authorities use to justify the suppression of freedom of expression.  She talks about the status of these ten principles in the DPRK and their relation to the country’s other foundational documents, as well as how the preamble to these principles may change now that Kim Jong Un has taken the goal of reunification with South Korea off the table.  Dr. Minjung Kim is Deputy Director of Unification Human Rights Studies at the Institute for National Security Strategy (INSS) in Seoul, South Korea, and the president of Save NK. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Editor’s note: Starting Nov. 21, our full-length episodes with special guests will only be available to NK News subscribers. This shift allows us to invest in bringing you top-quality interviews, exclusive insights and a more comprehensive NK News experience. Listeners who sign up before Nov. 30 pay just $1 for their first month, then get 50% off for the next 12 months. Visit nknews.org/join to subscribe and get access to daily news and analysis, as well as special invites to webinars and events. A North Korean soldier lies on the ground, dead or comatose. Above the body, a hand holds a red military ID with the Korean People’s Army emblem. The photo purports to be evidence of the DPRK’s troop deployment to fight Ukraine. The only problem is it is likely fake. This week, NK News correspondent Shreyas Reddy joins the podcast to discuss the rash of staged or edited media that has circulated online in the wake of North Korea’s troop dispatch to Russia, and how this development could harm Kyiv’s interests by undermining its credibility. He also talks about the recent series of distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks on South Korean government websites, and explains why Russian hackers mobilized to carry out the cyberattacks over Seoul’s response to the DPRK’s military deployment. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Editor’s note: Starting Nov. 21, our full-length episodes with special guests will only be available to NK News subscribers. This shift allows us to invest in bringing you top-quality interviews, exclusive insights and a more comprehensive NK News experience. Listeners who sign up before Nov. 30 pay just $1 for their first month, then get 50% off for the next 12 months. Visit nknews.org/join to subscribe and get access to daily news and analysis, as well as special invites to webinars and events. Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. election this week marks the return to power of a president who prioritized diplomatic outreach to North Korea during his first term, including holding two summits with leader Kim Jong Un. The NK News team joins the podcast for a special roundtable episode to discuss why Trump’s return could bring a sea change to DPRK policy, and the possibility of a resumption of personal diplomacy between Kim and Trump. They also discuss how the president-elect could approach relations with South Korea, new developments in North Korea’s nuclear program and the risk of another round of “fire and fury” on the peninsula. This episode features the following members of the NK News team: CEO Chad O’ Carroll Lead Correspondent Jeongmin Kim Senior Analytic Correspondent Colin Zwirko About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Editor’s note: Starting Nov. 21, our full-length episodes with special guests will only be available to NK News subscribers. This shift allows us to invest in bringing you top-quality interviews, exclusive insights and a more comprehensive NK News experience. Listeners who sign up before Nov. 30 pay just $1 for their first month, then get 50% off for the next 12 months. Visit nknews.org/join to subscribe and get access to daily news and analysis, as well as special invites to webinars and events. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch of a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) called the “Hwasong-19” on Oct. 31, debuting the country’s biggest solid-fuel weapon to date. NK News Managing Editor Bryan Betts joins the podcast to discuss the new missile, as well as the latest on North Korea’s troop deployment to Russia and Ukraine’s claim that it has already clashed with DPRK forces in Kursk.  He also talks about how NK Pro analysis shows North Korea has started the costly task of removing references to the country’s “Juche” year naming system from thousands of plaques and monuments nationwide. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Editor’s note: Starting Nov. 21, our full-length episodes with special guests will only be available to NK News subscribers. This shift allows us to invest in bringing you top-quality interviews, exclusive insights and a more comprehensive NK News experience. Listeners who sign up before Nov. 30 pay just $1 for their first month, then get 50% off for the next 12 months. Visit nknews.org/join to subscribe and get access to daily news and analysis, as well as special invites to webinars and events. With the U.S. presidential election just days away, Bruce Klingner joins the podcast to discuss how the re-election of Donald Trump could impact the Korean Peninsula and prospects for North Korea’s denuclearization. He also talks about how Seoul may be forced to adjust its defense budget under Trump and the probability of Pyongyang conducting a seventh nuclear test.  Bruce Klingner specializes in Korean and Japanese affairs as a senior research fellow for Northeast Asia at the Heritage Foundation’s Asia Studies Center. Prior to that, he had 20 years of service at the Central Intelligence Agency and Defense Intelligence Agency. He last featured on the podcast on Episode 73. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Editor’s note: Starting Nov. 21, our full-length episodes with special guests will only be available to NK News subscribers. This shift allows us to invest in bringing you top-quality interviews, exclusive insights and a more comprehensive NK News experience. Listeners who sign up before Nov. 30 pay just $1 for their first month, then get 50% off for the next 12 months. Visit nknews.org/join to subscribe and get access to daily news and analysis, as well as special invites to webinars and events. North Korea’s troop deployment to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine appears to be moving quickly, with NATO confirming on Monday that DPRK soldiers are already in the Kursk region near the Ukrainian border. NK News Lead Correspondent Jeongmin Kim joins the podcast to discuss the latest developments in the story, including the possibility that South Korea will send “offensive weapons” or military experts to Ukraine. She also discusses North Korea’s final report on alleged South Korean drone intrusion and the DPRK’s scattering of “anti-South Korea leaflets” across Seoul for the first time in years.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

North Korea is infamously intolerant of religion, harshly cracking down on faith as a potential threat to the regime. But that doesn’t mean the officially atheistic state is completely free of believers. Religious studies scholar Roman Husarski joins the podcast to talk about the different religions that are active in North Korea, how believers practice their faith and the extent to which they have freedom from state control. He also discusses a piece he wrote for NK News about the only Orthodox cathedral in North Korea and why South Korea’s branch of the Orthodox church claims it played a bigger role than Russia in the construction of the house of worship. Roman Husarski is an assistant lecturer at the Institute of the Middle and Far East at Jagiellonian University in Poland. He holds a Ph.D. from the Institute of Religious Studies from the same university. He focuses on both South and North Korean religions and is currently conducting a research grant on the evolution of the myth of Kim Il Sung in North Korean cinema. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

North Korea has deployed troops to assist Russian forces in Ukraine, the ROK presidential office asserted last week, with Seoul’s spy agency publishing evidence that Russian naval vessels transported DPRK special forces to the Far East earlier this month. NK News Data Correspondent Anton Sokolin joins the podcast to discuss what we know about the number of troops that have been deployed, how they were transported and where they have ended up. He also talks about videos of the alleged DPRK soldiers circulating online, one of which purports to show North Korean soldiers receiving Russian uniforms at a military base in the Russian Far East. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Frank Aum, a senior expert on Northeast Asia at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP), joins the podcast to talk about a recent event the institute hosted which focused on past efforts at Korean peace, as well as a retrospective he wrote on the 70th anniversary of the 1954 Geneva Peace Conference for USIP.  He also discusses why he believes the United States and South Korea’s prioritization of denuclearization above all else needs to change to fit the new reality the region faces and how Washington should adjust its policy now that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has announced he has given up on the goal of reunification with South Korea. Frank Aum oversees the U.S. Institute of Peace’s work on Northeast Asia and focuses on ways to strengthen diplomacy to reduce tensions and enhance peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. From 2010 to 2017, he worked at the Department of Defense, including as special counsel to the Army General Counsel, special assistant to the assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs, and senior adviser on North Korea in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. During this time, he advised four secretaries of defense on issues related to Northeast Asia and the Korean Peninsula.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

North Korea claimed on Friday that a South Korean drone scattered anti-regime leaflets over Pyongyang, threatening military retaliation if such “provocations” continue. NK News CEO Chad O’Carroll and Seoul Correspondent Ifang Bremer join the podcast for a special roundtable episode to discuss Pyongyang’s claims, as well as who was behind the incursions.  They also talk about the risks the DPRK took by revealing the incident took place and information visible in photos of the leaflets. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Jihyun Park escaped from North Korea, not once but twice. Now a politician and activist in the U.K., Park joins the podcast to share her story of how she escaped and why she decided to settle in Britain rather than South Korea.  She also talks about the need to include escapees in public discussions about the DPRK, how she became involved in activism for North Korean human rights and her political career.  Jihyun Park is an activist for North Korean human rights based in the U.K. She works to raise awareness about systemic human rights abuses in the country, including forced labor, arbitrary detention and torture. She is the author of “The Hard Road Out: One Woman’s Escape From North Korea.” About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

South Korea publicly debuted a new “monster” ballistic missile that is central to plans to take out DPRK leadership in the event of war during a parade to mark Armed Forces Day.  NK News Junior Correspondent Joon Ha Park joins the podcast to discuss the event and ROK President Yoon Suk-yeol’s announcement of the establishment of the new Strategic Command (STRATCOM) to oversee military responses to North Korean nuclear threats.  He also talks about a defector’s attempt to drive a stolen bus across the demilitarized zone (DMZ) last week, allegedly seeking to return home after struggling to live in the South for a decade. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Youngah Lee of People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD) joins the podcast to discuss the progressive civil society group’s advocacy for inter-Korean peace and restarting dialogue between Seoul and Pyongyang. The activist explains why she believes establishing a “peace regime” on the peninsula is the first step toward reunification and why the return of wartime operational control of South Korean troops from Washington to Seoul is fundamental to this goal.  She also shares the PSPD’s stance on why the presence of U.S. troops on the Korean Peninsula may be hindering inter-Korean relations and the signing of a peace treaty.  Youngah Lee is the manager at the Center for Peace and Disarmament and the Center for International Solidarity at the South Korean civil society group People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Former Japanese defense minister Shigeru Ishiba will take charge as the country’s new prime minister this week, and he could bring a new approach to relations with nuclear neighbor North Korea, questioning his predecessors’ reliance on sanctions and endorsing dialogue with Pyongyang. NK News Correspondent Shreyas Reddy joins the podcast to discuss what Tokyo’s new leader could have in store when it comes to his policy on the DPRK, as well as a statement by the North Korean leader’s powerful sister slamming Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for calling the DPRK an accomplice to Russia’s invasion. He also talks about a recent warning from a U.S. cybersecurity firm that North Korean IT workers who obtain jobs at foreign companies could one day become a vector for massive cyberattacks. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Seongmin Lee, an escapee from North Korea, joins the podcast to discuss his work to smuggle information into the DPRK through Flash Drives for Freedom, a project under the nonprofit Human Rights Foundation. He talks about how the international community can support the project, the future goals of the program and criticism that the Human Rights Foundation has faced.  He also discusses his work as the director of NK Insider, an online news platform that offers unique perspectives on North Korea, primarily from defectors.  Seongmin Lee is the director of the Korea Desk at the Human Rights Foundation. Born and raised in North Korea, Lee later came to South Korea, going on to study at Columbia University in New York. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw tests of a new ballistic missile and “highly upgraded” cruise missile last week, releasing images of the launches that appeared aimed at demonstrating that the weapons are combat-ready. NK News Senior Analytic Correspondent Colin Zwirko joins the podcast to discuss how the missiles augment the DPRK’s growing arsenal, as well as South Korea’s warning that it could take “decisive military action” against Pyongyang’s trash balloons and a visit by Vietnamese military officials to the DPRK. He’ll also share his analysis of satellite imagery that shows North Korea appears to have started restoring the runway at a defunct airbase near the border with China, more than three and a half years after turning it into a COVID-19 import disinfection and quarantine center. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

With Swedish diplomats returning to work at the country’s embassy in North Korea this week, former British ambassador to the DPRK John Everard joins the podcast to discuss the process for others to make their return and rumors of North Korean diplomats being allowed to rotate into Western countries.  He also talks about North Korea’s evolving relationship with Russia and what the future of their ties looks like, how to encourage Pyongyang to engage more with the outside world as well as the now-dissolved U.N. Panel of Experts tasked with monitoring the implementation of sanctions against the DPRK.  John Everard was formerly the U.K.'s ambassador to Belarus, Uruguay, and to North Korea from 2006 to 2008, following which he served on the U.N. Panel of Experts on North Korea. He was previously on the podcast on episode 107.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un toured a uranium enrichment facility to inspect advanced centrifuges, according to state media last week, providing a rare look inside its nuclear program. NK News Deputy Managing Editor Alannah Hill joins the podcast to discuss the message Pyongyang sought to send by confirming the existence of a second enrichment facility, and whether Kim’s visit was related to the upcoming presidential elections in the U.S She also talks about more trash balloons from the DPRK, the return of Swedish diplomats to Pyongyang, an upcoming Supreme People’s Assembly meeting and NK Pro analysis that shows Kim Jong Un observed training on infiltrating a South Korean missile command. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

A recent undergraduate research project used satellite imagery to analyze the number of cars on the streets of North Korea’s second-biggest city, and uncovered some surprising results. Historian David Fields joins the podcast to discuss what the data reveals about infrastructure upgrades and vehicle use in the DPRK, as well as to discuss his book on Syngman Rhee and what he learned from reading decades of the first South Korean president’s diaries. David Fields is the associate director of the Center for East Asian Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Fields earned his PhD in history at the same University, specializing in U.S.-Korean relations. He is the author of “Foreign Friends: Syngman Rhee, American Exceptionalism, and the Division of Korea,” and the editor of “The Diary of Syngman Rhee” and “Divided America, Divided Korea: The U.S. and Korea During and After the Trump Years.” About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un recently inspected a site for a new naval base, revealing plans to construct a port capable of operating “large, modern surface and underwater vessels” as he pushes to revitalize the country’s navy. NK News Seoul Correspondent Ifang Bremer joins the podcast to discuss Kim’s weekend activities, as well as South Korea’s new defense minister and North Korea’s barrage of trash balloon launches in recent days.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Cooperation between North Korea and Russia across various sectors has gone from strength to strength in recent years, with major implications for the Korean Peninsula and beyond. This week, scholar Bo Ram Kwon joins the podcast to talk about how Moscow’s war in Ukraine has shifted the security dynamics for South Korea, particularly strategic planning with the U.S. She also discusses the possibility that the DPRK could coordinate with China in the event of a Taiwan contingency, as well as how the international community can effectively respond to Pyongyang's nuclear and missile provocations. Dr. Bo Ram Kwon is a research fellow in the Center for Security and Strategy at Korea’s Global Strategy Division at the Institute for Defense Analyses. Her research expertise includes U.S. security and defense strategy, the U.S.-ROK alliance, the nexus between U.S. foreign policy and domestic politics and economic sanctions. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

North Korea appears to be preparing for a large-scale outdoor concert in Pyongyang to celebrate the country’s foundation day on Sept. 9, according to NK News analysis of satellite imagery. NK News CEO Chad O’Carroll joins the podcast to discuss the DPRK’s foundation holiday, as well as reports that a North Korean foreign ministry delegation is expected to attend the U.N. General Assembly and the return of foreign professors to a private university in Pyongyang. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Research analyst Decker Eveleth joins the podcast to discuss where exactly North Korea’s missile program stands today, and why it presents a security problem not only for Asia and the U.S. but for the entire globe.  He also talks about the benefits of working with open-source intelligence, such as sharing intel publicly and providing new analysis, as well as a piece he wrote for NK Pro that delves into how North Korea’s tactical missile deployment could enable it to overwhelm and destroy adversary defenses.  Decker Eveleth is an associate research analyst at the CNA Corporation, a Washington-based nonprofit research and analysis organization. He studies North Korean and Chinese nuclear force structures utilizing mixed methods, including satellite imagery.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected new “suicide drones” and urged production of small drones that ordinary troops can use against “any enemy target,” according to state media on Monday. NK News Data Correspondent Anton Sokolin joins the podcast to discuss the new drones, as well as Kim’s demand to incorporate artificial intelligence in their development. He also talks about Russia’s first language exchange with the DPRK in some four years, and conflicting reports about how recent flooding has impacted North Korea’s crops. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

In his newly published book, “How Tyrants Fall: And How Nations Survive,” political scientist Marcel Dirsus examines the workings and malfunctions of dictators around the globe, including North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.  He joins the podcast to discuss the differences between authoritarian systems, how tyrants come into and fall out of power, and the unique aspects of the DPRK’s leadership system.  Dr. Marcel Dirsus is a non-resident fellow at the Institute for Security Policy at Kiel University in Germany, as well as a member of the Standing Expert Committee on Terrorism and Interior Security at the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung. He mainly works on regime instability, political violence and German foreign policy. He has advised democratic governments, foundations, multinational corporations and international organizations like NATO and the OECD.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

In a speech on Liberation Day, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol embraced a new vision of unification that seeks to “extend freedom” to the suffering masses in North Korea.  NK News CEO Chad O’Carroll and Lead Correspondent Jeongmin Kim join the podcast to discuss Yoon’s speech, which deviates from decades of policy toward Pyongyang by embracing unification by absorption, as well as the start of large-scale U.S.-ROK summer military exercises to train for the possibility of conflict with North Korea. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

The Global South has continued to grow in political importance in recent years, as the U.S., China and Russia battle for influence among countries in the Southern Hemisphere. And that contest also has implications for addressing a range of North Korea issues. This week, Rob York of the Pacific Forum joins the NK News podcast to discuss how the countries of the Global South think about the DPRK’s human rights, and what the U.S. can do to win their support for efforts to address the problem.  He also talks about the evolution of Pyongyang’s illicit efforts to fund its nuclear and missile programs, the relevance of international sanctions after the collapse of the U.N. Panel of Experts and how early English-language newspapers in South Korea covered the authoritarian government of Syngman Rhee and the “puppet state” of North Korea. Rob York is the director for regional affairs at the Pacific Forum. He previously worked as a production editor for The South China Morning Post and chief editor of NK News. He earned his Ph.D. in Korean history at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

North Korea only sent 14 athletes to compete at the Paris Olympics, its first Summer Games in eight years, but its small contingent managed to take home six medals, demonstrating the country’s ability to consistently punch above its weight in sports. NK News correspondent Shreyas Reddy discusses where the DPRK had the most success, and moments where the humanity of its athletes shone through. Then, NK News’ Ifang Bremer talks about a joint investigation with Tamedia and Der Spiegel that found that a North Korea expert who mysteriously disappeared earlier this year has been detained in Switzerland on suspicions of spying, likely for China. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Almost a quarter century ago, South Korean President Kim Dae-jung traveled to Pyongyang to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Il for the first-ever inter-Korean summit, a watershed moment in ties between the longtime adversaries. Months later, Kim Dae-jung received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to promote reconciliation with the DPRK and for his work for democracy and human rights in the ROK. But in the years that followed, it was revealed that Seoul had sent hundreds of millions of dollars in secret payments to North Korea, ostensibly to convince Pyongyang to agree to the summit, and a new book argues that the real total may have been as high as $3 billion. This week, veteran journalist Donald Kirk joins the podcast to discuss his book about how Kim Dae-jung arranged the secret payments and may have financed North Korea’s nuclear program in the process. He talks about the South Korean activist’s ambition to win the Nobel Peace Prize and how the payments were routed through the company Hyundai Asan. Kirk also touches on what he learned from his many reporting trips to the DPRK over the years, and shares his thoughts on the recent U.S. charges against North Korea expert Sue Mi Terry. Donald Kirk is a journalist who has reported on the Koreas for decades and the author of several books about Asian affairs. His latest book is “Kim Dae-jung and the Quest for the Nobel: How the President of South Korea Bought the Peace Prize and Financed Kim Jong-il’s Nuclear Program.” About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gave a speech at a large-scale military event on Sunday where he handed over more than 250 missile launchers to the frontline units, calling for improvements to nuclear capabilities to counter the U.S. NK News Senior Analytic Correspondent Colin Zwirko joins the podcast to discuss the message behind the DPRK missiles, as well as the hard rock rendition of the national anthem that opened the ceremony. He also talks about how satellite imagery reveals the damage from recent flooding in North Korea was even more extensive than state media let on, and what the ongoing expansion of weapons factories around the country may mean for arms sales to Russia. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gave a speech at a large-scale military event on Sunday where he handed over more than 250 missile launchers to the frontline units, calling for improvements to nuclear capabilities to counter the U.S. NK News Senior Analytic Correspondent Colin Zwirko joins the podcast to discuss the message behind the DPRK missiles, as well as the hard rock rendition of the national anthem that opened the ceremony. He also talks about how satellite imagery reveals the damage from recent flooding in North Korea was even more extensive than state media let on, and what the ongoing expansion of weapons factories around the country may mean for arms sales to Russia. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Ed Pulford joins the podcast to discuss his new book “Past Progress: Time and Politics at the Borders of China, Russia, and Korea,” which examines the unique border area between the three countries from various angles. He shares insights from his time in the Chinese town of Hunchun on the border with Russia and North Korea, and discusses how the region’s proximity to the DPRK impacts its inhabitants’ views of the isolated country. He also talks about the North Korean he met living in Hunchun and how the area changed after the pandemic. Dr. Ed Pulford is an anthropologist and senior lecturer in Chinese Studies at the University of Manchester. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Ed Pulford joins the podcast to discuss his new book “Past Progress: Time and Politics at the Borders of China, Russia, and Korea,” which examines the unique border area between the three countries from various angles. He shares insights from his time in the Chinese town of Hunchun on the border with Russia and North Korea, and discusses how the region's proximity to the DPRK impacts its inhabitants' views of the isolated country. He also talks about the North Korean he met living in Hunchun and how the area changed after the pandemic. Dr. Ed Pulford is an anthropologist and senior lecturer in Chinese Studies at the University of Manchester.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

North Korea’s 16-athlete contingent descended upon Paris for the Olympic Games last week, competing in events such as table tennis, wrestling and diving. NK News’ Joe Smith joins the podcast to talk about where the DPRK might achieve success, as well as a $10 million U.S. bounty for a North Korean national tied to a notorious cybercrime syndicate. As his time as a news trainee comes to an end, he’ll also review some of the most impactful and interesting stories he’s covered during his year at the company, including Kim Jong Un’s daughter rocking Gucci sunglasses and Alan Titchmarsh’s subversive jeans.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

The U.S. has charged prominent North Korea expert Sue Mi Terry, a former CIA analyst and White House official, with allegedly working for South Korean spies in exchange for luxury goods and expensive dinners. The NK News team joins the podcast to discuss Terry’s indictment, its implications for North Korea policymakers, its impact on South Korean politics and more. This episode features the following members of the NK News team: Founder Chad O’Carroll  Lead Correspondent Jeongmin Kim Seoul Correspondent Ifang Bremer  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

South Korea restarted “full-scale” propaganda broadcasts from border loudspeakers this week in retaliation over North Korea’s ninth trash balloon launch to date. NK News Editorial Intern Joon Ha Park joins the podcast to discuss the content that ROK is blaring over the border, what a high-profile defector from the DPRK Embassy in Cuba has revealed about Pyongyang’s leadership and how a new generation of defector artists are using their work to explore identities shaped by life in both Koreas. More information about the defector artist exhibition at Gallery SUN, discussed in this episode, can be found here. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Kim Jong Un’s announcement of a new policy rejecting reunification has sparked considerable debate among North Korea watchers. This week, Kim Jaechun, a professor of international relations at the Graduate School of International Studies at Sogang University, joins the podcast to talk about a discussion he recently moderated at the unification ministry about the future prospects for Korean unification. He discusses what it would take for peaceful coexistence to become realistic, how he understands Kim Jong Un’s new policy stance and whether or not it is even feasible for real change to occur in the DPRK while Kim remains in power.  Kim Jaechun is a political scientist trained at Yale University and has served as a member of the Presidential Committee for Unification Preparation. His research interests include international security, U.S. foreign policy, Northeast Asia regional affairs and inter-Korean relations. He is currently also chair of the Subcommittee for International Cooperation of the Unified Future Planning Committee. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

The North Korean leader’s sister warned that South Korea will pay “a very high price” after North Korean authorities discovered more ROK-origin leaflets in its territory, according to a statement published by state media over the weekend.  NK News CEO Chad O’Carroll (@chadocl) joins the podcast to discuss Kim Yo Jong’s threat, as well as his recent trip to Mongolia, what he spotted at the North Korean Embassy in the country and the latest on the possible return of humanitarian officials to the DPRK. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Park Hyangsu, who was born and raised in Japan in a pro-DPRK enclave of ethnic Koreans, joins the podcast for a second time to discuss how this group has reacted to Kim Jong Un’s decision to abandon peaceful reunification with South Korea. She talks about the shock of the initial announcement for members of Chongryon, the association of pro-DPRK Koreans in Japan, and why they consider reunification of great value for generating support for the group's work. Park also addresses how younger generations of Zainichi Koreans, or ethnic Koreans living in Japan, find themselves caught between the two Koreas.  Park Hyangsu (@HyangsuPark and @baglekang) is a North Korea human rights activist and a Zainichi Korean now living in South Korea. Her story is featured in the NK News article “Activists fear North Korean human rights issues increasingly met with a shrug,” and she previously appeared on episode 243 of the podcast.   About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Kim Jong Un’s powerful sister condemned South Korea’s resumption of live-fire drills along the inter-Korean border as a tactic to distract the public from calls to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol, which has garnered more than one million signatures. NK News’ Deputy Managing Editor Alannah Hill (@alannahmhill) discusses Kim Yo Jong’s statement, news that a youth organization from the Russia-controlled Ukrainian region of Donbas visited Pyongyang last month and possible charges against a South Korean activist who said the ROK should welcome a North Korean invasion. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

John Linton, also known by his Korean name Ihn Yo-han, first visited North Korea with his mother as part of efforts to eradicate tuberculosis in the country. He has since visited the DPRK almost 30 times for various humanitarian aid projects, and hopes to again step foot in the country in his new role as a lawmaker of South Korea’s National Assembly.  Linton joins the podcast to discuss the current slump in inter-Korean relations, which he says have been on the decline since long before the current administration. He also discusses what reunification could mean for the peninsula in terms of national resources and transport links, as well as how it could provide opportunities for young South Koreans.  Dr. John Linton was born to American parents in Suncheon, South Jeolla Province and is now a naturalized Korean citizen. A medical doctor, he served as director of the International Health Care Center at Severance Hospital until recently. He is now a lawmaker in South Korea’s National Assembly as a member of the conservative People Power Party. Editor's note: Since the recording of this podcast, Linton has been assigned as a member of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

North Korea held a major plenary session of the Workers’ Party of Korea this week, with leader Kim Jong Un presiding over the meeting. Photos published in the Rodong Sinmun of the plenum showed North Korean officials delivering speeches while wearing badges with Kim Jong Un’s portrait on them, the first confirmed use of such badges within the DPRK. NK News Data Correspondent Anton Sokolin joins the podcast to discuss what may have been discussed during the plenum, as well as to set the record straight on false news reports that North Korea said it will dispatch troops to support Russia’s war against Ukraine within a month.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

North Korea launched balloons toward the South for a third consecutive day on Wednesday, bringing the total number of launches to seven since May as the DPRK continues to retaliate against anti-regime leafleting by ROK activists. Pastor Eric Foley of the Voice of the Martyrs Korea, an NGO that regularly sends Bibles to the North by balloon, joins the podcast to discuss the purpose of balloon launches and why there are better and worse ways to carry them out. He explains why he believes it defeats the purpose when activists publicize leafleting efforts, the conditions necessary to effectively send balloons North and how his group seeks to reduce the environmental impact of its launches. Eric Foley is the CEO of the Voice of the Martyrs Korea. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

North Korea launched a sixth round of trash balloons toward the South on Tuesday night, according to Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, the latest in a wave of inter-Korean incidents that have included border incursions by DPRK soldiers.  NK News Correspondent Shreyas Reddy (@shreyas_k_reddy) joins the podcast to discuss new details about what the DPRK’s balloons have been dumping in the South, the possible resumption of loudspeaker broadcasts on both sides of the border and more details from Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s summit with Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang last week.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

After arriving late, Russian leader Vladimir Putin kicked off his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang on Wednesday. In addition to much fanfare, including a parade and concert, the pair also took their ties to the next level by signing a Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Article 4 of which vows that either side will “immediately provide military assistance” in the case of an attack on the other.  NK News Data Correspondent Anton Sokolin and Senior Analytic Correspondent Colin Zwirko (@ColinZwirko) join the podcast to discuss the language of the treaty and what it could mean for Moscow-Pyongyang military cooperation.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin is set to touch down in Pyongyang for a “friendly state visit” from June 18 to 19, according to the Kremlin. During his trip, Putin will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and the pair may sign a “comprehensive strategic partnership.”  NK News CEO Chad O’Carroll (@chadocl) joins the podcast to discuss what this partnership could entail, what else Putin and Kim could get up to during the Russian leader’s first visit to the DPRK in two decades and how China could interpret the trip. He also touches on the latest cross-border leafleting and Seoul’s temporary reactivation of loudspeaker broadcasts. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

North Korea’s 16-athlete contingent descended upon Paris for the Olympic Games last week, competing in events such as table tennis, wrestling and diving. NK News’ Joe Smith joins the podcast to talk about where the DPRK might achieve success, as well as a $10 million U.S. bounty for a North Korean national tied to a notorious cybercrime syndicate. As his time as a news trainee comes to an end, he’ll also review some of the most impactful and interesting stories he’s covered during his year at the company, including Kim Jong Un’s daughter rocking Gucci sunglasses and Alan Titchmarsh’s subversive jeans. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

The U.S. has charged prominent North Korea expert Sue Mi Terry, a former CIA analyst and White House official, with allegedly working for South Korean spies in exchange for luxury goods and expensive dinners. The NK News team joins the podcast to discuss Terry’s indictment, its implications for North Korea policymakers, its impact on South Korean politics and more. This episode features the following members of the NK News team: Founder Chad O’Carroll Lead Correspondent Jeongmin Kim Seoul Correspondent Ifang Bremer About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

South Korea restarted “full-scale” propaganda broadcasts from border loudspeakers this week in retaliation over North Korea’s ninth trash balloon launch to date. NK News Editorial Intern Joon Ha Park joins the podcast to discuss the content that ROK is blaring over the border, what a high-profile defector from the DPRK Embassy in Cuba has revealed about Pyongyang’s leadership and how a new generation of defector artists are using their work to explore identities shaped by life in both Koreas. More information about the defector artist exhibition at Gallery SUN, discussed in this episode, can be found here. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Kim Jong Un’s announcement of a new policy rejecting reunification has sparked considerable debate among North Korea watchers. This week, Kim Jaechun, a professor of international relations at the Graduate School of International Studies at Sogang University, joins the podcast to talk about a discussion he recently moderated at the unification ministry about the future prospects for Korean unification. He discusses what it would take for peaceful coexistence to become realistic, how he understands Kim Jong Un’s new policy stance and whether or not it is even feasible for real change to occur in the DPRK while Kim remains in power. Kim Jaechun is a political scientist trained at Yale University and has served as a member of the Presidential Committee for Unification Preparation. His research interests include international security, U.S. foreign policy, Northeast Asia regional affairs and inter-Korean relations. He is currently also chair of the Subcommittee for International Cooperation of the Unified Future Planning Committee. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

The North Korean leader’s sister warned that South Korea will pay “a very high price” after North Korean authorities discovered more ROK-origin leaflets in its territory, according to a statement published by state media over the weekend. NK News CEO Chad O’Carroll (@chadocl) joins the podcast to discuss Kim Yo Jong’s threat, as well as his recent trip to Mongolia, what he spotted at the North Korean Embassy in the country and the latest on the possible return of humanitarian officials to the DPRK. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Park Hyangsu, who was born and raised in Japan in a pro-DPRK enclave of ethnic Koreans, joins the podcast for a second time to discuss how this group has reacted to Kim Jong Un’s decision to abandon peaceful reunification with South Korea. She talks about the shock of the initial announcement for members of Chongryon, the association of pro-DPRK Koreans in Japan, and why they consider reunification of great value for generating support for the group’s work. Park also addresses how younger generations of Zainichi Koreans, or ethnic Koreans living in Japan, find themselves caught between the two Koreas. Park Hyangsu (@HyangsuPark and @baglekang) is a North Korea human rights activist and a Zainichi Korean now living in South Korea. Her story is featured in the NK News article “Activists fear North Korean human rights issues increasingly met with a shrug,” and she previously appeared on episode 243 of the podcast. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Kim Jong Un’s powerful sister condemned South Korea’s resumption of live-fire drills along the inter-Korean border as a tactic to distract the public from calls to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol, which has garnered more than one million signatures. NK News’ Deputy Managing Editor Alannah Hill (@alannahmhill) discusses Kim Yo Jong’s statement, news that a youth organization from the Russia-controlled Ukrainian region of Donbas visited Pyongyang last month and possible charges against a South Korean activist who said the ROK should welcome a North Korean invasion. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

