North Korea News Podcast: Recent Episodes
North Korea News Podcast
The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly program covering all things North Korea: discussion on the latest news, extended interviews with leading specialists, and insight from our very own staff. We welcome both generalist and specialist audiences interested in knowing more about the Korean Peninsula.
Former U.N. official Jerome Sauvage joins this week’s podcast to discuss his new book, Witness to North Korea: Three Years on the Ground in the DPRK, which recounts his posting in Pyongyang from late 2009 to early 2013.He explains why he accepted one of the U.N.’s most difficult assignments and what it took to reopen the U.N. Development Programme office after its 2007 closure amid allegations over financial controls and sanctions evasion.The conversation explores North Korea’s failed 2009 currency redenomination, the gap between Pyongyang and the impoverished countryside and what census data, cooperative farms and the public distribution system revealed about chronic food insecurity and the growing importance of markets.Sauvage also reflects on living in North Korea during the sinking of the Cheonan warship and the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island, as well as attending Kim Jong Il’s official wake and observing the fear, grief and uncertainty surrounding Kim Jong Un’s rise to power.About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Alannah Hill 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 Correspondent Joon Ha Park joins this week’s podcast to discuss Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s claim that Russia has requested another 30,000 North Korean troops for its war against Ukraine.He explains how realistic a deployment of that size would be, why Russia may be preparing facilities in the Voronezh region and whether DPRK personnel are more likely to serve in logistics, reconstruction and rear-area security than in direct frontline combat.The conversation then turns to South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young’s declaration that Seoul is shifting from a “denuclearization first” approach to a “peace first” strategy. Joon Ha breaks down why experts view the announcement as a change in sequencing rather than a fundamental policy reversal, and why North Korea currently has little incentive to respond.In the second half of the episode, he looks back at the 1953 Korean War Armistice Agreement and explains why South Korea was not among its signatories, how the ceremonies at Panmunjom and Munsan unfolded and why Seoul’s absence still affects peace diplomacy today.He also recounts the remarkable life of Choe Tok Sin, the South Korean general known as the “Hero of Panmunjom” who later served as foreign minister, fell out with Park Chung-hee and defected to North Korea. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Alannah Hill 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 month, Dr. Rüdiger Frank joins North Korea Unpacked with Jacco Zwetsloot to discuss how decades of marketization have transformed North Korea’s economy and society, and why old assumptions about engagement and pressure may no longer apply.He talks about the emergence of what he describes as a sizable North Korean middle class, how smartphones, private wealth and limited consumer choices point to deeper social change, and why leader Kim Jong Un may be a reluctant reformer forced to manage economic realities he did not create.He also explains why money is increasingly trapped inside North Korea, how projects like Wonsan-Kalma may be designed to absorb domestic spending and why Pyongyang could be moving toward something resembling a developmental dictatorship.Dr. Rüdiger Frank is professor of East Asian Economy and Society at the University of Vienna and one of Europe’s foremost experts on North Korea. He studied at Kim Il Sung University in Pyongyang from 1991-1992, and has spent decades researching North Korea’s political economy, economic transformation and international relations.About the podcast: North Korea Unpacked with Jacco Zwetsloot is a monthly long-form interview series from the NK News Podcast, featuring in-depth conversations with experts and specialists on North Korea.The regular weekly NK News Podcast, hosted by Alannah Hill, continues to cover the latest developments in the North Korea news cycle.
This week, the NK News Podcast presents a special episode on one of the most unlikely stories in World Cup history: North Korea’s extraordinary run at the 1966 tournament and the English town that embraced the team as its own.Sixty years after the DPRK stunned Italy and reached the quarterfinals, this episode revisits how a little-known team from a country Britain did not recognize became the emotional heart of Middlesbrough’s World Cup summer.Through archival sound, documentary clips and interviews with Nicholas Bonner, Daniel Gordon and Tosh Warwick, the episode traces North Korea’s road to England, the Cold War anxieties surrounding its arrival, the players’ meticulous preparation and the small human encounters that transformed suspicion into affection.This special episode is based on Shreyas Reddy’s two-part feature series for NK News, Part 1 of which can be found here, and Part 2, here. Special thanks to Nicholas Bonner and Daniel Gordon for allowing us to use soundbites from “The Game of Their Lives” and to Joon Ha Park for providing the dubbed Korean soundbites.About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Alannah Hill 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 Data Correspondent Anton Sokolin joins this week’s podcast to discuss North Korea’s deepening ties with China and Russia, starting with Premier Pak Thae Song’s meeting with Xi Jinping in Beijing during a visit marking the 65th anniversary of the China-DPRK alliance treaty.He also previews Wang Huning’s upcoming visit to Pyongyang and explains what these high-level exchanges suggest about where Beijing-Pyongyang ties stand.The conversation turns to Russia’s growing demand for North Korean labor, before breaking down a strange Russian court case involving a failed corn shipment to North Korea and how it exposed DPRK sanctions-evasion networks.In the second part of the episode, retired senior U.S. diplomat Susan Thornton discusses the “fire and fury” period of 2017, the Trump-Kim summit process and what lessons Washington should draw from that era of direct diplomacy with Pyongyang.She also delves into whether denuclearization remains a realistic goal, what interim steps the U.S. could pursue, how China and Russia are shaping North Korea’s strategic calculations and what a realistic policy success might look like in the years ahead.About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Alannah Hill 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 Senior Analytic Correspondent Colin Zwirko joins this week’s podcast to discuss North Korea’s naval modernization push, from Kim Jong Un’s latest cruise missile test from the Kang Kon destroyer to the recent commissioning of the Choe Hyon, the country’s first 5,000-ton warship to formally enter service.He also breaks down his latest NK Pro analysis on the apparent restart of makeshift smuggling routes across the North Korea-China border, including what satellite imagery shows, why private vehicles appear to be a major driver of the trade and what the activity suggests about China’s willingness to tolerate sanctions violations while maintaining plausible deniability.Afterward, Gabriela Bernal joins the podcast to discuss her analysis on South Korea’s shift toward “peaceful coexistence” with North Korea and what Seoul can learn from the Balkans. She explains the concept of “functional coexistence,” why Serbia-Kosovo dialogue offers a useful but limited comparison and what role institutions like the U.N. Command, the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission and the Military Armistice Commission can play. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Alannah Hill 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 week’s episode of the NK News Podcast looks at North Korea’s military modernization, from Kim Jong Un’s new 5,000-ton Choe Hyon destroyer to recent tactical missile and artillery tests.Korea Risk Group Correspondent Joon Ha Park discusses what the destroyer adds to Pyongyang’s navy, why its assignment to the West Sea Fleet matters and what South Korea’s delayed public confirmation of a Hwasong-11D launch reveals about missile disclosure policy.He also breaks down Seoul’s push to expand drone and counter-drone capabilities — including loitering munitions, laser and microwave defenses — and plans to train hundreds of thousands of “drone warriors.”Afterward, Dr. Fyodor Tertitskiy joins the podcast to discuss his new book, “Pyongyang on the Brink,” which explores 16 crises that could have changed North Korea’s history — and what they reveal about the survival, fragility and possible future of the Kim dynasty.About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Alannah Hill 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 week’s episode of the NK News Podcast looks at North Korea’s decision to recall its ambassador to the U.K. just weeks after his appointment, in protest over British sanctions on the Songdowon International Children’s Camp. NK News Lead Correspondent Shreyas Reddy discusses why the camp holds symbolic importance for Pyongyang, its links to Russia and Ukrainian children from Russian-controlled territories, and what the diplomatic downgrade could mean for DPRK-U.K. relations.He also examines a new Nisos investigation into a North Korean IT worker network that submitted nearly 170,000 job applications and secured more than 21,000 interviews over nine months. Later on, Jieun Baek joins the podcast to discuss her new book “Privileged But Powerless,” which examines the lives of North Korea’s elites through interviews with senior-level defectors. She explains how diplomats, party officials and other elites can enjoy access and status while remaining vulnerable to surveillance, purges and shifting political pressures, as well as why fear and “performative loyalty” continue to shape behavior among those closest to power.About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Alannah Hill 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.
period, the risks of military action against North Korea and what lessons Pyongyang may have drawn from conflicts in Ukraine, Iran and elsewhere.He also recounts one of the most unusual episodes of his career: crossing the Military Demarcation Line at Panmunjom to help service a fax machine gifted to North Korean counterparts.U.S. Army Col. Brian Davis is a former military intelligence officer, a role in which he analyzed DPRK military capabilities, threat environments and decision-making at an operational level.About the podcast: North Korea Unpacked with Jacco Zwetsloot is a monthly long-form interview series from the NK News Podcast, featuring in-depth conversations with experts and specialists on North Korea.The regular weekly NK News Podcast, hosted by Alannah Hill, continues to cover the latest developments in the North Korea news cycle.
This week, NK News CEO Chad O’Carroll and Chris Green of International Crisis Group join the podcast to discuss a Seoul court’s decision to sentence former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to 30 years in prison, finding that he orchestrated a drone operation that sought to provoke a North Korean response and create a pretext for declaring martial law.The episode also explores Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent visit to Pyongyang, the absence of denuclearization from official summit readouts, China’s increasingly pragmatic approach to North Korea’s nuclear status and the prospects for expanded trade, tourism and people-to-people exchanges. Finally, Chad and Chris preview the upcoming West Coast Exchange, a three-day gathering of Korea watchers, diplomats, journalists, academics and policymakers. They discuss the event’s emphasis on informal networking and field visits, the value of off-the-record conversations and why participants often gain as much from discussions outside the conference room as they do from the formal sessions.About the podcast: The NK News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Alannah Hill exclusively for NK News, covering the latest developments in and around North Korea. Each episode breaks down the week’s news cycle with NK News journalists, analysts and expert guests.
s priorities. About the podcast: The NK News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Alannah Hill exclusively for NK News, covering the latest developments in and around North Korea. Each episode breaks down the week’s news cycle with NK News journalists, analysts and expert guests.
On this week’s episode, NK News Senior Analytic Correspondent Colin Zwirko discusses a busy week of developments in North Korea.He examines Pyongyang’s latest missile test of a new modular launcher and tactical cruise missile system, as well as what these weapons could mean for military planning near the inter-Korean border. He also talks about satellite imagery suggesting North Korea’s Choe Hyon-class destroyer may be undergoing final testing near Nampho ahead of possible deployment.The episode also looks at signs Pyongyang may be preparing to welcome a foreign leader visit amid reports of a possible Xi Jinping trip, and at how North Korea’s first large-scale solar farm aims to address energy shortages.About the podcast: The NK News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Alannah Hill exclusively for NK News, covering the latest developments in and around North Korea. Each episode breaks down the week’s news cycle with NK News journalists, analysts and expert guests.
This week, NK News Correspondent Jooheon Kim joins the podcast to discuss a North Korean soccer team’s rare trip to the South. The Naegohyang Women’s Football Club made the journey for the AFC Women’s Champions League semifinals, marking the first visit by a DPRK sports delegation in nearly eight years and the first by a North Korean soccer team in 12 years.Kim recounts the team’s arrival at Incheon International Airport and explains why Seoul needed to make a special exception for the team to enter South Korea. He also discusses Naegohyang’s semifinal victory over Suwon FC Women, which took place in heavy rain before more than 5,700 spectators, and the political controversy surrounding the match. Later, Jooheon looks at Naegohyang’s victory over Japan’s Tokyo Verdy Beleza in the final and examines the sanctions questions raised by Naegohyang’s $1 million prize money. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Alannah Hill 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 the first episode of North Korea Unpacked with Jacco Zwetsloot, Jacco sits down with Professor Andrei Lankov of Kookmin University and a director of Korea Risk Group — the first-ever guest on the original NK News Podcast back in 2018 — to discuss North Korea’s newly revealed constitutional changes and what they mean for Pyongyang’s worldview.Lankov explains how the revised constitution reframes South Korea not as part of a divided nation, but as a separate and hostile state — a move he argues is designed to reduce the political danger posed by South Korea’s far greater wealth and living standards.The conversation also explores what this change could mean for inter-Korean relations, including whether it lowers the chances of war or opens the door to more state-to-state exchanges. Lankov then talks about North Korea’s deepening relationship with Russia, before reflecting on his recent removal from Latvia, saying the incident reflects the heightened suspicion around Russia-related events in parts of Europe. About the podcast: North Korea Unpacked with Jacco Zwetsloot is a monthly long-form interview series from the NK News Podcast, featuring in-depth conversations with experts and specialists on North Korea.The regular weekly NK News Podcast, hosted by Alannah Hill, continues to cover the latest developments in the North Korea news cycle.
This week on the NK News Podcast, Data Correspondent Anton Sokolin talks about the expanding North Korea-Russia relationship — from military pageantry in Moscow to drone training in Russia’s Far East and a mysterious shipwreck off Spain’s coast.Anton breaks down the significance of North Korean soldiers marching through Red Square for the first time during Russia’s Victory Day parade, what their appearance says about Moscow’s shifting alliances and why Kim Jong Un skipped the event despite expectations that he may eventually visit Russia again.The discussion also covers a DPRK delegation’s visit to a Russian drone training facility, where officials observed UAV operations amid growing North Korean interest in battlefield drones and potential lessons from the war in Ukraine.Later, the episode turns to North Korean pharmaceutical exports to Russia, including Kumdang-5, a ginseng-based pill marketed as a cure-all remedy, and the sanctions questions raised by DPRK-made traditional medicines appearing on Russian online marketplaces.Finally, Anton walks through the still-unresolved mystery of the Ursa Major, a Russian military-linked vessel that sank off Spain in late 2024. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Alannah Hill 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 week’s NK News Podcast looks at a newly revealed document that appears to show how North Korea amended its constitution to redefine relations with South Korea. Korea Risk Group Executive Director Jeongmin Kim discusses the document’s apparent removal of unification language, its new territorial clause and why Pyongyang may be keeping maritime boundaries deliberately vague.She also delves into what the changes could mean for Kim Jong Un’s leadership, including the trimming of references to Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, the use of “head of state” language and constitutional wording on nuclear command delegation.Finally, she discusses how seriously to treat the unverified document, as well as why she disagrees with Seoul’s reading that the text may suggest a less hostile posture.In the second half, Peter Ward joins the podcast to examine what the purported revisions suggest about life inside North Korea. He explains how the document appears to scale back state promises on food, housing, health care and taxation, while reaffirming central control over major parts of the economy.About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Alannah Hill 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 this handover episode of the NK News Podcast, new host Alannah Hill sits down with longtime host Jacco Zwetsloot to look back on his time leading the show since its launch in Feb. 2018. They revisit the podcast’s first episode with Andrei Lankov, the major North Korea stories that defined that period and how the news beat changed from U.S.-DPRK summit diplomacy to today’s focus on North Korea-Russia ties.Jacco reflects on some of the most memorable interviews from his roughly 400 episodes, including the extraordinary three-part interview with a U.S. citizen who entered North Korea without authorization, as well as conversations with defectors, diplomats and figures involved in U.S.-DPRK diplomacy. The episode also takes a look ahead, with Jacco confirming he will remain involved through a monthly podcast series called North Korea Unpacked with Jacco Zwetsloot, while Alannah takes over the main hosting role and focuses on more news-related topics week by week.About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Alannah Hill 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.
s Escape and Rebirth in Freedom,” which recounts her childhood in Wonsan, years living in a North Korean orphanage and her eventual escape to South Korea by way of China.She also discusses the challenges of resettling in South Korea, including facing discrimination, loneliness and the burden of adapting to a free society, as well as how writing her memoir helped her process the trauma and reclaim her identity.Eunhee Park is a North Korean refugee, public speaker and author. Her work shares a clear, first-person account of childhood in the North, escape and rebuilding a life abroad. 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 Correspondent Jooheon Kim kicks off the podcast this week by discussing North Korea-Japan relations, focusing on lingering tensions over the abductions issue, recent trilateral naval cooperation with Seoul and Washington, and Pyongyang’s criticism of Japan’s latest diplomatic Blue Book.In the second half, the scholar Sayaka Chatani joins the podcast to explore the development of pro-North Korean communities in Japan and how they came to align themselves with Pyongyang’s national project.She explains the origins of Chongryon and its role as a quasi-state institution for ethnic Koreans in postwar Japan, as well as the evolution of its school system and how identity, language and community ties shaped long-term ideological connections to North Korea.Sayaka Chatani is an assistant professor in the Department of History at the National University of Singapore. She is the author of the new book “A Nation Within: North Korean Zainichi in Post-Imperial Japan.”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.