John Linton, also known by his Korean name Ihn Yo-han, first visited North Korea with his mother as part of efforts to eradicate tuberculosis in the country. He has since visited the DPRK almost 30 times for various humanitarian aid projects, and hopes to again step foot in the country in his new role as a lawmaker of South Korea’s National Assembly. Linton joins the podcast to discuss the current slump in inter-Korean relations, which he says have been on the decline since long before the current administration. He also discusses what reunification could mean for the peninsula in terms of national resources and transport links, as well as how it could provide opportunities for young South Koreans. Dr. John Linton was born to American parents in Suncheon, South Jeolla Province and is now a naturalized Korean citizen. A medical doctor, he served as director of the International Health Care Center at Severance Hospital until recently. He is now a lawmaker in South Korea’s National Assembly as a member of the conservative People Power Party. Editor’s note: Since the recording of this podcast, Linton has been assigned as a member of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

North Korea held a major plenary session of the Workers’ Party of Korea this week, with leader Kim Jong Un presiding over the meeting. Photos published in the Rodong Sinmun of the plenum showed North Korean officials delivering speeches while wearing badges with Kim Jong Un’s portrait on them, the first confirmed use of such badges within the DPRK. NK News Data Correspondent Anton Sokolin joins the podcast to discuss what may have been discussed during the plenum, as well as to set the record straight on false news reports that North Korea said it will dispatch troops to support Russia’s war against Ukraine within a month. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

North Korea launched balloons toward the South for a third consecutive day on Wednesday, bringing the total number of launches to seven since May as the DPRK continues to retaliate against anti-regime leafleting by ROK activists. Pastor Eric Foley of the Voice of the Martyrs Korea, an NGO that regularly sends Bibles to the North by balloon, joins the podcast to discuss the purpose of balloon launches and why there are better and worse ways to carry them out. He explains why he believes it defeats the purpose when activists publicize leafleting efforts, the conditions necessary to effectively send balloons North and how his group seeks to reduce the environmental impact of its launches. Eric Foley is the CEO of the Voice of the Martyrs Korea. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

North Korea launched a sixth round of trash balloons toward the South on Tuesday night, according to Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, the latest in a wave of inter-Korean incidents that have included border incursions by DPRK soldiers. NK News Correspondent Shreyas Reddy (@shreyas_k_reddy) joins the podcast to discuss new details about what the DPRK’s balloons have been dumping in the South, the possible resumption of loudspeaker broadcasts on both sides of the border and more details from Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s summit with Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang last week. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

After arriving late, Russian leader Vladimir Putin kicked off his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang on Wednesday. In addition to much fanfare, including a parade and concert, the pair also took their ties to the next level by signing a Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Article 4 of which vows that either side will “immediately provide military assistance” in the case of an attack on the other. NK News Data Correspondent Anton Sokolin and Senior Analytic Correspondent Colin Zwirko (@ColinZwirko) join the podcast to discuss the language of the treaty and what it could mean for Moscow-Pyongyang military cooperation. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin is set to touch down in Pyongyang for a “friendly state visit” from June 18 to 19, according to the Kremlin. During his trip, Putin will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and the pair may sign a “comprehensive strategic partnership.” NK News CEO Chad O’Carroll (@chadocl) joins the podcast to discuss what this partnership could entail, what else Putin and Kim could get up to during the Russian leader’s first visit to the DPRK in two decades and how China could interpret the trip. He also touches on the latest cross-border leafleting and Seoul’s temporary reactivation of loudspeaker broadcasts. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Following a barrage of balloon launches across the inter-Korean border, North Korea analyst Daniel Pinkston joins the podcast to discuss why North Korea is sending trash South and how Seoul should respond. He also talks about how North Korea uses “digital authoritarianism” to control its citizens with technology, as well as the DPRK’s international arms trade and Pyongyang’s move away from reunification with the South. Daniel Pinkston (@dpinkston) is a lecturer in International Relations at Troy University and previously served as Northeast Asia deputy project director for the International Crisis Group in Seoul. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

North Korea bombarded the South with hundreds more waste-carrying balloons over the weekend, leading Seoul to set up loudspeakers along the border and carry out a propaganda broadcast for the first time since 2018. Meanwhile, NK News analysis has found that the DPRK is clearing land inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) at six different locations, likely in violation of the Korean War Armistice Agreement that prohibits military activity in the 2.5-mile border area. NK News correspondent Ifang Bremer sits down in the studio to discuss the rapid pace of recent inter-Korean developments and how the DMZ construction may relate to Kim Jong Un’s call for the North to redefine its borders. Editor’s note: This podcast was recorded before the ROK military announced on Tuesday that the North Korean military intruded across the inter-Korean land border on Sunday. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

When North Korea released a new song praising leader Kim Jong Un in April, the regime was likely not expecting it to go viral around the world. DPRK historian Peter Moody joins the podcast to discuss Pyongyang’s latest hit, the popularity of North Korean girl bands and how they are influenced by K-pop, representative works that offer insight into what the country was like at the time of their creation, and his favorite North Korean song. Peter Moody is a PhD graduate of Columbia University and a research fellow at Sungkyunkwan University. He is a North Korea historian with research interests in ideology and music diplomacy who also follows contemporary trends in culture and domestic politics. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News.

North Korea has launched around 1,000 balloons toward the South since last week, each carrying around 22 pounds (10 kilograms) of waste, including cigarette butts and manure. NK News CEO Chad O’Carroll (@chadocl) and Senior Analytic Correspondent Colin Zwirko (@ColinZwirko) sit down in the studio to discuss the DPRK’s unusual launches and its anger at leafleting by ROK activists. They talk about Kim Yo Jong’s snarky justification for the balloon barrage, Seoul’s warning that it could restart loudspeaker broadcasts along the border in retaliation and whether the latest episode in the two sides’ long-running dispute over leaflets could open the door for information warfare campaigns. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News.

North Korea failed this week to place a spy satellite into orbit for the third time in four attempts since last year, after a carrier rocket exploded shortly after a satellite launch on Monday night. NK News correspondent Shreyas Reddy joins the podcast to talk about what went wrong, and why the DPRK opted to use a new engine after achieving success with a different design last November. Then, Ambassador Julie Turner sits down in the studio to discuss her work as the U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights issues and why Washington is determined to have a dialogue with the DPRK about human rights. She explains why she believes international scrutiny can help improve the human rights situation inside the DPRK, whether the U.S. should send information into the country and why she doesn’t take Pyongyang’s attacks on her background and work personally. Julie Turner was sworn in as the U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights issues on Oct. 13, 2023. A career civil service employee, she previously served as the office director in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Office of East Asia and the Pacific at the U.S. Department of State and previously was the director for Southeast Asia at the National Security Council. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Former South Korean President Moon Jae-in released a lengthy memoir this week focusing on his foreign and defense policies and diplomacy with North Korea. NK News News Trainee Joe Smith shares what Moon revealed in his new book, as well as why two more World Cup qualifiers have been relocated from Pyongyang and North Korea’s display of new portraits of Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin for the first time in a decade. Then, journalist Yang Chien-hao joins the podcast to discuss what stories related to North Korea pique the interest of Taiwanese readers, the similarities and differences between China and Taiwan’s relationship and North and South Korea’s relationship and what Taiwan and North Korea have in common. Yang Chien-hao (@yangchienhao) is a Taiwanese journalist and columnist based in Seoul, South Korea. He is a freelance journalist for TVBS and Taiwan’s public television service. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol held his first comprehensive press conference in 21 months last week, during which he discussed Seoul’s relationship with Moscow despite Russia’s burgeoning ties with North Korea. NK News Lead Correspondent Jeongmin Kim (@jeongminnkim) joins the podcast to discuss more of what Yoon had to say, as well as a balloon launch aimed at sending anti-regime leaflets and USB flash drives loaded with K-pop toward North Korea. Then, Benjamin Joinau, a French cultural anthropologist specializing in Korean studies, discusses the comprehensive database of North Korean feature films he recently published. The database, which Joinau describes as a work in progress, comprises some 800 North Korean feature films that are categorized using the DPRK’s own classifications and aims to offer historical contextualization of the country’s movies. ​Benjamin Joinau is a doctor of Cultural Anthropology specializing in Korean Studies. He is an associate researcher at the Center of Korean Studies (CRC) at School of Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences, Paris, and an assistant professor at Hongik University, Seoul. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

In recent weeks, the mandate of the U.N. Panel of Experts tasked with monitoring the implementation of sanctions against North Korea expired. Evidence emerged that the DPRK is phasing out the use of the term “Day of the Sun” to refer to Kim Il Sung’s birthday. The regime released a new song praising Kim Jong Un. And new data from Seoul’s unification ministry showed that defector numbers remain low. Christopher Green of Leiden University joins the NK News team in the studio to discuss these developments and the biggest North Korea-related stories from the last month. This week’s episode features the following members of the NK News team: NK News Founder Chad O’Carroll (@chadocl) Seoul Correspondent Shreyas Reddy (@shreyas_k_reddy) Christopher Green (@Dest_Pyongyang) is an assistant professor of Korean studies at Leiden University and the Korean Peninsula Analyst at International Crisis Group. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

North Korean trade with its top economic partner China rebounded in March to nearly $160 million, in the latest sign of strength in bilateral exchange. NK News Data Correspondent Anton Sokolin joins the podcast to discuss what we can learn from China’s officials trade data, as well as Moscow’s plan to send some 40 zoo animals to Pyongyang. Then, Sojin Lim at the University of Central Lancashire discusses sustainable development in North Korea and why the DPRK complies with some international norms while shunning others. Dr. Sojin Lim is a reader in Asia Pacific studies with special reference to Korea at the University of Central Lancashire. She leads the MA North Korean Studies course and is co-director of the International Institute of Korean Studies at the university’s School of Psychology and Humanities. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un led a salvo missile launch to test the country’s “Nuclear Trigger’ system” for the first time this week. NK News Deputy Managing Editor Alannah Hill (@alannahmhill) sits down in the studio to discuss the test, as well as the release of a new song praising the country’s “friendly father” and allegations that DPRK animators may have had a hand in a popular Amazon Prime show. Then, North Korea analyst Jacob Bogle joins the podcast to discuss his work on the AccessDPRK blog, which maps the DPRK using open-source satellite imagery. He explains how he aims to focus on areas that other analysts overlook and uncover trends that can reveal more about the lives of everyday North Koreans. Bogle also talks about some of his most exciting finds and how he turns imagery into a narrative for stories on NK Pro, including on North Korea’s expansion of its coastal fencing and a fence being built around Pyongyang. Jacob Bogle (@JacobBogle) has been a North Korea analyst since 2013 and runs the AccessDPRK blog. He is also a certified architectural drafter and pharmacy technician. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

With the end of the U.N. Panel of Experts on North Korea fast approaching, NK News founder Chad O’Carroll (@chadocl) sits down in the studio to discuss the pros and cons of four alternative ways that like-minded countries could continue to monitor enforcement of the DPRK sanctions regime. Then, retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Aaron Trimble joins the podcast to discuss his time negotiating with North Koreans at Panmunjom in a bid to regularize general meetings, as well as his role in the establishment of a General Officer crisis management dialogue channel with the DPRK. Trimble first came to the peninsula as part of the U.S. Forces Korea in the early 1990s before being assigned to the U.N. Command Military Armistice Commission in 1997. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

South Koreans head to the polls on April 10 to cast their votes in the general election to choose their next legislators. The NK News team sits down in the studio to discuss what impact, if any, North Korea has played in the campaigns of those vying for a seat in the National Assembly. They also talk about a recent incident involving a South Korean YouTuber called a “puppet” by a waitress at a North Korean restaurant in China, why the ROK military has installed rotary cannons and other weapons on some of Seoul’s tallest buildings and other top stories from the last month. This week’s episode features the following members of the NK News team: Seoul Correspondent Ifang Bremer (@IfangBremer) News Trainee Lina Park (@linaprk) News Trainee Joon Ha Park (@joonhawrites) About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Russia controversially vetoed a resolution to maintain the U.N. Panel of Experts on North Korea last week. NK News correspondent Shreyas Reddy (@shreyas_k_reddy) and news trainee Joe Smith (@nkjoesmith) sit down in the studio to discuss what’s next for the key institution monitoring the DPRK sanctions regime, as well as North Korea’s curious censoring of a British gardening legend’s jeans and its last minute decision to cancel a World Cup qualifier against Japan. Then, Emil Boivin of the North Korean Archives and Library (NKAAL) joins the podcast to talk about the project to archive as much DPRK media as possible and make it more accessible. He also discusses how the volatility of North Korean media leads to difficulties in archiving cultural materials that can disappear at any time. Based in Canada, Emil Boivin first became interested in North Korean media after screening DPRK films during his time at university. He collects DPRK books, DVDs and other media and was first tasked with filing and data storage for NKAAL (@NorthNKAAL) when it was created in 2020. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

North Korea continues to process cargo through a border disinfection facility established during the pandemic despite taking steps to ease COVID-19 controls, according to NK Pro analysis. NK News senior analytic correspondent Colin Zwirko joins the podcast to talk about why the DPRK leadership may be using the center to search for politically sensitive goods, as well as leader Kim Jong Un’s appearances at recent military drills, North Korea’s deployment of a new naval vessel and more. Then, Geoff White of “The Lazarus Heist” podcast returns to discuss his new book Rinsed about how the tech industry helps launder money for criminals — including North Korean hackers. He explores how the DPRK has worked with shady partners found on the dark web and even a Nigerian influencer to clean up its dirty money, how cryptocurrency theft has supercharged its cyber operations and how the U.S. government has struggled to clamp down on the DPRK’s use of crypto mixers. Geoff White (@geoffwhite247) is an investigative journalist covering technology and organized crime who has worked for the BBC, Channel 4 News, The Sunday Times and other outlets. He is the author of “The Lazarus Heist” about the DPRK’s cybercrime syndicates, and his new book Rinsed on technology and money laundering will be published in June. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

The U.S. and South Korea wrapped up large-scale springtime military drills last week, but not without a response from the DPRK. NK News Managing Editor Bryan Betts (@BryanBetts21) sits down to discuss North Korea’s recent rocket salvo, as well as why state propaganda is keen to show leader Kim Jong Un is not just focused on the military. Then, scholar Sheena Chestnut Greitens joins the podcast to talk about the politics of the North Korean diaspora and defectors’ outsized influence on international policy toward the DPRK. Chestnut Greitens discusses her research on North Korean communities in not only South Korea but also countries like the U.S. and the U.K., and how defectors who grew up in one of the world’s most repressive authoritarian dictatorships navigate the rights of citizenship in democratic states. She also explores how the North Korean state attempts to control the diaspora by preventing people from leaving and dissuading those who have from engaging in political activities. Sheena Chestnut Greitens (@SheenaGreitens) is director of the Asia Policy Program at the University of Texas-Austin, a non-resident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment and a visiting professor at the U.S. Army War College. Her latest book is “Politics of the North Korean Diaspora.” About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

The U.S. and South Korea launched large-scale springtime military exercises to practice “neutralizing” North Korean nuclear threats this month. Pyongyang has called the Freedom Shield exercises between the allies “frantic war drills,” warning that Washington and Seoul will pay a “dear price.” The NK News team sits down in the studio to discuss the annual exercises and Pyoungyang’s response, as well as the status of North Korea’s social media accounts after it overhauled its inter-Korean policy and Seoul’s decision to dissolve a division responsible for negotiating peace and denuclearization with the DPRK. This week’s episode features the following members of the NK News team: NK News Founder Chad O’Carroll (@chadocl) Lead Correspondent Jeongmin Kim (@jeongminnkim) Seoul Correspondent Shreyas Reddy (@shreyas_k_reddy) About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

#NorthKorea recently purged virtually all its existing social media accounts. But to understand what may come next, NK News takes you on a journey through the ups and downs of the DPRK’s social media forays. Read for full analysis here: https://www.nknews.org/pro/status-update-tracing-the-ups-and-downs-of-north-koreas-social-media-forays/ Analysis by Shreyas Reddy Video by Lina Park

North Korea marked the fifth anniversary of leader Kim Jong Un’s trip to Vietnam by highlighting relations between Pyongyang and Hanoi, while making no mention of Kim’s failed summit with former U.S. President Donald Trump during the same visit. NK News news trainee Joe Smith (@nkjoesmith) discusses the snub, the DPRK’s failure to pay its contribution to the U.N. budget, and more. Then, Frode Mauring (@Frode_Mauring), the former U.N. resident coordinator to the DPRK, joins the podcast to discuss his brief time in North Korea before the country shuttered its borders in response to the outbreak of COVID-19. He describes how his role took on a new form as he worked from Bangkok, engaging North Korean diplomats stationed in Thailand and Pyongyang’s prioritization of certain goods after imposing border controls. Mauring also talks about his newly appointed successor and what challenges he may face going forward. Frode Mauring is a Norwegian national who has worked with the U.N. since 2002. He previously served as the U.N. resident coordinator to the Russian Federation, North Macedonia, Kosovo and the United Arab Emirates. Before joining the U.N., he worked for almost 20 years in the private sector in banking and consulting. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

A German delegation traveled to North Korea this week to inspect the condition of the country’s embassy in Pyongyang, in what appears to be the first visit by European staff in some four years. NK News Seoul Correspondent Ifang Bremer (@IfangBremer) discusses what this could mean for a broader DPRK border reopening and the return of international aid agencies, as well as the five-year anniversary of the failed Hanoi Summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Then, Professor Ruediger Frank joins the podcast to talk about how the DPRK has reassessed risk amid the emergence of a “new Cold War” and how this has driven its recent closure of embassies in several countries. He also discusses Pyongyang’s relationship with Beijing and Moscow and why he believes Kim Jong Un has not actually given up on reunification despite the DPRK’s recent revision of its inter-Korean policy. Dr. Ruediger Frank (@Ruediger Frank) is a professor of East Asian economy and society at the University of Vienna, where he heads the Department of East Asian Studies. He spent one semester as a language student at Kim Il Sung University in Pyongyang in 1991/1992. He holds a master’s degree in Korean studies and international relations and a Ph.D. in economics. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korea’s leader, raised the possibility of engagement between Pyongyang and Tokyo last week but caveated that this is her “personal” view. NK News Lead Correspondent Jeongmin Kim (@jeongminnkim) dissects Kim Yo Jong’s statement, as well as a proposal from South Korea’s unification ministry to take DNA samples from suspected North Koreans who wash up dead on ROK shores to identify them in the future. Then, researcher and NK Pro contributor Martin Weiser sits down in the studio to discuss North Korea’s new line on reunification, election reform in the DPRK and what state media’s portrayal of Kim Jong Un’s daughter could mean for her future. He also talks about the difficult process of tracking the North Korean leadership and how changes in officials’ ranks can provide clues about how the regime works. Martin Weiser (@NKResearcher) received his master’s degree from Korea University in 2014 with a thesis on North Korea’s changing human rights policy. He has since continued researching DPRK political history, and his writing has appeared in SinoNK, the European Journal of Korean Studies and NK Pro. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

The first group of tourists to visit North Korea since before the COVID-19 pandemic returned home to Russia this week after a 4-day trip to Pyongyang and the Masikryong Ski Resort. NK News Data Correspondent Anton Sokolin discusses plans for more groups of Russian nationals to visit the DPRK next month, the experiences of one man who spent time at a North Korean summer camp on two separate occasions, as well as a state media report stating Pyongyang tested a new “controlled rocket artillery shell and ballistic control system” last week. Then, Senior Fellow for Korean Studies and Chief Executive Office at the Korea Economic Institute of America Scott Snyder joins the podcast to discuss his role writing about North and South Korea’s foreign policies to provide context for media and analyze and assess current issues. He also talks about his latest book, “The United States–South Korea Alliance: Why It May Fail and Why It Must Not,” and areas where Washington and Seoul can work together outside defense, such as technology development, global public health, and space cooperation. Scott Snyder (@snydersas) is set to become the new president and chief executive officer of the Korea Economic Institute of America next month. He has served as the Senior Fellow for Korea Studies at the Korea Economic Institute of America for over a decade and was previously a senior associate in the international relations program of the Asia Foundation. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

South Korea and Russia have gone back and forth in recent days after Moscow took issue with President Yoon Suk-yeol’s description of North Korea at a defense meeting. The NK News team discusses the war of words between the two sides, along with a planned trip by Russian nationals set for this week, in what could be the return of tourists to the DPRK. The team also talks about North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s secret visit to a recently-opened luxury department store in Pyongyang as well as an NK Pro analysis, which revealed that the DPRK has significantly expanded fencing and security infrastructure along both of its coastlines since the start of the pandemic, in a likely attempt to make it harder for residents to escape by sea. This week’s episode features the following members of the NK News team. Senior Analytic Correspondent Colin Zwirko (@ColinZwirko) Data Correspondent Anton Sokolin Seoul Correspondent Ifang Bremer (@IfangBremer) About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. This episode can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/how-north-korea-started-spat-between-moscow-and-seoul-ep-328/938858

Some three weeks ago, longtime North Korea watchers Robert Carlin and Siegfried Hecker set off alarm bells from Washington to Seoul when they asserted that “like his grandfather in 1950, Kim Jong Un has made a strategic decision to go to war.” Their warnings in an article for the website 38 North have received widespread coverage in both ROK and U.S. media, and prompted even South Koreans accustomed to ignoring the DPRK to consider whether a repeat of the Korean War is on the horizon. But not everyone is convinced. Thomas Schäfer, the former German ambassador to the DPRK, argued against their thesis in a rebuttal, and the U.S. government has assessed that there are currently no signs of preparations for an imminent attack. This week, Carlin and Hecker join the NK News podcast to explain exactly why they see Pyongyang’s recent war rhetoric as more than just empty bluster. They discuss why the DPRK has shifted away from seeking to normalize ties with the U.S., their views on what exactly Kim Jong Un is planning and how they’ve handled the overwhelming response to their article. Then, NK News CEO Chad O’Carroll shares his thoughts on Carlin and Hecker’s argument and how North Korea could test the credibility of U.S. deterrence. Robert Carlin is a nonresident fellow at the Stimson Center and a visiting scholar at Stanford University’s Center for International Security and Cooperation. From both in and out of government, he has been following North Korea since 1974 and has made over 30 trips there. Siegfried Hecker is a distinguished professor of practice at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. He is director emeritus of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, where he served as director from 1986 to 1997 and as senior fellow until July 2005. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. This episode can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/has-kim-jong-un-really-made-a-strategic-decision-to-go-to-war-ep-327/938565

North Korea appears to have demolished a large monument in Pyongyang symbolizing hope for reunification with South Korea, following orders from Kim Jong Un to “erase” symbols that celebrate inter-Korean reconciliation and the goal of reunification. NK News Senior Analytic Correspondent Colin Zwirko discusses some of the fallout from Kim’s instructions, as well as North Korean foreign minister Choe Son Hui’s trip to Moscow last week to meet her Russian counterpart and Vladimir Putin. Then, award-winning journalist Chun Sujin joins the podcast to discuss what inspired her to cover North Korea and her predictions for Pyongyang’s diplomatic direction in the years to come. She also talks about her book, “North Korean Women in Power: Daughters of the Sun,” which is centered around the elite circle of women who surround DPRK leader Kim Jong Un. Chun also offers her assessment of the likelihood of Kim’s daughter succeeding him. Chun Sujin is a staff writer who covers North Korea, writing in Korean for the JoongAng Ilbo newspaper and English for the JoongAng Daily newspaper. She has previously worked as a correspondent for government agencies such as the ROK presidential office and the foreign ministry. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. This episode can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/older-podcasts/covering-north-korea-and-kim-jong-uns-elite-female-entourage-ep-326/938321/

North Korean propaganda websites targeting South Korea suddenly started to disappear from the internet last week, after leader Kim Jong Un declared in late December that Korean unification is now “impossible.” Some radio broadcasts into the ROK have also stopped, while the DPRK announced on Tuesday that it is shutting down several organizations dealing with inter-Korean matters. NK News Correspondent Shreyas Reddy (@shreyas_k_reddy) sits down in the studio to discuss what outlets have disappeared, North Korea’s social media strategy and how this apparent blackout could evolve. Then, James Heenan, the head of the U.N. Human Rights office in Seoul (@UNrightsSeoul), talks about his role in monitoring and reporting on the human rights situation in North Korea, as well as his office’s role in collecting evidence that could one day be used for prosecutions of crimes against humanity in the DPRK. He also reviews a U.N. report published last year titled “These Wounds Do Not Heal,” which details enforced disappearance and abductions by the DPRK. He discusses enforced disappearances of both North Koreans and of foreigners, as well as the history behind the DPRK’s abductions of Japanese nationals. James Heenan previously served as the head of the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights in Palestine from 2015. He has also worked in academia on labor rights issues and as a practicing lawyer in the U.K. and Australia. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. This episode can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/older-podcasts/collecting-evidence-of-north-koreas-human-rights-violations-ep-325/938107/

North Korea fired more than 200 rounds of artillery shells near the inter-Korean border on Friday, according to the South Korean military, leading the ROK to conduct artillery drills in response and triggering evacuation alerts for three border islands. More artillery fire followed over the weekend, with Pyongyang claiming that it “deceived” Seoul with a fake shelling operation. NK News Correspondent Ifang Bremer (@IfangBremer) talks about the fallout from the weekend, as well as an announcement from the U.S. that Russia has used multiple North Korean ballistic missiles against Ukraine. Then retired CIA officer Stephen Mercado joins the podcast to discuss open-source intelligence and the importance of language when deciphering new information about the DPRK. He discusses the nuances of translation and how artificial intelligence can help uncover insights on North Korea from Russian, Japanese and even Portuguese sources. Stephen Mercado is a retired officer of the CIA’s Open Source Enterprise (originally the Foreign Broadcast Information Service). A researcher primarily interested in Japanese intelligence history and Asian open-source intelligence, he earned a master’s degree in international affairs at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and is the author of “The Shadow Warriors of Nakano: A History of the Imperial Japanese Army’s Elite Intelligence School,” several articles and a few dozen book reviews. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. This episode can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/the-role-of-translation-in-shedding-light-on-north-korea-ep-234/937844

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un rounded out 2023 with an important speech at a multi-day plenum on plans for the new year, outlining an agenda to push forward the country’s five-year military development goals and calling for a “fundamental change” in inter-Korean policy. The NK News team joins the podcast to recap the speech and explain what it means, including Kim’s statement that unification is now impossible, Pyongyang’s plan to launch three new military reconnaissance satellites in the coming year and how the country’s economy fared in the last year. This week’s episode features the following members of the NK News team. Lead Correspondent Jeongmin Kim (@jeongminkim) Correspondent Shreyas Reddy (@shreyas_k_reddy) About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. This episode can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/dissecting-kim-jong-uns-plenum-speech-on-north-koreas-2024-plans-ep-323/937417

A lot of uncertainty surrounds North Korea as it heads into 2024. While the country began to emerge from under its pandemic restrictions this year, it remains unclear when and if the regime will allow embassies, NGOs and tourists to return. The next U.S. presidential election is set for November, potentially leading to a major change in Washington’s policy toward Pyongyang. And as the DPRK advances its nuclear weapons program, concerns remain that South Korea might be tempted to acquire its own weapons of mass destruction. NK News sought to make sense of the information by polling over 100 experts earlier this month on their assessment of where things currently stand on North Korea, and where things are likely to go from here. This week, NK News founder and CEO Chad O’Carroll (@chadocl) joins the podcast to talk about everything they had to say, from why most DPRK watchers have a dim view of Yoon Suk-yeol’s inter-Korean policy to why international sanctions remain relevant even as they grow increasingly ineffective. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. This episode can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/what-over-100-experts-think-about-north-koreas-next-steps-ep-322/937136

North Korea launched two missiles within just ten hours of each other this week, including an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that state media said aimed to “send a clear warning” to the “U.S. and the military gangsters of the Republic of Korea.” NK News Managing Editor Bryan Betts (@BryanBetts21) discusses the third test of the Hwasong-18 this year, as well as a visit by a Russian delegation to North Korea to talk about economic cooperation and tourism. Then, Michael Bosack joins the podcast to talk about his role as deputy secretary of the U.N. Command Military Armistice Commission (UNMAC), which supervises the armistice agreement between the two Koreas along the Demilitarized Zone. He talks about the mechanisms that UNCMAC uses to communicate and negotiate with the Korean People’s Army, as well as the role the commission played in incidents like a North Korean vessel crossing the inter-Korean maritime border and Travis King’s dash across the Military Demarcation Line. Michael Bosack (@MikeBosack) is deputy secretary and international relations officer of UNCMAC. He was previously the deputy chief of government relations for U.S. Forces Japan and worked as a Mansfield Fellow in the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defense and National Diet. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. This episode can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/communicating-with-north-korea-through-faxes-and-phone-calls-ep-321/936870

The NK News team discusses DPRK embassy closures in Africa, Kim’s speech to mothers and more November marked one year since North Korean leader Kim Jong Un first introduced his daughter to the world — and in the process sparked widespread speculation about whether she is his heir. The DPRK has continued to shut down its overseas diplomatic missions, notably in African countries where North Koreans have long been active. And Kim Jong Un gave two speeches to a large-scale meeting of mothers in Pyongyang, urging them to give birth to more children and raise them to be servants of the regime. Members of the NK News team join the podcast for a roundtable discussion about the biggest news events over the last month, from the Gucci sunglasses of the leader’s daughter to why Kim Jong Un cried at an event in the capital Plus, long-time NK News analyst James Fretwell reflects on what he’s learned during the last five years of covering North Korea in his final podcast appearance. This week’s episode features the following members of the NK News team. Analyst James Fretwell (@JamesFretwe11) Correspondent Shreyas Reddy (@shreyas_k_reddy) News Trainee Joe Smith About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. This episode can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/what-we-know-about-kim-jong-uns-daughter-one-year-after-her-reveal-ep-320/936611

Former US intelligence officer Sydney Seiler returns to the podcast to answer questions from listeners ___________________________________________________________________ Thousands of North Korean women descended upon Pyongyang for the Fifth National Meeting of Mothers on Sunday, where leader Kim Jong Un urged them to give birth to more children and to send kids to perform hard labor for the state to correct bad behavior. NK News Senior Analytic Correspondent Colin Zwirko discusses Kim’s speeches on the “intensifying” fight against foreign influence on kids, as well as recent developments with the DPRK’s newly launched reconnaissance satellite. Then, former U.S. intelligence officer Sydney Seiler joins the podcast in a follow-up to his previous conversation about his four decades in government service. He answers questions sent in from listeners on the role of interpreters in meetings with North Korean interlocutors, his trip to the DPRK with U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and more. Sydney Seiler (@sydseiler) worked as a senior policymaker, negotiator and intelligence officer for the U.S. government for 42 years, including stints at U.S. Forces Korea, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. This episode can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/behind-the-scenes-of-the-us-approach-to-north-korea-ep-319/936353

South Korea partially withdrew from an inter-Korean military agreement over North Korea’s successful launch of a reconnaissance satellite last week. In response, Pyongyang announced it would scrap the Comprehensive Military Agreement in its entirety, and both sides have since pledged to rebuild guard posts along the border. NK News Data Correspondent Anton Sokolin talks about what this could mean for future relations, as well as local elections that took place in North Korea over the weekend. Then, outgoing United Nations Command (UNC) Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. Andrew Harrison sits down in the studio to talk about his work for the multinational military force tasked with maintaining the Korean War Armistice and peace on the peninsula. He also discusses a meeting earlier this month that brought together top defense officials of South Korea and 17 UNC member states, as well as the roles that troops from some 11 countries play in UNC work like demining and recovering bodies from the demilitarized zone. Lieutenant General Andrew Harrison is a senior officer in the British Army who serves as the Deputy Commander of United Nations Command in South Korea and the Colonel Commandant of the Parachute Regiment. He previously completed tours in Northern Ireland, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan and Iraq. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. This episode can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/older-podcasts/the-role-of-the-un-command-in-keeping-peace-with-north-korea-ep-318/936156/

The third time was the charm for North Korea this week, as the country successfully launched a military spy satellite into orbit on Tuesday after two previous failures. Leader Kim Jong Un hailed the success and framed the satellite as necessary to “curb dangerous invasion moves by the hostile forces.” South Korea responded by partially suspending its 2018 military agreement with the DPRK and announcing plans to resume reconnaissance activity in the no-fly buffer zone created by the deal. North Korea quickly reacted by scrapping the entire deal and vowing to resume “all” related military activities. The NK News team sits down in the studio for a special episode to discuss the significance of these events, as well as what to expect in the months to come. This week’s episode features the following members of the NK News team: Senior Analytic Correspondent Colin Zwirko (@ColinZwirko) Correspondent Shreyas Reddy (@shreyas_k_reddy) About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

North Korea claimed it successfully launched a rocket carrying a military spy satellite late Tuesday night. NK News Deputy Managing Editor Alannah Hill joins the podcast to discuss the DPRK’s warning about its plans ahead of the launch, as well as the return of the North Korean men’s soccer team to international competition. Then, former CIA analyst Sue Mi Terry sits down in the studio to discuss “Beyond Utopia,” a documentary film she produced about an underground network helping people to escape North Korea. The film uses real footage shot inside the DPRK and in transit countries to tell the story of North Koreans attempting to defect from the country, as well as the people who help to facilitate these dangerous escapes. The film took home the “U.S. Documentary Competition: Audience Award” at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. Sue Mi Terry (@SueMiTerry) is a former CIA officer and senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. She also served as the head of the Asia program at the Wilson Center and is a senior adviser at Macro Advisory Partners. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. This episode can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/older-podcasts/filming-treacherous-defections-from-north-korea-ep-316/935862/

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U.S. and South Korean officials have continued to raise concerns about potential weapons trade between North Korea and Russia, with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken accusing Moscow of providing technical assistance to Pyongyang in return for munitions. The U.N. Panel of Exports also recently released its latest report on DPRK sanctions evasion, documenting coal smuggling and DPRK overseas workers in Laos and Russia. Meanwhile, China’s forced repatriation of North Koreans has been a major concern for human rights activities, with family members of the repatriated fearing for their loved ones. The NK News team joins the podcast to discuss these stories and other major North Korea developments from October. This week’s episode features the following members of the team: Deputy Managing Editor Alannah Hill (@alannahmhill) Seoul Correspondent Ifang Bremer (@IfangBremer) Analyst James Fretwell (@JamesFretwe11) About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. This episode can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/the-growing-evidence-of-north-korean-weapons-trade-with-russia-ep-315/935608

The U.N. Panel of Experts overseeing DPRK sanctions released its latest report this month. NK News correspondent Shreyas Reddy (@shreyas_k_reddy) sits down in the studio to discuss some of the report’s findings, as well as North Korea’s decision to close numerous embassies across the globe, including in Uganda, Angola and Spain. Then, Jacob Reidhead, assistant professor of Asian Studies at National Chengchi University in Taipei, joins the podcast to talk about the differences between humanitarian aid and human rights work and his recent paper exploring the different approaches to tackling human rights abuses in the DPRK. Jacob Reidhead (@seouljake) has a degree in sociology from Stanford University and spent six months in North Korea between 2008-2009 monitoring a United States Agency for International Development food program. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/divisions-over-how-to-tackle-north-korean-human-rights-issues-ep-314/935319

The seas around the Korean Peninsula have been busy recently, following the defection of four North Koreans in a wooden boat and a South Korean mission to help a DPRK vessel stranded north of the inter-Korean maritime border. NK News Lead Correspondent Jeongmin Kim (@jeongminnkim) discusses both incidents and the controversy over the military’s response to the defectors. Then, Victor Cha (@VictorDCha) and Ramon Pachero Pardo (@rpachecopardo) sit down in the studio to discuss their recently published book “Korea: A New History of South and North.” They talk about major moments in the Koreas’ modern history and how their different nationalities influenced their perspectives when writing the book. They also respond to an NK News review of their book and criticism that it oversimplified North Korea issues. Victor Cha is the senior vice president for Asia and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He is also a professor of government and served as director for Asian Studies at Georgetown University for a decade. From 2004 to 2007, he was director for Asian affairs at the White House, where he was responsible for coordinating U.S. policy for Japan, the two Koreas, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Island nations. Dr. Ramon Pacheco Pardo is professor of International Relations at King’s College London and the KF-VUB Korea Chair at the Brussels School of Governance of Vrije Universiteit Brussel. He is also King’s Regional Envoy for East and South East Asia. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. This episode can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/the-intertwined-histories-of-the-two-koreas-and-what-the-future-holds-ep-313/935159

An appeal filed to a U.N. working group this week marked the first time that one of the thousands of North Koreans believed to be detained in China and at risk of forced return to the DPRK was named. NK News Seoul Correspondent Ifang Bremer (@IfangBremer) discusses the case of 36-year-old Kim Sun-hyang, as well as the filing of criminal charges against U.S. soldier Travis King following his release from North Korea last month. Then, Paul Kyumin Lee joins the podcast to talk about the work his organization Divided Families USA is doing to raise awareness about families living in America that have been separated from their relatives by the Korean War. He also discusses the “Letters To My Hometown” project, for which he traveled to seven cities to interview 26 Korean Americans who have been separated from their families in North Korea. Paul Kyumin Lee is the president of Divided Families USA, an organization dedicated to facilitating closure for elderly Korean Americans who have been separated from their family members in North Korea as a result of the Korean War. He is the co-founder and co-host of the Divided Families podcast. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. This episode can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/korean-americans-messages-to-long-lost-relatives-in-north-korea-ep-312/934965

Photos released Friday by the Israeli military and media outlets show that Hamas likely used North Korea-made weapons in its offensive against Israel. NK News and NK Pro founder Chad O’Carroll (@chadocl) joins the podcast to talk about the DPRK’s response to the claims, some interesting finds during a recent tour of inter-Korean border areas and the likelihood of foreign tourists being allowed back into the country. Then, Tatiana Gabroussenko sits down in the studio to discuss literature, film and media in North Korea. She talks about changes in how state media portrays leader Kim Jong Un compared to his father, how it misconstrues events in South Korea, how advertising works in the DPRK and propaganda aimed at non-Koreans. Tatiana Gabroussenko obtained her Ph.D. in East Asian Studies at the Australian National University. She is currently a professor of North Korean studies at Korea University in Seoul. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/north-koreas-rapidly-changing-media-landscape-ep-311/934727

North Korea’s ruling party daily the Rodong Sinmun weighed in on the conflict between Israel and Hamas, blaming the violence on Israel’s “ceaseless criminal acts” without mentioning the Palestinian military group’s deadly attacks on the country. North Korean athletes saw success, as well as controversy, at the Asian Games in September and October. The women’s soccer team enjoyed victory over what it described as South Korean “puppets” before losing to Japan in the final, while the men’s team tried to shove the referee after also losing to Japan. The NK News team joins the podcast to take a look back at these stories and others that made headlines in the last month, from South Korea’s controversial new defense minister to talk about greater cryptocurrency cooperation between North Korea and Russia. This week’s episode features the following members of the NK News team: Analyst James Fretwell (@JamesFretwe11) Lead Correspondent Jeongmin Kim (@jeongminnkim) Correspondent Shreyas Reddy (@shreyas_k_reddy) About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. Podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/how-north-korea-is-weighing-in-on-hamas-attacks-on-israel-ep-310/934480

North Korea made the sudden decision to expel Travis King from the country last week, more than two months after the young American soldier dashed across the inter-Korean border. NK News Managing Editor Bryan Betts talks about King’s journey back to the U.S. via China and what he faces next, as well as the overturning of South Korea’s anti-leaflet law and the DPRK’s revision of its constitution to reflect its new nuclear law. Then, Steven Denney sits down with host Jacco Zwetsloot to discuss a report he co-authored that delves into how outside information spreads in North Korea. He talks about how the DPRK controls its information landscape by banning all foreign media, as well as state monitoring that is designed to foster distrust among society. Steven Denney (@StevenDenney86) is a lecturer and vice-director for the study program in East Asian Economy and Society for the Department of East Asian Studies at the University of Vienna. He is also the vice-director of the European Centre for North Korean Studies. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. Podcase episode can also be listened here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/how-outside-information-spreads-in-north-korea-ep-309/934262

South Korea showed off its tanks, drones and missile defense systems in a “street march” through central Seoul on Tuesday afternoon. NK News Deputy Managing Editor Alannah Hill talks about Seoul’s first military parade in a decade, the rare appearance of a famous North Korean ferry at a port near Russia, behind-the-scenes tidbits from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s recent trip to Russia, and more. Then, Sokeel Park, South Korea director of Liberty in North Korea (LiNK), joins the podcast to discuss the work his organization does to rescue and empower North Korean refugees, provide North Korean people with more access to information and change perceptions on the DPRK. He touches on how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted LiNK’s work, the challenges North Korean refugees face depending on where they resettle and how they stay in touch with the family and friends they had to leave behind. Sokeel Park (@Sokeel) is South Korea country director and director of research and strategy for LiNK. As well as overseeing the NGO’s Seoul-based operations, he works with defectors and experts to offer up-to-date analysis on North Korea and foster people-focused strategies to facilitate change in the DPRK. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un returned to Pyongyang late Tuesday night after a whirlwind nine-day tour of Russia’s Far East. During the trip, Kim and his delegation of high-level officials met with Russian leader Vladamir Putin, visited the Cosmodrome Vostochny spaceport, toured an aircraft factory and inspected Russia’s Pacific Fleet — raising concerns about military cooperation between the two sides in the process. This week, Korea Risk Group Director Andrei Lankov and NK News Data Correspondent Anton Sokolin join the podcast to review everything that happened during Kim’s travels, his first outside the country in some four years. They discuss what we know about the discussions between Kim and Putin, the potential for greater security and space cooperation, gift exchanges and other activities that flew under the radar, possible U.N. sanctions violations and more. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The podcast can also be found at: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/what-to-make-of-kim-jong-uns-second-summit-with-vladimir-putin-ep-307/933837

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un traveled to the Russian Far East for a summit with Vladimir Putin this week, holding talks at the Cosmodrome Vostochny spaceport on Wednesday. NK News Data Correspondent Anton Sokolin recaps the lead-up to the visit and what we know about Kim’s journey to Russia, his first international trip since 2019. He also talks about North Korea’s recent paramilitary parade to mark the 75th anniversary of North Korea’s founding. Then, former U.S. intelligence officer Sydney Seiler joins the podcast to discuss his more than four-decade government career working on Korean Peninsula issues. Seiler delves into how U.S. policy on North Korea is formed and implemented, covering everything from his biography on Kim Il Sung and his experiences analyzing North Korean state media to his time as staff director of the National Security Council. Sydney Seiler (@sydseiler) worked as a senior policymaker, negotiator and intelligence officer for the U.S. government for 42 years, including stints at U.S. Forces Korea, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. Podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/lessons-from-four-decades-shaping-us-policy-on-north-korea-ep-306/933520

Reports that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could soon travel to Russia for a summit with Vladimir Putin made international headlines this week, following a busy August in which the DPRK conducted the first flights to Vladivostok in years and the U.S. accused the two countries of actively pushing forward plans for new weapons trade. The month also saw a trilateral summit between the U.S., South Korea and Japan at Camp David, a trip by North Korean taekwondo athletes to Kazakhstan and large-scale joint military drills by Seoul and Washington. The NK News team joins the podcast to take a look back at the big stories that made headlines in the last month, from the DPRK’s first statement on American soldier Travis King and the overhaul of South Korea’s unification ministry to an obscure new organization offering $5 million for information on North Korea. This week’s episode features the following members of the NK News team: Editor Arius Derr (@AriusDerr) Lead Correspondent Jeongmin Kim (@jeongminnkim) Seoul Correspondent Ifang Bremer (@IfangBremer) About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/why-kim-jong-un-might-want-to-discuss-weapons-sales-with-putin-ep-305/933171

North Korea attempted to put a military spy satellite into orbit but failed for the second time in three months last week. NK News Senior Analytic Correspondent Colin Zwirko talks through what’s known about the launch, as well as South Korea’s not-so-successful civil defense drill and state media’s report on North Koreans overseas returning home for the first time since 2020. Then, Eric Penton-Voak, former head of the U.N. Panel of Experts overseeing North Korea sanctions, joins the podcast to talk about how the panel puts together its biannual reports on violations of the DPRK sanctions regime. Penton-Voak discusses how the reports are drafted, the “internal tensions” that come with this process and how to decipher the final versions. Eric Penton-Voak served as coordinator of the U.N. Panel of Experts from 2021 to 2023. Prior to that, he worked in the British Foreign Ministry for almost 30 years. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/inside-the-un-panel-of-experts-overseeing-north-korea-sanctions-ep-304/932865

South Korean and U.S. special forces zipped across the sea on rubber boats and cleared underwater obstacles as part of maritime infiltration drills on Monday, as the allies kicked off the second half of large-scale summer exercises on defending against North Korean threats. The combined drill at a base near Yangyang on South Korea's east coast featured several dozen soldiers from the ROK Special Warfare Command and about 10 soldiers from the U.S. Special Operations Command Korea. For full story and photos: https://www.nknews.org/gallery/photos-us-rok-special-forces-carry-out-maritime-infiltration-drills/

Some 500 U.S. and South Korean troops ran through the rain, crouched behind walls and emerged from behind smokescreens during a joint drill last Wednesday, simulating an attack on an enemy-occupied city near the North Korean border. To read the full story and for full photos: https://www.nknews.org/gallery/photos-us-rok-forces-rid-city-of-north-korea-like-enemy-in-urban-warfare-drill/

North Korea will attempt a satellite launch between Aug. 24 and 31, according to the Japanese Prime Minister’s office and Japan Coast Guard Tuesday morning. NK News Lead Correspondent Jeongmin Kim talks about why Japan got the heads up from the DPRK, as well as Pyongyang’s warning that the trilateral summit at Camp David has made “thermo-nuclear war” on the Korean Peninsula “more than likely.” Then, Christian activist Tim Peters stops by the studio to discuss his work to help North Korean escapees reach South Korea and people still in the DPRK to grow their own food. He explains how he first got involved with this work during North Korea’s “Arduous March” famine of the 1990s, how it has evolved into a regular effort to send vegetable seeds to the DPRK and more. Tim Peters is the founder of Helping Hands Korea, a Christian NGO that seeks to help North Koreans in crisis. A documentary on his work can be found here. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/how-one-activist-helps-north-koreans-grow-their-own-food-ep-303/932524

A tour company operating in North Korea has claimed that the DPRK will soon open its borders to select citizens for the first time in nearly four years, citing sources in the country. NK News correspondent Shreyas Reddy talks about what a reopening could look like, Typhoon Khanun’s impact on North Korea and Kim Jong Un’s recent tours of weapons factories. Then, UniKorea Foundation Secretary-General Jeon Byung-gil and Program Manager Kim Tae-rae (@taeraekim_) join the podcast to discuss their new research paper on how North Korean brands imitate foreign products in industries ranging from cosmetics to processed foods. They talk about the DPRK’s copycats of snacks like Choco Pie and high-end luxury goods from designer brands like Dior and Burberry, and explain how the DPRK uses such products not only to generate money but also for propaganda. The UniKorea Foundation was founded in May 2015 and works on mutual cooperation between the two Koreas for the ultimate goal of Korean unification. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Both China and North Korea have increased security along their border in recent years, making it much more difficult for DPRK escapees to avoid capture. NK News correspondent Ifang Bremer discusses the network of security cameras, watchtowers and other infrastructure that undergird Beijing’s clampdown, as well as his experience covering the disastrous World Scout Jamboree in South Korea. Then, FBI special agent Brandon Cavanaugh joins the podcast to talk about the case of Virgil Griffith and why U.S. law enforcement pursued charges against the American cryptocurrency expert over his dealings with the DPRK. Griffith was sentenced to five years in prison last spring for conspiring to help North Korea evade sanctions using blockchain technology. Editor’s note: Cavanaugh asked that his voice be disguised for operational security as a condition for the interview. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio version of the podcast can be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/older-podcasts/the-fbi-investigation-into-virgil-griffith-crypto-guru-to-north-korea-ep-301/931897/

North Korea marked the 70th anniversary of its “victory” in the Korean War last week with its second large-scale military parade of the year, as high-level international guests traveled to the country to join the festivities for the first time during the pandemic. NK News lead correspondent Jeongmin Kim and senior analytic correspondent Colin Zwirko dissect the military pageantry and the weapons that rolled through Kim Il Sung Square, while exploring the messages that Russia and China sent by sending delegations to the parade and other events. Then, to celebrate the 300th episode of the NK News podcast, the members of the NK News team join host Jacco Zwetsloot in the studio to talk all things North Korea and reminisce on some of the most memorable stories they’ve covered. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/north-korea-welcomes-special-guests-for-a-victory-day-parade-ep-300/931568

This week marks the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Korean War armistice, a day known as “Victory Day” in North Korea. Chinese and Russian delegations are traveling to the DPRK to join celebrations for the holiday, including a likely military parade, and NK News editor Arius Derr talks about what is likely to take place this week, as well as the case of the American soldier who illegally crossed the border into the DPRK. Then, Mark Sauter, president of the POW Investigative Project (PIP), joins the podcast to discuss his work to uncover the truth about American prisoners of war that remain unaccounted for after the Korean War and Washington’s failure to recover soldiers lost behind enemy lines. Mark Sauter is the founder and president of PIP and author of “American Trophies.” He has been investigating American POWs for almost 30 years and previously served as a soldier in the U.S. Army, including as a guard post commander at the Demilitarized Zone. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. To listen to our full podcast, click here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/the-american-prisoners-of-war-left-behind-in-north-korea-ep-299/931275

North Korea warned last week that it will shoot down U.S. reconnaissance planes that enter its exclusive economic zone, and those may not be empty threats, history shows. NK News analyst James Fretwell discusses when North Korea shot down a U.S. reconnaissance plane in April 1969 and how the U.S. responded, including by considering nuclear strikes. Also, an American soldier dashed across the inter-Korean border on Tuesday during a tour of the Joint Security Area (JSA). Information continues to trickle out about the man, Private Second Class Travis King, who remains in the DPRK. NK News founder Chad O’Carroll (@chadocl) and U.S. Army Lt. Col. Steve Tharp discuss what we know so far about the apparent defection, how King managed to cross the border and what he could be facing in North Korea. Steve Tharp is a retired U.S. Army officer whose 28-year career included 14 years in Korea-based assignments in the 2nd Infantry Division and the U.N. Command Military Armistice Commission. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/whats-next-for-the-american-soldier-who-crossed-into-north-korea-ep-298/931048

It’s no secret that the pandemic has made it much harder to get information out of North Korea. Journalists have fewer sources, travel to the DPRK is prohibited and the number of refugees arriving in South Korea is at all-time lows. With that in mind, several members of the NK News team set out in June to the remote South Korean island of Baengnyeong, located a stone’s throw from the North Korean coastline and less than 100 miles from Pyongyang. Our mission? To find a reliable way to tune into DPRK television and radio channels not mirrored via satellite services that are accessible from other parts of the world. But the visit produced unexpected findings, shedding light not on North Korean TV and radio but instead on little-known South Korean analog television broadcasts that appear to target the DPRK. To read more, check out: https://www.nknews.org/2023/07/tuning-into-mystery-border-trip-uncovers-obscure-tv-broadcast-into-north-korea/

North Korea threatened to shoot down U.S. spy planes that it said “violated” its exclusive economic zone this week. But South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff denied the claims, stating the U.S. reconnaissance flights were “standard” and did not intrude on the North’s territory. NK News data correspondent Anton Sokolin discusses the North’s threats and Kim Yo Jong’s choice of words in her statements slamming the U.S., as well as Russian wheat shipments and the U.N. food program’s plans for future projects. Then, Bada Nam of the People for Successful Corean Reunification (PSCORE) joins the podcast to talk about the NGO’s recent report on internet use in the DPRK. He talks about why North Koreans are “hostages in the digital world” and the lengths even the elite must go to in order to surf the web, as well as the difficulties of collecting firsthand defector accounts. Bada Nam is the secretary general of PSCORE, an NGO based in Seoul that advocates for human rights in North Korea and helps defectors adapt to life in South Korea. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/north-korean-threats-over-us-planes-dprk-internet-access-and-more-ep-297/930657

North Korea successfully test-launched its Hwasong-18 solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for a second time on Wednesday, according to state media, calling it a show of force against U.S. “aggression.” Leader Kim Jong Un guided the launch from a private mansion on the east side of Pyongyang, photos published by the Rodong Sinmun Thursday morning show, the same place where he oversaw the first Hwasong-18 launch in April. Footage of the launch aired on North Korean state television shows soldiers setting up the transporter erector launcher (TEL) at the site, followed by a “cold launch” from the missile canister. (Footage: Aired on Korean Central Television (KCTV) on July, 13, 2023 around 9 a.m. KST) 📍 Read more about the ICBM launch here: https://www.nknews.org/2023/07/north-korea-launched-hwasong-18-icbm-as-show-of-force-against-us-state-media/ 📍 Want regular North Korea news coverage from the world's best specialist journalists? Sign up here: https://www.nknews.org/

In our latest podcast episode, ex-US national security adviser John Bolton joins Jacco Zwetsloot for an exclusive interview, discussing a wide range of topics from China’s role in North Korea issues, what he sees as Biden’s “do nothing” approach in his DPRK policies, and how a second Trump term would be concerning for foreign policy. “China could bring both the nuclear weapons program and the Kim family dynasty to an end very quickly,” he said, suggesting that Beijing no longer needs North Korea as a “buffer state” on the peninsula to keep U.S. troops away from its borders. -Don't miss our full interview: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/an-interview-with-john-bolton-hardliner-on-north-korea-ep-296/930352 -Read more: https://www.nknews.org/2023/07/interview-john-bolton-skewers-bidens-do-nothing-approach-to-north-korea/

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol announced his nominee for unification minister last week, but his pick for the role overseeing inter-Korean exchanges — the “new right” professor Kim Yung-ho — has proven controversial for his past comments calling for regime change and repeatedly predicting North Korea’s collapse. NK News correspondent Shreyas Reddy discusses the nomination and what it means for the ministry, as well as the DPRK’s new anti-U.S. propaganda posters, YouTube shutting down North Korean channels and more. Then, former U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton joins the podcast for an exclusive interview to discuss his views on how to create a unified Korean Peninsula and counter DPRK nuclear threats, and why he believes regime change is not necessary to achieve these goals. He also talks about why he believes China should do more to reign in Pyongyang and promote peace, how a withdrawal of U.S. troops would impact negotiations on North Korean WMDs and more. John Bolton has played a key role in shaping Washington’s policy toward North Korea over the course of more than two decades, including leading efforts to abandon the Agreed Framework. He served as former President Donald Trump’s national security advisor from April 2018 to Sept. 2019, a period that covered all three of Trump’s meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Before that Bolton served as under secretary of state for arms control and international security affairs and as U.S. ambassador to the U.N. under George W. Bush. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/an-interview-with-john-bolton-hardliner-on-north-korea-ep-296/930352

The Wagner Group’s brief rebellion rocked Russia over the weekend — and left analysts scratching their heads about what it was all about. But will the aborted uprising impact North Korea’s cooperation with Russia, and should Kim Jong Un himself start worrying about such a military coup? NK News analytic correspondent Colin Zwirko discusses the implications of the uprising for the DPRK, as well as a new report on food shortages in the country, preparations for a July military parade and more. Sunday also marked the 78th anniversary of the start of the Korean War. Dr. Kim Kyung-jin was living in Seoul when North Korea launched its invasion of the South, and he joins the podcast to talk about his memories of the war. He discusses his childhood in Manchuria under Japanese rule, seeing his father for the last time at a Changchun train station and learning songs of praise to Kim Il Sung during North Korea’s rule of Seoul. Dr. Kim Kyung-jin was born in the Japanese colony of Manchukuo in the city now known as Changchun, moving to Korea with his mother just as Japan was surrendering in Aug. 1945. He had a long career as a high school English teacher, and after completing a Ph.D. in recreation studies, he taught various subjects at universities in Seoul. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/the-wagner-group-and-north-korea-seoul-under-dprk-rule-and-more-ep-295/930131

North Korea dramatically destroyed an inter-Korean liaison office near the border in anger over ROK activists’ leafleting in 2020, and now three years later, Seoul wants Pyongyang to pay, suing the North in an effort to recoup construction costs for the building. Jeongmin Kim (@jeongminnkim), lead correspondent at NK News and editorial director at Korea Pro, discusses the Yoon administration’s novel legal strategy and how the move fits into a broader rightward shift in its inter-Korean and foreign policy. Then, Christopher Green of International Crisis Group joins the NK News podcast to discuss the likelihood of an inter-Korean naval clash, the value of North Korea’s satellite launches for regime security and what the end of the Sunshine Era can teach us about the current political moment. Christopher Green (@Dest_Pyongyang) is an analyst at the International Crisis Group and an assistant professor at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/seoul-sues-north-korea-inter-korean-naval-tensions-and-more-ep-294/929896

North Korea’s borders have been closed for more than three years, but that likely hasn’t stopped China from rounding up defectors and detaining them for eventual repatriation back to the DPRK. New NK Pro analysis reveals that China has expanded prisons known to house defectors right near the border. Ifang Bremer (@IfangBremer) shares his investigation into these prisons, the rigorous interrogations carried out there and why defectors face even bleaker outcomes if sent back across the border. Then, Karl Friedhoff of the Chicago Council joins the show to dissect public polling data and help us better understand how South Koreans really feel about nuclear weapons, why North Korea barely registers for younger voters, whether President Yoon Suk-yeol’s approval ratings will continue to inch up after a “train wreck” of a first year and more. Karl Friedhoff (@KarlFriedhoff) is the Marshall M. Bouton Fellow for Asia Studies at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, where he researches U.S. foreign policy in Asia, South Korean politics and international relations. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/why-north-korea-barely-moves-the-needle-for-south-korean-voters-ep-293/929580

The last several weeks have seen major developments on the Korean Peninsula, most notably North Korea’s botched satellite launch that triggered “wartime alert” warnings in South Korea. A historic series of meetings between ROK and Japanese leaders pushed forward efforts to repair ties. And the U.S. and ROK conducted their “largest-ever” live-fire drills. NK News lead correspondent Jeongmin Kim (@jeongminnkim), analyst James Fretwell (@JamesFretwe11) and correspondent Shreyas Reddy (@shreyas_k_reddy) break it all down in a monthly roundtable discussion on the biggest events from May. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/what-went-wrong-with-north-koreas-spy-satellite-launch-ep-292/929424

Seoul residents awoke to the sound of evacuation sirens and shrill emergency text alerts on Wednesday, after North Korea launched a military spy satellite that ultimately failed. The DPRK has expressed interest in sending its athletes to international competitions, but has been sending mixed signals about easing pandemic border controls. Scholar Dafna Zur also joins the podcast to discuss her research into North Korean children’s literature and how the country’s translation of Anne Frank’s diary sought to make the author into a model of resilience against hardship, while stripping it of much of its content on Judaism. Dafna Zur (@dafnazur) is an associate professor of East Asian languages and cultures at Stanford University. You can find her academic article on North Korea’s translation of Anne Frank’s diary here: https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/56/article/886562/pdf. The Dutch documentary on the translation discussed during the podcast is available to watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhyC-s-PyzI. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/evacuation-warnings-in-seoul-north-korean-childrens-books-and-more-ep-291/929095/

The late 2000s and early 2010s saw a rapid deterioration in inter-Korean ties. The six-party talks broke down, North Korea conducted its second nuclear test and dozens of sailors and South Korean civilians died in two separate DPRK attacks in 2010. Ambassador Kathleen Stephens led the U.S. Embassy in Seoul from 2008 to 2011 and played a leading role in navigating the U.S.-ROK alliance through this tumultuous period. This week, she joins the NK News podcast to discuss the unique challenges and scrutiny a U.S. ambassador faces in Seoul, the allied responses to the Cheonan and Yeonpyeong Island attacks and the six-party denuclearization talks. Ambassador Stephens also weighs in on watching South Korea’s rapid industrialization and democratization, inter-Korean cooperation projects, what the Good Friday Agreement can teach about inter-Korean reconciliation and more. Kathleen Stephens (@AmbStephens) first lived in South Korea as a Peace Corps volunteer from 1975 to 1977. She went on to serve as an internal political unit chief at the embassy in Seoul from 1983 to 1987 and an officer at the U.S. consulate in Busan from 1987 to 1989. She became the first female U.S. ambassador to South Korea in 2008. Ambassador Stephens now serves as chair of the board at the Korea Society in New York and president and CEO at the Korea Economic Institute in Washington. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/how-a-us-ambassador-navigated-north-korean-tumult-ep-290/928479/

North Koreans are subjected to some of the worst human rights abuses on Earth, living under a state that refuses to cooperate with the U.N. and other watchdogs and does whatever it takes to keep the Kim dynasty in power. But Joanna Hosaniak of the Citizens’ Alliance for North Korean Human Rights says that regime change is not necessarily the answer. Instead, she argues that the international communist must learn to work within the confines of the North Korean state to realize change from within. This week, Hosaniak joins the NK News podcast to discuss the history of the North Korean human rights movement and how her group leverages its nongovernmental status to push for improvements. She also talks about how DPRK human rights has become politicized in South Korea, the impacts of COVID lockdowns on defectors and whether it’s time for a new U.N. Commission of Inquiry investigation into human rights abuses in the country. Joanna Hosaniak is the deputy director general of the Citizens’ Alliance for North Korean Human Rights (@NKHumanRights), the world’s oldest nongovernmental organization devoted exclusively to North Korean human rights. She has also worked at the South Korean Embassy in Poland and the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Pyongyang failed to achieve its dream of unifying the Korean Peninsula under the banner of the Kim regime during the Korean War, but that may not mean it has abandoned the goal. Andrei Lankov, a professor at Seoul’s Kookmin University, argues that Pyongyang made unification a long-term goal to orient national ideology and justify military spending. And this week, he joins the podcast to discuss why he believes the DPRK’s rapid development of long-range and tactical nuclear weapons now compressed the timeline under which it could realistically achieve this goal through nuclear blackmail. In a wide-ranging conversation, Lankov talks about why a low-level military clash between the Koreas is increasingly likely in the near future, whether the geopolitical conditions will ever materialize for North Korea to truly attempt to conquer the South, how Donald Trump’s alliance skepticism energized the South Korean nuclear debate and more. Andrei Lankov is a director at NK News and professor at Kookmin University and writes exclusively for the site as one of the world’s leading authorities on North Korea. A graduate of Leningrad State University, he attended Pyongyang’s Kim Il Sung University from 1984 to 1985 and has authored several books on the DPRK. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/the-bumpy-road-ahead-for-inter-korean-relations-ep-288/927817

From the outside, it appears the Kim Jong Un regime is no closer to giving up its nuclear weapons than it was a decade ago. State media frequently trumpets the newest nuclear strategy or delivery vehicle, and the leader himself said he will never again entertain denuclearization talks. But Tae-ho Uhm, a director at the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, sees a country struggling with its choices as it copes with its self-imposed pariah status. Uhm joins the NK News podcast to discuss Pyongyang’s strategy for muddling through, the South Korean government’s “audacious initiative” and how Yoon Suk-yeol is working to deter, dissuade and enter into dialogue with Kim Jong Un. He also talks about the South Korean nuclear debate, working on inter-Korean relations across multiple administrations and makes the case that the denuclearization of North Korea is a global issue — not just a Korean one. Tae-ho Uhm is the director for North Korean nuclear affairs negotiations in the Office of the Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs at the South Korean foreign ministry (@MOFAkr_eng). About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/north-koreas-strategy-for-coping-with-the-consequences-of-nukes-ep-287/927490