Korea Risk Group Executive Director Jeongmin Kim kicks off the podcast this week by discussing North Korea’s positive response after Seoul expressed regret for past civilian drone incursions, only to quickly undercut hopes for inter-Korean detente with more hardline messaging and a series of missile launches.In the second half, Dr. Cathy Kang of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council — a group that advises South Korea’s president on inter-Korean issues — joins the podcast to discuss how her experience growing up in Europe has shaped her perspective on Korean unification and coexistence, as well as the role of overseas Koreans in public diplomacy.She outlines how the advisory body gathers global input on North Korea policy and emphasizes the importance of maintaining dialogue and promoting peaceful coexistence. She argues that sustained engagement and cultural outreach are essential to preparing for future opportunities, despite declining interest in unification and North Korea’s rejection of inter-Korean rapprochement.Dr. Cathy Kang is an advisory member at the Peaceful Unification Advisory Committee and an assistant professor at Plovdiv University. Her remarks in this episode do not represent the official position of the Presidential Unification Advisory Council.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.
s Personality Cult.”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 Data Correspondent Anton Sokolin kicks off this week’s episode with a look at Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s visit to Pyongyang for a summit last week, and his potential to serve as an intermediary between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump. The conversation explores Belarus’s evolving ties with the DPRK, including plans to establish an embassy in Pyongyang, expand economic cooperation and potentially allow visa-free travel for North Korean nationals. International security expert Ankit Panda joins in the second half of the episode for a wide-ranging analysis of North Korea’s military trajectory. The expert challenges assumptions about North Korea’s opacity, arguing that Pyongyang often signals its intentions clearly as part of a deterrence strategy. He also examines how the country is modernizing its nuclear and conventional forces in multiple areas, including missiles, drones, naval platforms and potentially space capabilities. Panda situates North Korea’s strategy within the context of recent conflicts, particularly the ongoing war involving Iran, and draws out lessons Pyongyang may be absorbing about deterrence, preemption and long-term conflict. He also explores how advances in missile technology, drone warfare and cost asymmetry are reshaping modern warfare, with implications for the Korean Peninsula. Ankit Panda is the Stanton Senior Fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.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 Correspondent Joon Ha Park opens this week’s episode by discussing the first session of the new Supreme People’s Assembly, which reappointed Kim Jong Un as North Korea’s head of state and carried out a generational reshuffle of officials.He also discusses Pyongyang’s increasingly hardline rhetoric toward South Korea and the U.S., Kim Yo Jong’s rejection of Japan’s latest diplomatic outreach and the optics of Kim Jong Un’s daughter joining him at a recent military inspection.In the second half of the episode, former German Ambassador to North Korea Pit Heltmann reflects on his time in Pyongyang from 2018 to 2020, offering a rare look into diplomatic life inside the country and how engagement changed during the early days of the pandemic.The interview explores the challenges of diplomacy in the DPRK, the limitations on international engagement and aid projects and the factors complicating a potential reopening of the German Embassy.Pit Heltmann is a career German diplomat who served as the country’s ambassador in Pyongyang from 2018-2020, making him the last resident envoy before North Korea’s self-imposed COVID-19 closure. He later served as consul general in Shanghai before retiring in 2024. 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.
This week, NK News Data Correspondent Anton Sokolin opens the episode with a roundup of recent developments on the Korean Peninsula, including the resumption of China-North Korea passenger rail service and plans to restart flights.He also touches on the DPRK’s weekend test of multiple launch rocket systems, as well as how Russian media is portraying the North’s involvement in the Ukraine war. missile launches, such as the tests of long-range multiple launch rocket systems, as well as the regime’s growing ties with Russia, including how the DPRK’s involvement in the Ukraine war is being portrayed by Russian media.In the second half of the episode, Peter Ward discusses his latest research on North Korea’s legal system and expanding crackdowns on a range of “unsocialist activities.” He explains how the regime balances enforcement and tolerance in the economic sphere while tightening control over information and ideology.The interview also explores broader trends under leader Kim Jong Un, including shifts in elite politics, the evolution of North Korea’s nuclear strategy and the outcome of the recent Ninth Party Congress.Peter Ward is a research fellow at the Sejong Institute. His work focuses on North Korean politics, the economy and society. He has a Ph.D. from the University of Vienna.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 Shreyas Reddy and Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB) Executive Director Hanna Song join this week’s episode of the NK News Podcast. The news roundup begins with the sudden cancellation of the Pyongyang International Marathon, before turning to Seoul’s move to adopt a new term for North Korean-born residents in the South, and the Unification Ministry’s renewed push for a peace declaration and a broader “peace regime.”In the latter part of the episode, Hanna delves into NKDB’s newly released report “The Machinery Behind the Forced Repatriation of North Koreans in China,” and explains why forced repatriation remains one of the most persistent human rights concerns facing North Korean escapees.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.
International security expert Ankit Panda joins the podcast this week to unpack the latest U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran and what they could mean for North Korea’s deterrence thinking. The conversation covers what does and doesn’t translate to the Korean Peninsula: the impact of geography and escalation dynamics, why saturation tactics and interceptor “magazine depth” matter and the contrast between Iran’s threshold posture and North Korea’s workable nuclear deterrent.He also discusses the new five-year military plan that Kim Jong Un outlined at the Ninth Party Congress, highlighting the significance of the DPRK’s emphasis on counterspace capabilities and raising questions about its anti-satellite options.Ankit Panda is the Stanton Senior Fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.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 insights from our very own journalists.
In this special roundtable edition of the NK News podcast, the team sits down to discuss the results of North Korea’s Ninth Party Congress, the messaging behind the latest parade in Pyongyang and what leadership reshuffles may signal for the country’s domestic and foreign policy direction. The panel explores why this congress focused less on major course corrections and more on reinforcing Kim Jong Un’s leadership, embedding his priorities more deeply in party structures and and strengthening elite discipline.They also discuss how North Korea further hardened its stance toward South Korea, and scrutinize the congress’s relatively vague language on future weapons development.Featured in this episode are: Korea Risk Group Executive Director Jeongmin Kim NK News Senior Analytical Correspondent Colin Zwirko NK News Lead Correspondent Shreyas Reddy 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 insights from our very own journalists.
NK News Correspondent Joon Ha Park joins the podcast to discuss the ongoing Ninth Party Congress, which kicked off last week in PyongyangThe conversation breaks down key developments from the congress so far, including Kim Jong Un’s reappointment as general secretary of the Workers’ Party, the promotion of younger loyal cadres and the sidelining of several senior military and party officials. He also discusses Kim Yo Jong’s new but unspecified director role, the lack of major foreign policy announcements and continued emphasis on domestic economic goals tied to a new five-year plan. 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 insights from our very own journalists.
North Korea media and tech specialist Martyn Williams joins this week’s episode to discuss his trips to the inter-Korean border with NK News CEO Chad O’Carroll, which have explored how technology is reshaping control and communication in the DPRK.The conversation covers smartphones and digital infrastructure inside North Korea, including how mobile technology has expanded rapidly since the pandemic. He discusses the growing number of domestic smartphone brands, hundreds of state-approved apps and the broader 4G rollout across much of the country. Williams also examines a North Korean health app offering telemedicine features and medicine delivery, illustrating how digital tools serve both convenience and surveillance.Martyn Williams is a senior fellow for the Stimson Center’s Korea Program and 38 North. His primary interests are in North Korea’s technology, infrastructure, broadcasting system and propaganda. He previously appeared on episode 149 of the NK News podcast.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 insights from our very own journalists.
Alec Zebrick of blockchain analytics company Chainalysis joins this week’s episode to break down how North Korea-linked actors are upgrading their tactics to steal cryptocurrency, why 2025 was a record year for large-scale hacks and what can be done to reduce risk.The expert explores the shift in North Korean operations toward fewer but much larger targets, as exemplified by the outsized impact of the DPRK’s Bybit heist last year. He places this in the context of state-backed actors’ preference for “high-impact” operations over the “spray-and-pray” model common among non-state cybercriminals.The discussion also covers how attack methods have evolved beyond basic phishing, as well as the continuing importance of sanctions and cross-border intelligence-sharing for stopping cybercrime.Alec Zebrick is senior manager, global services at Chainalysis. He is based in South Korea, where he leads cryptocurrency investigations for public and private clients. A former U.S. detective and secret service task force officer, he is a subject-matter expert on North Korea’s crypto operations, has investigated major DPRK-linked hacks and has briefed the U.N. Security Council.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 insights from our very own journalists.
In this episode, NK News Deputy Managing Editor David Choi and Senior Analytical Correspondent Colin Zwirko discuss newly released U.S. Justice Department files that show the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein explored possible business opportunities in North Korea.The conversation then shifts to the two North Korean prisoners of war currently held in Ukraine, including the diplomatic and legal complexity around any transfer to South Korea and the likelihood that their status could become part of a wider Russia-Ukraine prisoner exchange.They conclude by discussing North Korea’s announcement that it will hold the Ninth Party Congress in late February, as well as the latest on preparations for the event 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 insights from our very own journalists.
Lee Sang-sin of the Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU) returns to the podcast to discuss the results of the think tank’s annual survey, which found for the first time ever that less than half of South Korean adults think that unification with North Korea is necessary.The expert discusses how Seoul’s broad unification framework has remained largely consistent across administrations and explains KINU’s role as a think tank under the prime minister’s office, which allows it to support the Ministry of Unification while maintaining independence.The conversation then turns to North Korea’s rejection of unification and dialogue and KINU’s expanded global surveys, which show stark differences in how foreign publics view the two Koreas.Dr. Lee Sang-sin is a senior research fellow and polling expert at the Korea Institute for National Unification. He last appeared on episode 74 of the NK News podcast in June 2019. 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 insights from our very own journalists.
NK News Lead Correspondent Shreyas Reddy joins this week’s episode to discuss the formal preparations for the upcoming Ninth Party Congress, including meetings where the Central Committee has elected delegates and observers, and what signs to watch for as Pyongyang moves closer to announcing an official schedule. He also talks about recent diplomatic activity in Pyongyang, focusing on Iran’s appointment of a new resident ambassador, and explains why the timing matters, Iran’s longstanding ties with both Korean capitals and the possibility that Tehran has also dispatched a military attaché.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 insights from our very own journalists.
In this episode, Agence France-Presse (AFP) global news editor Roland de Courson joins the podcast to discuss his photo-and-essay project — K-Scar — documenting life, memory and tourism along the inter-Korean border. De Courson explains why he describes the border as a “scar” and reflects on how indifference, curiosity and commercialized “dark tourism” shape the way people experience the DMZ and nearby frontline sites. The conversation moves from observatories and curated attractions to quieter human stories, such as aging refugees and communities living inside civilian control zones. He also discusses how art, everyday life and even a Starbucks overlooking North Korea reveal the normalization and contradictions of the border. Roland de Courson is a French journalist born in Madrid. He started his career in Canada and joined AFP in 1994. He is currently a global news editor in Seoul. For over two years, Roland traveled along the inter-Korean border to document his K-Scar project, which can be found online here. 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 insights from our very own journalists.
NK News CEO Chad O’Carroll joins the podcast this week to discuss why the Workers’ Party of Korea still hasn’t held its Ninth Congress, the lack of typical pre-event mobilization campaigns and what satellite imagery of parade preparations suggests about a possible timeline.The episode then turns to leadership dynamics in Pyongyang, including Kim Jong Un’s dismissal of a senior official during an on-the-spot inspection, before turning to revelations about both North and South Korea’s influence operations targeting a human rights advocate.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 insights from our very own journalists.
Dr. Ria Roy, a scholar of modern Korea and East Asian history, joins the podcast to discuss the differences in language between the two Koreas, including contrasts in linguistic and ideological correctness.She examines the Soviet Union’s influence on the Korean language in the DPRK and the importance of conveying information with the right tone. She also explores the use of profanity on North Korean state TV and why announcers often refer to specific groups of people in bespoke ways — whether using a motherly tone when discussing children or pausing before the name of leaders.Roy is a Kleinheinz Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and the author of the article “The Sacred Text and the Language of the Leader: ‘Cultured Language’ and the Rhetorical Turn in 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 insights from our very own journalists.
This week, NK News Senior Analytic Correspondent Colin Zwirko delves into the large-scale conference marking the 80th anniversary of the Socialist Patriotic Youth League, attended by Kim Jong Un. He then turns to signals surrounding the timing of the upcoming Ninth Party Congress, as well as expectations for announcements on long-term economic planning, weapons development and broader strategic priorities, potentially including inter-Korean relations.Finally, Zwiro discusses new satellite imagery showing the demolition and reconstruction of a prison facility in Sariwon, the latest in a series of detention sites undergoing similar changes since 2023.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 insights from our very own journalists.
North Korea is closely watching the situation in Venezuela after the U.S. captured President Nicolás Maduro, shaking up one of Pyongyang’s few political friendships in the Western Hemisphere. In this episode, Gabriela Bernal and Camilo Aguirre Torrini delve into what happened in Venezuela, how North Korea has reacted in state media and what lessons Kim Jong Un may be drawing.The guests discuss why the DPRK-Venezuela relationship has been more symbolic than substantial, how sanctions and a shared anti-American ideology have shaped ties and what the future could look like if Caracas shifts further under U.S. influence.Dr. Gabriela Bernal is a North Korea analyst and non-resident fellow at the European Centre for North Korean Studies who writes on Pyongyang’s external relations and information strategy. She recently wrote an analysis for NK Pro titled “Where North Korea-Venezuela ties stand after Nicolás Maduro’s downfall.”Dr. Camilo Aguirre Torrini is a researcher whose work traces DPRK-Latin America ties and sanctions-era politics. He previously wrote a piece for 38 North titled “Can Venezuela and the DPRK Wipe the Slate Clean and Make a Fresh Start?”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.
This week, NK News correspondent Joon Ha Park joins the podcast to discuss North Korea’s new allegations that Seoul sent unmanned aerial vehicles to surveil military and other sensitive sites in Sept. 2025 and Jan. 2026.He explains the specifics of Pyongyang’s claims and the photos it released of the alleged drones, as well as South Korea’s swift denial of involvement. He also digs into Kim Yo Jong’s threat to send “civilian” drones into ROK airspace and North Korea’s history of following through on her bellicose statement.The discussion then turns to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s recent summit with President Xi Jinping of China, where the two leaders agreed to work toward restarting talks with the DPRK but made no mention of denuclearization.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 insights from our very own journalists.
This week’s podcast features a panel discussion with NK News journalists on what to expect from North Korea in the year ahead, taking stock of what they got right about 2025 and making new predictions for 2026.The panelists discuss why DPRK leader Kim Jong Un doubled down on military development last year but didn’t end up meeting U.S. President Donald Trump. They then explain why Pyongyang will continue to bet on Russia ties in the new year but will still hedge by returning to talks with Washington.The discussion also covers the possibility that North Korea will push for nuclear energy in 2026, as well as black-swan events like missile launch disasters and information security breaches that could cause major disruptions to Pyongyang’s plans.This episode features the following members of the NK News team: Chad O’Carroll — CEO of Korea Risk Group Jeongmin Kim — Executive Director at Korea Risk Group Colin Zwirko — Senior Analytic Correspondent Shreyas Reddy — Lead Correspondent Anton Sokolin — Data CorrespondentAbout 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 insights from our very own journalists.
This week’s podcast starts by discussing the U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro over the weekend and its implications for North Korea and its leader.NK News correspondent Shreyas Reddy then speaks about Pyongyang’s condemnation of the U.S. attack on its longtime ally, accusing Washington of attempting to exercise dominion over the world.He also explains why North Korea will be closely watching the U.S.’s next steps, as well as why Kim Jong Un may not be sweating a similar operation against him thanks to his ace in the hole — nuclear weapons.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 insights from our very own journalists.
Yong Ja Hong, a PhD candidate studying North Korean society, culture and media at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, joins the podcast to discuss the history of sports in North Korea, even before the peninsula was separated by the 1950-53 Korean War.She recalls North Korean athletes who competed on the international stage, including a track star who was briefly reunited with her South Korean father, and sheds light on how modern sports made its way into the peninsula.Hong, an NK News contributor, also talks about how basketball’s popularity took off suddenly throughout the country during Kim Jong Il’s rule and how baseball never found solid footing amongst the people.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.