U.S. President Joe Biden and his South Korean counterpart Yoon Suk-yeol reached a series of agreements during their summit on Wednesday, creating a new nuclear consultation group to “manage” North Korean threats and pledging to “further enhance the visibility” of U.S. strategic assets on the peninsula. But reading between the lines of the summit result — which included a joint declaration, fact sheet and press conference — reveals that Washington was likely as focused on deterring South Korea from going nuclear as it was on preventing the DPRK from using its nuclear weapons. NK News CEO Chad O’Carroll (@chadocl), lead correspondent Jeongmin Kim (@jeongminnkim) and Korea Pro editor John Lee (@koreanforeigner) discuss the top-line takeaways from summit, including: -How the new U.S.-ROK nuclear sharing differs from NATO nuclear sharing deal -The value of a state visit over just a summit -How recent developments affect public support for ROK nuclear weapons program -The economic security dimensions of the meeting -What new South Korean investments in missile defense mean for North Korean threats -New freedom of information developments and implications for North Korean censorship -And more About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/what-the-us-rok-summit-means-for-north-korea-ep-286/927348

As a three-star Air Force general, Dan Leaf trained to carry out nuclear strikes and vaporize targets without hesitation. But after a more than 30-year career, including tours on the Korean Peninsula, the self-described “nuclear warrior” came to believe that what the U.S. was doing wasn’t working to reduce tensions with the DPRK. The retired general now believes that a permanent peace treaty with the Kim regime is the best chance to break the status quo and, most importantly, reduce the chance of nuclear conflict. And he argues that this could also undermine a raison d’etre of a regime that has made war with the U.S. a core part of its identity. Leaf joins the NK News podcast to discuss his time in high-level positions in Korea, what reconciliation with Vietnam can teach us about Korea, why the U.S. consider sending food aid into North Korea regardless of whether the country agrees to accept it and more. Lt. Gen. Dan Leaf (@figleaf31) is a retired U.S. three-star general and Air Force fighter pilot and former deputy commander of the U.S. Pacific Command. You can read his New York Times op-ed making the case for a peace treaty with North Korea here. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/the-nuclear-warrior-making-the-case-for-ending-the-korean-war-ep-285/927210/

Eunju Kim was a victim of human tracking after she fled North Korea, spending three years in China in the house of a man who purchased her and her sister. Then, in the middle of the night, police stormed into the residence and took the girls into custody before forcibly repatriating them back to North Korea. When Eunju crossed the border again, she found that she had been erased: The local DPRK government assumed she had starved to death, and deleted her from the citizens registry. A ghost in her hometown, she embarked on a yearslong journey that ultimately ended up with her in South Korea. Now Eunju works for Freedom Speakers International (FSI), helping empower North Korean refugees, especially women, by teaching them the communication tools critical for life in modern South Korean society. Eunju and FSI co-founder Eunkoo Lee join the NK News podcast to discuss Eunju’s incredible journey out of North Korea, the importance of English language for defectors, how North Korean refugees overcome prejudice and more. Eunju Kim is a North Korea refugee communication specialist at FSI and co-author of “A Thousand Miles to Freedom.” Eunkoo Lee is co-founder and co-president at FSI and an expert and advocate for North Korean human rights and refugees. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/how-learning-english-empowers-north-korean-refugees-ep-284/927045

North Korea fired nearly 20 missiles across more than a half-dozen launch events in March, framing the tests and drills as responses to large-scale U.S.-ROK springtime exercises. But now that the calendar has turned to April, even bigger developments could be on the horizon. The DPRK will mark a number of important holidays this month, including the birth anniversary of Kim Il Sung and the founding of the national military. And North Korea has indicated that it will complete preparations for a satellite launch this month, while South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol is scheduled to make a state visit to the U.S. that Pyongyang will closely monitor. This week, NK News founder Chad O’Carroll and analyst James Fretwell join the podcast to discuss the March that was and prospects for the month ahead — from North Korea’s new undersea “nuclear attack drone” and surprise border reopening to ongoing military drills in South Korea and the possibility of more long-range missile testing. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/will-north-korean-missiles-rain-down-on-the-day-of-the-sun-ep-283/926817

Mount Paektu, the highest mountain on the Korean Peninsula, holds a special place in North Korea. Not only did Kim Il Sung — the country’s first leader — based his anti-Japanese guerrilla campaign there, Kim Jong Il — his son and the country’s second leader — was born on the mountain, according to the DPRK’s dubious official history. Mount Paektu is also considered the birthplace of Dangun, the mythical founder of Korea’s first kingdom. Amid the inter-Korean rapprochement of 2018, North and South Korean leaders Kim Jong Un and Moon Jae-in famously held hands and took photos atop the mountain. It’s also an active volcano. Just over 1,000 years ago, Mount Paektu erupted on a scale that ranks among the largest in recorded human history. James Hammond of Birkbeck, University of London is the director of the Mount Paektu Research Centre. Hammond joins the NK News Podcast to talk about his interest in the mountain, collaboration with North Korean scientists, how sanctions affect what research equipment you can bring into the DPRK and much more. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/mount-paektu-north-koreas-sacred-mountain-and-active-volcano-ep-282/926620

Few populations in the world need more help than North Koreans. Chronic food insecurity, poor sanitation and hygiene practices, inadequate infrastructure and energy shorts affect millions in the country, even in the relatively well-off capital. These issues have compounded over the last three years due to the regime’s ultra-strict pandemic controls. Very little food, health and other aid have reached the country since, and there are no international aid workers left to ensure that North Korea’s most vulnerable are receiving what goods have trickled in. Few are more familiar with these challenges than Jerome Sauvage, who led U.N. humanitarian efforts in North Korea during Kim Jong Un’s first years in power. Sauvage joins the NK News Podcast to talk about his work in the country and how the DPRK changed during his time there. He also discusses the different approaches of U.N. aid agencies, the unique challenges facing the DPRK agriculture sector, underreported health issues killing North Korean children, the humanitarian impact of sanctions and more. Jerome Sauvage is an international relations consultant with extensive experience in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. As U.N. Coordinator in North Korea from 2009 to 2013, Jérome Sauvage led the U.N. in providing emergency and humanitarian support to the population, represented the U.N. at bilateral and multilateral levels, negotiated the U.N.’s operating conditions in the country and led fundraising efforts in support of humanitarian activities. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast is also available here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/the-limits-to-what-un-aid-agencies-can-do-to-help-north-korea-ep-281/926435

When the U.S. dropped Little Boy and Fat Man on Japan in 1945, it killed or injured tens of thousands of ethnic Koreans working — often against their will — at munitions and other factories in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Tokyo has provided support for Japanese victims, but the situation has been entirely different for Koreans. And as Lauren Richardson of the Australian National University explains, decades of appeals from both North and South Korea have not yielded the same awareness or support. This week, Richardson joins the NK News podcast to discuss how the politics of victimhood have evolved over the decades since WWII, how North Korea has also co-opted the discourse over the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki for its own ideological purposes and how the DPRK medical system responds to radiation treatment for atomic bomb victims. Lauren Richardson (@Lauren_ANU) is a lecturer in the Department of International Relations at Australian National University. Read her paper “The Forgotten Victims of the Atomic Bomb: North Korean Pipokja and the Politics of Victimhood in Japan-DPRK Relations” by clicking here. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/the-north-korean-victims-of-us-atomic-bombings-on-japan-ep-280/926207

The Joint Security Area on the inter-Korean border used to be a popular tourist destination, a place where North and South Korean soldiers stare each other down and visitors can actually step over the Military Demarcation Line within the confines of the famous blue buildings. But since the start of COVID-19, the U.N. Command overseeing the area has prohibited most visits. Recently, however, members of the NK News team joined other media for a special tour of Panmunjom on the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), recording an exclusive podcast from what past U.S. presidents have called “freedom’s frontier.” This week, host Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) and NK News CEO Chad O’Carroll (@chadocl) go inside the Joint Security Area to investigate reports of mass starvation in North Korea, how communications pass between the two sides, when the DPRK does (and doesn’t) answer the phone and what’s changed during the pandemic. You can read more about what NK News learned during the JSA visit in the following article: “No signs of death and starvation at inter-Korean border, UNC officials say.” Interested in a free annual subscription to NK News and helping us make a better podcast? We’d love to know what you would to hear. Click here and fill out the survey for a chance to win. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/an-inside-look-at-the-joint-security-area-freedoms-frontier-ep-279/925980

For decades, North Korea has stressed the virtues of self-reliance, eschewing more robust ties with the outside world in favor of greater autonomy, even at significant cost to its economy. Founding leader Kim Il Sung championed this Korean-style autarky under the name Juche, and this ideology of self-reliance and national sovereignty found a receptive audience in some parts of the world, in particular among member states of the Non-Aligned Movement. Alhassan Mamman Muhammad is one of those who became a believer in North Korea’s state ideology. The leader of a Nigerian committee promoting Juche, he joins the NK News podcast to discuss why he has embraced the DPRK’s political ideals, how the Non-Aligned Movement inspired him and others to embrace Juche, how this relates to the legacies of colonialism on the African continent and more. Muhammad is chairman of the Nigerian National Committee on the Study of Juche Idea and a professor at the University of Abuja in Nigeria. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/why-north-koreas-state-ideology-appeals-to-some-in-africa-ep-278/925751

North Korea has refused nearly all diplomatic outreach since mid-2019, choosing instead to go full bore into weapons development while pledging never again to participate in denuclearization talks. But for Keith Luse of the National Committee on North Korea, this lack of engagement stems at least partly from Washington’s own policy oscillations. Luse joins the NK News podcast to discuss how to engage the DPRK across diverse issues, from humanitarianism to nuclear weapons. He talks about how lack of information on the outside world hinders North Korea’s ability to maximize the best outcomes for itself, why he thinks Kim Jong Un’s economic ambitions are real and should give us hope for future prospects of international cooperation, his multiple visits to Pyongyang and more. Keith Luse is the executive director of the National Committee on North Korea (@NCNKorea). He has also served as senior Asia policy adviser at the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations committee. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/promoting-creative-engagement-with-north-korea-ep-277/925535

In the early 2000s, no one outside North Korea was quite sure about the extent of the country’s nuclear program, whether it had plutonium for an atomic bomb and if then-leader Kim Jong Il was willing to risk a nuclear test. That changed in 2004, when North Korea invited Siegfried Hecker, longtime chief of the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, to tour its Yongbyon Nuclear Research Center. Hecker found a nascent but highly advanced nuclear program, driven by talented scientists who acutely understood the technological processes behind plutonium reprocessing. This week, Hecker joins the NK News podcast to talk about his visits to Yongbyon and his new book exploring the DPRK’s nuclear program. He explains why North Korea might prefer plutonium bombs to uranium ones, how many bombs the DPRK likely possesses and why he believes the deal put on the table at the U.S.-DPRK summit in Hanoi was the best chance to stop North Korea’s nuclear program in decades. Dr. Siegfried Hecker (@SiegfriedHecker) was the fifth director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, the premier U.S. nuclear research facility. He is also a senior fellow and professor emeritus at Stanford University. His new book “Hinge Points: An Inside Look at North Korea’s Nuclear Program” is now available. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/an-unprecedented-look-inside-north-koreas-nuclear-facilities-ep-276/925264/

When North Korea invaded the South in 1950, it triggered a brutal three-year war that killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions. But David Cheng Chang argues that the Korean War was in fact two separate conflicts. The first ended in 1951, when both the North and South Korean front lines became more or less static. The second and far less studied conflict ran from 1951 to the armistice agreement in 1953, focusing primarily on the fate of prisoners of war (POW) held in both communist and allied camps. Chang joins the NK News podcast to discuss his perspective on the war, the staggering number of Chinese volunteer army personnel that fought on North Korea’s side, why it insisted POWs be returned to their home countries, brainwashing of prisoners by both U.S. and communist forces and more. David Cheng Chang is associate professor of history at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. His book “The Hijacked War: The Story of Chinese POWs in the Korean War” was published in Jan. 2020, and you can find him on Twitter @DavidChangCheng. Watch David’s interview with Yang Shuzhi (楊樹芝) here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUj3pfqcGY8 About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/why-the-korean-war-was-actually-two-separate-conflicts-ep-275/925042

North Korea celebrated the 75th anniversary of its army on Wednesday, revealing a new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile and showing off more long-range missiles than ever before at a single event. Kim Jong Un’s young daughter was also front and center during the event and even accompanied her father to a pre-parade banquet. But the parade was also notable for what it lacked, with no Kim Jong Un speech, no new conventional capabilities and no obvious COVID-19 protocols less than two weeks after a lockdown in the capital. The NK News team breaks down all the details from North Korea’s latest military spectacle, what it may mean for the country’s weapons testing this year and what it says about the domestic political situation going forward. This podcast features NK News founder Chad O’Carroll (@chadocl), Lead Correspondent Jeongmin Kim (@jeongminnkim) and Senior Analytic Correspondent Colin Zwirko (@ColinZwirko). Watch the NK Pro KCNA Watch stream of North Korea’s latest parade here: https://kcnawatch.org/kctv-archive About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/new-missile-and-kim-jong-uns-daughter-steal-show-at-military-parade-ep-274/924935

The Seoul metropolitan area is only around 30 miles from North Korea and would be a major attack point in most any conflict scenario. This puts some 25 million people — about half of South Korea’s entire population — at considerable risk. David Walsh and Andrew Gilholm have thought about risk scenarios and damage mitigation on the Korean Peninsula for decades, and they join the NK News podcast this week to discuss how to overcome complacency about large-scale threats, evacuation plans in case of a North Korean attack and how geography increases risks. David Walsh is the vice president of operations for DR&A Advisory, where he manages international security projects and threat management. He is also the former manager of security at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul. Andrew Gilholm is a principal and director of the analysis practice for Greater China and North Asia at Control Risks, overseeing coverage of political, regulatory and security issues across the region. Andrew has worked in the political risk industry focusing on China and Korea for 17 years. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/imagining-worst-case-scenarios-on-the-korean-peninsula-ep-273/924401

Improving the lives of the North Korean people and ensuring they can exercise universal rights and liberties are among the most important tasks for international actors working in and with the country. But digging beneath the surface quickly reveals that humanitarianism and human rights are different spheres with significantly different approaches to the problems facing the country. This week, Danielle Chubb and Nazanin Zadeh-Cumming join the NK News Podcast to discuss their recent paper exploring an area of common ground between the two camps — disability rights — and the potential for further meaningful change in this space. The two scholars also talk about how to overcome the politicization of engagement with Pyongyang, why North Korea rejects human rights as irrelevant and how the U.N. Commission of Inquiry report in 2014 led to positive changes. Danielle Chubb (@danielle_chb) is an associate professor of international relations at Deakin University in Geelong, Australia. Nazanin Zadeh-Cummings (@nzadehcummings) is the Associate Director of Research at the Centre for Humanitarian Leadership and a senior lecturer in Humanitarian Studies at Deakin. The first 50 visitors can read Chubb and Zadeh-Cumming’s paper, “International engagement with North Korea: disability, human rights and humanitarian aid” for free at the following link: https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/DPABIWF6AZXPQWYYPABD/full?target=10.1080/01436597.2022.2141217 About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/distinguishing-between-north-korea-humanitarianism-and-human-rights-ep-272/924132

Kim Kang-woo escaped North Korea in 2016, promising his widowed mother that he would raise the money needed to get her out too. But after brokers were unable to arrange her escape, he decided to take matters into his own hands, crossing the border back into North Korea to attempt a dramatic rescue that reads like something out of a movie script. Washington Post journalist Michelle Ye Hee Lee reported on Kim’s unique story last year and joins the NK News podcast to talk about the immense dangers, costs and heartbreak that North Koreans face when they decide to escape the country. Lee also discusses reporting on North Korea through Tik Tok, Pyongyang’s own experiments with social media, what it was like in Japan when North Korea sent a missile over the country last year and more. Michelle Ye Hee Lee (@myhlee) is the Seoul and Tokyo bureau chief for The Washington Post. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/the-defector-who-snuck-into-north-korea-to-save-his-mother-ep-271/923915

Sounds of a drone-like device could be clearly heard at the inter-Korean border (Aegibong Observatory, ROK) on Tues. Jan 10, 2023, between 14.45 and 15.30. Visual evidence of what appears to be the aerial object was also captured toward the end of the video. After drone incursions by North Korea into South Korea in Dec. 2022, public and military interest in unauthorized drone flight between the two Koreas sharply rose. Full article: https://www.nknews.org/2023/01/possible-drone-spotted-near-dmz-weeks-after-north-korean-incursion/

Multiple North Korean drones entered ROK airspace and even breached a no-fly zone near the presidential office late last year, prompting Seoul to order its own unmanned aerial vehicle to cross the border and photograph a DPRK military facility. The Yoon administration’s stated eagerness to “punish” what it considers North Korean provocations has significantly upped the stakes on the Korean Peninsula, and the risk of miscommunication and poor signaling leading to conflict looks set to continue to increase in 2023. This week, the NK News team joins the podcast to consider the new risk environment in the region and other recent North Korea developments. They discuss the evolving controversy over drone incursions, Pyongyang’s latest solid-fuel missile engine test, North Korea’s reported shipment of weapons to Russia’s Wagner Group, the most recent party plenum and more. This podcast features NK News Lead Correspondent Jeongmin Kim (@jeongminnkim), Analyst James Fretwell (@JamesFretwe11) and Correspondent Shreyas Reddy (@shreyas_k_reddy). Check out our 2023 predictions pieces about the North Korean economy, society, nuclear and weapons development, and more here: Part I | Part II About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/how-north-koreas-drones-increase-risk-of-inter-korean-conflict-ep-270/923641

U.S.-North Korea relations have been stuck in place for the last two years, as other geopolitical developments seem to dominate Washington’s attention. But North Korea has not stood still — pushing its weapons programs and tensions to new heights. What is the view from the White House, and will the Biden administration refocus on the Koreas now that the midterms are over? Several members of the NK News team recently spent a week in Washington and New York City meeting with government officials, think tank analysts and other North Korea watchers, and they join the podcast to discuss what they learned about the lack of urgency on North Korea, whether the U.S. will ever accept the DPRK as a nuclear state, Seoul’s “escalatory” rhetoric and more. This podcast features NK News founder Chad O’Carroll (@chadocl), Lead Correspondent Jeongmin Kim (@jeongminnkim) and Senior Analytic Correspondent Colin Zwirko (@ColinZwirko). About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/what-the-blob-really-thinks-about-north-korea-in-2023-ep-269/923462

The number of North Korea books to choose from gets bigger every year, and it can be challenging to figure out where best to start. That’s where David Tizzard comes in. The Seoul-based university lecturer has reviewed several books for NK News and joins the podcast to share his favorites from the past year — as well as the ones to avoid. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/the-best-and-worst-books-on-north-korea-in-2022-ep-268/923110

Throughout this year, North Korea has repeatedly framed its weapons tests as simple reactions to U.S.-ROK efforts to restart military exercises and boost deterrence. It claims its long-range missile launches, sortie flybys, artillery drills and other military activities are necessary defensive moves against U.S. “hostile policy.” But Gordon Flake, CEO of the Perth USAsia Center at the University of Western Australia, says the primary driver of North Korean missile testing is actually technical — not the action or inaction of Washington or Seoul. He joins the NK News Podcast to discuss a range of issues on the peninsula and in the region, including why this historic year of missile tests isn’t a game changer, how AUKUS is oriented around DPRK threats and whether Australia is the best place to wait out nuclear war. Gordon Flake is the founding CEO of the Perth USAsia Center at the University of Western Australia. He is also governor of the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia, co-chair of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea and was previously director for Research and Academic Affairs at the Korea Economic Institute of America, amid other affiliations. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/what-drives-north-korean-missile-testing-ep-267/922858

In 2019, the activist Adrian Hong led a daring raid on North Korea’s Embassy in Madrid, stealing hard drives and documents and apparently assaulting embassy staff. Initial news reports suggested that Free Joseon, Hong’s human rights activist group that advocates for overthrowing the Kim regime in Pyongyang, was behind the raid. But it soon became clear that it was far more complex than a simple smash-and-grab, possibly even involving the CIA and a fake kidnapping attempt. In his new book, “The Rebel and the Kingdom,” Bradley Hope attempts to unpack the events of that February day by focusing on the ringleader himself. And he joins the NK News podcast this week to discuss his findings — from Hong’s upbringing and background in DPRK human rights to how he put together Free Joseon and the continuing fallout from the Madrid raid. Hope also touches on the plight of Christopher Ahn, the daring escape of Kim Jong Un’s nephew from Macau and more. Bradley Hope is an award-winning author based in London. He is the New York Times bestselling co-author of “Billion Dollar Whale” (2018) and “Blood and Oil” (2020). About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/one-mans-project-to-overthrow-the-kim-regime-ep-266/922597

Tension remained elevated on the peninsula in November as North Korea continued an array of weapons tests, including its first successful launch of its largest nuclear-capable missile and dozens of other ballistic and artillery tests. But another development arguably garnered more attention than even the massive Hwasong-17: North Korean state media revealed Kim Jong Un’s daughter for the first time in its coverage of the intercontinental ballistic missile launch. The unnamed girl appears to be around 10 years old and may be the same one NBA Hall-of-Famer Dennis Rodman said he met when he visited Pyongyang in 2013. This week, the NK News team explores the litany of theories about why she appeared now and whether she is the new heir to the North Korean throne. They also discuss the arrests of multiple Moon Jae-in government officials over the 2020 death of an ROK civil servant in DPRK waters, U.S. strategic assets on the peninsula, a BTS member serving at the inter-Korean border and how risks rise the longer tensions remain high. This week’s episode features Analyst James Fretwell (@JamesFretwe11), Seoul Correspondent Ifang Bremer (@IfangBremer) and Editorial Intern Yeji Chung (@chung_yeji). About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/kim-jong-uns-daughter-steals-spotlight-from-dprks-biggest-missile-ep-265/922390

The U.S. and North Korea seem incapable of moving past the status quo, with neither side willing to concede to the other’s demands of either complete denuclearization, complete sanctions relief, or some combination of the two. The two countries haven’t spoken in years and appear no closer to a breakthrough despite several summits and other engagements from 2018 to 2019. To Simone Chun, a researcher in Northeast Asian political affairs, the U.S. is largely to blame for this stalemate and has perpetuated a hostile policy toward Pyongyang since before the Korean War and ever since. She joins the NK News Podcast to discuss why the Trump-Kim summits did not lead to lasting change, the legacies of U.S. imperialism on the peninsula, the momentum of the military-industrial complex, the cause-and-reaction cycle of U.S.-ROK “war games” and North Korean missile tests, why the shared culture, history and bonds the two Koreas have are the best hope for peace in the future, and more. Dr. Simone Chun (@SimoneChun) has over 30 years of teaching and research experience in U.S. foreign policy. She has served in various academic and research roles at Suffolk University, Northeastern University and Harvard. Her other affiliations include the Korea Peace Network, CodePink, the Alliance of Scholars Concerned about Korea and the Korea Policy Institute. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/deconstructing-the-us-hostile-policy-toward-north-korea-ep-264/922152/

For nearly 70 years, a delicate ceasefire has prevailed between the two Koreas through cycle after cycle of tensions. But the Korean War Armistice Agreement was never meant to last so long, nor did its architects envision it would ever be so widely applicable across the land, air and sea domains. John Burzynski spent 20 years as an international relations advisor at U.N. Command (UNC), which oversees the armistice, and this week, he joins the NK News podcast for a deep dive into the agreement. Burzynski explains what the U.S., China and North Korea believed the armistice would and wouldn’t do when they signed it in July 1953, how the UNC has adapted to the evolving security situation since then, why the armistice has so little to say about the maritime border, why Pyongyang cannot unilaterally decide that the armistice no longer applies and more. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un guided the successful test-launch of a “Hwasong-17” intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Nov. 18, 2022, state-run Korean Central Television (KCTV) reported in yet another heavily-edited video on Nov. 19. Notably, Kim for the first time introduced his daughter to the North Korean public and the world, whom tagged along with her father to the ICBM test site holding hands with the DPRK leader in front of the missile. The long-range missile traveled 620 miles (999 km) and went as high as 3,753 miles (6,041 km) above the Earth across a flight time of 68.9 minutes, according to the report. (Footage: Aired on Korean Central Television (KCTV), Nov. 19, 2022, around 15:00 KST) _ 📍 Read more about the ICBM launch here (ROK/Japan's assessment): https://www.nknews.org/2022/11/north-korea-fires-suspected-intercontinental-ballistic-missile-eastward-seoul/ 📍 Read more about how North Korea reported on the ICBM launch here: https://www.nknews.org/2022/11/north-korea-claims-it-successfully-tested-a-hwasong-17-icbm/ 📍 Reveal of Kim Jong Un’s daughter sets her up as successor, former North Korean officials tell NK News: https://www.nknews.org/2022/11/reveal-of-kim-jong-uns-daughter-sets-her-up-as-successor-ex-dprk-officials/ _ 📍 Want regular North Korea news coverage from the world's best specialist journalists? Sign up here: https://www.nknews.org/

North Korea’s launch of a surface-to-air missile into waters south of the inter-Korean maritime border this month marked a major escalation in its recent missile testing campaign, inviting a tit-for-tat response from South Korea. The incident also raised a number of questions about the countries’ sea boundaries, from how far they extend into the ocean and when they were agreed upon to possible points of conflict. Dr. Yoon In-joo has spent much of her career considering inter-Korean relations on the high seas. This week, she joins the NK News Podcast to discuss the Northern Limit Line, the inter-Korean agreements that govern the Korean Peninsula, what international law has to say about divided Korean waters and everything from crab fishing to land reclamation. Yoon is a research fellow at the Korea Maritime Institute in Busan, where she leads various research projects on North Korea-related topics. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/the-fuzzy-contentious-division-of-the-koreas-at-sea-ep-262/921618

North Korea set a new record last week when it launched at least 23 missiles in one day, including a short-range projectile that splashed down into waters south of the inter-Korean maritime border, and also sent an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) careening toward Japan. Pyongyang’s attempts to frame these escalations as purely defensive mechanisms against what it says are U.S. and South Korean preparations to invade. The allies have carried out a number of joint exercises in recent months, opting to publicize these drills to a much greater degree than in past years. Inter-Korean tensions are now arguably at their highest point since the “fire and fury” days of 2017, and there appear few offramps so long as DPRK leader Kim Jong Un refuses to engage in talks. This week, the NK News team helps unpack these developments while discussing the last month on the Korean Peninsula — from South Korea’s attempts to fish up one of the dozens of missiles North Korea fired into the ocean last week and recent cryptocurrency attacks linked to the notorious Lazarus Group to the latest debates about South Korean nuclearization and the utility of inter-Korean agreements. This week’s episode features Lead Correspondent Jeongmin Kim (@jeongminnkim) Analyst James Fretwell (@JamesFretwe11) and Correspondent Shreyas Reddy (@shreyas_k_reddy). About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/what-to-make-of-north-koreas-historic-week-of-missile-tests-ep-261/921399

While officially communist, North Korea’s economy has been a strange hybrid of socialist and capitalist elements for decades now. Millions in the country rely on markets outside the state-planned economy for necessities and to make a living, and this has raised questions about how the DPRK could make the transition to a more capitalist economy — if it ever wanted to. This week, economist Halin Han joins the NK News podcast to discuss how the economic transitions of several Southeast Asian nations — Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam — could serve as a model for North Korea and what lessons Pyongyang could draw from their success and failures. She also talks about why it was essential for Vietnam to establish relations with the U.S., the importance of overhauling the legal system to support capital growth and whether opening up the economy would be politically risky for the regime. Halin Han is a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP) and has conducted research on topics including the Greater Tumen Initiative, inter-Korean economic partnerships, DPRK fiscal policies and what can be learned from machine analysis of North Korean documents. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/what-north-korea-can-learn-from-southeast-asia-ep-260/921008

At the age of 6, Monique Macias fled political turmoil in Equatorial Guinea and found refuge in Pyongyang, becoming not only one of the few foreigners to grow up there but doing so under the guardianship of founding leader Kim Il Sung. This week, Macias joins the NK News podcast to talk about her unique upbringing and about identity, culture and acceptance in the notoriously monoethnic and homogenous society. She discusses her decision to study textiles and fashion at the personal suggestion of Kim Il Sung, why she remembers him as a father and not a politician, Confucian influence in both Koreas, the principles of non-intervention and more. Monique Macias spent more than 15 years in Pyongyang and has since lived and worked in South Korea, China, Spain, the U.K. and the U.S. Her biography, “I’m Monica from Pyongyang,” is available in Korean and will be published in English next year. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/africa-to-north-korea-growing-up-under-kim-il-sungs-fatherly-care-ep-259/920828

At the turn of the century, the markets were betting big on North Korea. The last holdout of the Cold War seemed to be on its last legs, and South Korea secured its first-ever summit in Pyongyang. Businessman Charles Thirlwall was part of the explosion of interest, representing a French company that probed business operations in the DPRK and visiting Pyongyang across a series of trips in the late 1990s and early 2000s. This week, Thirwall joins the NK News podcast to discuss his experiences in a capital that he says was far more laid back about foreigners than today and why his firm in particular never got much going in the country. He also talks about life in Pyongyang during the Arduous March famine, what it was like working in a textile factory, swimming across the DPRK-China border and rollerblading through Kim Il Sung Square. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/rollerblading-through-kim-il-sung-square-ep-258/920598

North Korea has resumed missile testing at a rapid pace in recent weeks, at times launching one or more ballistic missiles every other day. Leader Kim Jong Un even ordered the launch of a new type of intermediate-range ballistic missile over Japan, according to state media, while sending out hundreds of fighters and bomber jets for air strike drills. This week, the NK News team discusses whether these missile test events are leading to something even bigger — like a widely anticipated underground nuclear test. They also discuss state media’s first coverage of missile tests in months, North Korea’s operational flexibility, a fantastic inter-Korean art heist, what we can learn about DPRK crop yields from space and more. This week’s episode features Analyst James Fretwell (@JamesFretwe11), Seoul Correspondent Ifang Bremer (@IfangBremer) and Data Correspondent Ethan Jewell (@EthanJewell). About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/are-north-koreas-missile-tests-building-up-to-something-big-ep-257/920291

Talks between the U.S. and North Korea have been stalled for years. During that time, Pyongyang has resumed ballistic missile testing and Seoul and Washington have restarted large-scale joint military drills. DPRK leader Kim Jong Un himself said he would never again participate in denuclearization talks. To Christine Ahn and Colleen Moore of Women Cross DMZ, a women-led organization that advocates for peace on the Korean Peninsula, the way through this impasse is simple: end the Korean War. Ahn and Moore join the NK News podcast to discuss what they call the “forever war,” what makes the armistice agreement fundamentally insufficient, multilateral support for a new approach to Pyongyang, how a flooded river in Korea helped inspire their organization and more. Christine Ahn (​​@christineahn) is the executive director at Women Cross DMZ, and Colleen Moore (@cmoo11_) is the advocacy director. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

North Korea is one of the hardest targets for U.S. intelligence, and the country’s border closure since 2020 has only increased the difficulty. State propaganda remains one of the only ways to learn about the regime and what’s happening in the country. A former analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency, Soo Kim has been working to understand the Kim Jong Un regime for over a decade. This week, she joins the NK News Podcast about her time at the CIA and what the U.S. government knows — and doesn’t know — about North Korea. She talks about hierarchies in Pyongyang, what Kim Jong Un prioritizes, what the next decade may look like on the Korean Peninsula and more. Soo Kim (@mllesookim) is a policy analyst at the RAND Corporation focused on national security and policy issues in the Indo-Pacific. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/what-the-cia-knows-and-doesnt-know-about-north-korea-ep-255/919679

Growing up in an elite DPRK family, Seohyun Lee enjoyed privileges available to few other North Koreans. But that all changed during a study abroad trip to China, when she says a seemingly innocuous question from a taxi driver led to her “waking up from the matrix.” Then when a close friend of hers disappeared, she and her family were forced to escape the country for good. This week, Lee joins the NK News podcast to discuss her life in the DPRK and the many ways in which it has changed since her defection. She talks about her family’s connections to China-DPRK trade, the rigid school system, her work as a human rights activist, what she plans to study as the recipient of an academic scholarship from the Otto Warmbier family, and more. Seohyun Lee (@Pyonghattan) is a North Korean defector and human rights advocate who runs the Pyonghattan YouTube channel with her brother Hyun-seung Lee. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/unplugging-from-the-north-korean-matrix-ep-254/919392

North Korea is a small country, with a tiny economy and rigid political system, squeezed between much larger, richer nations. And yet its nuclear weapons allow it to dominate discourse about the region, give it a seat at the table with the U.S. and propel leader Kim Jong Un to front-page headlines. To Dr. Sung-Yoon Lee, assistant professor at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, this is particularly chilling because North Korea has used this influence to sponsor terrorism, proliferate weapons and launder money, all while oppressing its own people and depriving them of aid and support from the international community. On this episode of the NK News Podcast, Lee (@sungyoonlee1) discusses why he opposed summits with Kim Jong Un, the struggle for Korean legitimacy between North and South, why the phrase “denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula” is fundamentally flawed, how North Korea seeks to change the status quo and his forthcoming book “The Sister,” about Kim Yo Jong. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/how-nuclear-weapons-help-north-korea-punch-above-its-weight-ep-253/919133

In August, the U.S. and South Korea carried out large-scale field training exercises for the first time since 2018, while North Korea conducted a missile test for the first time in months. The DPRK declared “victory” over COVID-19 less than three months after reporting its first outbreak. And a South Korean man attacked the high-profile activist and defector Park Sang-hak with a metal pipe at a public event, in what Park claimed was an assault orchestrated by Pyongyang. This week, the NK News team breaks down these and other significant events from throughout the month. They discuss Pyongyang’s response to the joint U.S.-ROK exercises, Yoon Suk-yeol’s “audacious” plan to denuclearize North Korea, how China’s upcoming party congress could influence the timing of a DPRK nuclear test and more. This week’s episode features Lead Correspondent Jeongmin Kim (@jeongminnkim), Analyst James Fretwell (@JamesFretwe11) and Seoul Correspondent Ifang Bremer (@IfangBremer). About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/north-korea-declares-covid-victory-and-lashes-out-at-us-rok-drills-ep-252/918878

How far should the U.S. go to protect its allies, and can South Korea do more to protect itself without outside help? Doug Bandow (@Doug_Bandow), a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, has spent decades considering this equation and has come to believe the U.S.-ROK alliance needs serious reimagination, starting with the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the Korean Peninsula. Bandow says South Korea is rich and powerful enough to carry its own water, and that the U.S. can have a more effective foreign policy — in Asia and elsewhere — by understanding when and where to use force, and where to retrench itself. On this episode of the NK News Podcast, Bandow and host Jacco Zwetsloot also discuss the China-Taiwan issue, whether Beijing would really intervene in case of a second Korean War, the upshot of multipolarity, the limits of extended deterrence against North Korea and the merits of a South Korean nuclear program. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/why-its-in-americas-interest-to-withdraw-troops-from-korea-ep-251/918606/

Over the last four years, Jacco Zwetsloot has hosted 249 episodes of the NK News podcast, interviewing everyone from longtime Korea watchers and prominent defectors to Donald Trump’s point man for negotiations with Pyongyang. But the podcast’s 250th episode features a particularly special guest — the host himself. This week, Zwetsloot talks with NK News Deputy Editor Arius Derr (@AriusDerr) about the first-ever North Korean to stand before a U.S. court and his research on DPRK comic books. They discuss why North Korean comics don’t depict Kim family leaders, the challenges of navigating South Korean restrictions on DPRK materials, what he has learned from hosting the podcast and more. Zwetsloot’s article for NK News on the criminal case of DPRK diplomat O Nam Chol is available to read here, and his master’s thesis on North Korean comic novels is available here. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/why-north-korean-comic-books-dont-have-superheroes-ep-250/918352

Before the mid-1980s, North Korea and East Germany did not have the most robust relationship despite both being allies of the Soviet Union and their similar situations as the communist half of a divided country. That all changed when founding leader Kim Il Sung decided to host one of the largest events in North Korean history. In this episode of the NK News Podcast, Bernd Schaefer talks about how East Germany’s secret police helped facilitate the 13th World Festival of Youth and Students in Pyongyang, similarities between East Germany and North Korea and the lessons of a divided Germany for the two Koreas today. Bernd Schaefer is a senior scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center’s Cold War International History Project and a professor at George Washington University. In the past he was a visiting scholar at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul and has held various other appointments across Asia and Europe. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/when-north-korea-invited-east-german-secret-police-to-pyongyang-ep-249/918126

July was a busy month on the Korean Peninsula. The South Korean government launched an investigation into the 2019 forced repatriation of two North Koreans. DPRK leader Kim Jong Un slammed ROK President Yoon Suk-yeol as a “military gangster.” And Pyongyang expressed willingness to send laborers to breakaway Ukrainian regions. This week, the NK News team breaks down all the major events. They discuss a new decree posted in Pyongyang warning of the death penalty for anyone who re-sells drugs during the COVID-19 outbreak, ventilators and other trade shipments from China, ship activity near Nampho, apparently warm ties between the Donbas breakaway republics and North Korea, the latest cyberattacks and more. This week’s episode features the following members of the NK News team: Lead Correspondent Jeongmin Kim (@jeongminnkim), Analyst James Fretwell (@JamesFretwe11) and Data Correspondent Ethan Jewell (@EthanJewell). About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/north-korea-threatens-death-penalty-for-illegal-drug-sales-ep-248/917853

This week, NK News podcast host Jacco Zwetsloot returns to what some call “freedom’s frontier,” better known as the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, for a special travelogue episode. Ret. U.S. Lt. Col. Steve Tharp. Ret. ROK Col. Jee Hong-ki, NK News founder and CEO Chad O’Carroll join the tour of the less-visited central border region of Cheorwon, peering into North Korea and learning about the battles fought in the area during the Korean War, rogue mines, defections across the inter-Korean border, tourism at the DMZ, sabertooth tigers and more. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/up-close-and-personal-at-the-demilitarized-zone-ep-247/917704

Threat dynamics on the Korean Peninsula are rapidly evolving. North Korea has proven extremely capable in cyberspace, compromising sensitive systems around the world and stealing hundreds of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency. The DPRK’s armed forces are also adopting unmanned aerial vehicles and developing hypersonic missiles that present new challenges to South Korean and U.S. defenses in the region. Cho Dongyoun of Seokyeong University has spent decades on the frontline of these new and emerging threats. As a major in the ROK army, Cho helped interpret and expand intelligence capabilities and understand North Korean tactics on the battlefield, online and in space. She joins the NK News Podcast to talk about these new emerging threats from North Korea and how South Korea is rethinking defense in the 21st century. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/emerging-north-korean-threats-in-cyber-and-outer-space-ep-246/917436

The U.N. Command opened Panmunjom on the inter-Korean border for a media tour in mid July, 2022, providing a clear look into the nearby North Korean village of Kijong-dong and parts of the Kaesong Industrial Complex. Check out the NK News photo gallery for full information: https://www.nknews.org/gallery/photos-inside-north-koreas-propaganda-village-next-to-panmunjom/

As Sweden’s ambassador to South Korea from 2018 to 2021, Jakob Hallgren saw firsthand as the pendulum shifted from hope and optimism about the future of inter-Korean relations to pessimism and doubt about whether Seoul and Pyongyang could ever reconcile. This week, Hallgren joins the NK News podcast to discuss his country’s role in diplomacy on the Korean Peninsula, Sweden’s history in facilitating track 1.5 and 2.0 talks, the Ukraine war and what North Korea stands to gain, and why the dream of Korean unification will go unrealized. Jakob Hallgren (@HallgrenJakob) is the director of the Swedish Institute of International Affairs. Prior to that, he was Sweden’s ambassador for disarmament and non-Proliferation, as well as ambassador to the Republic of Korea. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/how-sweden-created-a-safe-space-for-north-korea-talks-nknews-podcast-ep-245/917216

June was a busy month on the Korean Peninsula. The leaders of the U.S., Japan and South Korea met for the first time in nearly five years as Tokyo and Seoul began to repair ties. North Korea blamed ‘alien things’ like anti-regime balloons for spreading COVID-19 into the country. And top DPRK military officials adopted a major military action plan that some experts said may entail the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons to near the inter-Korean border. This week, three members of the NK News team join the podcast to discuss all these developments and more, breaking down what happened, what it means and what they’re monitoring for the weeks ahead. This week’s episode features the following members of the NK News team: Lead Correspondent Jeongmin Kim (@jeongminnkim), Analyst James Fretwell (@JamesFretwe11) and Correspondent Ifang Bremer (@IfangBremer). About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/north-korea-blames-alien-things-for-covid-19-outbreak-nknews-podcast-ep-244/916970

Growing up in Kobe, Park Hyangsu lived in a world apart from most of the Japanese people around her. At school, her teachers spoke Korean. In the classroom, portraits of North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il hung on the walls. For educational field trips, students traveled to the DPRK. This week, Park joins the NK News podcast to discuss her family’s life inside Chongryon, the pro-DPRK organization of ethnic Koreans in Japan that acts as Pyongyang’s de facto embassy to Tokyo. She shares about her experience receiving Juche ideological education in school, the tragic story of her uncle who moved to the DPRK, how her family distanced itself from the organization and how she now speaks up for people like her family members who have been imprisoned and tortured in North Korea. Park Hyangsu (@HyangsuPark and @baglekang) is a North Korea human rights activist and a Zainichi Korean now living in South Korea. Her story is featured in the NK News article “Activists fear North Korean human rights issues increasingly met with a shrug.” About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/life-inside-the-pro-north-korea-enclave-in-japan-nknews-podcast-ep-243/916696

When the war in Ukraine broke out earlier this year, Russian leader Vladimir Putin justified his country’s invasion as an effort to “denazify” its smaller neighbor, a striking claim given that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is Jewish. Moscow has also compared its “special military operation” to the fight against Nazi Germany in World War II, an especially proud moment in the country’s history. This week, author and journalist Katie Stallard joins the NK News podcast to explore parallels between Russia’s invocation of history and North Korea’s own use of historical narratives to prop up the Kim family regime. She discusses Pyongyang’s dubious official accounts of founding leader Kim Il Sung’s exploits, how the country falsely frames the Korean War as a U.S. invasion and other examples of why the past is never dead in the DPRK. Stallard (@katiestallard) is a senior editor at the New Statesman magazine and the author of “Dancing on Bones: History and Power in China, Russia, and North Korea,” published by Oxford University Press in May 2022. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/north-koreas-invented-histories-nknews-podcast-ep-242/916555

The assassination of Kim Jong Nam, Kim Jong Un’s older half-brother who was at one time believed to be in line to succeed their father, stands among the most shocking episodes of the current leader’s decade in power — all the more so for the manner in which it was done. According to reports, DPRK agents tricked two women into smearing VX nerve agent onto their target in broad daylight at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, believing it was for a prank show. The brazen killing marked a rare moment when Kim family intrigue spilled out into the open and presented a captivating true crime story. This week, Emilia Brock and Lucas Reilly join the NK News podcast to describe how they came to create an audio series not so much about the murder and its messy aftermath, but about everything that led up to it. The journalists and producers discuss Kim Jong Nam’s arguably ill-deserved reputation as a playboy and high roller, the whereabouts of his son, what he did to earn the ire of his half-brother and more. Emilia Brock (@emiliabrock) and Lucas Reilly (@LucasReilly1) are the producers, writers and editors behind the eight-part podcast series “Big Brother: North Korea’s Forgotten Prince.” About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/the-untold-story-of-kim-jong-uns-older-brother-nknews-podcast-ep-241/916274

From 1959 to 1984, some 93,000 ethnic Koreans voluntarily left Japan to go live in the DPRK. Driven away by discrimination in Japan, and lured by promises of free housing and health care in socialist North Korea, these migrants would arrive in a country far different from the “Workers’ Paradise” that they had been promised. And once there, it wasn’t nearly so easy to leave. This week, Markus Bell joins the NK News podcast to discuss his research into the stories of the many Zainichi Koreans who fled Japan for North Korea — and in some cases fled North Korea to return to Japan. He explains the various push and pull factors that drove ethnic Koreans to the DPRK, the prejudice that they experienced once there and how those who have escaped have struggled to find a country they can call home. Dr. Markus Bell (@mpsbell) is a research fellow at La Trobe University and an adviser to the U.N.’s International Office for Migration. His new book “Outsiders: Memories of Migration to and from North Korea” is available from Berghahn Books. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/lured-to-north-korea-on-false-promises-nknews-podcast-ep-240/916088

In late May, Korea Risk Group hosted a special three-day conference on South Korea’s east coast for NK Pro subscribers and other North Korea watchers. Called the East Coast Exchange, the event featured expert presentations, vibrant discussions and ample time for networking, as well as a unique opportunity to view the DPRK’s Mount Kumgang from South Korea’s northernmost guard post on the DMZ. This week, NK News podcast host Jacco Zwetsloot provides an inside account of the special event for listeners who couldn’t attend, interviewing participants ranging from Israeli Ambassador Akiva Tor and Yonsei University professor John Delury to familiar members of the NK News team. They discuss not only the conference but the possibility of a North Korean nuclear test, the country’s ongoing COVID-19 outbreak and more. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/debating-nukes-a-stones-throw-from-north-korea-nknews-podcast-ep-239/915838

Two and a half years into the global COVID-19 pandemic, North Korea reported its first outbreak on May 12, with cases of “fever” quickly surpassing a million. How prepared is the DPRK to fight the spread of the virus and will the country finally accept foreign aid? This week, NK News and NK PRO founder and CEO Chad O’Carroll (@chadocl), lead correspondent Jeongmin Kim (@jeongminnkim) and Seoul correspondent Ifang Bremer (@ifangbremer) join the NK News Podcast to discuss the status of North Korea’s COVID-19 outbreak. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/north-korea-reports-first-ever-covid-19-outbreak-nknews-podcast-ep-236/914970

Several North Korean statues and other works of art are scattered across the African continent, a persistent presence that demonstrates North Korean influence in the region. While these works are often narrowly interpreted by the outside world as illicit revenue streams for Pyongyang, researcher OneJoon Che says North Korean art and sculptures cannot be fully understood unless we look at them through the eyes of the people that see them every day. This week, OneJoon joins the NK News Podcast to discuss “International Friendship: The Gifts From Africa,” his new photo book that traces the statues, monuments and buildings built by North Korea in Africa over the past 50 years. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/exploring-north-korean-art-in-africa-nknews-podcast-ep-235/914700

A four-hour ferry ride from South Korea’s west coast takes one to a remote island so far north that it seems like it would be in North Korea. Yet Baengnyeong Island remains, improbably, a part of the South, and this far-flung location on the country’s frontier has been at the center of several important events in inter-Korean history — including the infamous sinking of the ROKS Cheonan. This week, NK News podcast host Jacco Zwetsloot takes listeners on a special audio tour of South Korea’s westernmost island, uncovering its history and talking with residents and experts about its significance to the two Koreas. Part travelogue, part interview, this episode explores how the island plays into disputes with North Korea over fishing rights, the DPRK’s abductions of South Korean nationals, life on the heavily militarized territory within sight of the North and more. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/visiting-a-remote-island-on-north-koreas-doorstep-nknews-podcast-ep-234/914387

The U.S. and South Korea have been trying to solve the North Korea nuclear issue for decades, yet Pyongyang continues to advance its weapons programs. This week, Christopher Green joins the podcast to talk about the past few years of diplomacy, missile tests and how to analyze the goings-on in the DPRK with a critical eye. Christopher Green (@Dest_Pyongyang) is a senior consultant at Crisis Group and a lecturer at Leiden University. Andrei Lankov’s article for Surival that was mentioned in the podcast: “The Perspective from Pyongyang: Limits of Compromise” About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/the-complexities-of-solving-the-north-korea-issue-nknews-podcast-ep-233/914120

North Korea has rapidly expanded its cyber capabilities over the last decade, from marginal operations focused on distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks to large-scale cyberwarfare capable of compromising hardened networks and stealing hundreds of millions in cash and cryptocurrency. Perhaps the most widely known of the DPRK’s cybercrime organizations is the so-called Lazarus Group, which has become all the more infamous through the success of the BBC’s hit podcast “The Lazarus Heist.” This week, “The Lazarus Heist” co-creator and presenter Geoff White joins the NK News podcast to discuss this enigmatic group of hackers and the increasing sophistication of Pyongyang’s cyber efforts. He talks about DPRK attacks ranging from the 2016 Bangladesh Bank heist to a recent theft from a crypto-based video game, how North Korean hackers are increasingly utilizing the dark web and more. Geoff White (@geoffwhite247) is an investigative journalist and technology specialist who has worked for the BBC, Channel 4 News, The Sunday Times and other outlets. His new book, “The Lazarus Heist – From Hollywood to High Finance: Inside North Korea’s Global Cyber War,” digs deeper into the workings of the DPRK’s “shadowy cabal of hackers” and will be published on June 9, 2022. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/inside-north-koreas-lazarus-heist-hack-nknews-podcast-ep-238/915549

North Korea celebrated the 110th birthday of Kim Il Sung in grand fashion last week, with thousands of pom-pom-waving citizens spelling out the founding leader’s name in massive characters, as a large float bearing a bronze statue of his likeness paraded across the square in central Pyongyang now named for him. It was a testament to the longevity of the so-called eternal leader’s cult of personality, which he burnished during his brutal decadeslong rule and which persists years after his death. But what was Kim Il Sung like before he became the godlike figure endlessly praised in state propaganda and one of the most notorious dictators of the 20th century? This week, historian Brandon Gauthier joins the podcast to discuss Kim Il Sung’s early life and how the pivotal experiences of his youth resemble and differ from those of other totalitarian rulers. He talks about why it was important that Kim learned Chinese, his participation in armed struggle against Imperial Japan and whether scholars should attempt to humanize history’s most inhumane leaders. Brandon Gauthier (@bk_gauthier) is the director of global education at The Derryfield School and an adjunct professor of history at Fordham University, as well as a former columnist for NK News. His new book about the early life of Kim Il Sung and other prominent autocrats — “Before Evil: Young Lenin, Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, Mao, and Kim” — will be published on April 26 and is available for preorder at beforeevil.com. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/older-podcasts/what-kim-il-sung-shares-with-hitler-mao-and-stalin-nknews-podcast-ep-232/913868

The Yongbyon complex located some 60 miles north of Pyongyang has been the center of North Korea’s nuclear program for decades, producing fissile material for multiple nuclear weapons tests. As the DPRK has not allowed independent experts to visit the site for years, analysts now pore over satellite imagery to divine the status of enrichment activity and estimate the number of warheads in its nuclear arsenal. But back in the early 1990s, North Korea was relatively more open about the complex as it negotiated and then implemented the Agreed Framework with the U.S. on freezing its nuclear program. And at that time, C. Kenneth Quinones became the first American to visit Yongbyon, as well as the first U.S. diplomat to meet with North Korean counterparts. This week, Quinones joins the podcast to discuss the cumulative six months he spent in the DPRK over the years and his interactions with North Koreans. He shares his assessments of U.S. policy toward Pyongyang under Trump and Obama, his experience relaying messages between North and South during a flare-up in tensions, holding talks with North Korean diplomats in New York over bagels and orange juice, and more. C. Kenneth Quinones is a former U.S. diplomat and a retired professor of East Asian history at Akita International University in Japan. His most recent book, “Imperial Japan’s Allied Prisoners of War in the South Pacific: Surviving Paradise,” was released in December. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. An audio version of this podcast can be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/older-podcasts/the-first-american-to-visit-north-koreas-nuclear-plant-nknews-podcast-ep-231/913495

A unique characteristic of North Korean life is that almost all citizens must be a member of an organization. This begins at a young age, when kindergarten students learn to bow in unison to portraits of the country’s leaders. It ramps up in adolescence through participation in the Boy and Girl Scout-like Korean Children’s Union. And it continues in adulthood through membership in labor unions, the women’s union, the farmer’s union, the army and an array of other organizations — chief among them the Workers’ Party of Korea. These organizations oversee what’s known in the DPRK as organizational life (조직생활), a term encompassing ideological education, self-criticism sessions and more. This week, North Korean defector Jung Yuna joins the podcast to discuss the ins and outs of this inescapable part of life in the DPRK, as well as her own experiences in the country and her current work as a YouTuber in South Korea. Jung Yuna is a North Korean defector and human rights activist who now runs the popular Jung Yuna TV (정유나 TV) YouTube channel. You can follow her on Instagram @loveyuna88. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this podcast can be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/older-podcasts/why-north-koreans-dont-have-time-to-pursue-hobbies-nknews-podcast-ep-230/913143

Amid North Korean COVID-19 outbreak and a days-long lockdown in Pyongyang, agricultural workers could still be seen in their dozens in DPRK fields on the inter-Korean border on May 16, 2022. For more information, see NK News: https://www.nknews.org

North Korea tested one of its biggest weapons for the first time in years last week, launching a long-range missile that soared 15 times higher than the international space station before splashing down in waters west of Japan. The DPRK soon claimed that it fired a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), with state media airing a dramatically edited video showing leader Kim Jong Un guiding the launch of the monstrous weapon. While analysts have cast doubt on North Korea’s claim that it successfully test-fired a Hwasong-17, the launch still marked a significant escalation of tensions that prompted a military counter-response from South Korea and calls for new U.N. sanctions on Pyongyang. This week, NK News reporters and analysts join the podcast to discuss whether the launch breached Kim Jong Un’s moratorium on long-range missile testing, how the test fits into North Korea’s long-term weapons development goals, the looming possibility of renewed nuclear weapons testing and more. This week’s episode features the following members of the NK News team: Founder Chad O’Carroll (@chadocl), Director of Korea Risk Group Andrei Lankov, Senior Analytic Correspondent Colin Zwirko (@ColinZwirko) and Lead Correspondent Jeongmin Kim (@jeongminnkim). About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio of this episode can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/north-koreas-icbm-test-and-what-comes-next-nknews-podcast-ep-229/912849/

There’s no shortage of YouTube content on North Korea, from straightforward news reports on the latest missile launch to over-the-top travelogues promising a rare glimpse into the world’s “most depressing” country. While informative videos exist on the platform, it can be difficult to separate hard facts from misleading exaggeration or even outright falsehoods with so many channels vying for viewers’ attention. This week, two prominent YouTubers join the podcast to discuss how they seek to cut through the noise with their own videos about North Korea that both entertain and inform. Bart van Genugten of iGoBart and Benjamin Weston of DPRK Explained talk about what led them to start posting content on the website, their travels inside North Korea, interviewing veterans of the Korean War and more. Bart van Genugten (@BartGenugten) is a Dutch travel vlogger and YouTube documentary filmmaker living in Korea, as well as a video producer for NK News. Benjamin Weston (@BenWestonDPRK) is a former Koryo Tours tour manager and international submissions coordinator for the Pyongyang International Film Festival. He currently lives in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio for this episode can also be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/north-korea-goes-viral-on-youtube-nknews-podcast-ep-228/912532

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un guided the successful test-launch of a new “powerful tool for nuclear attack” called the “Hwasong-17” intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on March 24, 2022 as part of efforts to “contain” the U.S., state media reported the next day. The ICBM launch broke Kim's self-imposed moratorium, South Korean president Moon Jae-in said, "strongly condemning" the test. The missile flew for 67 minutes, reached an altitude of 3,882.3 miles (6,248.5 km) and landed 677 miles (1,090 km) from its launch location at the Pyongyang International Airport, North Korea's Rodong Sinmun claimed. (Footage: Aired on Korean Central Television (KCTV), March 25, 2022, around 15:00 KST) ___ 📍 Want regular North Korea news coverage from the world's best specialist journalists? https://signup.nknews.org/subscription-special-offer/ ___ 📍 Read more about North Korean state media report here: https://www.nknews.org/2022/03/north-korea-test-launched-new-hwasong-17-icbm-for-first-time-state-media-says/?t=1655973934272 📍 Read more about the initial estimates on the missile from South Korean military: https://www.nknews.org/2022/03/north-korea-fires-at-least-one-projectile-towards-east-sea-south-korea/

During Kim Jong Un’s first decade in power, the North Korean state has executed at least 23 people for crimes ranging from prostitution and “obscene acts” to watching South Korea media, according to a recent report from the Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG), a Seoul-based human rights organization. This week, TJWG researcher Ahyeong Park joins the podcast to discuss the work that went into documenting these killings and how state executions have changed since Kim Jong Un came to power in 2011. She explains how the organization collects and verifies testimony from defectors, propaganda efforts to portray Kim as a benevolent leader through pardons and the long-term goal of achieving justice for victims. Ahyeong Park is a researcher with TJWG and the lead author of “Mapping Killings Under Kim Jong Un: North Korea’s Response to International Pressure.” About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. An audio version of this podcast can be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/tracking-state-killings-under-kim-jong-un-nknews-podcast-ep-224/911678

Tom McDevitt discusses Sun Myung Moon’s meeting with Kim Il Sung in 1991 and the importance of engaging North Korea. On the surface, the anti-communist leader of the Unification movement, commonly known as the Unification Church, and the leader of North Korea had little room for reconciliation. However, Moon traveled to Pyongyang to meet with Kim in 1991, and his church has pushed several investment initiatives in the DPRK. This week, Tom McDevitt, chairman of The Washington Times, joins the podcast to discuss that visit and the importance of engaging North Korea to change the country and bring it into the international community. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. An audio version of this podcast can be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/the-unification-church-and-opening-up-north-korea-nknews-podcast-ep-223/911386

More than 20 years ago, the senior North Korean official Hwang Jang-yop walked into the South Korean Embassy in China and declared his intention to defect. His actions triggered a diplomatic standoff with Beijing and brought forth a stream of attacks from Pyongyang’s state media. He was the highest-ranking defector ever from the DPRK, having previously served as the architect of North Korea’s state ideology of self-reliance and as a mentor to Kim Jong Il. This week, author John Cha joins the podcast to discuss Hwang and his legacy in both North and South Korea. Cha, who interviewed Hwang and wrote about his life in a 2012 book, talks about why the former president of Kim Il Sung University defected, his life in the South and his vision for bringing democracy to the DPRK. John Cha (@AuthorJCha) is the author of several biographies about Korean and American leaders and is an award-winning translator of Korean literature into English. His book “Exit Emperor Kim Jong Il: Notes from His Former Mentor” tells the story of Hwang Jang-yop and his insights into the Kim family regime. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. An audio version of this podcast can be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/the-man-who-invented-north-koreas-juche-ideology-nknews-podcast-ep-222/911189

The popularity of Gaming in North Korea. In this video Hyun-Seung Lee, a North Korean defector, talks about his gaming experience in Pyongyang, North Korea. We also explore how the popularity of gaming in North Korea has changed over time. Read the article that inspired this video: https://www.nknews.org/2021/10/super-mario-in-pyongyang-north-koreas-burgeoning-video-game-culture/ Hyun-Seung Lee's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/Pyonghattan Want more unique insights about North Korea? Check out www.nknews.org for daily developments and information in, from, and about North Korea. Follow NK News on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nknewsorg/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nknewsorg Give us a like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nknewsorg Listen to our latest podcast: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest Subscribe to NK News for more. #Gaming #northkorea

Why would anyone scour for North Korean trash on the beach? Want more unique insights about North Korea? Check out www.nknews.org for daily developments and information in, from, and about North Korea. Follow NK News on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nknewsorg/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nknewsorg Give us a like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nknewsorg Listen our latest podcast: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest Subscribe to NK News for more. #NorthKoreantrash #northkorea

Rupert Wingfield-Hayes had wrapped up a reporting trip in North Korea and was about to board a flight out of the country when the ordeal started. The authorities suddenly detained him and took him for questioning, demanding that he confess to crimes against the state in an interrogation that extended late into the night. This week, Wingfield-Hayes joins the podcast to share the story of his headline-grabbing detention by North Korea ahead of its Seventh Party Congress in 2016. The BBC Tokyo correspondent describes how his persistent questioning and blogging landed him in hot water, recounts the behind-the-scenes maneuvering that led to his release and reflects on how journalists can stay safe while reporting truthfully from inside the DPRK. Rupert Wingfield-Hayes (@wingcommander1) is a longtime BBC journalist who has worked as the broadcaster’s Tokyo correspondent since 2012. He previously served as a BBC correspondent in China, Russia and the Middle East. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. An audio version of this podcast can be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/older-podcasts/a-journalist-detained-in-north-korea-nknews-podcast-ep-221/911003/

What's driving the high-frequency of North Korea's January 2022 missile campaign? Featuring an unprecedented seven missile test events in one month, what has motivated North Korea to test so many missiles in such a short time? To discuss all this and more, NK News podcast host Jacco Zwetsloot conducts a video interview with special guests including Ankit Panda, Chad O'Carroll, Colin Zwirko, and Jeongmin Kim. Follow NK News (https://www.nknews.org) for ongoing updates about North Korea. And if you work on topics related to North Korea in any way, be sure to follow NK Pro -- https://www.nknews.org/pro Video interview recorded on Mon. Jan 31, 2022.