This week, Korea Risk Group Executive Director Jeongmin Kim kicks off the podcast by discussing North Korea’s upcoming plans for New Year’s Day, including the possibility of a special message from leader Kim Jong Un.NK News’ Kim discusses how the DPRK leader has retreated from the tradition of delivering a dedicated New Year’s Day speech over the years, instead opting to publish personal letters to the people in the party daily or lay out his annual priorities in remarks at end-of-year party plenums.The discussion also covers North Korea’s unveiling of a purported 8,700-ton nuclear-powered submarine, which state media described on Christmas Day as a necessary deterrent against a nuclear submarine that the South plans to build.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 insights from our very own journalists.
2025 was packed with news from the Korean Peninsula: new presidents assumed office in South Korea and the United States, North Korea expanded its cooperation with Russia and Pyongyang finally opened its long-awaited beach resort.In this special year-end episode, the NK News team joins the podcast to revisit their most compelling stories of the year. NK News data correspondent Anton Sokolin, correspondents Joon Ha Park and Jooheon Kim, executive director Jeongmin Kim, founder Chad O’Carroll, lead correspondent Shreyas Reddy and senior analytic correspondent Colin Zwirko unpack their stories ranging from Russia’s radioactive delivery to North Korea to Pyongyang’s record-breaking crypto theft.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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
This week’s podcast starts by discussing the U.N. General Assembly’s adoption of a resolution condemning North Korea’s human rights abuses for the 21st consecutive year.NK News correspondent Jooheon Kim explains the implications of the resolution and Seoul’s support, before talking about messages to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung from the families of prisoners of war and abductees trapped in North Korea.Finally, the conversation turns to Hyundai Asan’s stated goal of working with North Korea to resume inter-Korean tourism projects, including the commissioning of a vessel to transport South Korean tourists to the North.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 insights from our very own journalists.
Gabe Segoine, the founder of the first surfing program in North Korea and the Christian nongovernmental organization Love North Korea Ministries, joins the podcast to discuss his experience searching for waves off the isolated country’s coast and providing humanitarian aid for its people.He recalls his experience at the Chinese airport en route to North Korea, where customs authorities assumed his surfing wax was an explosive. He also discusses how authorities prevented him and his cohorts from openly discussing their faith, even inspecting their Bibles to ensure no pages were left in the country.Segoine has helped establish small humanitarian projects in North Korea and kicked off what he describes as “surfing diplomacy” in 2014. He has visited the country 19 times and is the author of “Surfing North Korea: And Other Stories from Inside.”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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
This week’s podcast kicks off with the 2003 murder case of a North Korean man in St. Petersburg, previously known as the “criminal capital” of Russia, and the unanswered questions surrounding his brutal death at the hands of a neo-Nazi group.NK News data correspondent Anton Sokolin then discusses North Korea’s reaction to Russian Ambassador Alexander Matsegora’s sudden death in Pyongyang, including leader Kim Jong Un’s appearance at the diplomat’s memorial service.Finally, Sokolin talks about the monthslong deployment of North Korean soldiers to Russia’s Kursk region, where they were tasked with clearing explosives left by Ukrainian troops. The DPRK troops reportedly suffered nine fatalities during the deployment, with Kim heralding them for performing their duties with valor.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 insights from our very own journalists.
Former Australian diplomat Jane Hardy joins this episode to discuss how Australia has engaged with North Korea over the past few decades, and what that experience reveals about diplomacy, deterrence and nuclear risk today. Hardy, who spent over 30 years in the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, shares insights from her work on Korean Peninsula issues during the Sunshine Policy era, including Australia’s brief normalization with Pyongyang and her own visit to North Korea in 2001. Jane Hardy is a former senior Australian diplomat who has served in seven long-term overseas missions, four at ambassador level. She also held numerous senior executive positions at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Canberra, during her 33-year career. Jane is now a senior fellow at the U.S. Studies Center, Sydney University advising the Women in the Alliance 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.NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
This week’s episode opens with the news of the sudden death of Russia’s ambassador to North Korea, Alexander Matsegora, who died at 70 on Saturday following decades of diplomatic service on the Korean Peninsula.NK News founder Chad O’Carroll then discusses his recent appearance at a high-profile press conference with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, where his question about long-detained South Korean citizens in North Korea unexpectedly became a national story. Finally, O’Carroll reflects on his trip to the Halifax International Security Forum in Canada. He describes conversations with Western officials, Ukrainians, and journalists, expressing frustration at what he sees as a persistent lack of understanding or urgency around North Korea’s role in supplying Russia during the war in 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 insights from our very own journalists.
s threats against North Korea transformed into summit talks between leader Kim Jong Un, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Trump, and how those developments ushered in a period of optimism for the EU.She also challenges the notion that Europe has a limited role in the peninsula’s affairs, particularly after North Korea’s direct involvement in the war in Ukraine. The EU’s agenda is being “totally dominated” by the Ukraine-Russia war, and North Korea’s deployment of troops and munitions in support of Moscow’s invasion is clear evidence that issues involving the DPRK now relate to the 27-member state organization, she said.Hivonnet, now retired, worked in EU postings for over 30 years, including in Geneva and Kathmandu. Prior to working for the EU, she was a senior lecturer at the University of Northumbria in England. 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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
This week, NK News senior analytic correspondent Colin Zwirko joins the podcast to discuss recent developments along the inter-Korean border, as well North Korea’s latest event showcasing new air force weaponry.He begins by sharing what satellite imagery shows about the DPRK’s construction projects within the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone, some of which appear to cross the Military Demarcation Line, the actual border between the two Koreas.The discussion then turns to Kangwon Province, where leader Kim Jong Un appears to be planning to build a new dam that would flood part of the North Korean side of the DMZ. Whether the project is being actively developed is unclear, though it could have serious implications for South Korea.Lastly, Zwirko gives an overview of the recent 80th anniversary of the regime’s air force celebration, where it showed off a new drone and other military assets that mimic American weaponry.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 insights from our very own journalists.
This week, Lonnie Edge of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies joins the podcast to discuss North Korea’s strategies for portraying itself as a legitimate government both inside and outside its borders.According to Edge, the Kim regime has become adept at changing its narrative or policies to address crises or changes in circumstances, such as building new apartments or bolstering rhetoric against the U.S. during economic downturns.The expert also discusses why progressive South Korean presidents typically reach out to North Korea first when attempting to build inter-Korean relations, explaining that taking this sort of diplomatic initiative without guarantees is rare and reflects how many Koreans view themselves as one people.Edge is an assistant professor in the Graduate School of Interpretation and Translation at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. He holds a Ph.D. in international relations and has been the managing editor of North Korean Review for over a decade. His work spans inter-Korean relations, contemporary Korea and identity politics.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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
This week, NK News correspondent Joon Ha Park joins the podcast to recap a week’s worth of news from Seoul and Pyongyang, starting with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s comments about potentially scaling back joint military exercises with the U.S. to support diplomacy with North Korea. He talks about how previous progressive governments, such as the Moon Jae-in administration, downsized the joint drills in an effort to persuade the DPRK to come to the negotiating table.Park also explains Seoul’s proposal for inter-Korean military talks on restoring land markers around the Military Demarcation Line, the border dividing the peninsula, to prevent an accidental clash. Seoul has accused North Korean troops of frequently crossing into the South, prompting it to fire warning shots.Finally, Park tracks North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s recent public appearances, including the inauguration of the first “modern” hospital outside of Pyongyang, and a visit to the Ministry of State Security’s headquarters.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 insights from our very own journalists.
Dr. Elizabeth Campbell, a visiting scholar at Korea University’s Research Institute of Korean Studies, joins the podcast to discuss all things North Korean film — from former leader Kim Jong Il’s love of foreign cinema to what is arguably the country’s most famous movie, “The Flower Girl.”She sheds light on the second Kim leader’s reported involvement in the creation of domestic films, including the procurement of a train for a scene, and his frustration with North Korea’s inability to produce Hollywood-type cinema.These films play an integral role in North Korean society, and Campbell discusses how the Kim dynasty has used them to portray itself to citizens and the rest of the world.Campbell holds a Ph.D. in North Korean studies from Korea University. Her work examines North Korea propaganda, media and culture, including personality cults and representations of North Koreans. 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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
This week, NK News Data Correspondent Anton Sokolin joins the podcast to discuss Russian participation in North Korea’s fall trade fair and the latest in the two sides’ military cooperation over the war in Ukraine.He talks about how over a dozen Russian commercial firms hawked their electronics and foods in Pyongyang last month, as well as about Moscow’s announcement that DPRK military engineers have started work in Kursk to clear “hundreds of different types of explosive devices” left by Ukrainian troops.He also explains why the Russian communist party recently awarded North Korean leader Kim Jong Un the “Lenin Prize,” tracing the history and significance of the little known award.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 insights from our very own journalists.
This week, a former Ukrainian lawmaker and a Ukrainian military official join the podcast to discuss North Korea’s support of Russian forces, and why this poses a threat to South Korea’s security.Dr. Hanna Hopko, co-founder of the International Center of Ukrainian Victory, and Ukrainian National Guard Lt. Volodymyr Vernygora examine the evolving DPRK-Russia military partnership, which they say should be raising alarms throughout the international community, as well as Seoul’s response.The two experts also stress that South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy should boost bilateral engagements to counter these developments, while warning that North Korea’s troops are obtaining something money can’t always buy: battlefield experience.Hopko is a former member of Ukraine’s parliament and the co-founder of the International Center of Ukrainian Victory, a nongovernmental organization seeking to mobilize international support for Kyiv’s fight against Ukraine.Vernygora is a lieutenant and international cooperation officer in the 1st Corps Azov of the National Guard of Ukraine, with two decades of experience in international relations, academia, and strategic communications. 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 insights from our very own journalists.
This week, NK News founder Chad O’Carroll joins the podcast to discuss the life of Kim Yong Nam, the longtime No. 2 in North Korea’s leadership who died this month at 97. He also unravels the mystery behind Pyongyang Papers, the website that anonymously published information on North Korea’s sanctions-evading network before disappearing without warning last month.Lastly, he discusses U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s visit to South Korea and the possibility of a future summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. 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 insights from our very own journalists.
Maarten Jongsma, a senior researcher at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, joins the podcast to discuss his years of collaboration with North Korean agricultural scientists and efforts to help improve potato cultivation in the DPRK.He shares his recollections from his multiple visits to North Korea between 2004 and 2012, describing the country’s push to make potatoes a core part of the national diet, particularly in the cooler northern regions. He also explains the scientific and logistical challenges his team faced, and why yields ultimately declined after the collaboration ended.Dr. Maarten Jongsma is senior researcher at Wageningen University, where he focuses on how plants or plant products interact with other organisms. He once headed a project to make North Korean potatoes resistant to the disease phytophthora. 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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
This week, three members of the NK News team unpack their time at the APEC summit in Gyeongju and discuss how North Korea featured in the week’s diplomatic drama. Despite high expectations, U.S. President Donald Trump did not meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his trip to Korea, though Pyongyang still loomed large in many of the summit’s side discussions.This week’s episode features: Jeongmin Kim — Executive Director at Korea Risk Group Shreyas Reddy — Lead Correspondent at NK News Joon Ha Park — Correspondent at Korea Risk GroupAbout 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 insights from our very own journalists.
In this episode, veteran KBS journalist Bong Seung Shin shares his experience reporting from North Korea and communicating with journalists on the ground in the country.Shin first traveled to Pyongyang in 2008, crossing the demilitarized zone by air as part of a trip organized by an NGO. He describes the excitement of entering North Korea for the first time, the strict media controls he faced and the challenge of filming under constant supervision.A decade later, in 2018, Shin led KBS coverage of inter-Korean events from Seoul, coordinating live broadcasts with his team stationed in Pyongyang. He explains how they managed to send footage, the professionalism of North Korean media workers and how journalists on both sides found common ground despite political barriers.Reflecting on both trips, Shin discusses what these experiences taught him about inter-Korean relations, the divided culture of the two Koreas and his hope to one day open a KBS bureau in Pyongyang.Bong Seung Shin (신봉승) is a TV journalist with South Korea’s state-owned broadcaster KBS. 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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
NK News founder Chad O’Carroll joins the podcast this week to unpack the busy week ahead on the Korean Peninsula as APEC kicks off and U.S. President Donald Trump heads to South Korea.He discusses the growing speculation over whether Trump will meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for the first time in over six years, and explores signs that the DPRK may be keeping the door open for such diplomacy. He also talks about the appointment of Kevin Kim as the new acting U.S. chargé d’affaires in Seoul, as well as Kim Jong Un’s visit to a cemetery for Chinese soldiers who fought in the Korean War. 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 insights from our very own journalists.
This week, historian Remco Breuker explores how Pyongyang has built illicit networks that operate far beyond its borders to oversee labor exports, arrange business deals and traffic arms.He reflects on the collapse of the U.N. Panel of Experts that once tracked sanctions violations, warning that the world has lost a vital mechanism for understanding and constraining North Korea’s overseas operations.He also argues for rebuilding expertise on the country’s financial and labor networks to regain leverage, while questioning the effectiveness and ethics of existing sanctions. Remco Breuker is a historian who works on medieval Korean and Northeast Asian history and on contemporary North Korean affairs. Since 2014, he has been working on making the voices of elite exiles from the DPRK heard in academic debates. He is the author of a number of books about North Korea, most recently “De Wereld volgens Noord-Korea” (“The World According to 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.NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
This week, NK News Correspondent Jooheon Kim joins the podcast to discuss the North Korean soldier who crossed the inter-Korean border over the weekend, marking the first confirmed military defection under the Lee Jae-myung administration. He also talks about next week’s APEC Summit in Gyeongju. With former U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping expected to attend, speculation is growing over whether Trump might reach out to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for an impromptu meeting. Finally, he breaks down new details on North Korea’s diplomatic and defense interactions with Southeast Asian nations, particularly Indonesia and Vietnam, around the recent party anniversary celebrations.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 insights from our very own journalists.
For a brief period after Korea’s liberation, a cross-peninsula postage system shuttled letters across the 38th parallel, linking the Soviet-led north and U.S.-led south. This week, postal expert Tony Bard and historian JiHoon Suk join the podcast to explore this forgotten link and the logistics, politics and human stories behind the letter exchanges. They also reflect on the lasting significance of the inter-Korean postal system and the lack of any regular mail contact in the 75 years since its demise.Anthony Bard is editor of The London Philatelist and a member of the Royal Philatelic Society London. He collects North and South Korean postal history from 1945, with a focus on Korean War material and post-Armistice commissions.JiHoon Suk is a Korean historian completing his Ph.D. at Yonsei University, specializing in early modern Korean history.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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
This week, Korea Risk Group Executive Director Jeongmin Kim and Senior Analytical Correspondent Colin Zwirko unpack North Korea’s military parade in Pyongyang for the 80th anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea. They explore how the event demonstrated both a commitment to spectacle and restraint, featuring more than 100,000 soldiers but fewer weapons in years past. They also dig into parade references to North Korea’s support of the war in Ukraine, the debut of new weapons like the Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile and the high-profile foreign dignitaries on hand from China, Russia and Vietnam.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 insights from our very own journalists.
This week, Chandana Seshadri joins the podcast to discuss her RUSI Journal article, “How DPRK IT Workers Exploit Identity Management Vulnerabilities,” which documents how North Korean workers slip through remote-hiring systems to earn hard currency and open doors for bigger cyber operations. The researcher highlights the case of Christina Chapman — a U.S. citizen who helped DPRK workers get remote jobs through “laptop farms” — as a key example of how ordinary employment channels can be manipulated for sanctions evasion. She also explains how the rapid shift to remote work after COVID-19 opened new vulnerabilities for infiltration, as companies often skip in-person verification and identity checks.Seshadri calls for international working groups to share best practices and red flags while respecting privacy laws, while stressing the issue is not only relevant to cybersecurity but also national security and sanctions enforcement.Chandana Seshadri is a non-resident fellow at the Stimson Center’s 38 North and former research analyst at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), specializing in the intersection of sanctions, financial crime and cyber threats with a focus on 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.NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
NK News’ Senior Analytic Correspondent Colin Zwirko unpacks the key developments ahead of North Korea’s Oct. 10 military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea. He begins by discussing Pyongyang’s latest weapons exhibition, where state media previewed an unmanned surface vehicle — a type of naval drone — and explains that while the display appears designed to showcase technological progress, doubts remain over Pyongyang’s ability to control such systems without satellite communications support. He also talks about the DPRK’s naval ambitions, including Kim Jong Un’s recent inspection of new destroyers and the troubled rollout of the country’s corvette program, as well as the long-delayed opening of the Pyongyang General Hospital, a massive medical facility first promised in 2020. 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 insights from our very own journalists.
James Heenan, the representative of the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Seoul, joins the podcast this week to unpack the High Commissioner’s new update on human rights in the DPRK — an effort to take stock of the situation in the country 11 years after the landmark U.N. Commission of Inquiry report.Several activists have argued that the update offers little in the way of new revelations and falls short by not naming key perpetrators. But Heenan contends that its value lies elsewhere: It is the most comprehensive trend analysis to date, built on 314 victim and witness testimonies gathered over the past decade and backed by dozens of U.N. documents.He outlines what the report has to say about North Korea’s tightening system of repression — rooted in state ideology, codified punishments and forced labor — and weighs in on what meaningful public action looks like now.James Heenan is the representative for the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Seoul. He previously served as the head of the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights in Palestine and has also worked in academia on labor rights issues and as a practicing lawyer in the U.K. and Australia. He last appeared on episode 325 of the NK News podcast. 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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
NK News Correspondent Joon Ha Park joins the podcast to discuss President Lee Jae-myung’s first speech to the U.N. General Assembly and his debut of a new acronym for his peace road map — “E.N.D.,” short for exchange, normalization and denuclearization.He also talks about Seoul's unification minister’s controversial “two states” remarks, Lee’s calls for greater military self-reliance and North Korea’s latest diplomatic outreach to China, with Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui meeting her counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing.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 insights from our very own journalists.
This week, Dr. Vipin Narang joins the NK News podcast to unpack how the U.S. and South Korea are seeking to strengthen extended deterrence against North Korean threats under the joint Nuclear Consultative Group, a platform that he helped develop and lead as a key nuclear policy official under the Biden administration.Narang highlights how North Korea’s rapid nuclear expansion drove the creation of the NCG, which gives Seoul a structured role in deterrence planning, and he warns that the DPRK’s cooperation with Russia could accelerate its efforts to build a more diverse nuclear arsenal featuring both lower-yield short-range systems and land-based ICBMs.The former co-chair of the NCG also weighs in on the dangers of South Korea pursuing indigenous nuclear weapons, stressing that Washington is adapting alliance management to maintain credible deterrence even amid global crises and growing North Korea-China-Russia alignment.Dr. Vipin Narang is an American political scientist who served as the acting assistant secretary of defense for space policy until Aug. 2024, a portfolio that included policy on space and missile defense policy, nuclear deterrence and countering weapons of mass destruction. He also served as co-chair of the NCG.He has since returned to MIT, where he is the Frank Stranton Professor of Nuclear Security and the inaugural director of the Center for Nuclear Security policy. 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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
This episode of the NK News podcast unpacks the unusual loyalty relays taking place across North Korea, where both children and adults carry letters pledging fealty to Kim Jong Un.NK News Lead Correspondent Shreyas Reddy also discusses new murals of the leader, some of which appear to have replaced longstanding depictions of his father and grandfather, and what this means for his evolving cult of personalityThe episode then turns to Kim Jong Un’s recent address at the Supreme People’s Assembly, where he reiterated North Korea’s refusal to give up its nuclear weapons while leaving the door open to talks with the U.S.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 insights from our very own journalists.
This week, Stephen Mercado returns to the NK News Podcast to discuss his new book, “Japanese Spy Gear and Special Weapons,” and how Japan’s secretive Noborito Research Institute supported covert operations targeting the DPRK during the Korean War. Mercado is a former CIA analyst and open source officer who worked for most of his career in the Foreign Broadcast Information Service, later named the Open Source Center and now known as the Open Source Enterprise. He retired in 2017 and first appeared on episode 324 of this podcast.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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
This week, NK News Correspondent Joon Ha Park joins the podcast to discuss newly revealed DPRK state media footage that appears to blame Russia for North Korean casualties during fighting against Ukraine.He also talks about what President Lee Jae-myung said about the DPRK at a press conference to mark his first 100 days, as well as Pyongyang’s criticism of U.S. military drills with South Korea and Japan that kicked off on Monday.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 insights from our very own journalists.
This week, the NK News podcast explores the New York Times’ recent revelations about a 2019 U.S. Navy SEAL mission on North Korea’s coast. The operation reportedly aimed at installing surveillance equipment but went awry, resulting in the death of unarmed North Koreans and raising escalation risks.Mark Sauter, a former U.S. Army soldier with decades of experience investigating POW/MIA issues and covert operations, joins the podcast to explain what allegedly happened, why it may have gone sideways and how these events echo earlier covert U.S. and South Korean infiltrations stretching back to the Korean War.Sauter is the founder and president of the POW Investigative Project 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 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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
This week, NK News Senior Analytic Correspondent Colin Zwirko joins the podcast to discuss North Korea’s “static firing test of a high-thrust solid-fuel motor” used in long-range nuclear missiles, a week after Kim Jong Un inspected a new ballistic missile design.The conversation then turns to Kim’s high-profile trip to Beijing, his first in six years, where bilateral meetings with China and Russia underscored tacit support for North Korea’s nuclear program. Zwirko also discusses the upcoming Pyongyang International Trade Fair and the DPRK’s decision to bar Western businesses from participating.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 insights from our very own journalists.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made his appearance at a large-scale multilateral event on Wednesday, standing shoulder to shoulder with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin at China’s Victory Day parade in Beijing. But was this just optics, or did it mark a deeper realignment of global power blocs?NK News Lead Correspondent Shreyas Reddy joins this week’s episode to explore what Kim’s presence revealed about North Korea’s shifting position globally, compare the 2025 parade to previous landmark events and discuss the risks for Kim in playing second fiddle to Xi and Putin. He also discusses why Kim’s daughter — but not his wife — may have joined him for the trip to Beijing. 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 insights from our very own journalists.
In this episode, Go Myong-hyun of Seoul’s Institute for National Security Strategy returns to the podcast to assess the recent summit between South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump.He also looks ahead to Kim Jong Un’s expected appearance in Beijing on Sept. 3 for a Victory Day parade marking the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II, where he said he expects optics to dominate over substance.Dr. Go Myong-hyun is the director at the Department of Security Strategy Studies at the Institute for National Security Strategy (INSS). Previously, he worked at the Institute for Security and Development Policy, focusing on hybrid threats in Northeast Asia and international coordination to counter them, and previously served as a senior fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy.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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
On this episode, scholar Joseph Torigian joins the podcast to discuss his new biography of Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s father and Xi senior’s delicate diplomacy with North Korea in the 1980s.Torigian explores Xi Zhongxun’s role in rebuilding ties, navigating the DPRK’s succession politics and nudging Pyongyang toward reform. He also talks about how China and North Korea influenced each other’s policies during this pivotal period, and how those interactions still shape Beijing-Pyongyang relations today. Joseph Torigian is a research fellow at Stanford’s Hoover History Lab, an associate professor at the School of International Service at American University, and a center associate of the Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies at the University of Michigan. He is the author of “The Party’s Interests Come First” from Stanford University Press.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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
In this week’s episode, NK News Deputy Managing Editor Alannah Hill breaks down President Lee Jae-myung’s first summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, where Lee appealed for Trump to take on a “peacemaker” role with Pyongyang. She also discusses the flood of newly released state media footage showing North Korean troops in combat in Russia’s Kursk region, which have provided a rare look at battlefield tactics, drone warfare and how official propaganda is framing the war.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 insights from our very own journalists.
In this episode, Tycho van der Hoog joins the podcast to explore how North Korea forged and sustained ties with African liberation movements and governments during and after the Cold War — connections that continue to shape the country’s activities on the continent today.He shares how his interest in the topic began with a trip to Namibia, where he encountered North Korean-built monuments. He also talks about his years of archival research and fieldwork across Southern Africa and the role of cultural and ideological exchange, including how North Korea used Juche ideology and its own unique aesthetics to build loyalty.Dr. Tycho van der Hoog is assistant professor of international security studies at the Netherlands Defense Academy, and the author of “Comrades Beyond the Cold War,” a new book that traces North Korea’s unexpected ties with postcolonial states in Southern Africa.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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
NK News Correspondent Jooheon Kim joins the podcast this week to discuss Ahn Hak-sop, a 95-year-old former North Korean soldier and so-called unconverted prisoner of war who is seeking repatriation to the DPRK after decades in the South.He also talks about the controversy surrounding ROK police investigations into defector remittances to relatives in the North, which have focused attention on legal challenges around the transfers and spurred a legislator to address the issue.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 insights from our very own journalists.
On today’s episode, Kornel Chang discusses his new book “A Fractured Liberation: Korea Under U.S. Occupation,” which sheds light on the period from 1945 to 1950 when the country was divided into the North and South.Chang describes how the immediate post-liberation “opening” was more fluid than commonly portrayed, with ordinary Koreans pursuing varied aspirations that did not map neatly onto left-right labels. He also discusses land redistribution in the North in 1946 and the resulting migrations, including elites moving south and left-leaning writers heading north.Kornel Chang is associate professor of History and American Studies and chair of the History Department at Rutgers University-Newark. 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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
NK News Executive Director Jeongmin Kim joins the podcast to discuss the story of a North Korean defector in her 70s who is under investigation for allegedly leaking the locations of fellow escapees to Pyongyang’s secret police, as well as the daring maritime defection of a North Korean who swam across the Han River estuary.She also talks about the recent decision by South Korea and the U.S. to postpone half of their summertime Ulchi Freedom Shield drills and the latest on the dismantling of propaganda loudspeaker arrays along the inter-Korean 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 insights from our very own journalists.
On this week’s episode, Maeng Hyo-shim, a young woman who fled North Korea in 2018, joins the podcast to share her experiences of state discrimination, systemic neglect and a violent attack against her disabled mother which led her family to escape the DPRK.Born in Hyesan in 2001, Maeng shares her memories of life growing up under the Kim regime, where people with disabilities were routinely excluded from society and punished for being unable to work in state-run enterprises. She reflects on the hardships her family faced due to her mother’s condition, how her parents met and raised her despite overwhelming odds.Maeng Hyo-shim was born in Hyesan, a city on North Korea’s northern border with China, in the years after the devastating famine of the 1990s. In 2018, she fled North Korea with her parents after a violent incident against her mother who has a disability and the regime’s refusal to deliver justice. She now lives in South Korea and works to raise awareness about human rights issues in North Korea, testifying publicly under her real name — including at the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights in Seoul in June this year.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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
On this week’s episode, NK News Data Analyst Anton Sokolin unpacks major construction updates on the Russia–DPRK car bridge project near the Tumen River. He also breaks down the ambitious trilateral initiative to launch historical boat tours connecting China, Russia and North Korea along the same river as well as new direct flights between Moscow and Pyongyang and a Russian military aircraft’s mysterious trip to 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.
The flurry of summitry in 2018-19 between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in inspired hopes for a breakthrough on resolving a decades-old conflict, only for talks to collapse without any progress on the DPRK nuclear issue.This week, historian John Delury returns to the podcast to revisit that heady time on the Korean Peninsula and explore what Seoul’s new President Lee Jae-myung might do to revive Trump-Kim diplomacy. He explains why Russia-DPRK ties ensure that another round of engagement won’t look like the last and examines how China’s ties with the South impact its approach to the North.He also talks about Kim Jong Un’s desire to be a “developmental dictator,” the potential impact of the U.S. bombing of Iran on efforts to entice Pyongyang to negotiations and why there is no military solution to the North Korea problem.John Delury is a historian of modern China and an expert on U.S.-China relations and Korean Peninsula affairs. The author of “Agents of Subversion,” he previously served as a professor of Chinese studies at Yonsei University in Seoul and most recently taught at the American Academy in Rome, Luiss University and John Cabot University.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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
North Korea broke its relative silence about the new South Korean administration of Lee Jae-myung on Monday, with the DPRK leader’s sister Kim Yo Jong dismissing the president’s peace overtures and attacking Seoul’s alliance with the U.S.NK News Lead Correspondent Shreyas Reddy joins the podcast to discuss why North Korea’s proverbial “bad cop” suddenly weighed in on inter-Korean ties and what Pyongyang actually wants from Seoul. He also talks about new U.S. sanctions against a DPRK company and three North Koreans for their role in remote IT worker schemes, as well as a surprise visit to Pyongyang by a global baseball chief.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 ruling Kim family has orchestrated not one but two leadership successions during its over seven decades in power, and may well be preparing for a third. But the success of such transitions in authoritarian states is far from certain and depends in large part on how rulers manage the elites that compose their power base, a new book argues.This week, researchers Edward Goldring and Peter Ward join the podcast to discuss their new volume about the tools that the Kim family dictatorship has used to facilitate leadership transitions. They explore how successors must rely on their predecessor’s power base to govern while building their own inner circle of elites, and they explain why autocrats don’t necessarily want to use forceful means like purges to exert control.Ward also talks about a forthcoming paper that digs into the ways in which South Korean society discriminates against North Korean defectors despite a pervasive belief in a Korean ethnic identity, as well as about a second upcoming paper on the factors that make North Koreans more likely to consume ROK media in violation of state censorship laws.Edward Goldring is a lecturer in comparative politics in the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne, and Peter Ward is a research fellow at the Sejong Institute in Seoul. They are the co-authors of the new book “Authoritarian Survival and Leadership Succession in North Korea and Beyond” from Cambridge University Press.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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
South Korea’s National Assembly questioned the Lee administration’s nominees for key positions last week, including the ministers of unification, defense, foreign affairs and labor, and North Korea issues ended up playing a prominent role at all of the hearings.NK News Correspondent Joon Ha Park joins the podcast this week to discuss the main takeaways from the hearing, and to explain why the question of whether Pyongyang is the South’s main enemy repeatedly came up. He also talks about unification minister nominee’s claims about North Korea's semiconductor plants and AI ambitions, the labor minister nominee’s grilling over a request to attend Kim Jong Il’s funeral and the defense minister’s plan to carry out OPCON transfer from the U.S. to South 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.
In this episode, Professor Andrei Lankov and NK News’ Anton Sokolin discuss the fascinating story of the Yankovskys — a Russian family whose journey took them from Siberian exile to colonial Korea, and ultimately, to the heart of North Korea's tumultuous 20th-century history.The discussion centers on the family’s time in what became the DPRK after relocating from Siberia, where they ran a tiger hunting resort in the northern region, near Chongjin. They also explore how the family's story intersects with the shifting allegiances of North Korea, highlighting their relationship with the regime and how it shaped their survival in a rapidly changing geopolitical environment.Andrei Lankov is a professor at Kookmin University in Seoul and the director at Korea Risk Group.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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
NK News Senior Analytic Correspondent Colin Zwirko joins this week’s episode to discuss Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s high-profile visit to the newly opened Wonsan Kalma beach resort, where he met Kim Jong Un aboard a luxury yacht.He also dissects emerging signs that North Korea is preparing for a military parade and possible mass games to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea this October, while unpacking claims — now largely debunked — that the DPRK released radioactive wastewater into the Han River estuary. 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.
Dr. Shinyong Kwon joins this week’s episode to discuss how neighborhood associations — known today as inminban in the DPRK — have been used as tools of governance, social indoctrination and moral authority.She explains how these associations originated from East Asian communal traditions but were reshaped under Japanese colonial rule to serve wartime mobilization and state control and traces how both Koreas retained and adapted the system post-liberation.Dr. Shinyoung Kwon holds a PhD in history from the University of Chicago and did postdoctoral research at the University of Cambridge. She now lives in the United States. Her book Moral Authoritarianism: Neighborhood Associations in the Three Koreas, 1931–1972 was published in November 2023. 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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
Seoul last week said it cannot confirm a CNN report that North Korea plans to send 30,000 additional soldiers to support Russia’s war in Ukraine, amid conflicting intelligence assessments. While Ukraine’s military intelligence suggested the deployment is imminent, its chief Kyrylo Budanov said no buildup has yet been observed, instead predicting voluntary enlistment of DPRK nationals into Russian forces.On this week’s episode, NK News Data Correspondent Anton Sokolin joins the podcast to discuss deployment logistics, Kim Jong Un’s public mourning of fallen soldiers and evolving DPRK-Russia infrastructure projects.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.