Ever since the breakdown of talks between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump at Hanoi in 2018, prospects for denuclearization have grown increasingly dim. Yet there is historical precedent for a country to give up its nuclear weapons — South Africa — and some hold out hope that diplomacy might yet lead to a breakthrough on North Korea. This week, Jenny Town of the website 38 North joins the podcast to talk about what has gone wrong in negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang, and what it would take to induce the DPRK to surrender its nukes. She also addresses parallels between the North Korean nuclear situation and India and Pakistan, the role of sanctions and incentives in changing Pyongyang’s behavior and the growing number of women in North Korean studies. Jenny Town (@j3nnyt0wn) is a senior fellow at the Stimson Center and the director of Stimson’s 38 North program. She also serves as an expert reviewer for Freedom House’s Freedom in the World Index, an associate fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and in various other roles. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio version of this podcast can be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/older-podcasts/the-rookie-mistakes-of-trump-kim-diplomacy-nknews-podcast-ep-219/910417/

The new year has been an eventful one so far for North Korea watchers. Pyongyang has already test-launched missiles on four separate occasions. A defector who had settled in the South dramatically crossed the demilitarized zone to return to the North. Conservative presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol voiced support for a preemptive strike to stop North Korean missile attacks. And a freight train carrying goods entered the DPRK from China for the first time in 17 months. Joining the podcast to discuss it all are key members of the NK News team — with an unexpected, ballistic interjection from Pyongyang live on air. This week’s episode features the following members of the NK News team: founder Chad O’Carroll (@chadocl), lead correspondent Jeongmin Kim (@jeongminnkim) and analyst James Fretwell (@JamesFretwe11). About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio version of this podcast can be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/older-podcasts/missile-tests-train-shipments-and-redefection-oh-my-nknews-podcast-ep-218/910133/

In May 2008, more than 2,000 curious South Koreans bought a membership at the new Golf resort in North Korea, but the joy was short-lived, as the $75 million resort closed its doors six weeks after opening. What happened and what is Kim Jong Un going to do with the resort in Kumgang area? Here you can find the detailed article about the future of North Korea: https://www.nknews.org/2020/09/a-75-million-luxury-north-korean-golf-course-shut-down-six-weeks-after-opening/ Want more unique insights about North Korea? Check out www.nknews.org for daily developments and information in, from, and about North Korea. Follow NK News on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nknewsorg/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nknewsorg Give us a like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nknewsorg Listen our latest podcast: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest Subscribe to NK News for more. #NorthKorea #ananti #kumgang

Unification remains the official goal of inter-Korean policy on both sides of the Korean Peninsula, and the new Council on Diplomacy for Korean Unification (CDKU), founded by veterans of the country’s unification ministry, aims to keep the dream alive. This week, Kim Hyeong-seok and J.R. Kim join the podcast to discuss their organization, which brings together retired unification ministry officials, scholars and other self-described “old-timers” of the North Korea watcher community to promote peaceful unification at the civilian level. They delve into what makes CDKU unique, their hopes to bring in younger voices and what they have planned for the future. Kim Hyeong-seok is a retired official of South Korea’s Ministry of Unification, serving as vice minister of unification from 2016-2017, and is now president of CDKU. Dr. J.R. Kim is currently director-general without portfolio at the unification ministry, where he most recently served as acting head of the North Korea Human Rights Center, and is vice president and secretary-general of CDKU. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio version of this podcast can be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/unification-ministry-veterans-promoting-korean-peace-nknews-podcast-ep-217/909814

This January marks 10 years since the Associated Press became the first U.S. news agency to establish a bureau in Pyongyang. The opening gave the organization a unique vantage point from which to report on notoriously secretive North Korea, but also raised questions about how operating in the country might influence coverage. As the AP’s Korean Peninsula bureau chief at the time, Jean Lee spearheaded efforts to open the Pyongyang bureau, and this week she joins the podcast to discuss the work that went into it and her numerous reporting trips to North Korea. Along the way, she shares her views on the advantages of having a more regular reporting presence in the country, addresses questions about pulling punches due to security concerns and responds to a report that the AP agreed to distribute DPRK state media articles. Jean H. Lee is an award-winning writer, commentator and expert on North Korea currently serving as co-host of The Lazarus Heist podcast for the BBC World Service and as a senior fellow with the Wilson Center think tank. You can follow her on Twitter @newsjean. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio version of this podcast can be found here: nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest/opening-the-first-us-news-bureau-in-north-korea-nknews-podcast-ep-216/909473

NK News correspondents media appearances Want more unique insights about North Korea? Check out www.nknews.org for daily developments and information in, from, and about North Korea. Follow NK News on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nknewsorg/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nknewsorg Give us a like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nknewsorg Listen our latest podcast: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest Subscribe to NK News for more. #NorthKorea

Jeongmin Kim media appearances on North Korea Want more unique insights about North Korea? Check out www.nknews.org for daily developments and information in, from, and about North Korea. Follow NK News on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nknewsorg/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nknewsorg Give us a like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nknewsorg Listen our latest podcast: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest Subscribe to NK News for more. #NorthKorea

Chad O'Carroll media appearances on North Korea. Want more unique insights about North Korea? Check out www.nknews.org for daily developments and information in, from, and about North Korea. Follow NK News on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nknewsorg/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nknewsorg Give us a like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nknewsorg Listen our latest podcast: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest Subscribe to NK News for more. #NorthKorea

Kim Jong Un has revealed major new policies in early January throughout his time as leader, either through New Year’s speeches or following large political meetings in Pyongyang. As such, many were expecting new details on Jan 1 relating to DPRK foreign policy, military and space exploration goals — all items touched upon last January at the Eighth Party Congress. Instead, policy analysts awoke to a report in state media that focused in large part on issues relating to North Korea’s domestic economy, agricultural situation and rural sector. To dive deeper into the result of this year’s plenum, Korea Risk Group was joined by Joshua Pollack of the Monterey Institute for a NK Pro/ NK News member Zoom call on Jan 3. Want to join our next briefing call? Then be sure to subscribe to NK Pro: https://signup.nknews.org/nk-pro/ CALL DETAILS Moderator: Chad O'Carroll Speakers: Colin Zwirko, Jeongmin Kim, Joshua Pollack, Peter Ward

Kim Jong Un, the supreme leader of North Korea since 2011, but what can the 10 years of Kim Jong Un tell us about North Korea’s future, let’s say a decade from now? 2031. Here you can find the detailed article about the future of North Korea: https://www.nknews.org/2020/02/into-the-future-where-north-korea-might-be-by-the-year-2040/ Want more unique insights about North Korea? Check out www.nknews.org for daily developments and information in, from, and about North Korea. Follow NK News on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nknewsorg/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nknewsorg Give us a like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nknewsorg Listen our latest podcast: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest Subscribe to NK News for more. #NorthKorea

North Korea began 2021 with a major party conference and is now ending it with a multi-day plenum. Somewhere in the between, a lot else happened: Disinfection centers sprang up. Kim Jong Un lost weight. Health officials in hazmat suits goose-stepped through Pyongyang. Both Koreas launched an assortment of new weapons. With 2022 right around the corner, the NK News team joins the podcast to look back on the year that was, and ahead to the year to come. They discuss their favorite articles, movies and drama about North Korea and the year’s biggest events, as well as give their boldest (and not-so-bold) predictions on what will happen in the DPRK next year. This week’s episode features the following members of the NK News team: founder Chad O’Carroll (@chadocl), senior analytic correspondent Colin Zwirko (@ColinZwirko) and analyst James Fretwell (@JamesFretwe11). About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. The audio version of this podcast can be found here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/older-podcasts/the-biggest-north-korea-stories-of-2021-nknews-podcast-ep-215/909125/

North Korea, the state almost completely prohibits access to the internet, closely surveils cell phone usage and exclusively manages domestic media production. In other words, information flows are strictly controlled. Yet calling Pyongyang is relatively straight forward if you have the patience, time and money. In this video we explain how anyone can call North Korea, even from South Korea. Here you will find the original article about North Korea’s archaic international call system: https://www.nknews.org/2021/02/phoning-it-in-north-koreas-archaic-and-expensive-international-call-system/ Want more unique insights about North Korea? Check out www.nknews.org for daily developments and information in, from, and about North Korea. Follow NK News on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nknewsorg/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nknewsorg Give us a like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nknewsorg Listen our latest podcast: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest Subscribe to NK News for more.

Taking a high-powered zoom camera to South Korea's Aegibong Peace Ecopark, which includes views of between 2-6km from North Korea. North Korean soldiers, farmers and residents can all easily be seen going about their daily lives in this video. The video was recorded several days after the North Korean government confirmed the country is currently suffering a 'food crisis'. More information about what can be seen from Aegibong can be found here, at NK News: https://www.nknews.org/2021/10/photos-north-korean-harvest-new-homes-as-seen-from-souths-new-border-lookout/

South Korea detained a U.N.-sanctioned oil tanker linked to North Korea in May 2021 after it entered the Busan area disguised as a Mongolia-flagged vessel, NK News has confirmed. Watch the exclusive video by NK News, filmed on Aug. 18, 2021 in Busan, South Korea. Full story available at nknews.org here: https://www.nknews.org/2021/08/south-korea-detaining-north-korea-linked-ship-suspected-of-sanctions-violations/?t=1637213378480

A limited-edition 24″ x 36″ North Korea leadership organogram poster, designed by the team behind NK Pro. Get yours at https://www.nkshop.org today!

Taking a high-powered zoom camera to South Korea's Ganghwa Peace Observatory, which stands around 2km from North Korean territory. North Korean soldiers, farmers and residents can all easily be seen going about their daily lives in this video. The video was recorded several days after the North Korean government confirmed the country is currently suffering a 'food crisis'.

Chad O'Carroll KBS World Radio interview about inter-Korean relations after North Korea’s Congress of 2021

Following a year-long border closure and the reveal of a new ICBM, Korea Risk Group will take a look at what the Eighth Party Congress means for the future trajectory of North Korea. With NK Pro Analysts Andrei Lankov and Ankit Panda, as well as Chad O'Carroll, NK News Correspondent Jeongmin Kim, and NK News Podcast host Jacco Zwetsloot.

Chad O’Carroll BBC World Radio interview on North Korea’s Congress, growing economic problems, and future relations with the U.S.”

Interested in more? Contact us for a trial of the new NK Pro at [email protected] or find out more at https://membership.nknews.org/welcome-to-nk-pro Chad O'Carroll, Founder, Korea Risk Group (NK Pro/NK News) Chad O’Carroll is the founder of NK News, a North Korea specialized news, information and data service that serves researchers, academics and business people around the world. O’Carroll established the website in 2010 while living in Washington, DC. He was a Fellow of the Tow-Knight Center for Entrepreneurial Journalism (CUNY) and was previously the Director of Communications at the Korea Economic Institute of America. Andrei Lankov, NK Pro Contributing Analyst Andrei Lankov is a Director at Korea Risk Group and writes exclusively for the site as one of the world’s leading authorities on North Korea. A graduate of Leningrad State University, he attended Pyongyang’s Kim Il Sung University from 1984-5 – an experience you can read about here. In addition to his writing, he is also a Professor at Kookmin University. Ankit Panda, NK Pro Contributing Analyst Ankit Panda is a regular analytic contributor to NK Pro, where he writes typically on military-related issues. Panda is also a Stanton Senior Fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and editor-at-large at The Diplomat. He is the author of Kim Jong Un and the Bomb: Survival and Deterrence in North Korea (Hurst Publishers/Oxford University Press, 2020). Follow him on Twitter at @nktpnd.

This week, journalist Chanel Rion joins the NK News Podcast to talk about U.S.-DPRK relations, why inter-Korean relations are particularly important to her, the legacy and future of Donald Trump’s summit diplomacy with Kim Jong Un and more. A video version of this interview is also available here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest

16th meeting of the Political Bureau of the 7th Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) took place at the office building of the Central Committee of the WPK on August 13, according to North Korean state media. Read more about the meeting: https://www.nknews.org/2020/08/kaesong-lockdown-lifted-at-north-korean-politburo-meeting-led-by-kim-jong-un/?t=1597395371723

On Thursday, 25 June, South Korea-based NGO Voice of the Martyrs Korea launched four balloons containing bibles towards North Korea. The launch took place from an island in South Korea adjacent to North Korean territory.

This footage from North Korea's state-run KCTV broadcaster shows the moment the inter-Korean liaison office exploded. North Korea blew up the office at approximately 2:50 p.m. on Tuesday, June 16. More at NKNEWS.ORG.

Almost two-dozen Chinese vessels were fishing in South Korean waters adjacent to the contested Northern Limit Line that separates the seas of the two Koreas, NK News observed in June 2020. Find out more at NK News: https://www.nknews.org/2020/06/adjacent-to-north-korea-chinese-vessels-fish-freely-in-contested-waters

Oliver Hothman, comment regarding North Korea Missile Launch Sept 16, 2017 on Al Jazeera

Footage aired on KCTV May 2 Learn more here: https://www.nknews.org/2020/05/kim-jong-un-reappears-in-state-media-following-21-day-appearance/?t=1588406384761

North Korea's state television in January 2020 aired a documentary that "partly" summarizes Kim Jong Un's 2019 feats, titled: “2019년의 전설적 기적을 안아온 위대한 영웅적 투쟁사의 일부를 전하다.”

North Korean state media reported on December 8, 2019 that Kim Jong Un oversaw the grand opening of Yangdok Hot Springs and ski resort. The broadcast began with orchestral music and sound effects of bubbling water, presenting aerial drone shots of the hotels, ski grounds, indoor and outdoor spas, and equestrian grounds. It then showed interior finishings of lobbies and hotel rooms, amenities such as vending machines in covered walkways, drink stands at the indoor pools, and the new ski equipment. - Read more about the opening ceremony: https://www.nknews.org/2019/12/kim-jong-un-oversees-opening-of-yangdok-hot-springs-and-ski-resort/ - The resort opened its doors to local visitors on January 10, 2020: https://www.nknews.org/2020/01/yangdok-hot-springs-and-ski-resort-starts-operation-accepting-reservation/?t=1578653375814

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in late 2019 scaled the country’s politically-symbolic Paektu Mountain. Here is a documentary North Korea's state television aired on January 2, 2020, featuring the visits. Read our articles on Kim's 2019 visits to Paektu Mountain: - Kim Jong Un scales politically-symbolic Mount Paektu on horseback: state media https://www.nknews.org/2019/10/kim-jong-un-scales-politically-symbolic-mount-paektu-on-horseback-kcna/?t=1577973899295 - Kim Jong Un returns to North Korea’s “revolutionary” Mount Paektu on horseback https://www.nknews.org/2019/12/kim-jong-un-returns-to-north-koreas-revolutionary-mount-paektu-on-horseback/

The 5th Plenary Meeting of the 7th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea was held at the headquarters building of the WPK Central Committee from December 28 to 31, 2019, North Korean state media reports on January 1, 2020.

The large-scale demolition and reconstruction of the North Korean mountain town of Samjiyon has been completed, the country’s state media declared on December 3, 2019, with leader Kim Jong Un on hand to cut the ribbon in an opening ceremony the previous day. You can read about it here: https://www.nknews.org/2019/12/north-korea-unveils-newly-reconstructed-utopia-town-in-samjiyon/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter FOOTAGE: KCTV

The host of the NKNews Podcast, Mr. Jacco Zwetsloot, has interviewed many guests over the course of the last 100 episodes. This time, we present you with a little extra to mark our 100th episode of the podcast: a short interview with the man himself! NKNews Podcast: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/#/latest NK News: https://www.nknews.org/ NK Pro: https://www.nknews.org/pro/

In our first-ever video episode of the NK News Podcast, we followed Nick Bonner, the co-founder of Koryo Tours, around the "Made in Chosun: Graphics from Everyday Life in the DPRK" exhibition in Seoul. The exhibition, which is based on Bonner's book and co-curated by Koryo Tours, features an impressive array of North Korea paraphernalia acquired by Bonner over a span of 25 years, since he first set up Koryo Tours in 1993. Take a look around the gallery with Bonner and our host Jacco Zwetsloot for a unique look into North Korean visual culture, discussion on how the North's designs are beginning to resemble Western packaging, and how South Korea's National Security Law posed some difficulties in importing certain objects into the country. The exhibition will be open at the Hongik Daehangno Art Center until April 7, from 1000 to 1800 daily, excluding Mondays. The standard entrance fee is 13,000 KRW.  About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists.

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast Where many see threat in North Korea, Jim Rogers sees opportunity. The legendary investor has maintained for years that the DPRK, along with a unified Korean peninsula, presents tremendous opportunities for investors willing to step in at the ground floor. This week on the podcast, Rogers discusses his thoughts on where sanctions relief and foreign investment is headed after the Hanoi Summit, and his visions of a North Korean future in privatization and economic opening. Singapore-based Jim Rogers is an American businessman and financial commentator, and the Chairman of Rogers Holdings and Beeland Interests. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists.

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast The second summit between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump is over , concluding, much to everyone’s surprise, with the two sides failing to come to an agreement. In a special round-table podcast recorded on the ground in Hanoi, NK News CEO and founder Chad O’Carroll, managing editor Oliver Hotham, and senior correspondent Dagyum Ji discussed the results of the dramatic Kim-Trump meeting, as well as share some impressions from two days of summitry. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Featured image: Rodong Sinmun

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast As Trump and Kim Jong Un prepared for their second summit in Hanoi, we sat down with Jay Song, a Senior Lecturer in Korean Studies at the University of Melbourne, last week, to talk about the increasingly salient role that women have in helping the oppressive Kim regime improve its international image while it continues its diplomatic outreach. Case in point: Kim Jong Un’s wife Ri Sol Ju and younger sister Kim Yo Jong. Meanwhile, human rights continue to remain a chief obstacle to North Korea’s integration with the rest of the world, Song says, which is largely due to how human rights are defined, the order in which they are prioritized, and one’s belief whether or not such rights are universal or endowed. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists.

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast With a second U.S.-North Korea summit just a week away and growing speculation among experts that the meeting will lead to a major agreement between the two countries, it’s more important than ever that observers study the past. Ambassador Joseph R. DeTrani was the State Department’s former special envoy for negotiations with North Korea from 2003 to 2006. He is also former Special envoy for Six Party Talks with North Korea and the U.S. Representative to the Korea Energy Development Organization (KEDO), as well as former CIA director of East Asia Operations. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Featured image: Kevin Lim/THE STRAITS TIMES

Kim Jong Un’s New Year’s address this week was hotly-anticipated, with DPRK watchers across the world keeping a close eye on a speech expected to define North Korean policy for 2019. Just a day after the speech, NK News journalists Oliver Hotham, Dagyum Ji, and Colin Zwirko sat down in Seoul to parse the address and what it means going forward. Also under discussion? A bombastic New Year’s Eve party in Pyongyang’s Kim Il Sung Square , prospects for a second U.S.-DPRK summit , and what Kim Jong Un’s speech means for inter-Korean relations and nuclear diplomacy in 2019. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Featured image: DPRK Today

NK News‘s sister site NK Pro has for several months now been putting out the “Month in Review” feature, a comprehensive guide to all the most critical goings-on in and around the peninsula over the previous 31 days. This week, that report’s author and Korea Risk Group CEO Chad O’Carroll talks listeners through a busy January in Korea, from DPRK investment bids to another DPRK-China summit and prospects for an upcoming meeting between Kim Jong Un and President Trump , as well as what to expect in February. Not an NK Pro member? You can download a free preview of this month’s report here . About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Featured image: KCNA

With a second summit between North Korea and the U.S. looming and plans for Kim Jong Un to visit Seoul in the coming months, it feels like the days of fire and fury are far behind us. But, as pointed out by a recent report by the International Crisis Group (ICG) , the “current holding pattern cannot be sustained forever”: eventually, both sides will need to offer concessions. In this episode of the NK News Podcast, ICG’s Chris Green discusses a range of issues including negotiation strategy, inter-Korean dialogue, , economics, and more. Chris Green works as a Korea expert at the ICG. He is the former head of international affairs at the Daily NK, and translated the memoirs of the late Hwang Jang-yop. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Featured image: Pyeongyang Press Corps

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast The release of the Report of the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in 2014 represented a significant milestone in human rights documentation and reporting in North Korea. Five years later , we look at the impact the report has had, what changes have been implemented, and why human rights continue to be among the most important source of contention between North Korea and the international community. Signe Poulsen is Seoul representative for the United Nations’ Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists.

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast U.S.-North Korea diplomacy got a much-needed shot in the arm over the weekend, with officials from both sides sitting down for long-awaited talks in Washington DC and on the outskirts of Stockholm . Those meetings saw, among other things, the delivery of yet another letter from the North Korean leader to the American President. Hoping to make sense of the developments, NK News’s Oliver Hotham, Chad O’Carroll, Colin Zwirko, and Dagyum Ji sat down for roundtable chat to discuss the renewed negotiations and what it all means going forward. Also under discussion? Prospects for a relaxation of sanctions this year, plans for a second summit in Vietnam, and Kim Jong Un’s birthday trip to Beijing. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Check out the shop here: https://www.nkshop.org/ Featured image: White House

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast The U.S.-South Korea relationship has a long and complex history, with the issue having gained particular importance last year amid talk of a “decoupling” in the alliance. In this episode, former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert discusses his time as Washington’s man in Seoul, the role of American diplomacy, and inter-Korean issues. Also discussed? The state of the State Department, prospects for denuclearization, and past tensions with North Korea. Mark Lippert served as U.S. Ambassador to South Korea from 2014 to 2017. He previously served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs, among other roles. He now works as a Vice President at Boeing International. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Check out the shop here: https://www.nkshop.org/ Featured image: Osan Air Base

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast Women face extraordinary hardship in North Korea, including little to no access to sanitary products and basic health services. Indeed, these challenges are ingrained into the DPRK’s highly patriarchal society, that endures despite the presence of high-level women in the Kim regime and laws and state policies that purport to make women more equal. In this episode of the NK News Podcast, the Database Center for North Korean Human Rights’ Teodora Gyupchanova discusses NGO work in South Korea, getting outside information into the DPRK, and the complex challenges that women face in the North. Teodora Gyupchanova is Director of International Communications at the Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB) in Seoul. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Also, the NK Shop is back in business! We have DPRK-inspired limited edition t-shirts, vintage posters and a 2019 calendar just in time for the holidays. As a thank you for your continued support, we’d like to offer listeners a special discount: just use code nkpodcast10 at checkout for an instant 10% off your total purchase. Check out the shop here: https://www.nkshop.org/

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast It’s the 50th of the NK News podcast! To celebrate this landmark number, we did something a little special this week. As such, we present you snippets of the five most-listened-to episodes from this year, with commentary from our host Jacco Zwetsloot. Since launching the podcast in February, we’ve interviewed more than 45 experts, journalists, academics, and officials working on North Korea issues. And while we have listeners from all over the world, we’ve even registered 189 total downloads from inside the DPRK itself! So a big thank you to all our listeners who have continued to listen to our podcasts each week and made it possible for us reach Episode 50. The list: * Thae Yong-ho on prospects for peace and denuclearization – Episode 22 * A diplomat’s life in Pyongyang – Martina Abergsomogyi – Episode 40 * “Return from Pyongyang” roundtable with Chad and Oliver – Episode 37 * A conversation with two North Korean refugees  – Episode 28 * Reporting on North Korea as a foreign correspondent – Anna Fifield – Episode 20 About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Looking for holiday gifts for a North Korea watcher this season? We have DPRK-inspired limited edition t-shirts, vintage posters and a 2019 calendar in our NK Shop,   just in time for the holidays. As a thank you for your continued support, we’d like to offer listeners a special discount: just use code nkpodcast10 at checkout for an instant 10% off your total purchase. *NK News Subscription Giveaway: Congratulations to October’s winner, Patricio Worthalter (U.S.). Please contact [email protected] with proof of your username identity, to redeem your subscription. Each month, we’ll be choosing a lucky reviewer on iTunes to to win a FREE NK News subscription. Want to gain instant access to breaking news stories and in-depth analysis discussed in our podcast? You can sign up for an annual NK News subscription, and save $50 by using promo code “podcast” at checkout: nknews.org/signup

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast Speculation is rife in Seoul about when to expect a visit from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un , and whether that historic trip will take place before the end of the year. In this week’s roundtable episode, we’re joined by NK News CEO Chad O’Carroll, Managing Editor Oliver Hotham, and News Analyst Fyodor Tertitskiy to discuss prospects for a summit in the capital. Also under discussion? What’s changed in North Korea in the seven years since Kim Jong Il’s death, a French civil servant suspected of spying on behalf of Pyongyang , and some of Fyodor’s favorite s tories  that he’s worked on  while with NK News. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Looking for holiday gifts for a North Korea watcher this season? We have DPRK-inspired limited edition t-shirts, vintage posters and a 2019 calendar in our NK Shop,   just in time for the holidays. As a thank you for your continued support, we’d like to offer listeners a special discount: just use code nkpodcast10 at checkout for an instant 10% off your total purchase. *NK News Subscription Giveaway: Congratulations to October’s winner, Patricio Worthalter (U.S.). Please contact [email protected] with proof of your username identity, to redeem your subscription. Each month, we’ll be choosing a lucky reviewer on iTunes to to win a FREE NK News subscription. Want to gain instant access to breaking news stories and in-depth analysis discussed in our podcast? You can sign up for an annual NK News subscription, and save $50 by using promo code “podcast” at checkout: nknews.org/signup Featured image: Pyeongyang Press Corps

Listen to past episodes here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast As inter-Korean relations continue to improve, many believe that this time is fundamentally different than past episodes of détente. This is primarily driven by the decision-makers at the top, especially Kim Jong Un, argues Yonsei University’s John Delury. He believes Kim may be the next East Asian authoritarian reform-driven strong man – à la South Korea’s Park Chung-hee and Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew – who cares deeply about reform and economic development while placing human rights and liberties on the back burner. John Delury is an historian of modern China and expert on U.S.-China relations and Korean Peninsula affairs. He teaches Chinese Studies at Yonsei University in Seoul. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Looking for holiday gifts for a North Korea watcher this season? We have DPRK-inspired limited edition t-shirts, vintage posters and a 2019 calendar in our NK Shop,   just in time for the holidays. As a thank you for your continued support, we’d like to offer listeners a special discount: just use code nkpodcast10 at checkout for an instant 10% off your total purchase. *NK News Subscription Giveaway: Congratulations to October’s winner, Patricio Worthalter (U.S.). Please contact [email protected] with proof of your username identity, to redeem your subscription. Each month, we’ll be choosing a lucky reviewer on iTunes to to win a FREE NK News subscription. Want to gain instant access to breaking news stories and in-depth analysis discussed in our podcast? You can sign up for an annual NK News subscription, and save $50 by using promo code “podcast” at checkout: nknews.org/signup

Listen to past episodes here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast Geopolitical policy and nuclear wonks continue to try and wrap their minds around what North Korea is trying to do and how it will get there, but perhaps the most revealing medium through which to understand the Hermit Kingdom is through its literature, film, music, and TV dramas. In this episode of the NK News Podcast, Tatiana Gabroussenko visited our Seoul studio to discuss the religious nature of North Korean literature, why true policy is never written down, and whether or not North Korea’s texts would survive a unified Korea. Tatiana is a professor of North Korean studies at Korea University. Her book “Soldiers on the Cultural Front: Developments in the early history of North Korean literature and literary policy”, was included in the Choice magazine list of Outstanding Academic Titles of 2012, and she writes a monthly column for NK News. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Also, the NK Shop  is back in business! We have DPRK-inspired limited edition t-shirts, vintage posters and a 2019 calendar just in time for the holidays. As a thank you for your continued support, we’d like to offer listeners a special discount: just use code nkpodcast10 at checkout for an instant 10% off your total purchase. Check out the shop here: https://www.nkshop.org/ *NK News Subscription Giveaway: Each month, we’ll be choosing a lucky reviewer on iTunes to to win a FREE NK News subscription. Want to gain instant access to breaking news stories and in-depth analysis discussed in our podcast? You can sign up for an annual NK News subscription, and save $50 by using promo code “podcast” at checkout: nknews.org/signup Congratulations to October’s winner, Patricio Worthalter (U.S.). Please contact [email protected] with proof of your username identity, to redeem your subscription. Featured image: Pyeongyang Press Corps

Listen to past episodes here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast During hisfour years in-country with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Thomas Fisler saw more of the “real,” unfiltered North Korea than just about any foreigner. In an interview, he shared with us his experiences working to bring aid to the most disadvantaged parts of North Korea and the key differences between the DPRK and his other humanitarian postings. Thomas Fisler is retired Swiss diplomat who served as Director of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) in the DPRK from 2013-2017. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Also, the NK Shop is back in business! We have DPRK-inspired limited edition t-shirts, vintage posters and a 2019 calendar just in time for the holidays. As a thank you for your continued support, we’d like to offer listeners a special discount: just use code nkpodcast10 at checkout for an instant 10% off your total purchase. Check out the shop here: https://www.nkshop.org/

Listen to past episodes here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast As negotiations between the United States and North Korea continue to stall, it becomes increasingly clear that both sides have widely differing views of what denuclearization of the Korean peninsula means and how exactly to execute the agreements made in Singapore this year. Determining the size, number, and power of nuclear and conventional weapons in North Korea is a crucial consideration that effects how negotiations will move forward, and there are few who have been watching this space more closely than Ankit Panda. Ankit Panda is Senior Editor at the Diplomat, an adjunct senior fellow at the Federation of American Scientists, and a columnist for the South China Morning Post. He is also an occasional contributor to NK News‘s sister publication NK Pro. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Also, the NK Shop  is back in business! We have DPRK-inspired limited edition t-shirts, vintage posters and a 2019 calendar just in time for the holidays. As a thank you for your continued support, we’d like to offer listeners a special discount: just use code nkpodcast10 at checkout for an instant 10% off your total purchase. Check out the shop here: https://www.nkshop.org/ The post How advanced is N. Korea’s nuclear and missile arsenal? – NK News Podcast ep. 45 appeared first on NK News - North Korea News .

Listen to past episodes here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast Seoul and Washington appear far from lockstep in their North Korea strategies as both continue to engage in high-profile meetings with North Korean officials. Plus, South Korea’s unification minister is under fire for his conduct towards the media , the JSA will open to the public , and North Korea’s grim human rights situation comes under renewed examination. We discuss these issues and more in a round table discussion with the NK Newsteam. On the panel: NK News CEO Chad O’Carroll, Managing Editor Oliver Hotham, and Senior Correspondent Dagyum Ji. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Also, the NK Shop  is back in business! We have DPRK-inspired limited edition t-shirts, vintage posters and a 2019 calendar just in time for the holidays. As a thank you for your continued support, we’d like to offer listeners a special discount: just use code nkpodcast10 at checkout for an instant 10% off your total purchase. Check out the shop here: https://www.nkshop.org/ Featured image: Blue House The post A decoupling in the works? A monthly wrap-up round table – NKNews Podcast Ep.44 appeared first on NK News - North Korea News .

Listen to past episodes here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast Remarking on a decades-long career in the U.S. State Department, Ambassador Yun describes his experience establishing diplomatic solutions to the North Korean issue. This week on the podcast, Yun explains his role in recovering Otto Warmbier, whether sanctions should be eased, and why he retired in the midst of fire and fury. Joseph Yun is a former U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy, serving from October 2016 to the end February of this year under both the Obama and Trump administration. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Also, the NK Shop  is back in business! We have DPRK-inspired limited edition t-shirts, vintage posters and a 2019 calendar just in time for the holidays. As a thank you for your continued support, we’d like to offer listeners a special discount: just use code nkpodcast10 at checkout for an instant 10% off your total purchase. Check out the shop here: https://www.nkshop.org/ Featured image: U.S. Department of State The post Ambassador Joseph Yun on negotiating with North Korea – NKNews Podcast Ep.43 appeared first on NK News - North Korea News .

Listen to past episodes here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast This week, we introduce you to the first installment of the Foreign Media Monitor (FMM) podcast series, based on the weekly service available to NK Pro subscribers. While North Korea coverage in Western media is typically quite comprehensive, there are plenty of unique, locally-sourced news and analysis available only in foreign language outlets that are often overlooked because of a language barrier. And every week, the Foreign Media Monitor collects those unnoticed unique stories from Chinese, Japanese, South Korean and Russian media, combined into a professionally-translated newsletter for NK Pro readers. This week, we invited the translators behind the FMM, John Petrushka (China), Kosuke Takahashi (Japanese), and Fyodor Tertitskiy (Russian), to examine how foreign medias cover (or don’t cover) North Korea, discuss how the countries responded to key developments in Pyongyang, and share some oddball reports on the DPRK. About the guests: John Petrushka is an NK News contributor based in Washington, D.C. He studied Asia and International Affairs at Georgetown University and George Washington University. His other research topics include transitional justice in North Korea. Kosuke Takahashi is a Tokyo-based journalist. His work has appeared in the Asahi Shimbun, Bloomberg, Asia Times, Jane’s Defence Weeklyand The Diplomat, among other publications. Fyodor Tertitskiy is a News Analyst at NK Pro. He holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from Seoul National University. Interested in signing up for the Foreign Media Monitor? Check out the NK Pro service here and see if you or your institution qualifies for a trial: http://signup.nknews.org/nk-pro/ Also, the NK Shop is back in business! We have DPRK-inspired limited edition t-shirts, vintage posters and a 2019 calendar just in time for the holidays. As a thank you for your continued support, we’d like to offer listeners a special discount: just use code nkpodcast10at checkout for an instant 10% off your total purchase. Check out the shop here: https://www.nkshop.org/ About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. The post How Chinese, Japanese, and Russian media cover North Korea – NKNews Podcast Ep 42 appeared first on NK News - North Korea News .

Listen to past episodes here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast Nine years old at the start of the Korean War, Ra Jong-il has seen the ebbs and flows of inter-Korean relations since the peninsula was divided. This historical outlook has given him much perspective in which to view the current atmosphere of reconciliation and what’s driving the North Korean regime to “come out” to the world. But Ambassador Ra also says there’s plenty of reasons to be pessimistic. In this podcast, we explore the problems with present conceptualizations of Korean reunification, learn about the human face behind the Rangoon bombing of 1983, weigh Jang Sung-taek’s options prior to his assassination, and much more. Ra Jong-il is a former South Korean ambassador to Japan and the United Kingdom and former head of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Want to gain instant access to breaking news stories and in-depth analysis discussed in our podcast? You can sign up for an annual NK News subscription, and save $50 by using promo code “podcast” at checkout. nkews.org/signup The post Purges, détente, and spy games: N. Korea, past and present – NKNews Podcast Ep.41 appeared first on NK News - North Korea News .