Professor Mitsuhito Mimura, a leading Japanese expert on the North Korean economy, joins this week’s podcast for an in-depth discussion on the DPRK’s economic resilience, shifting trade patterns and deepening ties with China and Russia.With over 35 trips to North Korea under his belt, Mimura shares rare insights into how Pyongyang sustains infrastructure growth under heavy sanctions, how unofficial coal exports to China support both formal and informal sectors and how military and economic cooperation with Moscow could shape the North’s trajectory. He also weighs in on Japan's view of the emerging China-Russia-DPRK axis and what it could mean for Tokyo’s future engagement with Pyongyang.Mitsuhiro Mimura is a leading Japanese expert on the North Korean economy and regional integration in Northeast Asia. Currently a professor at the Economic and Social Research Institute for Northeast Asia, University of Niigata Prefecture, he previously served as a senior research fellow at the Economic Research Institute for Northeast Asia. 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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
North Korea finally opened the long-delayed Wonsan Kalma mega resort on the east coast last week, with leader Kim Jong Un calling for a “new era” of tourism. But with the tourism zone boasting over 50 hotels and capacity for 20,000 tourists, questions remain about who will actually visit the resort as the country keeps its doors closed to most foreigners.This week, NK News Correspondent Jooheon Kim joins the podcast to discuss the resort amenities that the DPRK showed off and who was on hand for the grand opening. He also dives into a recent event spotlighting defector testimony about executions in North Korea, an inter-Korean rivalry over claims to the martial art of taekwondo and the story of one defector’s quest to make his name as a mixed martial arts fighter.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 this episode, Norwegian artist and director Morten Traavik and cultural mediator Sun Kim discuss their new documentary “North South Man Woman.” The film explores the emotional complexities of North Korean defectors trying to build lives — and relationships — in South Korea, with a special focus on matchmaking between DPRK women and ROK men.Traavik and Kim reflect on the documentary’s five-year production process, the personal journeys of their protagonists and how issues of cultural identity, trauma, gender roles and social integration shape life after defection. They also unpack how the film balances moments of lightness and pain, and how storytelling can illuminate the human costs of geopolitical division.Norwegian artist and director Morten Traavik has undertaken several provocative and boundary-pushing art and film projects involving North Korea. His work often explores themes of cultural exchange, propaganda and the role of art in politically charged environments. He previously appeared on epsiode 103 of the podcast. His collaborator Sun Kim is a Korean American and Belgian producer and cultural mediator for a number of Morten’s exchanges with North Korean authorities for over 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.NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has announced nominations for several key positions handling North Korean issues, continuing to select pro-engagement officials for inter-Korean roles.NK News Correspondent Joon Ha Park talks about the latest appointments, as well as South Korea’s live-fire artillery exercises near the inter-Korean border and North Korea’s launch of about 10 artillery rockets from near Pyongyang. He also discusses his interview with retired Vice Adm. Suh Young-gil, who led South Korean naval forces at the First Battle of Yeonpyeong, to mark the 26th anniversary of the pivotal inter-Korean clash.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.
Dr. Dong Jin Kim, a leading peace studies scholar with research experience spanning Korea, Ireland, Cyprus and South Africa, joins the podcast to explore how divided societies navigate conflict, peacebuilding and reconciliation, as well as lessons from these cases for the Korean Peninsula.Examining Ireland’s journey, he argues that lasting peace depends on sustained community engagement and mutual recognition, not just political agreements. He also draws on examples like youth art exchanges between North and South Korea to highlight how everyday people can help build trust even when official dialogue stalls.Dong Jin Kim is the Kim Dae Jung chair professor of Peace Studies at Hanshin University and also an adjunct professor at the School of Religion, Theology and Peace Studies at Trinity College, Dublin.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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
Israel’s dramatic strikes on Iran’s nuclear program and Tehran’s retaliation have dominated headlines in recent days, and North Korea is no doubt paying close attention.NK News CEO Chad O’Caroll joins the podcast to talk about what lessons North Korea might be drawing from the clashes and U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, including the importance of deterrence and missile capabilities and the value of secrecy in the face of foreign intelligence threats.He also discusses the shifting state of inter-Korean propaganda broadcasts and an unexpected report about a possible North Korean tourism re-opening.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.
This week, Balazs Szalontai returns to the podcast to explore the overlooked history of North Korea’s relationship with countries across the Middle East and North Africa.The expert discusses how Pyongyang navigated ideological contradictions, opportunistic diplomacy and shifting global alliances throughout the Cold War, touching on the DPRK’s ties with Iran, Egypt, Algeria, Iraq and more.He also explains how North Korea often prioritized strategic survival and a symbolic presence in the region over ideological consistency. Dr. Balazs Szalontai is a historian and professor at Korea University in the Division of Public Sociology and Korean Unification. He previously appeared on episode 106 of the podcast.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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected a hospital construction site in Kusong on Monday, where he criticized the skills of the military conscripts he frequently mobilizes for major state construction projects.NK News Senior Analytic Correspondent Colin Zwirko joins the podcast to talk about Kim's comments, as well the voyage by North Korea’s damaged destroyer to a shipyard in the northeast for repairs and Pyongyang’s brief coverage of South Korea’s election of Lee Jae-myung as president.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 this episode, NK News welcomes back Professor Moon Chung-in, one of South Korea’s most influential scholars of inter-Korean relations to assess the landscape on the peninsula today and what prospects remain for diplomacy.He discusses why he believes North Korea has officially abandoned unification in its current form, how inter-Korean engagement has become increasingly constrained by global geopolitics, and what a presidency under Lee Jae-myung might mean for the peninsula.Moon Chung-in is a professor emeritus at Yonsei University and one of South Korea’s most influential scholars of inter-Korean relations. He served as special adviser on unification, diplomacy and national security to former President Moon Jae-in, and has long been a key advocate for diplomatic engagement with North Korea. He previously appeared on episode 71 of the podcast.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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
North Korea’s new warship remains submerged on its side more than 10 days after the embarrassing failure to side-launch the vessel last month, despite DPRK experts’ confidence that they could right the ship. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made only a passing mention of North Korea at the Shangri-La Dialogue over the weekend, even as officials talked behind the scenes about wanting U.S. Forces Korea to play a bigger role in countering China. And Lee Jae-myung appears poised to claim the South Korean presidency in Tuesday’s snap election, setting up potential changes in inter-Korean policy.This week, NK News CEO Chad O’Caroll and Lead Correspondent Shreyas Reddy join the podcast to discuss all these events during a busy week on the peninsula, as the ROK prepares to finally fill a monthslong leadership vacuum since Yoon Suk-yeol’s ill-fated declaration of martial law and subsequent impeachment.They also talk about why North Korea will likely do little in response to a new president in Seoul and explore why Kim Jong Un should worry about Ukrainian drones following Kyiv’s stunning attack on Russian assets far from the front lines.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 year and a half ago, North Korea made waves when it announced that it was abandoning the goal of inter-Korean reunification. Now, South Koreans are getting ready to head to the ballot box to elect a new president, with their pick set to shape Seoul’s policy toward a neighbor that now views the South as a “hostile, enemy state.”On this week’s episode, Dr. Tomasz Wierzbowski and Dr. J.R. Kim join the podcast to debate whether Seoul should formally abandon the national goal of unification with North Korea.They discuss the evolving generational and political attitudes toward unification, whether the Ministry of Unification should be overhauled or scrapped and the ethics of maintaining peaceful coexistence with an authoritarian neighbor.Dr. Tomasz Wierzbowski is an adjunct professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and the Korea Representative of EURAXESS, a European Commission initiative supporting researcher mobility. Dr. J.R. Kim retired as director-general at South Korea’s Ministry of Unification and is still active as the president of the Korean Council for Peace and Cooperation. 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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
Just one week remains until South Koreans head to the polls in the snap election to replace impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol, setting up potential changes in how Seoul approaches North Korea, the U.S. alliance and more.NK News Executive Director Jeongmin Kim joins the podcast to unpack where the major and minor candidates stand on DPRK policy — and whether they’re avoiding the topic altogether.She discusses how North Korea was once a clear dividing line between conservative and progressive parties, with the former adopting hardline communist stances and the latter favoring engagement. And she explains why both major candidates in this election — Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party and Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party — are taking a more subdued approach.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.
This week, veteran North Korea negotiator Joel Wit joins the podcast to revisit his decades of experience negotiating with Pyongyang, what went wrong in efforts to stop the DPRK’s nuclear development and what, if anything, can still be done.He shares insights from high-level talks, including surreal moments inside the DPRK, and discusses whether dialogue is still a viable path forward after the Trump-Kim summits.Joel Wit is distinguished fellow in Asian and Security Studies at the Stimson Center. As a U.S. State Department official, he helped negotiate the 1994 U.S.-DPRK Agreed Framework and was in charge of its implementation until he left government in 2002, holding numerous talks with North Korean officials.He is also the author of the forthcoming book "Fallout: The Inside Story Of How America Failed to Disarm North Korea,” published by Yale University Press. His work can be primarily found on the website 38 North, which he founded and formerly operated. 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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observed a series of military drills aimed at enhancing the country’s ongoing “war preparations” last week, ahead of a gathering of thousands of military officers in Pyongyang for a rare conference on instigating a “revolution” in army training. NK News Managing Editor Bryan Betts joins the podcast to discuss the DPRK’s push to improve its air force and how the military events appear tied to the troop deployment to fight against Ukraine. He also talks about Kim Jong Un’s visit to a Pyongyang cemetery to pay tribute to late military official Hyon Chol Hae for the third consecutive year, as well as the appearance of sanctioned North Korean goods in Ukraine trade data despite the two sides’ severed ties.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 this episode, scholars Immanuel Kim and Benoit Berthelier discuss their new book, “Hidden Heroes: An Anthology of North Korean Fiction,” which brings together 10 DPRK short stories from the last 30 years that focus on ordinary citizens who quietly contribute to society.Kim and Berthelier discuss their motivations for curating this anthology, their translation choices and the challenges of navigating the fine line between state-sanctioned propaganda and genuine storytelling. They also reflect on the ethical implications of translating and publishing North Korean literature for a global audience.Dr. Immanuel Kim is the Korea Foundation and Kim-Renaud Associate Professor of Korean Literature and Culture Studies at George Washington University. His research specializes in North Korean literature and cinema, including comedy films, some of which he previously discussed on episode 190 of the podcast.Dr. Benoit Berthelier is senior lecturer in Korean Studies at the University of Sydney. His research interests include North Korean literature, culture and society, as well as digital humanities and discourse analysis. 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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met and embraced the North Korean general leading troops deployed to fight against Ukraine during a military parade in Moscow last week, but Kim Jong Un was a no show. NK News Correspondent Jooheon Kim joins the podcast this week to discuss how the North Korean leader instead visited the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang, where he gave a speech justifying support for Moscow to mark Victory Day. The podcast also covers the official start of campaigning for South Korea’s snap presidential election and celebrations to mark the 93rd founding anniversary of the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army.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.
This week, Dutch YouTuber Bart van Genuchten returns to the podcast to discuss his recent trip to North Korea for the 2024 Pyongyang International Marathon — the country’s first major tourism-related event since before the pandemic.Van Genugten shares what it was like being among the first Westerners allowed back into Pyongyang, navigating both awkward influencer hype and deeply personal moments of connection with North Korean guides. He also discusses the ethics of content creation in authoritarian contexts and how Pyongyang seems to be subtly shifting its messaging on unification.Bart van Genugten is a Dutch YouTuber living in Seoul, releasing videos on the channel iGoBart. He first garnered fame for his videos on a trip to North Korea in 2018About 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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw a range of missile launches from the country’s largest-ever warship last week, according to state media.NK News Deputy Managing Editor Alannah Hill joins the podcast to discuss the variety of weapons tested and the risk they pose, as well as the latest on the presidential race in South Korea and how North Korean beer made in the border city of Rason could soon be available for Russian consumers.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 March 20, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights presented a report on “promoting accountability” for DPRK violations at the 58th session of the Human Rights Council. This week, Eleonor Fernandez of the U.N. OHCHR joins the podcast to unpack the report and what accountability really means for North Korea, the evidence behind the U.N.’s work and the challenges of investigating abuses in one of the world’s most closed societies.She also discusses what role South Korea, Japan, the U.S. and European countries play in advancing human rights in North Korea and some of the main concerns regarding escapees who are forcibly repatriated to the DPRK. Eleonor Fernandez is a human rights officer in the Seoul Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN OHCHR).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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
North Korea confirmed for the first time this week that it deployed troops to support Russia’s war efforts against Ukraine, two days after Moscow’s military chief openly acknowledged Pyongyang’s involvement.Korea Risk Group Executive Director Jeongmin Kim joins the podcast to discuss the reasoning behind the shift in the two countries’ official positions, as well as South Korean opposition lawmaker Lee Jae-myung’s victory in the primary to be the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee and North Korea’s launch of the first of its largest new warship class.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.
Bruce Bennet, a senior researcher at the RAND Corporation, joins the podcast to discuss just how ironclad the U.S.-South Korea alliance really is, the growing plausibility of limited nuclear use by Pyongyang and the risks of miscalculation in a changing security environment.He also delves into what North Korea military is learning from the war in Ukraine, its chemical and biological weapons posture and his insights from years of wargaming Korean conflict scenarios.Dr. Bruce Bennett is a senior international and defense researcher at the RAND Corporation and a specialist in Northeast Asian security, military strategy and asymmetric threats — particularly weapons of mass destruction. He has conducted extensive research on deterrence, Korean Peninsula conflict scenarios and regime collapse planning for 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.NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un presided over a ribbon-cutting ceremony last week for another new 10,000-home skyscraper street in Pyongyang, coinciding with the April 15 “Day of the Sun” holiday celebrating the birth of state founder Kim Il Sung.NK News Correspondent Joon Ha Park joins the podcast to discuss the significance of the project, as well as the U.N.’s aviation body’s dismissal of a North Korean complaint about an alleged South Korean drone intrusion last year. He also talks about the number of North Korean refugees that arrived in South Korea in the first quarter of 2025.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.