Listen to past episodes here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast This week on the podcast, Martina Aberg Somogyi , former Deputy Head of Mission at the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang, shares what day-to-day work and life is like as a diplomat in the DPRK, and what level of freedom she had outside of working hours. Also discussed is Sweden’s role as a “protecting power” in North Korea, the country’s humanitarian projects throughout the country, and how her experiences have differed from other diplomats stationed in Pyongyang. Somogyi finished her posting in September, and has since returned to Stockholm to continue her work with the Swedish foreign ministry. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. *NK News Subscription Giveaway: Congratulations to September’s winner, worksoutbutlikespizza. Please contact [email protected] with proof of your username identity, to redeem your subscription. Each month, we’ll be choosing a lucky reviewer on iTunes to to win a FREE NK News subscription. Want to gain instant access to breaking news stories and in-depth analysis discussed in our podcast? You can sign up for an annual NK News subscription, and save $50 by using promo code “podcast” at checkout: nknews.org/signup The post A diplomat’s life in Pyongyang – NKNews Podcast Ep.40 appeared first on NK News - North Korea News .

Listen to past episodes here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast In this episode of the NK News Podcast, Korea Risk Group ‘s Managing Director Chad O’Carroll delves into NK Pro’s latest “Month in Review,” a new regular in-depth analysis series only available to NK Pro members. Looking at the main developments that took place between August 18 to September 21, O’Carroll discusses the most important issues discussed in a recent inter-Korean summit, the state of sanctions, and implications for maximum pressure, as well as the risks and wider significance associated with these events. And until this month only, non-NK Pro members can read the full version of the discussed report for free here . About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. *NK News Subscription Giveaway: Each month, we’ll be choosing a lucky reviewer on iTunes to to win a FREE NK News subscription. Want to gain instant access to breaking news stories and in-depth analysis discussed in our podcast? You can sign up for an annual NK Newssubscription, and save $50 by using promo code “podcast” at checkout: nknews.org/signup Featured image: Pyeongyang Press Corps The post Summits, sanctions, and diplomacy: the past month in the DPRK – NKNews Podcast ep.39 appeared first on NK News - North Korea News .

Listen to past episodes here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast Just two days after North Korea’s 70th Foundation Day anniversary celebrations, South Korean President Moon Jae-in headed to Pyongyang with a 200-member entourage to mark his third summit with Kim Jong Un. As a result of three days of inter-Korean “peaceful political theatre”, we saw two new joint agreements that included a North Korean commitment to dismantle a missile/rocket engine testing site under international inspection, both Koreas agree to end military drills, and Kim Jong Un expressing his will to visit Seoul this year and to meet President Trump again soon. Having covered the developments from the Summit Press Center in the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, Senior correspondent Dagyum Ji and Managing Editor Oliver Hotham joined Korea Risk Group analyst Peter Ward on Friday for another rough and ready roundtable podcast. In discussion? President Moon’s unprecedented speech in front of 150,000 North Korean citizens, the budding relationship between the first ladies, and what this summit could mean for the Korean Peninsula and the U.S. going forward. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. *NK News Subscription Giveaway:Each month, we’ll be choosing a lucky reviewer on iTunes to to win a FREE NK News subscription. Want to gain instant access to breaking news stories and in-depth analysis discussed in our podcast? You can sign up for an annual NK News subscription, and save $50 by using promo code “podcast” at checkout: nknews.org/signup The post Moonwalking in Pyongyang: the third inter-Korean summit – NKNews Podcast Ep.38 appeared first on NK News - North Korea News .

Moments after North and South Korea signed the new Pyongyang Joint Agreement, we went out to the streets of central Seoul to ask locals: - What do you think about Kim Jong Un visiting Seoul? - Where are inter-Korean relations headed? - Would you visit the North? Read our latest coverage of the joint summit here: https://www.nknews.org/2018/09/kim-jong-un-to-visit-seoul-close-tongchang-ri-missile-testing-facility/

Listen to past episodes here: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast Thursday saw NK NewsManaging Director Chad O’Carroll and Managing Editor Oliver Hotham return from an eight-day trip to North Korea, intended, in large part, to cover the festivities surrounding the country’s 70th anniversary. Now, in a round table recorded the very next day, Chad and Oliver share initial thoughts from the trip, some impressions gathered from speaking to locals, and what it all means for the larger geopolitical picture going forward. *Congratulations to Kayemaye and Ivan Curtis for winning the July and August subscription giveaways! Please contact [email protected] to redeem your free subscription, with proof of your username identity. Each month, we’ll be choosing a lucky reviewer on iTunes to to win a FREE NK News subscription. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Want to gain instant access to breaking news stories and in-depth analysis discussed in our podcast? You can sign up for an annual NK News subscription, and save $50 by using promo code “podcast” at checkout. Featured image: NK News The post Back from Pyongyang: a rough-and-ready round table – NKNews Podcast Ep.37 appeared first on NK News - North Korea News .

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast This week’s episode diverges a bit from our usual fare of expert interviews and roundtables. The North Korea-watching community is comprised of diverse government and military officials, historians, researchers, NGO workers, curious individuals, and more. And that also goes for NK Newssubscribers. For this segment, we wanted to learn more about the people who supported us from the very beginning – our NK Newsreaders – and how they ended up in the field of DPRK studies in the first place. So back in March, we asked readers to submit their own unique North Korea-related anecdote. For this episode, three subscribers from London, Beijing, and Missouri call into our Seoul studio to discuss startup and investment culture in Pyongyang, the Moranbong Band, and how one trip inspired a reader to start his own blog. *Congratulations to Kayemaye and Ivan Curtis for winning the July and August subscription giveaways! Please contact [email protected] to redeem your free subscription, with proof of your username identity. Each month, we’ll be choosing a lucky reviewer on iTunes to to win a FREE NK News subscription. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Want to gain instant access to breaking news stories and in-depth analysis discussed in our podcast? You can sign up for an annual NK News subscription, and save $50 by using promo code “podcast” at checkout. The post How did you get into the NK field? Subscriber interviews – NKNews Podcast ep.36 appeared first on NK News - North Korea News .

Inter-Korean relations took center stage during the last section with animated video rendering of Kim and Moon summit. Go to nknews.org for full coverage of the Foundation Day events.

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast Kim Jong Un has participated in a record number of summits this year, with another meeting with President Moon in Pyongyang this month. But while high-level diplomacy has been brisk, what has been done to improve the human rights situation in North Korea? Greg Scarlatoiu, Executive Director at the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK) in Washington D.C., explains why any economic, political, or developmental engagement with Pyongyang is dependent on first improving the lives of the North Korean people. Scarlatoiu has directed the publication of 24 reports and books, and leads public media and international organization outreach to highlight North Korean human rights abuses. He has also appeared as an expert witness at several U.S. Congressional hearings on North Korean human rights. *Congratulations to Kayemaye and Ivan Curtis for winning the July and August subscription giveaways! Please contact [email protected] to redeem your free subscription, with proof of your username identity. Each month, we’ll be choosing a lucky reviewer on iTunes to to win a FREE NK News subscription. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Want to gain instant access to breaking news stories and in-depth analysis discussed in our podcast? You can sign up for an annual NK News subscription, and save $50 by using promo code “podcast” at checkout. The post Why human rights are essential to solving the DPRK issue – NKNews Podcast Ep.35 appeared first on NK News - North Korea News .

Training for mass parades and events to mark North Korea’s 70th National Day anniversary appear to be significantly intensifying in Pyongyang, sources in the city. Read the full report at: https://www.nknews.org/2018/08/student-training-for-sept-9-events-intensifies-around-pyongyang-photos-show/?c=1535360838660

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast North Korean culture is, on the surface, a difficult pill to swallow. But beyond the goose-stepping soldiers and sobbing sycophancy lies a rich, deeply thought-out, and highly nuanced music, art and, in particular, film industry. Dr. David Shuster, a historian of modern Korea at the University of Jerusalem, explains how the North Korean state uses comedy and humor in this cultural space, the influence of Hollywood, and how Marilyn Monroe became a symbol of revolutionary struggle against the bourgeoisie. David Shuster’s research focuses on cultural politics, film and visual culture, and everyday history of the two Koreas during the Cold War period. His current book project, Laughing Angels, Crying Devils: Making Comedy in Postwar North Korea, examines the role of comedy and circus in North Korea’s domestic politics and its relations with the outside world. **Congratulations to Kayemayeand Ivan Curtisfor winning the July and August subscription giveaway! Each month, we’ll be choosing a lucky reviewer on iTunes to towin a FREE NK News subscription. About the podcast:The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Want to gain instant access to breaking news stories and in-depth analysis discussed in our podcast? You can sign up for an annual NK News subscription, and save $50 by using promo code “podcast”at checkout. The post What’s so funny about North Korea? NKNews Podcast ep.34 appeared first on NK News - North Korea News .

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast This week, Dr. Bronwen Dalton joins the NK News Podcast to explain how women are driving many of the changes in North Korea, how women are essential to the marketization of the economy, and the ways in which the infamously patriarchal society is being challenged from all sides. Dr. Brownen Dalton is an associate professor at the University of Sydney. She has a long association with Korea, and is a former member of the board of the Australia-Korean foundation. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Want to gain instant access to breaking news stories and in-depth analysis discussed in our podcast? You can sign up for an annual NK News subscription, and save $50 by using promo code “podcast” at checkout. The post How women are driving change in North Korea – NKNews Podcast ep.33 appeared first on NK News - North Korea News .

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast There is real change in North Korea, but it’s not due to sanctions, summits, or cogent statecraft, says Liberty in North Korea ’s Sokeel Park. Instead, he says, change is driven by the 25 million North Koreans not named Kim Jong Un, with the people taking it upon themselves to improve their lives and their country. This week, Park joins the NK News Podcast to discuss how these changes manifest, why human rights need to be discussed with the same urgency as security issues, and why the Kim government isn’t as aloof and unresponsive to public opinion as is conventionally believed. Sokeel Park is South Korea country director and director of research and strategy for LiNK. As well as overseeing the NGO’s Seoul-based operations, he works with defectors and experts to offer up-to-date analysis on North Korea and foster people-focused strategies to facilitate change in the DPRK. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Want to gain instant access to breaking news stories and in-depth analysis discussed in our podcast? You can sign up for an annual NK News subscription, and save $50 by using promo code “podcast” at checkout. The post Change from below? Empowering the North Korean people – NKNews Podcast ep.31 appeared first on NK News - North Korea News .

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast This week, the NK Newsteam explores the implications of war remains returned to the U.S. , the contentious restaurant worker defector issue , and ongoing sports and film exchanges between the two Koreas. Also discussed? Pyongyang’s ongoing construction boom , North Korean sanction-busting , and why diplomacy with the North may stall. The panel: NK NewsCEO and founder Chad O’Carroll, Managing Editor Oliver Hotham, and Junior Correspondent Colin Zwirko. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively byNK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Want to gain instant access to breaking news stories and in-depth analysis discussed in our podcast? You can sign up for an annual NK News subscription , and save $50 by using promo code “podcast” at checkout. Featured image: USFK The post Roundtable: war remains, sanctions, and N. Korean movies – NKNews Podcast ep.31 appeared first on NK News - North Korea News .

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast Peter Ward spent the last three and a half weeks traveling around North Korea, observing first-hand the increasing marketization of the country and its impact on society. Whether this will lead to reform and opening up is another question, he says, but people’s lives are certainly improving. Also discussed: the DPRK’s unique euphemisms for market activity, how some North Koreans are getting rich without the government’s help, and what locals claim is the country’s “new era” of relations with the U.S. Peter Ward is a North Korea researcher, just about to graduate with a masters degree from Seoul National University in Sociology with a thesis dissertation on the North Korean fishing industry. He also writes regular analysis  for NK Pro and NK News.  About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Want to gain instant access to breaking news stories and in-depth analysis discussed in our podcast? You can sign up for an annual NK News subscription, and save $50 by using promo code “podcast” at checkout. The post What fish prices teach us about the North Korean economy – NKNews Podcast ep.30 appeared first on NK News - North Korea News .

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast Peter Ward spent the last three and a half weeks traveling around North Korea, observing first-hand the increasing marketization of the country and its impact on society. Whether this will lead to reform and opening up is another question, he says, but people’s lives are certainly improving. Also discussed: the DPRK’s unique euphemisms for market activity, how some North Koreans are getting rich without the government’s help, and what locals claim is the country’s “new era” of relations with the U.S. Peter Ward is a North Korea researcher, just about to graduate with a masters degree from Seoul National University in Sociology with a thesis dissertation on the North Korean fishing industry. He also writes regular analysis  for NK Pro and NK News.  About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Want to gain instant access to breaking news stories and in-depth analysis discussed in our podcast? You can sign up for an annual NK News subscription, and save $50 by using promo code “podcast” at checkout. The post What fish prices teach us about the North Korean economy – NKNews Podcast ep.30 appeared first on NK News - North Korea News .

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast Escalating tensions on the peninsula, followed by a last-minute diplomatic “breakthrough” to cool things down, then headache after headache as a long-term deal seems just out of reach. Lieutenant Colonel Steve Tharp has seen this all before. In this week’s episode, we learn the lessons gleaned from years of first-hand negotiations with the North Koreans, why he believes present talks are unlikely to yield any more fruit than previous episodes, and why Pyongyang uses an eight-stage cycle of provocation that, Tharp says, hasn’t changed since the Korean War. Steve Tharp is a retired U.S. Army officer whose 28-year-career included 14 years in Korea-based assignments in the 2nd Infantry Division and the UN Command Military Armistice Commission. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. **Congratulations to the June winner for the subscription giveaway: “WayteAnArchitect”! Please contact the team at [email protected] to redeem your free NK News subscription. Leave us a review of the North Korea News Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher or another podcast platform for a chance to win a FREE NK News subscription. We’ll be choosing one winner every month. **Want to gain instant access to breaking news stories and in-depth analysis discussed in our podcast? You can sign up for an annual NK News subscription , and save $50 by using promo code “podcast” at checkout. The post An eight-step guide to North Korean provocation – NKNews Podcast ep.29 appeared first on NK News - North Korea News .

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast Often overlooked in the pomp and circumstance of summit diplomacy are the millions of North Koreans that have the most to gain and lose from how those negotiations play out. In this episode of the North Korea News Podcast, we sit down with two former DPRK residents to gauge what they think about the recent warming of relations between the two Koreas, the role they see themselves playing in inter-Korean relations, cultural differences, and much more. Ann originally comes from Musan, a county in central North Hamgyong province. She escaped the North 12 years ago at the age of 14. She now lives together with her parents in Incheon and has recently graduated with a major in international trade and economics. Jenny is from Hamhung, the capital of South Hamgyong Province (North Korea’s second biggest city). She left her hometown ten years ago at the age of 16. Now graduated from Korea University with a degree in Sociology, she is currently doing her Masters in North Korean Studies in Seoul.  About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. **Congratulations to the June winner for the subscription giveaway: “WayteAnArchitect”! Please contact the team at [email protected] to redeem your subscription. Leave us a review of the North Korea News Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher or another podcast platform for a chance to win a FREE NK Newssubscription. We’ll be choosing one winner every month. **Want to gain instant access to breaking news stories and in-depth analysis discussed in our podcast? You can sign up for an annual NK News subscription , and save $50 by using promo code “podcast” at checkout. The post A Conversation with Two North Korean Refugees – NKNews Podcast ep.28 appeared first on NK News - North Korea News .

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast North Korea may be the most isolated nation on Earth, but its population (and state) are more tech-savvy than would appear. For this episode of the North Korea News Podcast, we bring you an important conversation on surveillance and censorship in North Korea, and how regular DPRK citizens are attempting to navigate this environment. Back in early April, NK NewsManaging Director Chad O’Carroll sat down with Nat Kretchun in Washington D.C. to discuss how the Kim regime controls information getting in and out of the country, how North Koreans deal with these restrictions, and what we can learn from surveying DPRK citizens themselves. Nat Kretchun is Deputy Director at the Open Technology Fund, and previously served as Senior Associate Director at InterMedia, where he oversaw research projects on Asia and hard-to-access populations. He has done extensive research on North Korean refugees and defectors, and is also the lead author of the report, “A Quiet Opening: North Koreans in a Changing Media Environment .” About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. **Congratulations to the June winner for the subscription giveaway: “WayteAnArchitect”! Please contact the team at [email protected] to redeem your subscription. Leave us a review of the North Korea News Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher or another podcast platform for a chance to win a FREE NK News subscription. We’ll be choosing one winner every month. **Want to gain instant access to breaking news stories and in-depth analysis discussed in our podcast? You can sign up for an annual NK News subscription , and save $50 by using promo code “podcast” at checkout. The post Bypassing information control in North Korea – NKNews Podcast Ep.27 appeared first on NK News - North Korea News .

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast With genuine reform and opening up being discussed seriously in policy circles in Seoul and elsewhere, what investment opportunities and risks exist in North Korea? South Korean wealth managers are scrambling to take advantage of the recent détente between Pyongyang and Seoul, with land values in some places near the DMZ more than doubling in the span of a few weeks. Major companies like Samsung and Hyundai have already begun rounding up research teams to explore inter-Korean economic cooperation. In this podcast, we learn from three Korea experts about the long-term prospects and the challenges that exist for genuine change in Pyongyang. This week’s guests: Dr. June Park is currently a research fellow at the Key Research Institute and Northeast Asia Center of Seoul National University. Dr. Tony Michell has been involved in projects in North Korea going back to 1993, including assisting Western investment into the free economic zone of Rajin-Sonbong. Dr. JR Kim is Director of Planning and Research at the South Korean Ministry of Unification (MOU)’s North Korean Human Rights Center. Formerly, he was an MOU spokesperson and its Director of International Cooperation. The post Political risk and investment in North Korea – NKNews Podcast ep.26 appeared first on NK News - North Korea News .

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast Ambreen Mustafa of the Pakistan embassy to the DPRK calls us live from Pyongyang to discuss the mood in North Korea, share what daily life is like for a foreign diplomat, and explain why the country may be the most serene place on Earth. This month marks Ms. Mustafa’s second year in Pyongyang, having moved there in June 2016 with her husband  – who is currently serving as the Minister and Charge d’Affaires in the Embassy of Pakistan in the DPRK. Ms. Mustafa was also President of the Pyongyang Women’s Association from 2016 to 2017 and has a Masters degree in Strategic Studies. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Want to gain instant access to breaking news stories and in-depth analysis discussed in our podcast? You can sign up for an annual NK News subscription , and save $50 by using promo code “podcast” at checkout. Congratulations to this month’s winner for the subscription giveaway: “gj derego”! Please contact the team at [email protected] to redeem your subscription. Leave us a review of the North Korea News Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher or another podcast platform for a chance to win a FREE NK News subscription. We’ll be choosing one winner every month. The post Live from Pyongyang, it’s… daily life! – NKNews Podcast ep.25 appeared first on NK News - North Korea News .

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast In a purportedly egalitarian society like North Korea, classes or hierarchy outside of the Paektusan lineage should technically not exist. But there is a clear dissonance between this idea and the expectations placed on women to use honorifics and speech registers. In this episode of the NK News Podcast, Dr. Ross King examines feminism and gender norms in the DPRK, including how North Korean women are “supposed” to speak, the way they communicate with North Korean men, and the roles they hold as mothers and educators. Dr. Ross King is a Professor of Korean and Head of the Department of Asian Studies at the University of British Columbia. For your viewing pleasure, we’ve also attached some of the cartoons referenced in the podcast: About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Want to gain instant access to breaking news stories and in-depth analysis discussed in our podcast? You can sign up for an annual NK News subscription , and save $50by using promo code “podcast” at checkout. The post Feminism, gender norms, and etiquette in North Korea – NKNews Podcast ep.24 appeared first on NK News - North Korea News .

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast A sitting U.S. president has just met the leader of North Korea for the first time, in Singapore no less. But what does this mean for the United States, the Koreas, and Asia more broadly? In this week’s episode of the North Korea News Podcast, we are joined by Chief Operating Officer Hamish Macdonald, who flew in from London to work with the team this week for this busy time, and Managing Editor Oliver Hotham, who had just returned from Singapore after covering the summit. Also discussed was the surprise news that the U.S. will seek to suspend regular military drills on the peninsula, the marathon Trump press conference, the agreement’s fine print , as well as the surprise “Destiny Pictures” movie trailer. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Want to gain instant access to all the breaking news stories and in-depth analysis discussed in our podcast? You can sign up  for an annual NK News subscription, and save $50 by using promo code “podcast” at checkout. Featured image: Kevin Lim/THE STRAITS TIMES The post What happens in Singapore… – NKNews Podcast ep.23 appeared first on NK News - North Korea News .

Moments after Kim Jong Un and President Trump shared a historic handshake at the Capella Hotel in Singapore, NK News took to the streets of Seoul to ask South Korean residents what they thought about the summit, how it was different from the Moon-Kim meeting in April, whether or not CVID is possible, and what they thought about Kim Jong Un's change in image. You can find our entire coverage of the Kim-Trump summit at nknews.org

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast When then-deputy DPRK ambassador to Britain Thae Yong-ho arrived in South Korea in 2016, he was one of the highest-ranking North Korean officials to ever defect. In this very special episode, we talk with Thae about life as a North Korean diplomat, how the country operates, denuclearization, and his views on this year’s détentebetween Pyongyang and Washington DC. He also shared his views on the importance of information dissemination into the North, prospects for Vietnam-style economic reforms, and why Kim Jong Un isn’t interested in unification. Thae Yong-ho is a former North Korean diplomat. His new book, “Cypher of the third-floor secretariat,” was released in May and can be purchased here. About the podcast:The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Want to gain instant access to all the breaking news stories and in-depth analysis discussed in our podcast? You can sign up for an annual NK News subscription, and save $50by using promo code “podcast” at checkout. Feature Image: Guiparang The post Thae Yong-ho on prospects for peace and denuclearization – NKNews Podcast ep.22 appeared first on NK News - North Korea News .

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast It was quite a week for North Korea watchers. With U.S. President Donald Trump’s shock decision on Thursday to withdraw from a planned summit with Kim Jong Un, it felt to many that a return to the days of “fire and fire” was all but inevitable. But an uncharacteristically diplomatic statement from DPRK official Kim Kye Gwan followed, and as the weekend progressed it appeared more and more likely that the June 12 meeting may be back on, with a surprise inter-Korean summit and the news that a U.S. delegation had begun working-level talks with the North Koreans on the northern side of Panmunjom. Hoping to parse the break-neck developments on the Korean peninsula, NK NewsCEO Chad O’Carroll, Managing Editor Oliver Hotham, and Senior Correspondent Dagyum Ji gathered on Monday for a rapid response podcast. About the podcast:The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Want to gain access to all the breaking news and in-depth analysis discussed in our podcast? You can sign up for an annual NK News subscription and save $50 by using promo code “podcast” at checkout: nknews.org/signup Featured image: Blue House

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast Anna Fifield, now with the Washington Post, has been covering goings-on on the Korean peninsula on and off since 2004. Her story “Life under Kim Jong Un,” published late last year, was the first-ever story by the paper to run in both English and Korean, and sought to challenge the ‘Stalinist robot’ caricature of North Koreans so often found in other mainstream media outlets. In this episode of the NK News Podcast, we talked to Fifield about the challenges associated with reporting on North Korea, how Kim Jong Un is a unique leader, and why the foreign policy field needs to get over its “manel” mindset. Anna Fifield is a veteran journalist on North Korea and currently the Tokyo bureau chief for the Washington Post. About the podcast:The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News,covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Want to gain access to breaking news and in-depth analysis discussed in our podcast? You can sign up for an annual NK Newssubscription and save $50by using promo code “podcast” at checkout: nknews.org/signup Featured image: NK News

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast North Korea has begun to voice displeasure with what they perceive as South Korean enablement of bad behavior–in this case, war games with the U.S. and inviting high-profile defector Thae Yong-ho to speak at the National Assembly. The NK Newsteam takes a look ahead and examines what appear to be new obstacles to peace. Plus, a future North Korean Mar-a-Lago , a new book by Thae Yong-ho, potential inter-Korean economic cooperation , the controversial case of the Nimpo 12, and the long-awaited release of three American prisoners from the DPRK. Note: this podcast was recorded before DPRK official Ri Son Gwon warned that no further inter-Korean meetings will take place until ongoing “issues” are resolved, and before President Trump sought to clarify the controversial Libya comparison. This week’s panel includes:NK NewsBossman Chad O’Carroll, Managing Editor Oliver Hotham, and Senior Correspondent Dagyum Ji. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Want to gain access to breaking news and in-depth analysis discussed in our podcast? You can sign up for an annual NK News subscription and save $500 by using promo code “podcast” at checkout: nknews.org/signup Featured image: Joint Inter-Korean Press Corps

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast Despite what appears to be a promising rapprochement between the two Koreas, North Korea’s scheduled dismantlement of the Punggye-ri nuclear test site , and an upcoming summit between the POTUS and Kim Jong Un, to many this seems like a bad case of déjà vu. So have we been here before, only to emerge with nothing to show for it? In this episode of the North Korea News Podcast, Evans Revere explains why we should be wary of the DPRK’s promises, his experience of past negotiations with Pyongyang, prospects for peace, and what North Korea ultimately hopes to gain from talks. For decades one of the U.S. State Department’s top Asia experts, Evans J.R. Revere is currently senior advisor with the Albright Stonebridge Group, providing strategic advice to clients with a specific focus on North Korea, China and Japan. He is also a Nonresident Senior Fellow at Brookings. He has been working on Asia with a special focus on Korea for 49 years. About the podcast:the “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Want to gain instant access to breaking news stories and in-depth analysis discussed in our podcast? You can sign up for an annual NK News subscription , and save $50 by using promo code “podcast” at checkout. Featured image: KCNA

Full report: https://www.nknews.org/2018/05/kim-jong-un-and-xi-jinping-hold-talks-in-dalian North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Chinese President Xi Jinping met for the second time this year on Monday and Tuesday in the Chinese city of Dalian. The second meeting between the two leaders follows a summit hosted by Xi in Beijing in late March – a visit to China which represented Kim’s first overseas trip since assuming power in late 2011.

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast Until about the mid-1970’s, North Korea’s economy actually outpaced that of the South. Since then, it has been on a downward spiral, somewhat from the collapse of the communist bloc but more than anything, due to the DPRK’s poor decision-making. In this episode of the North Korea News Podcast, Dr. Aidan Foster-Carter details his decades-long observation of the North Korean economy, his evaluation of the inter-Korean summit, and what needs to happen next in order to make real positive gains between the two Koreas. Dr. Aidan Foster-Carter is an honorary senior research fellow in Sociology and Modern Korea at Leeds. He is also a freelance analyst and consultant: covering the politics and economics of both South and North Korea for, amongst others, the Economist Intelligence Unit, Oxford Analytica, and BBC World Service. A prolific writer on and frequent visitor to the Korean Peninsula, he has lectured on Korean and kindred topics to varied audiences in 20 countries on every continent. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Want to gain instant access to breaking news stories and in-depth analysis discussed in our podcast? You can sign up for an annual NK News subscription , and save $50 by using promo code “podcast” at checkout.

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast What a week! In just a few days, we witnessed South Korean President Moon Jae-in and DPRK leader Kim Jong Un attempt to break the 73-year conflict by signing the joint Panmunjom Declaration, and North Korea announcing the dismantlement of their Punggye-ri nuclear test site in May. Managing Editor Oliver Hotham and Senior Correspondent Dagyum Ji – who covered the events from the Inter-Korean Summit Press Center in Ilsan, South Korea – and NK NewsCEO Chad O’Carroll convened right after Friday’s historic inter-Korean summit to explain everything you need to know: what happened, who was there, and what it all meant. Also discussed? Dokdo cake, fried potato rösti, and a magical hundred dollar bill. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Want to gain instant access to breaking news stories and in-depth analysis discussed in our podcast? You can sign up for an annual NK News subscription, and save $50 by using promo code “podcast” at checkout. Featured image: Joint Inter-Korean Summit Press Corps

History was made as Kim Jong Un crossed the Military Demarcation Line on April 27 to meet President Moon Jae-in of South Korea. The same day, NK News took to the streets of central Seoul to see what South Koreans thought about this moment, their thoughts on the summit, and what they hope to gain from this newfound peace. Read: The Kim Jong Un – Moon Jae-in summit: why it was so personal for me: https://www.nknews.org/2018/04/the-kim-jong-un-moon-jae-in-summit-why-it-was-so-personal-for-me/

History was made as Kim Jong Un crossed the Military Demarcation Line on April 27 to meet President Moon Jae-in of South Korea. The same day, NK News took to the streets of central Seoul to see what South Koreans thought about this moment, their thoughts on the summit, and what they hope to gain from this newfound peace. ***The NK Shop is now open, with retro DPRK t-shirts, posters and calendars. Visit https://www.nkshop.org/ and use the code nknews10 for a 10% discount!*** Read: The Kim Jong Un – Moon Jae-in summit: why it was so personal for me: https://www.nknews.org/2018/04/the-kim-jong-un-moon-jae-in-summit-why-it-was-so-personal-for-me/

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast What role can the European Union play in northeast Asia, and can it really contribute to negotiations for peace on the Korean peninsula? In this week’s episode of the NK News Podcast, Dr. Tereza Novotna explains what this role can and should look like, her thoughts on Kim Jong Un’s upcoming meetings with Presidents Moon Jae-in and Donald Trump, and the similarities between modern North Korea and Eastern Europe’s communist bloc countries of the Cold War. Tereza is currently a Korea Foundation Fellow and Visiting Professor at the EU Center at Seoul National University, as well as an academic collaborator with the Department of International Relations at the Institute for European Studies, Université libre de Bruxelles, and a Senior Associate Research Fellow at EUROPEUM, a Prague-based think tank with a branch in Brussels. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Want to gain instant access to breaking news stories and in-depth analysis discussed in our podcast? You can sign up for an annual NK News subscription, and save $50 by using promo code “podcast” at checkout.

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast It is difficult to parse reality and rhetoric from North Korean propaganda, but Dr. Daniel Pinkston believes they really mean what they say when it comes to realizing a unified Korean peninsula under DPRK rule. As the two Koreas prepare to meet for the first time in eleven years, Dr. Pinkston warns us not to forget this and other potentially dangerous North Korean objectives. Dr. Daniel Pinkston is a Lecturer in International Relations at Troy University. Previously, he was the Northeast Asia Deputy Project Director at the International Crisis Group in Seoul and the Director the East Asian Nonproliferation Program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Want to gain instant access to breaking news stories and in-depth analysis discussed in our podcast? You can sign up for an annual NK News subscription, and save $50 by using promo code “podcast” at checkout.  Featured image: KCNA

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast What do we really know about North Korea, and what mysteries are the world’s top intelligence agencies still trying to solve? This week, NK News CEO Chad O’Carroll interviewed Dr. Sue Mi Terry, a former senior analyst on Korean issues at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and now a senior fellow at the Korea Chair at the Center of Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Recorded in Washington D.C. in early April, this episode explores how the U.S. government corroborates and makes sense of information on North Korea, Dr. Terry’s experience in the CIA, and her thoughts on Trump, Kim Jong Un’s strategy on U.S.-DPRK relations, and denuclearization. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Want to gain instant access to breaking news stories and in-depth analysis discussed in our podcast? You can sign up for an annual NK News subscription, and save $50 by using promo code “podcast” at checkout.

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast Spring has sprung on the peninsula, and the two Koreas are now in summit mode. As the DMZ prepares to host an inter-Korean summit on April 27, North Korea’s foreign minister Ri Yong Ho is making the diplomatic rounds in Asia and Europe, and in D.C., talks on the Trump-Kim meeting are still underway. In this episode, we invited our very own NK News Managing Editor Oliver Hotham, Senior Correspondent Dagyum Ji, and NK Pro analyst Fyodor Tertitskiy for a roundtable discussion on North Korea’s reaction to the K-pop concerts from two weeks ago, the latest developments ahead of the inter-Korean summit, and a controversy at one of Washington D.C.’s top Korea-focused think tanks. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Want to gain instant access to breaking news stories and in-depth analysis discussed in our podcast? You can sign up for an annual NK News subscription, and save $50 by using promo code “podcast” at checkout. Featured image: KCNA

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast North Korea is a controversial travel destination. While considered a relatively safe place if one abides by local rules and customs, the ethics behind tourism to the DPRK remains a topic of wide debate. While some argue that it is a form of positive engagement, and that profits from tourism are so tiny as to not represent a substantial contribution to the nuclear program, others argue that tourism lends support – and legitimacy – to the regime. These arguments notwithstanding, thousands continue to visit the DPRK every year: including Ayesha Sitara, a frequent traveler to the North. This week, we sat down with Ayesha, who has gained access to places and experiences most do not ever get to see, to discuss her most recent trip to North Korea, as well as the ethics of tourism to the North, how to remain a responsible photographer, and some memorable encounters with guides, minders, and locals. About the podcast: the “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Related: Ask a North Korean: what do you think of tourism to the DPRK? Restrict tourism with North Korea, not dialogue Subverted Engagement

K-pop performances in Pyongyang isn't new. But what's changed? How the North Korean audience reacts. Read more about the history of K-pop and cultural exchanges in North Korea: https://www.nknews.org/2018/04/k-pop-and-cultural-exchange-in-north-korea-does-it-make-a-difference/?c=1522756047953

What the South Koreans didn't show: how North Korean TV covered last night's k-pop performance in Pyongyang. ***The NK Shop is now open, with retro DPRK t-shirts, posters and calendars. Visit https://www.nkshop.org/ and use the code nknews10 for a 10% discount!***

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast With a South Korean art troupe currently in Pyongyang for a series of historic inter-Korean concerts and a third DPRK-ROK summit set to start on April 27, it feels like the two Koreas might – slowly but surely – be taking steps to solve the conflict first launched by the war that struck the peninsula over 60 years ago. These rapid developments make understanding – and discussing – the Korean War all the more important. In this episode of the “North Korea News Podcast,” we sat down with Dr. Kathryn Weathersby to discuss the legacy of the conflict, her efforts to consolidate Chinese, Russian, and Korean sources and materials on the war into one centralized archive, and the prospects for summit diplomacy in the coming months. Dr. Weathersby is a Visiting Professor and Vice-Head of the Korean War Archive Project at Korea University, and Professorial Lecturer in Korean Studies at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. She has written extensively on Soviet-DPRK, Russo-East Asia relations, and Korean history. About the podcast: the “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Announcing the winners of the podcast review subscription giveaway:  Week 1 (February 26 – March 4): Curtley Oakley Week 2 (March 5 – 11): Edvenchers Week 3 (March 12 – 18): extratooth Week 4 (March 19 – 25): LTgovernor Week 5 (March 26 – 31): Sleepy Kitty Please contact Christina at [email protected] to redeem your free subscription, with proof of your username identity. Featured image: U.S. Navy

Read full report at NK News: https://www.nknews.org/2018/04/kim-jong-un-hails-pyongyang-k-pop-concert-as-significant/ Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol Ju made a surprise appearance at the "Spring is Coming” concert in Pyongyang on Sunday, which featured performances by South Korean K-pop group Red Velvet and Girls’ Generation member Seohyun. ***The NK Shop is now open, with retro DPRK t-shirts, posters and calendars. Visit https://www.nkshop.org/ and use the code nknews10 for a 10% discount!*** Kim later praised the performance, saying it “demonstrat[ed] the appearance of one nation," KCNA reported on Monday.

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast After days of speculation that DPRK leader Kim Jong Un had made an impromptu visit to China, Xinhua News on Wednesday confirmed that Kim Jong Un traveled to Beijing for his first trip abroad as head of state. In the latest roundtable – recorded hours after the news of the summit broke – NK News Managing Editor Oliver Hotham, Senior Correspondent Dagyum Ji, and NK Pro analyst Fyodor Tertitskiy discuss the significance of the summit and the implications it has on upcoming inter-Korean and U.S.-DPRK talks. They also address why the South Korean government was unable to confirm anything for two days, U.S. President Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Abe’s reaction, and what we can expect from the new U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton. About the podcast: the “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. *From now until March 31, we will be choosing one lucky listener every week to receive a free NK News subscription ($300 value). To enter, please leave us a rating or review on iTunes or the iOS Podcast app. Announcing winners of the podcast review subscription giveaway:  Week 1 (February 26 – March 4): Curtley Oakley Week 2 (March 5 – 11): Edvenchers Week 3 (March 12 – 18): extratooth Week 4 (March 19 – 25): LTgovernor Week 5 (March 26 – 31): To be determined Please contact Christina at [email protected] to redeem your free subscription, with proof of your username identity. Featured image: KCNA

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast North Korea is no stranger to unilateral and international sanctions, and in recent years has developed a range of tricks to avoid scrutiny and guarantee much-needed flows of hard currency into its coffers. In this episode of the “North Korea News Podcast”, we invited David Thompson, Senior Analyst at C4ADS covering East Asia and proliferation issues, to explore the types of sanctions currently levied against North Korea, transnational efforts to evade them, and debate the efficacy of such measures on regime coercion. Thompson also delved into details from two C4AD reports for which he was the primary researcher and author: “Risky Business: A System-level Analysis of the North Korean Proliferation Financing System” (June 2017) and “In China’s Shadow” (September 2016). He also previously worked as a member of C4AD’s Environmental Crimes Fusion Cell, investigating the role of transnational criminal organizations in environmental crimes. About the podcast: the “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. *From now until March 31, we will be choosing one lucky listener every week to receive a free NK News subscription ($300 value). To enter, please leave us a rating or review on iTunes or the iOS Podcast app. Announcing winners of the podcast review subscription giveaway:  Week 1 (February 26 – March 4): Curtley Oakley Week 2 (March 5 – 11): Edvenchers Week 3 (March 12 – 18): extratooth Week 4 (March 19 – 25): LTgovernor Please contact Christina at [email protected] to redeem your free subscription, with proof of your username identity.

At the end of March, Seoul will send a 160-member art troupe to Pyongyang that includes top K-pop stars Red Velvet and Girls' Generation's Seohyun, among many others. What do you think about the South's lineup and how do you think the North Korean audience will react? Read the full report here: https://www.nknews.org/2018/03/seoul-to-send-160-member-art-troupe-including-k-pop-singers-to-pyongyang/

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast In this episode of the “North Korea News Podcast,” we switched gears from the buzz of inter-Korean and DPRK-U.S. developments to discuss something a little more leftfield: a mysterious social network of agitprop cartoons and animations critical of the Kim Jong Un regime that have appeared in certain parts of the internet over the last few years. Jacco Zwetsloot sat down with our very own Korea Risk Group CEO Chad O’Carroll to discuss his months-long investigation into this social media project that has possible government backing and how he first came across these strange cartoons, what they mean, and why they continue to pop up on Twitter and Instagram feeds. “Its sole purpose seems to be to create online materials that are widely shared by people on social media, that are very critical about North Korea’s human rights record and also in particular about Kim Jong Un,” O’Carroll said. “What was striking was that despite this steady stream of professionally-produced graphics, cartoons, videos, animations, there was almost no effort whatsoever to promote this stuff.” About the podcast: the “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Announcing winners of the podcast review subscription giveaway:  Week 1 (February 26 – March 4): Curtley Oakley Week 2 (March 5 – 11): Edvenchers Week 3 (March 12 – 18): extratooth Please contact Christina Lee at [email protected] to redeem your free subscription, with proof of your username identity. *From now until March 31, we will be choosing one lucky listener ever week to receive a free NK News subscription ($300 value). To enter, please leave us a rating or review on iTunes or the iOS podcast app. Featured image: Twitter @xiakedao2017

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast In this episode of the North Korea News Podcast, NK News invited Dr. Adrian Buzo, a former Australian diplomat and now a lecturer in Korean at Macquarie University in Sydney, to discuss Australia-DPRK relations, his assessment of the current state of North Korean leadership, and how he came to write his 1999 book “Politics and Leadership in North Korea: The Guerilla Dynasty,” which underwent an update in 2017. Having arrived in South Korea in January 1972 as the newly appointed third secretary to the Australian embassy in Seoul, Buzo also witnessed the opening and closing of the first ever Australian embassy in Pyongyang, where he lived as a diplomat for several months. His experience offers a unique insight into the regime’s diplomatic and political landscape of the late 20th century, while details of Buzo’s daily life in Pyongyang reveal how much the city has (or has not) changed since then. About the podcast: the “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. *From now until March 31, we will be choosing one lucky listener every week to receive a free NK News subscription ($300 value). To enter, please leave us a rating or review on iTunes or the iOS Podcast app.

Listen to past episodes here https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast Reflecting increasingly warm inter-Korean relations, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed (via Twitter) his willingness to meet face-to-face with Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un this year in what would be the first-ever meeting between a sitting U.S. president and a member of the ruling Kim family. In this episode of the “North Korea News Podcast”, we are joined by NK News Managing Director Chad O’Carroll, Director of Korea Risk Group and Professor of North Korean History Dr. Andrei Lankov, and Analyst Fyodor Tertitskiy to discuss how we got to this point and the long road still ahead. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. *From now until March 31, we will be choosing one lucky listener every week to receive a free NK News subscription ($300 value). To enter, please leave us a rating or review on iTunes or the iOS Podcast app.

Listen to the full episode here: https://www.nknews.org/2018/03/peace-olympics-inter-korean-rapprochement-at-pyeongchang-nknews-podcast-ep-4/ With a South Korean delegation currently in Pyongyang and the Winter Paralympics set to start on Thursday, it is certainly an interesting time for inter-Korean and DPRK-U.S. relations. In this episode of the North Korea News podcast, NK News Managing Editor Oliver Hotham, Senior Correspondent Dagyum Ji, and NK Pro analyst Fyodor Tertitskiy gathered on March 1 (Independence Movement Day) to discuss the aftermath of the PyeongChang Olympics. Also discussed was the controversial visit of Kim Yong Chol to South Korea, the timing of Joseph Yun’s retirement, and what we can expect at the Paralympics as we wait for the annual U.S.-ROK military drills. From now until March 31, we will be choosing one lucky listener every week to receive a free NK News subscription ($300 value). To enter, please leave us a rating or review on iTunes or the iOS Podcast app.

Back in December 2017, most people would have found it hard to believe that North Korea would be participating in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, let alone inviting President Moon Jae-in to Pyongyang at “an early date” or expressing their openness to engage in dialogue with the U.S. But in an interview with NK News last year, Dr. Georgy D. Toloraya, a Professor of Oriental Studies at Moscow University of International Relations University and director of the Center of Asian strategy at the Russian Academy of Sciences, said that North Korea’s “completion of a state nuclear force” offered a window of opportunity for dialogue. “I believe that this is the perfect chance to start a peace-building process and if it would start from the Olympics, then that would still be highly symbolic,” he told NK News. Fast forward to the end of the Olympics, with inter-Korean relations significantly improved, and even the possibility of a North Korea-U.S. dialogue on the table. Toloraya says the North would never succumb to CVID, the complete verifiable irreversible dismantlement, as they hold the nuclear program sacred. What, then, can the U.S. and North Korea talk about, and how are things really progressing in terms of inter-Korean and U.S.-DPRK dialogue? In this episode of the “North Korea News Podcast,” host Jacco Zwetsloot sat down with Dr. Toloraya to discuss how the Korean Peninsula is faring post-Olympics, and how Russia (and the Soviet Union) managed to balance relations with both Koreas over the years. They also delved into Dr. Toloraya’s extensive experience working in Pyongyang in the 1970s and 80s (when he also briefly met our first podcast guest Andrei Lankov), in contrast to working in Seoul as the Minister-Counselor and Deputy Chief of Mission at the Russian Embassy in the 90s, when Kim Il Sung passed away leaving Kim Jong Un in power, high-ranking North Korean official Hwang Jang Yop defected to South Korea, and two North Korean submarines were caught in South Korean waters. Read the full article here: https://www.nknews.org/2018/02/frenemies-dprk-russia-relations-over-the-years-nk-news-podcast-episode-3/ Got a suggestion for our next topic or guest? Let us know at [email protected].

Listen to the full episode here: https://www.nknews.org/2018/02/on-thin-ice-the-u-s-and-the-two-koreas-in-pyeongchang-north-korea-news-podcast-episode-2/ With U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and North Korea’s high-level delegation back in their respective home turf after their weekend at the PyeongChang Olympics, it’s time to discuss the state of inter-Korean and U.S.-Korea relations. In the second episode of “North Korea News Podcast,” host Jacco Zwetsloot sat down with members of Seoul’s NK News team to discuss the political events that unfolded during the PyeongChang Olympics opening week. NK News Managing Director Chad O’Carroll, Managing Editor Oliver Hotham, and Analyst Fyodor Tertitskiy weigh in on North Korea’s choice of representatives at the high-level delegation, the quick turnaround of an inter-Korean summit, why Pyongyang may not continue nuclear tests, and the continued absence of a U.S. diplomat in Seoul. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists.

In this pilot episode of a new weekly series, host Jacco Zwetsloot invited Dr. Andrei Lankov, Professor at Kookmin University and Director of the Korea Risk Group in for a 60 minute chat. During the conversation, Lankov talked about: - A January trip to the Sino-North Korea border city of Yanji, where it’s getting harder and harder to find overseas North Koreans - How UN sanctions are impacting the relationship between China and North Korea - And how South Korea is faring under President Moon Jae-in almost a year since his election About the podcast: "North Korea News Podcast" is a weekly series which will cover all things North Korea: discussion on the latest news, extended interviews with leading specialists, and insight from our very own staff. About NK News: NK News is an independent, privately owned specialist information source that focuses on North Korea. Subscribe to our free weekly newsletters: www.nknews.org/free-newsletter/

To commemorate North Korea's military foundation day, North Korea hosted a massive military parade. ***The NK Shop is now open, with retro DPRK t-shirts, posters and calendars. Visit https://www.nkshop.org/ and use the code nknews10 for a 10% discount!***

With the PyeongChang Olympics taking place in less than two weeks, both South and North Korea have been scrambling to accommodate North Korea's sudden participation in the Games, a move that did not seem to resonate well with average South Koreans. Amid the warming of inter-Korean ties, NK News to took the freezing streets of Seoul to ask residents where they really stand on the North's sudden participation, rooting for a joint inter-Korean women's ice hockey team, and having North and South Korean athletes march under a unified flag.

From January 23 to January 25, a 12 member delegation from the South visited North Korea's Masikryong ski resort to inspect the facilities ahead of sending South Korean skiers there for joint training sessions for the PyeongChang Olympics.

On Sunday January 21, North Korea's preliminary inspection team led by Moranbong Band's Hyon Song Wol visited the South to discuss a DPRK performance during the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Read more: https://www.nknews.org/2018/01/north-korean-inspection-team-to-visit-s-korea-on-sunday-after-cancellation/?c=1516952700633 ***The NK Shop is now open, with retro DPRK t-shirts, posters and calendars. Visit https://www.nkshop.org/ and use the code nknews10 for a 10% discount!***

KCTV footage of North Korea's third ICBM test of 2017 suggests major advancements in engine technology. ***The NK Shop is now open, with retro DPRK t-shirts, posters and calendars. Visit https://www.nkshop.org/ and use the code nknews10 for a 10% discount!***

North Korea announced the successful launch of the Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), in a broadcast on the state-run Korea Central Television (KCTV) on Wednesday. ***The NK Shop is now open, with retro DPRK t-shirts, posters and calendars. Visit https://www.nkshop.org/ and use the code nknews10 for a 10% discount!***

Watch a North Korean soldier defector's successful but dangerous attempt to cross into the South. Read the full coverage at: https://www.nknews.org/2017/11/north-korea-soldiers-violated-armistice-agreement-in-pursuit-of-defector-unc/ *Footage courtesy of United States Forces Korea and the United Nations Command.

North Korean soldiers violated Armistice Agreement in pursuit of defector: UN Command: https://www.nknews.org/2017/11/north-korea-soldiers-violated-armistice-agreement-in-pursuit-of-defector-unc/

Take a look around North Korea's newly built Ryomyong Street in Pyongyang with Singaporean photographer Aram Pan of DPRK 360 and his two tour guides. First undergoing construction in March 2016, Ryomyong Street was first shown to the public in an official ribbon cutting ceremony in April 2017, in time for the Day of the Sun celebrations. Some key The tour guide emphasizes how the buildings were built with "Mallima Speed!", a propaganda slogan used for hasty construction. Read our latest coverage on the changing city: https://www.nknews.org/pro/construction-ongoing-near-ryomyong-street-images-show/

Read about this photographer's experience filming the world's first 360 aerial video of Pyongyang: https://www.nknews.org/gallery/come-fly-with-me-an-exclusive-360-birds-eye-look-at-pyongyang/?c=1508331523393 Ever wondered what North Korea looks like from above? Singaporean photographer Aram Pan flew over the North Korean capital with a 360 camera attached to the bottom of a microplane. Navigate the streets and landmarks of Pyongyang from this never-before-seen angle, in this exclusive 360 video. ***The NK Shop is now open, with retro DPRK t-shirts, posters and calendars. Visit https://www.nkshop.org/ and use the code nknews10 for a 10% discount!***

Ever wondered who played the evil Americans in North Korean TV shows and films? Meet the four U.S. soldiers who defected to the north in the 1960's. Read the full story at: https://www.nknews.org/2013/05/when-the-first-american-soldier-defected-to-north-korea/

ROK conducts joint live-fire missile drills against DPRK nuclear test

North Korea’s propaganda media releases a video depicting a missile attack on the U.S. territory of Guam.

In response to North Korea's ballistic missile test over Japan on Tuesday morning, South Korea made public this footage of its own ballistic missile tests. Read more at: https://www.nknews.org/2017/08/s-korean-air-force-conducts-practice-of-strike-against-n-korean-leadership/?c=1503993546614

"Nation and Fate" is said to be North Koreans' most-loved TV series--but what makes it so special? Read the full article at: https://www.nknews.org/2017/08/nation-and-fate-the-north-korean-serial-drama-with-the-secret-to-unification/

What do South Koreans (and visitors) think about North Korean snacks? NK News went out to the streets of central Seoul to have people taste test some North Korean cookies, marshmallows, and chocolates to see how it differed from its southern counterparts.

The North Korean authorities' cover-up of this pivotal moment in history is a remarkable story of censorship. Read the full story at: https://www.nknews.org/2017/08/why-so-few-north-koreans-know-about-the-1969-moon-landing/

What's in a name? Why North Korea is called the DPRK. Read more at: https://www.nknews.org/2014/02/why-is-north-korea-called-the-dprk/

On June 21, South Korea's new sports minister announced plans to form an inter-Korean women's hockey team ahead of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. Throughout history, sports diplomacy has been used to ease political tensions among nations. But what if the country is breaking the rules? NK News asked four experts on their thoughts on banning North Korea from the 2018 Winter Olympics--is it something to be discussed? Would it even be worth it? Read the full interview here: https://www.nknews.org/2017/06/should-north-korea-be-banned-from-the-2018-pyeongchang-olympics/

Why is this U.S.-based tech website blocked in South Korea? The censorship of one blog reveals some deeper-rooted issues in South Korea’s internet freedom. Go to https://www.nknews.org/2017/06/north-korea-tech-and-the-internet-censorship-of-the-most-wired-country-on-earth to read more.

Ever wondered how one became a general in North Korea? North Korean defectors share some words of wisdom on how to get ahead in the North Korean army. Read the full article at: https://www.nknews.org/2017/06/how-to-get-ahead-in-the-north-korean-army/

What do we know about North Korea's latest missile test? Go to https://www.nknews.org/2017/07/north-korea-launches-ballistic-missile-jcs/?c=1499131609146 to read the full article.

North Korea launches its new "Jindallae (Azalea) 3" smartphone. Can you guess which existing smartphone inspired the model? Go to https://www.nknews.org/2017/06/north-korea-launches-new-jindallae-3-domestically-produced-smartphone/ to read the full article.

North Korea celebrates the success of their latest missile launch. Go to nknews.org to read ongoing coverage and analysis on Tuesday's Hwasong-14 ICBM test.

Kim Jong Un's hairstyle has been a topic of debate for many years, but what lies behind this fascination? Read more at: https://www.nknews.org/2017/03/ask-a-north-korean-where-do-north-koreans-get-their-hair-cut

North Korea has a history of cancelling and stalling major construction projects due to political instability or lack of funding. Here are four examples of failed construction plans in North Korea. Did we miss anything? Read more at: https://www.nknews.org/2017/06/why-north-koreas-dreams-of-becoming-a-tourism-hotspot-were-always-doomed/

North Korea claims their “drought prevention” tactics have been successful, but satellite imagery proves otherwise. Read the full article at: https://www.nknews.org/2017/06/north-koreas-abysmal-drought-seen-from-above/?c=1498634150692

Why was this convoy of 50 trucks heading towards North Korea? Read more at: https://www.nknews.org/pro/convoy-of-trucks-spotted-crossing-from-china-to-north-korea-under-police-escort/

Former TV star defector Chun Hye Sung, who had appeared on at least three different South Korean TV shows, re-defects to the North. South Korea is currently investigating why and how she defected. Read the full article at: https://www.nknews.org/2017/07/former-tv-star-defector-back-in-north-korea-state-media/?c=1500433578582 ***The NK Shop is now open, with retro DPRK t-shirts, posters and calendars. Visit https://www.nkshop.org/ and use the code nknews10 for a 10% discount!***

Why is North Korea rejecting humanitarian aid from South Korea? Go to https://www.nknews.org/2017/06/why-pyongyang-turned-down-humanitarian-aid-from-the-south/?c=1497944276029 to read more.

South Korea shoots down unidentified “flying object” from North Korea. Go to http://buff.ly/2q9tSQi to read more.

How are missiles portrayed in North Korean pop culture? NK News looks into a few films and TV shows that focus on launching missiles. Read the full article at: https://www.nknews.org/2017/05/common-love-for-a-big-rocket-north-korean-missile-tests-in-film-and-tv/?c=1496037973549

This North Korean tablet has a very unique name--could it be a breach of Apple's trademarks? Go to http://bit.ly/2rG6GXm to read the full article.

North Korea follows in the footsteps of China and the U.S. to try to overcome the damaging effects of drought. Read the full article at: https://www.nknews.org/2017/05/north-korea-develops-rain-inducing-cloud-seeding-rockets/?c=1495703728550

Despite its underwhelming title, this 1967 speech may have been the most important one Kim Il Sung ever gave. Go to https://www.nknews.org/2017/05/the-1967-speech-that-set-north-korean-totalitarianism-in-stone/?c=1495767233978 to read the full article.

After 17 months of detention, U.S. citizen Otto Warmbier was released from North Korea. Read the full report at: https://www.nknews.org/2017/06/north-korea-releases-u-s-student-imprisoned-in-country-report/?c=1497437249601

How did North Korea’s electricity supply become one of the worst in the world? Read the full story at: https://www.nknews.org/2017/05/how-north-koreas-electricity-supply-became-one-of-the-worlds-worst/

North Korea expert Andrei Lankov explains why tourism in North Korea was bound to fail from the start. Read the full article at: https://www.nknews.org/2017/06/why-north-koreas-dreams-of-becoming-a-tourism-hotspot-were-always-doomed/?c=1497868720114

What happens to tourists in North Korea during nuclear and missile tests? Go to https://www.nknews.org/…/do-north-korean-missile-and-nuke…/… to read the full story.

KCTV footage shows Pyongyang's launch of a medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) from the country’s northwest on Sunday afternoon local time. Read more at: https://www.nknews.org/2017/05/n-korea-announces-pukguksong-2-launch-says-missile-can-now-be-mass-produced/?c=1495436441771

South Korea's presidential election will take place on May 9. What would happen to inter-Korean relations when one of the candidates becomes president? NK News breaks down the 'Big 5' candidates' security and diplomacy policies. Go to https://www.nknews.org/pro/south-koreas-presidential-candidates-and-their-north-korea-policies/ to read the full analysis.

Could we pay North Korea to give up power and nukes? Shepherd Iverson’s latest book "Stop North Korea!: A Radical New Approach to Solving the North Korea Standoff" makes the case for a "reunification investment fund" for Kim Jong Un. Read more at: https://www.nknews.org/2017/04/could-we-pay-the-north-korean-elite-to-give-up-power-and-nukes/?c=1493776472857

North Korea releases a video of missile attack on the U.S. Capitol and a U.S. aircraft carrier. Go to https://www.nknews.org/2017/04/north-korea-releases-video-of-missile-attack-on-u-s-capitol-aircraft-carrier/?c=1493687301418 to watch the full footage released by North Korea.

What do North Koreans yell when they see Kim Jong Un? NK News takes a brief look at the history of the "manse" chant.

North Korea propaganda is truly one of the most well-known and unusual things we know about the country. What makes it so effective? Here are some of the basic traits, explained. Go to https://www.nknews.org/…/eight-basic-t…/ for a more in-depth analysis.

Video footage broadcast on DPRK state broadcaster KCTV on March 7 of the Scud-ER (extended range) ballistic missile quadruple test launch. Read more: https://www.nknews.org/2017/03/north-korea-conducts-missile-test-targeting-u-s-bases-in-japan-kcna/ ***The NK Shop is now open, with retro DPRK t-shirts, posters and calendars. Visit https://www.nkshop.org/ and use the code nknews10 for a 10% discount!***

N.Korea successfully test-fired medium long-range missile: KCNA ***The NK Shop is now open, with retro DPRK t-shirts, posters and calendars. Visit https://www.nkshop.org/ and use the code nknews10 for a 10% discount!***

Video shows preparation of North Korean surface-to-surface missile, followed by launch clip. Video: KCTV ***The NK Shop is now open, with retro DPRK t-shirts, posters and calendars. Visit https://www.nkshop.org/ and use the code nknews10 for a 10% discount!***

How similar is North Korea to the superpower which created it? Read the full article at https://www.nknews.org/2017/02/how-life-in-north-korea-differs-from-life-in-the-ussr/

This popular South Korean company is offering clothing manufactured in the one country they can't do business with. Note: the brand cannot be revealed for legal reasons. Go to https://www.nknews.org/…/pictures-show-popular-s-korean-cl…/ to read the full story.

On Sunday, February 5th, NK News's Japan correspondent Kosuke Takahashi met with Sakie Yokota, the mother of Megumi Yokota, who was kidnapped by North Korea in 1977. https://www.nknews.org/2017/02/family-of-japanese-citizen-kidnapped-by-n-korea-urges-action-on-human-rights/

North Korea's Samjiyon Band of the Mansudae Art Troupe performs a compilation of classic animated Disney movie soundtracks and North Korea's own hits to start off the new year.

짓다 만 지 25년 된 으스스한 평양 류경호텔, 펜트하우스에 누군가 묵고 있다? -평양 류경호텔 건설 재개 가능성 있다 https://goo.gl/q7NqvZ -이집트 ‘오라스콤’ 회장 전용기 예정에 없던 북한 입국 https://goo.gl/sR1tVd -북한 내 이집트계 은행 ‘오라뱅크’ 폐쇄는 미 재무부 독자 제재 결과 https://goo.gl/hpC7TK

At least three rooms were illuminated at the top of the Pyongyang Ryugyong Hotel this October, suggesting construction may have resumed at the iconic pyramid shaped building. The development, captured in video exclusively obtained by NK News, is notable because there has been no sign of construction at the ill-fated hotel since window panes were added to the concrete in 2011. ***The NK Shop is now open, with retro DPRK t-shirts, posters and calendars. Visit https://www.nkshop.org/ and use the code nknews10 for a 10% discount!***

Show attacks South Korea and President Park for corrupt police and pro-American stance. Go to https://www.nknews.org/2016/09/n-korean-tv-airs-snl-style-comedy-mocking-president-obama/ for the full story.

South Korea’s Defense Ministry believes North Korea is ready to carry out another nuclear test “at any time” at its Punggye-ri testing site. Go to https://www.nknews.org/2016/09/n-korea-is-ready-for-next-nuke-test-says-rok-defense-ministry/ to read the full story.

North Korea's first and very own Oktoberfest: the Pyongyang Taedonggang Beer Festival. Read more at https://www.nknews.org/2016/08/pyongyang-proposes-a-toast-for-its-first-ever-beer-festival/

On August 24, North Korea launched a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) around 5:30AM SKT from North Korea’s East Coast. According to KCNA, Kim Jong Un “appreciated the test-fire as the greatest success and victory… (describing it as) a great manifestation and demonstration of the tremendous power and inexhaustible muscle of the DPRK"... To read more, go to https://www.nknews.org/2016/08/north-korean-slbm-launch-was-a-success-says-kim-jong-un/ ***The NK Shop is now open, with retro DPRK t-shirts, posters and calendars. Visit https://www.nkshop.org/ and use the code nknews10 for a 10% discount!***

Propaganda starts early: North Korea’s cruel and crude cartoons. To read more, go to https://www.nknews.org/2016/07/propaganda-starts-early-north-koreas-cruel-and-crude-cartoons/

Have you seen North Korea's first streaming service? They now have their own Netflix-like streaming service called "Manbang," where you can can search for content by title or category. Go to https://www.nknews.org/…/netflix-style-video-on-demand-com…/ to read more.

Recorded in Uganda, Monday 30 May, 2016, for NK News

September 2015: An "Internet Room" at Pyongyang's newly refurbished Sunan International Airport now has working net access, with speeds of up to 100mbps. The significance? Recent reports have claimed that repeated attempts to use the room showed there to be no access there. What's more, its not censored, and offers far better connectivity than possible in neighboring China. ***The NK Shop is now open, with retro DPRK t-shirts, posters and calendars. Visit https://www.nkshop.org/ and use the code nknews10 for a 10% discount!***

An ill-fated attempt to row to North Korea

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Highlights from the WomenCrossDMZ Press Conference, held on Sunday May 24 at Dorasan Station, South Korea. Video includes remarks from American feminist Gloria Steinem, Liberian peace activist Leymah Gbowee, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Maguire. The press conference ended abruptly, after just a few questions from journalists.

A broken bridge between China and North Korea. Unlike most 'tourist spots', this broken bridge is known only to local farmers who use the Chinese side to dry harvested corn in the sun. Unlike other 'Broken Bridges', this bridge goes far into the North Korean side before stopping just 30 meters short of a North Korean guard house. Full article on this under-explored bridge that even some locals don't know about: http://www.nknews.org/2013/07/road-to-nowhere-north-koreas-abandonded-broken-bridges/ This footage was filmed secretly so as not to arouse suspicion from North Korean soldiers or Chinese authorities. Apologies for the shaky filming. Full article on www.nknews.org

Kenneth Bae, a Korean-American man currently held prisoner in North Korea, explains to a St. Louis congregation why he believed God had "called him" to pursue missionary work in North Korea. Bae was arrested in November 2012, and was sentenced to 15 years of "hard labor" by a North Korean court in April 2013, on charges of attempting to "overthrow" the government. ***The NK Shop is now open, with retro DPRK t-shirts, posters and calendars. Visit https://www.nkshop.org/ and use the code nknews10 for a 10% discount!***

This video of a skilful school kid shows that the next generation of North Korean football players might not bring as much shame to their nation as the current lot, who were allegedly forced to take part in a public self-criticsm for losing 7-1 to Portugal live on TV in the 2010 World Cup.

Summer 2009 - goods being imported into North Korea

Pop music from the DPRK. This band are allegedly one of the most popular teen pop bands in the country. Check out the electronic keyboards the women are playing near the end of the clip! ***The NK Shop is now open, with retro DPRK t-shirts, posters and calendars. Visit https://www.nkshop.org/ and use the code nknews10 for a 10% discount!***

Changing of the guards at the DMZ, separating North and South Korea ***The NK Shop is now open, with retro DPRK t-shirts, posters and calendars. Visit https://www.nkshop.org/ and use the code nknews10 for a 10% discount!***

Some video footage from the Arirang Mass Games 2009

Women cutting grass with scissors in Pyongyang and cleaning streets with their hands, near the Koryo Hotel ***The NK Shop is now open, with retro DPRK t-shirts, posters and calendars. Visit https://www.nkshop.org/ and use the code nknews10 for a 10% discount!***

The Pyongyang Traffic Girls have been replaced by Traffic Lights. While most have been sacked, some have been retained to manually operate traffic lights at busy intersections such as here, near the Koryo Hotel in the downtown area. Full story here: http://nknews.org/2010/09/exclusive-pyongyang-traffic-girls-retired/ ***The NK Shop is now open, with retro DPRK t-shirts, posters and calendars. Visit https://www.nkshop.org/ and use the code nknews10 for a 10% discount!***