This week, Cathi Choi, co-director of Women Cross DMZ, joins the podcast to discuss the group’s efforts to formally end the Korean War, reunite divided families and place women at the forefront of peacebuilding on the Korean Peninsula.Cathi discusses the group’s latest report, “Women’s Rights Under the Division System in Korea,” and the political, social and human rights implications of inter-Korean compact. She also talks about what she regards as the destabilizing impact of U.S. troops on the peninsula, as well as what steps can be taken to reunite families on either side of the DMZ. Cathi Choi is the executive director of Women Cross DMZ. She previously worked as a civil rights lawyer. 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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
North Korean state media coverage of the first international marathon in Pyongyang since 2019 underscored ongoing inconsistencies in how state propaganda mythologizes Kim ll Sung, changing the name of the event to remove reference to the founding leader’s birthplace Mangyongdae.NK News founder and CEO Chad O’Carroll joins the podcast to discuss the ideological tensions surrounding the event’s new name and how it relates to trends that started last year.He also discusses the recent death of one of the most extraordinary North Koreans to ever cross the inter-Korean border — Kim Shin-jo — as well as the future of efforts by Voice of America and Radio Free Asia to broadcast uncensored information into the DPRK following budget cuts by the Trump administration.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 this episode, we sit down with Dr. Fyodor Tertitskiy, a longtime Seoul-based scholar of North Korean history and author of “Accidental Tyrant: The Life of Kim Il-sung,” a new biography of Kim Il Sung. Drawing on sources in Korean, Russian, Chinese and Japanese, Tertitskiy offers a fresh and deeply researched account of the man who founded one of the world’s most enduring authoritarian regimes.We explore Kim’s improbable rise from guerrilla fighter to head of state at just 33, how he consolidated power and created a system of hereditary rule, and why his legacy still looms large over North Korea today. Tertitskiy also discusses the mythmaking around Kim’s persona, from teleportation to pine cone grenades, and examines the broader implications of his rule for global security and the study of dictatorship.Fyodor Tertitskiy has been residing in South Korea since 2011. He earned his PhD from Seoul National University in 2017 and is currently a lecturer at Korea University. His works can be found on his ResearchGate profile. He has recently published “Accidental Tyrant: The Life of Kim Il-sung,” a biography of Kim Il Sung. 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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
Hundreds of runners took to the streets of Pyongyang as North Korea hosted its premier international marathon race for the first time in six years on Sunday. NK News Senior Analytic Correspondent Colin Zwirko joins the podcast to discuss what this means for the future of tourism in the country as the event marked the first time that non-Russian visitors were allowed to visit Pyongyang for leisure since the DPRK shut its borders in Jan. 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He also discusses how North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was reportedly busy watching military drills simulating an attack on his neighbor to the south as the Constitutional Court announced its decision to uphold the impeachment of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol.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’s Constitutional Court unanimously upheld the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol on Friday for his controversial declaration of martial law citing “pro-North” domestic forces, raising questions about the future of inter-Korean relations. This week’s episode discusses Yoon’s justification of martial law as a response to perceived North Korean threats, why North Korea may be taking a relatively cautious approach in its reaction to the ROK president’s impeachment and what to expect from both Koreas in the coming months. This episode features: Christopher Green, a consulting analyst with International Crisis Group Shreyas Reddy, Lead Correspondent at NK NewsAbout 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 defectors face a huge information gap upon arrival in South Korea and in this week’s episode we’re joined by Dae-hyeon Park, the founder and CEO of Woorion, an NGO that supports North Korean defectors in their resettlement and integration into South Korean society.He discusses the events and personal motivations that led him to establish Woorion, the various services the organization provides, including financial assistance, educational programs and mentorship and some of the success stories from Woorion’s programs that showcase the resilience and achievements of North Korean defectors as they adapt to their new lives in the South. Dae-hyeon Park is the founder and CEO of Woorion, an NGO dedicated to supporting North Korean defectors in their resettlement and integration into South Korean society. Established in 2015, Woorion offers a comprehensive online platform providing essential services to bridge the information gap and empower defectors towards self-reliance.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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
In this week's episode, Lead Correspondent Shreyas Reddy discusses an NK News investigation that revealed a minor Russian construction company with links to a notorious Chechen strongman is behind a $100 million vehicle bridge designed to link Russia's Far East with North Korea.He also covers South Korea’s acting president’s call for heightened military readiness against North Korean nuclear and missile “provocations” as well as what’s to come in the week ahead. 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.
Donald Trump’s return to the White House has dramatically reshaped Washington in just two short months, including the world of North Korea policy. But while many in the U.S. expect that Trump will return to the unfinished business of diplomacy with Kim Jong Un, few in the Beltway are willing to speak openly about the new administration’s policies or how the U.S. should approach the DPRK — apparently fearful of drawing Trump’s wrath.That’s the conclusion that several members of the NK News team drew after visiting the U.S. last week, where they had dozens of discussions with interlocutors across the U.S. government, nonprofit sector, think tanks and more. This week, three NK News journalists join the podcast to discuss their trip to New York and Washington and the unprecedented turbulence affecting the North Korea watcher community. They talk about how the administration still appears to be in “listening mode” on DPRK issues, why Pyongyang isn’t at the top of Trump’s priorities right now and what would need to happen for that to change.They also explore what their interlocutors in the U.S. wanted to know about the ongoing political chaos in South Korea, and explain why few are impressed with the current state of the U.S.-ROK alliance. This week’s podcast features the following members of the NK News team: CEO Chad O’Carroll Lead Correspondent Shreyas Reddy Correspondent and Korea Pro Editorial Director Jeongmin KimAbout 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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
Russian security chief Sergei Shoigu made a surprise visit to Pyongyang on Friday to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, a trip that came as DPRK troops fight against Ukraine and the U.S. pushes peace talks to end the war.This week, NK News Data Correspondent Anton Sokolin joins the podcast to discuss what we know about Shoigu’s brief visit and whether Kim Jong Un will attend a large-scale military parade in Moscow in May. He also talks about North Korea’s recent test of an upgraded missile defense system and Ukraine’s claim that it destroyed three DPRK self-propelled guns in Russia’s Kursk region.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 White House order suspending funding for U.S. foreign assistance programs has precipitated an existential crisis for North Korean human rights organizations, likely forcing some to shutter entirely and raising concerns about other DPRK-related initiatives that rely on U.S. government support.This week, three women working in the field — Yoonhee Kim, Joanna Hosaniak and Hanna Song — join the podcast to delve into the impact of these funding cuts on NGOs, their operations and the future of human rights advocacy on North Korea.This episode features: Yoonhee Kim, program director at the National Democratic Institute Joanna Hosaniak, deputy director general of the Citizens' Alliance for North Korean Human Rights Hanna Song, executive director of the Database Center for North Korean Human RightsAbout 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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
North Korean troops have played a pivotal role in Russia’s successful counteroffensive in Kursk, shaping the lay of the land for peace negotiations and setting up a potential expansion of the DPRK’s role.NK News Managing Editor Bryan Betts joins the podcast to discuss the latest developments from the war in Ukraine and how North Korea’s participation could factor into talks. He also explores the potential impact of Trump’s move to dismantle Voice of America and Radio Free Asia on efforts to spread information to North Koreans, and the curious case of a U.S. fitness-tracking app that banned users who traveled to 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.
Many prominent North Korean defectors who have resettled in South Korea are known for their alignment with conservative political causes, such as the former DPRK diplomat Tae Yong-ho, activist Yeonmi Park and defector lawmaker Park Choong-kwon.But author and political commentator Joh Kyeongil has built his reputation as a defector who supports progressive stances, advocating for peace-building efforts and criticizing activist tactics like leaflet balloons.This week, Joh joins the podcast to discuss his work fostering discussion about the DPRK and how he seeks to bridge the gap between the Koreas, as well as to share about the three attempts it took him to escape North Korea.Joh Kyeongil is the founder of the Peace Agora YouTube channel and the author of "To Aoji: The Country of a Boy Who Escaped from North Korea Three Times.” He fled the DPRK as a teenager.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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
D-day is rapidly approaching for South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, with the Constitutional Court expected to rule on whether to uphold his impeachment in the next week. Whatever the court decides, it will have profound implications for not just domestic politics but also North Korea policy and peninsula security.To better understand what’s on the horizon, NK Pro recently hosted a discussion with two experts on the Koreas: Andrei Lankov, a leading authority on North Korean studies, and Jumin Lee, a U.S.-based attorney and contributing analyst at Korea Pro.The experts explore a wide range of possible scenarios, from what a Lee Jae-myung presidency would look like to how North Korea would respond to the political chaos that would unfold if Yoon returns to power.Andrei Lankov is a director at NK News and writes for the site as one of the world's leading authorities on North Korea. He is also a professor at Kookmin University.Jumin Lee is a native South Korean and a U.S. trial lawyer practicing at Los Angeles-based law firm Bird Marella. He is a contributing analyst at Korea Pro, where he provides analysis on legal and political issues, and his commentary has also been featured in domestic and international outlets. He is the author of “Why Anti-Discrimination Law?,” a book that examines proposals for comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation in South Korea.This podcast was originally recorded at a Korea Risk Group event in Seoul on March 5, 2025. Jeongmin Kim, editorial director at Korea Pro and correspondent at NK News, moderated the discussion.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 “multiple unidentified ballistic missiles” toward the Yellow Sea on Monday afternoon, according to the South Korean military, hours after the U.S. and ROK kicked off large-scale springtime joint exercises.NK News Deputy Managing Editor Alannah Hill discusses the DPRK’s criticism of the U.S.-ROK Freedom Shield exercise as an “aggressive and confrontational war rehearsal.” She also talks about the ROK air force mishap that dropped bombs on a civilian area, Kim Jong Un’s inspection of the country’s first nuclear-powered missile submarine and the closure of Rason less than three weeks after its opening to non-Russian visitors.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 this episode, Russian scholar and former diplomat Georgy Toloraya offers his view on the evolving dynamic between Moscow and Pyongyang, exploring how economic cooperation, military ties and geopolitical circumstances are bringing the two closer together.He talks about why this relationship is not just a marriage of convenience but rather a convergence of values, with both sides aiming to change the current world order. He also discusses the dissolution of the U.N. Panel of Experts monitoring North Korea sanctions, on which he served, and its impact on future sanctions enforcement.Georgy Toloraya is a seasoned Russian diplomat and scholar with extensive experience in Korean affairs, having served in both North and South Korea, including roles as deputy chief of mission at the Russian Embassy in Seoul. He was Russia’s representative on the U.N. Panel of Experts before it was dissolved in 2024. He currently directs Korean programs at the Institute of Economy of the Russian Academy of Sciences and serves as executive director of the Russian National Committee on BRICS Research.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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s younger sister warned the U.S. that Pyongyang is “seriously considering” measures to “escalate” nuclear weapons-related actions in response to Washington sending an aircraft carrier to South Korea this week.NK News Correspondent Joon Ha Park joins the podcast to discuss the arrival of the USS Carl Vinson to the Korean Peninsula, as well as North Korea’s test of a “strategic cruise missile” and impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s final defense before the Constitutional Court.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, NK News Correspondent Jeongmin Kim discusses her time at the Munich Security Conference, an annual meeting on international security policy that has been held in the German city since 1963.She discusses the conference’s focus on the war in Ukraine and North Korean security threats relating to its ties with Russia. She also talks about the fallout from Washington’s backchannel talks with Moscow and concerns in South Korean circles that the Trump administration could cut a deal with Pyongyang without Seoul’s involvement. Jeongmin attended the Munich Security Conference as part of the Munich Young Leaders 2025 delegation through partial funding by the Körber-Stiftung Foundation.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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
North Korea is testing a larger version of its state-of-the-art reconnaissance drone, according to exclusive NK Pro analysis, showing that it is continuing to copy U.S. designs.NK News Data Correspondent Anton Sokolin joins the podcast to discuss the advantages of introducing the new unmanned aerial vehicle with a 40-meter wingspan, as well as the challenges that the DPRK could face in deploying the system.He also discusses the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and how North Korea’s participation in the war is evolving, after Kyiv warned that Pyongyang is set to send more weapons to augment its deployment of troops.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.
Representatives from Young Pioneer Tours and Koryo Tours crossed over the Chinese border to the Rason Special Economic Zone last week as part of preparatory efforts to resume full-fledged tours to the DPRK in the near future, marking a first since before the pandemic.Rowan Beard and Greg Vaczi join the podcast shortly upon their return from North Korea to discuss how their trips came about, the highlights of their visits and the changes they observed in the country in the five years since its borders were shut to Western travelers.Rowan Beard is the co-founder of Young Pioneers Tours.Greg Vaczi is a tour manager at Koryo Tours.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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un announced that old and deteriorating neighborhoods of Pyongyang will be redeveloped in the coming years, according to state media this week.NK News Lead Correspondent Shreyas Reddy joins the podcast to discuss Kim’s revelation that major annual residential construction projects in Pyongyang won’t end when the current 50,000-home project wraps up next year, as well as the impact the Trump administration’s freeze of National Endowment for Democracy (NED) funds has on DPRK human rights groups and the return of Western tour companies to North Korea for the first time since before the pandemic.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, intellectual historian Thomas Stock discusses his paper "Polyphonic Peace: The 1989 World Festival of Youth and Students in Pyongyang," which explores North Korea's hosting of the 13th World Festival of Youth and Students.This massive event, which brought together 15,000 young people from over 150 countries, was North Korea’s attempt to counter South Korea’s global influence after the 1988 Olympics and reinforce its ideological authority.The episode also delves into East Germany’s key role, the festival’s propaganda impact and its significance in North Korea’s rivalry with South Korea.Dr Thomas Stock is an intellectual historian of Korea and the Cold War, specialized in the evolution of North Korean ideology. He is currently a history teacher in Massachusetts, USA.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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
The leader of South Korea’s main opposition party called for renewed dialogue with North Korea this week, while emphasizing the need to maintain strong military readiness amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula. NK News Correspondent Jeongmin Kim joins the podcast to discuss what Lee Jae-myung, the current frontrunner in multiple presidential polls, has to say about DPRK engagement, as well as a wide-ranging interview Russia’s ambassador to North Korea gave to Russian media and a meeting between the leaders of the U.S. and Japan during which they vowed to push for the “complete denuclearization” of 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.
In this episode, we speak with Dan Gudgeon, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Vienna, about how peace narratives shape inter-Korean relations. Drawing from his research on South Korea’s Sunshine Policy era, Dan explains how national identity and "ontological security" influence public and political willingness to engage in peace building. He then discusses whether peace narratives can coexist with military deterrence, how global powers like the U.S. influence inter-Korean diplomacy, and what lessons South Korea should take if peace with the DPRK talks resume. Dan Gudgeon is a post-doctoral researcher and lecturer in the Department of East Asian Studies at the University of Vienna. He attained his Ph.D. from the University of North Korean Studies and previously worked for the Korean Sharing Movement, an inter-Korean cooperation NGO in Seoul.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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
North Korea issued its first statement directed at U.S. President Donald Trump and his DPRK policy since his inauguration two weeks ago.NK News founder Chad O’Carroll joins the podcast to discuss Pyongyang’s remarks as well as reports that Ukraine killed multiple North Korean officers in a strike on a command post in Russia’s Kursk region and DPRK troops undergoing “error correction” training.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.
Researcher Kap Seol, a frequent contributor to the leftist magazine Jacobin, joins the podcast to discuss his recent article about how the deployment of DPRK troops to fight in Ukraine could lead South Korea to respond by escalating its own involvement. The self-described former socialist also talks about the similarities between Kim Il Sung and Romania’s Nicolae Ceaușescu, while touching on historical topics like the life of a revolutionary Korean in 1930s China and the persistent allegations of North Korean involvement in the 1980 Gwangju UprisingKap Seol is a Korean writer and researcher based in New York. His writings have appeared in Jacobin, Labor Notes, In These Times, Business Insider and other publications. 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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
North Korea launched multiple sea-to-surface strategic cruise missiles on Saturday, with leader Kim Jong Un overseeing the first weapons test since Donald Trump assumed the U.S. presidency.NK News Correspondent Joon Ha Park joins the podcast to discuss the launch, as well as a former ROK spy likening President Yoon Suk-yeol’s alleged order to arrest lawmakers to the tactics of North Korean secret police. He also discusses new revelations about the fate of the DPRK’s United Front Department.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-Russia ties have grown by leaps and bounds since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine, while its relationship with China appears to have suffered as a result.This week, expert Lyle Goldstein joins the podcast to share insights into Pyongyang’s strategic partnerships with its neighbors and the complex dynamics that shape its nuclear ambitions. He also discusses what could come now that Donald Trump has been inaugurated and why he believes that Trump-Kim engagement 2.0 could help deescalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Lyle J. Goldstein is the director of the Asia Program at Defense Priorities, a nonprofit think tank. He is also director of the China Initiative and senior fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University. He is wrapping up a book length project that examines China-Russia relations in the 21st century.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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
In this episode, NK News Deputy Managing Editor Alannah Hill dives into the latest evidence of North Korea’s military involvement in the war in Ukraine, focusing on recently recovered handwritten notes detailing Kim Jong Un’s message to North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russian forces. She also talks about how Kyiv’s decision to reveal the identities of captured DPRK soldiers has raised ethnical concerns.Then, she discusses North Korean state media’s coverage of impeached ROK President Yoon Suk-yeol’s arrest last week and the first statement by the leader’s sister Kim Yo Jong in some two months, rejecting the Belarusian leader’s assertion that Pyongyang reached out to request a top-level summit. 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 this special roundtable episode, NK News journalists evaluate the accuracy of their predictions for 2024 and share what they expect from North Korea in the year to come.The team discusses how the DPRK’s relations with South Korea, China and Russia have evolved and allegations that Seoul sought to provoke Pyongyang last year. They also anticipate what Donald Trump and Lee Jae-myung will do after taking power, as well as the possibility that North Korea will meddle in the upcoming ROK election and create its own internet with social media services.This episode features the following members of the NK News team: Lead Correspondent Shreyas Reddy Data Correspondent Anton Sokolin Correspondent Jeongmin KimThe full NK Pro series laying out predictions for the year can be read here: Part 1 and Part 2.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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
Ukraine released the first testimony from North Korean soldiers captured fighting for Russia in the Kursk region on Saturday, providing the latest evidence of the DPRK’s involvement in the war.NK News Senior Analytic Correspondent Colin Zwirko joins the podcast to discuss the footage and photos of the two soldiers released by the Ukrainian government and President Volodymyr Zelensky’s offer to “hand over Kim Jong Un’s soldiers” in return for Ukrainian prisoners of war captured by Russia. He also talks about what the DPRK might be telling the families of dead soldiers, as well as the latest on Kim Jong Un’s Regional Development 20×10 Policy.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 this episode, Andrei Lankov returns to the podcast to discuss key developments in and around North Korea over the last year, including the deployment of DPRK weapons and soldiers to aid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.He also discusses the impact of Pyongyang's increasing alignment with Moscow, the current state of China-DPRK ties and why North Korea is in no hurry to allow Western visitors to return. Andrei Lankov is a director at Korea Risk Group and writes 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. In addition to his writing, he is also a professor at Kookmin University.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 subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
North Korea launched into the new year with its first test of a ballistic missile in months, firing an upgraded version of its solid-fuel hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile on Monday. NK News Lead Correspondent Shreyas Reddy joins the podcast to discuss what new about the missile and the timing of the launch. He also reviews the DPRK’s year-end party plenum and leader Kim Jong Un’s appearance at a New Year’s concert. Finally, he talks about accusations by South Korea’s opposition party that the Yoon administration engaged in psychological warfare operations to induce a 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.
Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture is located in northeast China, just across the border from North Korea, and while few outsiders may know about it, the region is home to a sizable population of ethnic Koreans whose story is wrapped up with the decades-long division of the peninsula.In this episode, Chinese YouTuber Jingwu Fang joins the podcast to discuss what he learned during multiple trips to the area sometimes dubbed the “Third Korea,” which he documented in a pair of widely viewed videos on his channel. He explores how many Koreans fled to Manchuria during the Korean War and stayed there after the conflict ended, as well as similarities to ethnic Korean populations in Japan and the former Soviet Union.Fang also talks about the different attitudes of older and younger generations toward the DPRK and why he thinks many Yangbian residents now harbor negative opinions about North Korean defectors.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 world has long since moved on from the closures and restrictions of the pandemic, but five years since the first COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, the patchy return of diplomatic missions and foreign aid organizations to Pyongyang shows that North Korea is still far from restoring the pre-2020 status quo.This week, NK News founder Chad O’Carroll joins the podcast to discuss his investigation into the status of all the countries and organizations that once had an on-the-ground presence in the DPRK, from embassies and cooperation offices to NGOs, businesses and schools.He also explores why North Korea has opened its doors to friendly countries like Brazil, India and Nicaragua and even NATO members Sweden and Poland, while seemingly giving the cold shoulder to the rest of Europe.This episode features discussion of the following NK Pro stories: Where things stand with the diplomatic community in North Korea From aid to academia: The status of foreign organizations in North KoreaAbout 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 this special year-end episode, the NK News podcast revisits the most compelling North Korea stories of the year, as told by the reporters who covered them.NK News journalists discuss everything from the DPRK’s Olympic glory and inter-Korean border construction to South Korea’s late-night martial law, while sharing firsthand experiences reporting their favorite features and investigations.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 Ukrainian military claims it seized fake identification documents of North Korean soldiers killed in action in Kursk, the latest evidence that DPRK troops disguised as Russian soldiers are supporting Moscow’s war effort.NK News Deputy Managing Editor Alannah Hill joins the podcast to discuss the latest news about DPRK troops in the region, as well as Moscow’s disclosure that North Korea joined Russia’s largest military drills in decades as an observer for the first time.She also talks about the evacuation of North Korean diplomats and their families from the DPRK Embassy in Damascus following the fall of the Assad regime and potential opportunities to garner insight into Pyongyang’s cooperation with Syria.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.
This week, Hanna Song of the Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB) returns to the podcast to discuss the NGO’s latest white paper documenting a huge surge in regime crackdowns on outside information, as well as how NKDB's researchers gather credible data.She shares her perspective on the controversy over the all-male speaker lineup for the Global Korean Forum earlier this year and the importance of including women and defectors. She also talks about innovative approaches to raising public awareness about DPRK human rights and ensuring that North Korean voices are not forgotten. Hanna Song is the executive director of NKDB. She previously appeared on episode 209.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 recent days, Kyiv has reported that a “significant number” of North Korean soldiers have participated in assaults on Ukrainian forces, allegedly suffering heavy losses as Russia uses them in more prominent combat roles.Data Correspondent Anton Sokolin joins the podcast to discuss what we know about Pyongyang’s military cooperation with Moscow and what to make of stories spreading on social media about DPRK troops.He also talks about how the fallout from South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s imposition of martial law on Dec. 3 has cast uncertainty over Ukraine’s efforts to secure military aid from Seoul, as well as the resumption of a passenger rail service between North Korea and Russia after a five-year hiatus. 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.
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 ZwirkoAbout 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.SShe 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.
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.
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 Pyongyang'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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 capitalPlus, 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 SmithAbout 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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 DPRK 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.
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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 community 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.
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.
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 moreAbout 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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."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.
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.
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.
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.
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=zUj3pfqcGY8About 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 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-archiveAbout 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 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.
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=10.1080/01436597.2022.2141217About 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 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.
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 IIAbout 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 NK News Podcast wants to hear from you! Fill out the listener survey at the following link for a chance to win a free 12-month subscription to NK News: CLICK HERE FOR SURVEYU.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 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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
When North Korea imposed strict pandemic border controls in Jan. 2020, the country simultaneously closed its door to international tourists and suspended a growing industry that brought in hundreds of thousands of travelers in 2019 alone. Yet while it’s unclear when the country will reopen, there’s still one way to explore North Korea as a tourist — by visiting border areas on the South Korean side.
This week, North Korean specialists and tour guides join the podcast to discuss how travelers can tour North Korea during the pandemic without ever stepping foot in the country. They share their experiences visiting the once open China-North Korea border, note the best places to look into the DPRK near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and preview the itinerary for an upcoming NK News tour to border areas.
This week’s episode features NK News founder Chad O’Carroll (@chadocl), Director of Korea Risk Group Andrei Lankov and Koryo Tours manager Gergő Váczi.
More details about the NK News tour “North Korea From a Near Distance,” scheduled for Sept. 23 to Oct. 2, 2022, are 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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
Mountains loom large in North Korea, not only dominating the topography but also much of the political symbolism of the regime. The country’s history books tell tales about the heroic exploits of Kim Il Sung and his revolutionaries battling against Japanese imperialists from mountain outposts. Mount Paektu on the Chinese border is the alleged birthplace of Kim Jong Il. Mount Kumgang on the east coast is renowned for its natural beauty and once drew thousands of South Koreans as part of an inter-Korean tourism project.
The terrain of the Korean Peninsula and the role it plays in the lives of the North Korean people attracted the attention of one Swiss mountain lover nearly a decade ago, leading to the development of a museum exhibition and film that explores the relationship between the country and its topography. This week, Beat Hachler joins the podcast to discuss the way mountains connect the people who live near them, his team's travels to both North and South Korea for the film and why the project was the most difficult one he’s ever undertaken.
Hachler is the director of the Swiss Alpine Museum in Bern and organizer of the museum’s ongoing exhibition “Let’s Talk About Mountains: A Filmic Approach to North 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.
Journalists, experts and pundits have devoted significant time and energy to deciphering Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine in late February, with many seeing the Russian leader as motivated by a desire to rebuild the Soviet Union and correct the historical mistake of its dissolution. The war has raised parallels with the situation on the Korean Peninsula, where for more than 70 years North Korean leaders have resolved to achieve the “final victory” of reunification, with some arguing that the DPRK could even leverage nationalistic propaganda and nuclear blackmail to force the South’s capitulation.
This week, four North Korea experts join the podcast to discuss what Pyongyang really means by “final victory” and how it might go about achieving its long-term goals on the peninsula. Building on an NK News article making the case that Kim Jong Un seeks regime survival through unification and a rebuttal arguing that the DPRK is too aware of its weaknesses to risk war, the experts draw comparisons to other countries’ situations, analyze North Korea’s words and actions and consider whether Seoul would go along with what Pyongyang wants.
This week’s debate features the following participants:
Benjamin R. Young (@DubstepInDPRK), assistant professor of homeland security and emergency preparedness at Virginia Commonwealth University Jean Do, assistant professor in the Institute of Humanities for Unification at Konkuk University Joshua Stanton (@freekorea_us), founder of the blog OneFreeKorea Glyn Ford, a former member of the European Parliament and the director of Track2Asia
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’s military invasion of Ukraine may be half a world away from the Korean Peninsula, but the implications of the two-week-old conflict are already being felt in Pyongyang and Seoul. North Korea has rallied behind its longtime friend Russia, while South Korea initially hesitated to sign onto economic sanctions against Moscow. ROK presidential candidates have also cited the war to justify their inter-Korean policies and discredit their opponents’ qualifications.
NK News reporters join the podcast for a roundtable discussion on links between Ukraine and North Korea, apparent contradictions in Pyongyang's position and whether the war represents the final nail in the coffin for DPRK denuclearization prospects.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
North Korea rang in the lunar new year with a dramatic fireworks display this week, testing a ballistic missile capable of reaching the U.S. territory of Guam in its longest-range launch since 2017. The firing of the Hwasong-12 into the East Sea capped a busy January in which Pyongyang set a new record by conducting seven missile tests in a single calendar month — raising alarm in Seoul and Washington.
This week, the NK News team and international security expert Ankit Panda team up to examine this sudden barrage of testing and what it all means. In a wide-ranging discussion also available to watch on YouTube, they explore the domestic and external factors driving these tests, political reactions from South Korea and the U.S., technical details about the weapons themselves and more.
Ankit Panda (@nktpnd) is a Stanton senior fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, as well as a regular contributor to NK Pro.
This week’s episode also features the following members of the NK News team: 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.
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 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.
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.
Updated on Jan. 13, 2021 at 2:05 p.m. KST to correct problem with podcast audio.
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.
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.
CNN International Correspondent Will Ripley has visited North Korea a whopping 19 times since 2014, reporting on missile launches and nuclear tests while inside the country and covering the DPRK’s release of Otto Warmbier in a coma as the only American reporter on the ground.
On this week’s podcast, he talks about everything from his interviews with American detainees and sit-downs with high-level DPRK officials, to the goal of one day interviewing Kim Jong Un and why he feels his team can often do better reporting without a permanent presence in Pyongyang.
“Every trip inside North Korea I feel like we peeled back the layer of the onion a little more,” he tells NK News. “That said, you also do realize the more you travel there how much you really don’t know.”
Ripley has worked as a journalist for two decades and currently covers breaking news across the Asia-Pacific from CNN’s headquarters in Hong Kong. He previously worked as the network’s Tokyo correspondent. You can follow him on Twitter @willripleyCNN.
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 his 24 years as a correspondent for CNN, Mike Chinoy had the opportunity to cover key moments in North Korean history from inside the country, from Jimmy Carter’s visit and the aftermath of Kim Il Sung’s death to a military parade held amid unprecedented famine. He joins the podcast to discuss what it’s like to report on the ground from a country that at first seemed like the “weirdest place on the face of the Earth,” and recounts experiences like his meeting with an “avuncular” Kim Il Sung and much more.
“If you look at North Korea as a jigsaw puzzle of a hundred pieces, going there gives you a few pieces that you don’t have if you’re trying to put together the puzzle from the outside,” he says.
Chinoy is a nonresident senior fellow at the University of Southern California’s U.S.-China Institute and a former senior Asia correspondent at CNN. He is the author of four books, including his 2008 book “Meltdown: The Inside Story of the North Korean Nuclear Crisis.” You can find him on Twitter at @mikechinoy.
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.
Recently, there have been reports that the Netflix hit “Squid Game” has made it into North Korea, and even that authorities have sentenced a man to death for smuggling copies of the violent drama. Yet experts have expressed doubt about these claims due to the DPRK’s ongoing COVID-19 controls.
This week, NK News reporters join the podcast to weigh in on the possibility that North Koreans are secretly watching the show, as well as to discuss a range of recent events on and around the Korean Peninsula. The roundtable conversation turns to whether the DPRK will accept a U.N. offer of more than 6 million vaccines, why Kim Jong Un is taking extended breaks from public view and what South Korean presidential candidates think about North Korea issues, among other topics.
This week’s episode features the following members of the NK News team: analyst James Fretwell (@JamesFretwe11), correspondent Jeongmin Kim (@jeongminnkim), senior analytic correspondent Colin Zwirko (@ColinZwirko) and founder Chad O’Carroll (@chadocl).
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 propagandists have churned out a steady stream of cultural products for domestic and foreign audiences over the years — from films, TV shows and radio dramas to comic books and flashy music videos. While always laced with state ideology, these works also evolve in response to changing circumstances and leaders’ whims, providing another window into what’s happening in the DPRK.
This week, Professor Tatiana Gabroussenko joins the podcast to tease out the significance of the latest trends in North Korean culture. She argues that Kim Jong Un has steered cultural policy in a more conservative direction in recent years, while also touching on the country’s appropriation of South Korean culture and the potentially dangerous appeal of Pyongyang’s propaganda.
Tatiana Gabroussenko is a professor of North Korean studies at Korea University and writes for NK News about DPRK culture. Her most recent columns have covered standup comedy, counterproductive propaganda films and children’s entertainment.
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 North Korean delegation recently joined the U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, one of the first times DPRK representatives have attended such an event in person since the pandemic began. Yet North Korea’s participation was no anomaly: The country has long joined international efforts to combat global warming, including the Paris Agreement and U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change.
This week, analyst and NK Pro contributor Gabriela Bernal joins the podcast to discuss Pyongyang’s approach to global warming and the serious environmental challenges that the country faces, such as widespread flooding in recent years. She also explores North Korea’s efforts for wildlife conservation and her own journey to becoming a specialist on the DPRK.
Gabriela Bernal (@gabrielabbernal) is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of North Korean Studies and a translator for Daily NK, as well as the founder of The Peninsula Report blog.
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 Arduous March famine of the 1990s forced many North Korean women to engage in informal economic activity to support their families, even as the state required their husbands to continue reporting to official but unpaid jobs. The result was that many women came to be their families’ primary breadwinners in a traditionally patriarchal society.
Hanna Song of the Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB) joins the NK News Podcast to discuss how this change in gender roles has impacted relationships between husbands and wives in the DPRK. She also explains the latest developments at NKDB, the difficulty of arranging interviews with North Korean refugees and why the six-year veteran of NKDB doesn’t want it to be her life’s work.
Song is the director of international cooperation at NKDB and previously worked at the organization as a researcher. The full Korean-language report discussed in this episode, as well as an English-language summary, are available at NKDB’s website.
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 Moon Jae-in traveled to Europe late last month to attend the G-20 summit in Rome and COP26 climate talks in Glasgow, among other diplomatic meetings, and North Korea also made headlines by sending a delegation to the U.N. climate conference. But they weren’t the only ones in town: NK News’ own Jeongmin Kim (@jeongminnkim) and Chad O’Carroll (@chadocl) visited Stockholm and London from late October to get the scoop on debates about North Korea taking place in European capitals.
Jeongmin and Chad join the podcast to discuss what they learned during their trips, discussing topics ranging from an end-of-war denuclearization and humanitarian aid to denuclearization. NK News Managing Editor Arius Derr (@AriusDerr) also weighs in on the possibility that Pope Francis will visit Pyongyang and the DPRK’s call to dismantle the U.N. Command, with the conversation turning to South Korea’s upcoming presidential election, a sanctions relief proposal at the U.N. 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.
Yeonmi Park burst onto the scene at the One Young World Summit in Dublin in 2014, when she recounted her life story and appealed for action on North Korean human rights in an emotional speech that went viral online. In the years since, Park has become arguably the world’s most famous North Korean defector, relocating from South Korea to the U.S. to write a memoir and starting a YouTube channel that now boasts 760,000 followers. She has also been no stranger to controversy, with critics alleging inaccuracies in her defection account and sensationalism in her remarks about the DPRK.
This week, Park joins the podcast for a wide-ranging discussion about her life and activism. She talks about experiences ranging from her childhood in the DPRK and defection in 2007, to her time in China and South Korea and new life in the U.S. She also addresses the need to fact-check claims about North Korea, her increasing political outspokenness and why she holds out hope that North Koreans’ situation will improve.
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.
Shortly after the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950, South Korean forces killed thousands of political prisoners in Daejeon to prevent them from joining the North Koreans that were rapidly advancing south. The massacre has featured prominently in DPRK propaganda, but it only became a topic for public discussion in South Korea in recent decades with the declassification of U.S. documents and a high-profile government investigation.
Journalist David Miller joins the podcast to discuss his research into the massacre and what the writings of British communist Alan Winnington tell us about what happened. He also delves into the importance of fact-finding as a way to cut through politicized narratives and find closure and healing.
David Miller is the international adviser to local authorities conducting research at the site of the Daejeon Massacre. He has written about his research and has contributed to multiple films about the massacre, including the KBS documentary “The Longest Grave in the World.” He can be contacted at davidmiller@korea.kr.
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.
More than 7,600 Americans are still missing from the Korean War, according to the U.S. government. While North Korea returned some U.S. servicemembers’ remains following the first U.S.-DPRK summit in 2018, the repatriation process has ground to a halt since the breakdown of denuclearization talks in 2019.
This week, retired U.S. Army Col. Ashton Ormes joins the podcast to discuss his many years at the front line of efforts to negotiate the return of Americans’ remains from North Korea. Ormes also talks about his multiple periods of service in Korea over the years, including his stint as secretary of the U.N. Command Military Armistice Commission, as well as the time he delivered $2 million in cash to his North Korean counterparts.
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.
Nam Bada joins the podcast to talk about PSCORE (People for Successful Corean Reunification), how his organization helps defectors adjust to South Korean society, North Korean human rights abuses and the reunification of the Korean Peninsula.
Nam Bada is PSCORE's Secretary General and has worked with the organization since 2010.
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 full roster of NK News journalists and contributors joins the podcast this week for a special Ask Me Anything roundtable discussion in celebration of 200 episodes.
With drinks in hand, the team responds to reader inquiries on a range of North Korea topics — from missile launches, reunification prospects and an end of war declaration to celebrity defectors, dating apps and inopportune breaking news stories.
This week’s episode features the following guests:
Andrei Lankov (@andreilankov) is a director at Korea Risk Group and writes exclusively for NK News as one of the world's leading authorities on North Korea. Peter Ward (@rpcward89) is a writer and researcher focusing on the North Korean economy, as well as a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Vienna. Chad O’Carroll (@chadocl) is the founder of NK News and a journalist from London, based in Seoul. Arius Derr (@AriusDerr) is the managing editor at NK News. Colin Zwirko (@ColinZwirko) is a senior analytic correspondent for NK News. Jeongmin Kim (@jeongminnkim) is a correspondent at NK News. She previously worked for the CSIS Korea Chair and in the Seoul bureau of Reuters news agency. Gaby Magnuson (@gaby_magnuson) is the podcast producer for NK News.
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.
Scholars Mason Richey and David Tizzard join the podcast to discuss their new academic volume “The Future of the Korean Peninsula: Korea 2032 and Beyond,” which they co-edited along with Jagannath P. Panda.
Our guests dive into the significance of the year 2032 for North and South Korea and explain why they chose to analyze the two sides as a single entity, while arguing that confederation remains an unlikely path to inter-Korean reconciliation.
Mason Richey is an associate professor of international politics at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. David A. Tizzard is an assistant professor at Seoul Women’s University, and you can find him on Twitter @Hesp365.
The NK News Podcast will release a special “Ask Me Anything” episode to celebrate 200 shows next week. We invite listeners to send questions for Jacco and the NK News team to podcast@nknews.org, or as responses to this tweet.
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.
Maiko Takeuchi joins the podcast to discuss her role in the United Nations (U.N.) Panel of Experts (PoE), which analyzes information for reports on North Korean sanctions implementation that are submitted to the U.N. Security Council (UNSC). She was a member of the PoE from April 2016 to April 2021.
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.
This week marks the release of the NK News podcast’s 200th episode. As though to celebrate the occasion, the DPRK has produced a number of newsworthy events in recent days, including a nighttime military parade and long-range cruise missile tests.
For this roundtable episode, a large roster of NK News journalists and contributors joins host Jacco Zwetsloot to discuss what happened and what it all means. They cover both the parade and missile tests, as well as the upcoming U.N. Panel of Experts report, the COVID-19 situation in the DPRK, the latest trade data, anti-China sentiment in South Korea and more.
This episode features the following guests: Professor Andrei Lankov, a director at Korea Risk Group; Peter Ward, a researcher on North Korean politics and contributing analyst to NK Pro; and NK News reporters Colin Zwirko, Jeongmin Kim, Wongi Jung, Chaewong Chung and Seung-Yeon Chung.
Next week, the podcast will continue to celebrate 200 episodes with a special “Ask Me Anything” episode. We invite listeners to send questions for Jacco and the NK News team to podcast@nknews.org, or as responses to this tweet.
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 Aug. 2014, Chinese state security personnel arrested the Canadian couple Kevin and Julia Garratt at a restaurant in the northeastern city of Dandong. Kevin, who had operated a coffee shop with his wife in the city since 2008, would end up spending the next 775 days in Chinese detention on accusations of espionage, in a case with numerous similarities to the arrest and ongoing incarceration of North Korea consultant Michael Spavor, as well as fellow Canadian Michael Kovrig.
As Spavor spends his 1,000th day in a Chinese prison, Kevin Garratt joins the podcast to discuss his own extended imprisonment at the same detention facility in Dandong, and his thoughts on the two Michaels’ cases and Beijing’s “hostage diplomacy.”
"It's heartbreaking that we are now at the two Michaels 1,000-day incarceration anniversary,” NK News CEO Chad O’Carroll said. “When Michael Spavor was initially detained, I suspected this would be a case whereby he'd be free within 6-12 months maximum. Alas, we're now almost at the three-year phase. I really hope these guys can be freed soon.”
Please consider donating to help Michael Spavor here. Kevin and Julia Garratt’s book recounting their arrest and imprisonment, “Two Tears on the Window,” is available here.
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.
Music is an omnipresent part of North Korean life, from the eerie electronic ballad that plays every morning in Pyongyang to the propaganda tunes sung to accordion accompaniment at schools and workplaces.
For this week’s episode, Professor Keith Howard joins the NK News podcast to discuss the role of music and dance as vehicles for North Korean state propaganda, as well as to listen to and analyze compositions about the country’s leaders. Howard also traces the origins of the DPRK’s music in calisthenic exercise during the Japanese colonial era, the development of traditional Korean instruments and North Korea’s uneasy relationship with the music of other countries, especially K-pop.
This week’s podcast features the following songs: “We Will Follow Only You," “Song of General Kim Il Sung” and “Mother.” Also mentioned is North Korean accordionists' cover of a-ha’s “Take on Me.”
Professor Keith Howard is an ethnomusicologist, musicologist and anthropologist with regional interests primarily in Korea but also Siberia, Nepal, Thailand, Kyrgyzstan and Zimbabwe. He is a professor emeritus and former head of department in the Department of Music, School of Arts at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. He is the author of “Songs for ‘Great Leaders’: Ideology and Creativity in North Korean Music and Dance.”
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.
Less than three months after the outbreak of the Korean War, U.N. and ROK troops made their now-famous amphibious landing at Incheon and began to push north. U.S. General Douglas MacArthur, from his perch in Tokyo, ordered troops to continue past the 38th parallel all the way to the border with China, ultimately triggering the PRC to send troops across the Yalu River and setting up the division of the Korean Peninsula that continues to this day.
On this week’s podcast, Jonathan Corrado and Markus Garlauskas discuss why MacArthur and the U.S. intelligence community failed to anticipate China’s eventual entry into the war. They argue that cognitive bias, the unusual free reign given to MacArthur and the general’s sycophantic advisers undermined abundant evidence of Beijing’s intention to intervene, and they consider what lessons this past intelligence failure has for the burgeoning strategic competition between the U.S. and China.
Jonathan Corrado is the director of policy for The Korea Society and a contributor to NK Pro. His article on China’s entry into the Korean War, discussed in this episode, is available here. You can follow him on Twitter @jcorrado1953.
Markus Garlauskas is a nonresident senior fellow affiliated with the Asia Security Initiative at the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security of the Atlantic Council. He previously led the U.S. intelligence community’s strategic analysis on North Korea as the National Intelligence Officer for North Korea from July 2014 to June 2020. You can follow him on Twitter @Mister_G_2.
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 was the first country to stop all international travel following the outbreak of COVID-19 in Jan. 2020, and it may well be the last to reopen after the pandemic finally ends. The self-imposed lockdown has had huge consequences for the country’s economy — including the small but not insignificant tourism sector.
This week, three North Korea tourism professionals join the podcast for a roundtable discussion on the nature of the industry and what the future holds after the pandemic. Our guests — Rowan Beard, Simon Cockrell and Henry Marr — share their thoughts on the benefits of tourism for North Koreans and travelers, the challenges of working with DPRK travel agencies and how market forces have shaped the industry under Kim Jong Un.
Rowan Beard is the North Korea tours manager for Young Pioneers Tours.
Simon Cockrell is the general manager of Koryo Tours. You can find him on Instagram.
Henry Marr is the author of the third and most recent edition of the Bradt Travel Guide on 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.
Some 33,000 North Korean defectors have entered South Korea since 1998, but many report that they encounter discrimination in the South due to their backgrounds, as well as challenges stemming from culture and language differences between the two Koreas.
On this week’s podcast, Jihyun Kang and Marie Boes, founders of the fashion brand ISTORY, discuss the origin of their idea to use clothes and graphic design to improve the lives of North Korean resettlers and how they have sought to create a platform for defectors to counter stereotypes by sharing their experiences with a wider audience.
Jihyun Kang is a fashion designer from Chongjin in northeast North Korea who resettled in South Korea in 2012. Marie Boes, originally from Belgium, moved to South Korea from the United Kingdom in 2017 and currently runs a search engine optimization marketing agency as well the South Korean travel blog Be Marie 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.
Some observers have argued that North Korea followed a familiar pattern of raising tensions for the purpose of extracting concessions during the 2017 nuclear crisis, maintaining that there was never any serious danger of war breaking out on the Korean Peninsula.
On this week's podcast, Professor Van Jackson explains why 2017 was different: Donald Trump’s foreign policy brought the U.S. and DPRK perilously close to a catastrophic nuclear conflict, he says. Jackson also discusses what he views to be serious problems with Joe Biden’s “conservative” North Korea policy and how he uses his own show, “The Un-Diplomatic Podcast,” to bring hip-hop to bear on international relations.
Jackson is a senior lecturer in international relations at Victoria University of Wellington and holds appointments at the Center for a New American Security, the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and other think tanks. He is the author of “Rival Reputations: Coercion and Credibility in U.S.-North Korea,” “On the Brink: Trump, Kim and the Threat of Nuclear War” and the forthcoming “Pacific Power Paradox." He tweets under the handle @WonkVJ.
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.
For this special National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day episode, Korean War veteran Richard Underwood joins the podcast to talk about experiences before and during the Korean War, including meeting Syngman Rhee, seeing a young Kim Il Sung in Pyongyang and working as an interpreter at the Kaesong peace talks.
For more on Richard Underwood’s life, see his autobiography, “What A Fun LIFE!: A Medley of Memories of an American in Korea before, during, and after the Wars.”
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.
Humanitarian professional and author Carla Vitantonio joins the NK News podcast this week to discuss her four years in North Korea working with and for people with disabilities, the impact of international sanctions on humanitarian aid and leaving a diplomatic job to work at a nongovernmental organization (NGO).
Vitantonio was a country director and project coordinator in North Korea for Handicap International (now Humanity & Inclusion) from Dec. 2013 to Aug. 2016, and she now serves as the country representative in Cuba for CARE.
Vitantonio is the author of two Italian-language books: “Pyongyang Blues” and “Myanmar Swing.” An English-language excerpt from “Pyongyang Blues” about the Arirang Mass Games, mentioned in the interview, is available here.
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 an exclusive interview with NK News, former top U.S. envoy on North Korea Stephen Biegun provides his first-hand account of U.S. negotiations with a rotating lineup of North Korean interlocutors on the country’s denuclearization program and his reflections on the outcomes of that engagement as the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State from Dec. 2019 to Jan. 2021 and as the U.S. Special Representative for North Korea from Aug. 2018 to Jan. 2021.
A feature-length write-up of the interview is available here: https://www.nknews.org/2021/07/an-interview-with-stephen-biegun-former-us-envoy-to-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.
Dr. Immanuel Kim joins the NK News podcast this week to talk about women and sexuality in DPRK literature, his translation of a popular North Korean novel and the striking sense of humor on display in the country’s short films.
Kim is a professor of Korean literature and culture studies at George Washington University and is the author of three books: “Rewriting Revolution: Women, Sexuality and Memory in North Korean Fiction,” “Friend: A Novel from North Korea” and “Laughing North Koreans: The Culture of Comedy Films.”
North Korean films discussed in this episode include “Boasting Too Much,” “Our Fragrance” and “The Treasure That I Found.”
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 this week’s podcast, Lieutenant Colonel Sean Morrow talks about his unique stories and experiences during his time as commander of the United Nations Security Battalion from June 2018 to June 2020, and as the host of U.S. President Donald Trump during the Panmunjom meeting.
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.
Mentioned in the episode: Bridges at Panmunjom - The Wilson Quarterly https://www.wilsonquarterly.com/quarterly/korea-70-years-on/bridges-at-panmunjom/
In this roundtable podcast episode, the NK News team discusses the ever-changing and wild price fluctuations seen in North Korea in the last few weeks.
Host Jacco Zwetsloot is joined by Chad O’Carroll, founder of NK News and NK Pro; Colin Zwirko, senior analytic correspondent for NK News; and Peter Ward, a researcher on North Korean politics and contributing analyst to NK Pro.
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.
Joining us on the podcast this week is Dr. Sandra Fahy to talk about her two books on North Korea — Marching through Suffering (2015) and Dying for Rights (2019) — as well as her current academic pursuits and the overlap and difference between human rights work and humanitarian work.
Fahy's Twitter and books can be found here and here.
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 this week’s episode, Ian Bennett joins the podcast to discuss the work of Choson Exchange. As program director, he runs entrepreneurship workshops in the Pyongyang and Pyongsong regions and in an online format. We discuss the history and criticisms of Choson Exchange, as well as how Ian got involved and how things are running online amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
For more information, see chosonexchange.org or follow them on Twitter [at]chosonexchange.
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.
Lindsey Miller (@LindseyMiller87) lived in Pyongyang from 2017 to 2019, during some of the most turbulent times on the Korean Peninsula in recent memory. She joins the NK News Podcast to talk about her personal experiences in North Korea, photography in the capital city and beyond, connecting with the community, and her new book North Korea: Like Nowhere Else: Two Years of Living in the World's Most Secretive State.
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 this special post-summit roundtable podcast, the NK News team deep dive into the most recent ROK-US summit and the leaders’ joint statement. They pick apart what Presidents Biden and Moon discussed at their summit in Washington, D.C. last Friday. They look at each presidential priorities in regard to North Korea issues, reasonable satisfaction with the outcomes, denuclearization talks with North Korea and on the Korean Peninsula, acceptance from the Biden administration on whether North Korea will be deemed a rogue nuclear state like with India and Pakistan, the mention of Japan and cooperation to address the DPRK, Son Kim and the elephant in the room, China as a complicated factor when dealing with North Korea, South Korean missile strike capabilities reaching North Korea, keeping previous administration agreements and declarations on which to build, Nancy Pelosi, and what to look forward in the next six months to a year coming out of this summit.
Host Jacco Zwetsloot is joined by Chad O’Carroll, founder of NK News and NK Pro; Colin Zwirko, senior analytic correspondent for NK News; and Peter Ward, a researcher on North Korean politics and contributing analyst to NK Pro.
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.
Germany's long-time ambassador to North Korea, Thomas Schäfer, joins the NK News podcast to discuss diplomatic life in North Korea, politics in Pyongyang, changes in attitudes and beliefs over time among there, Germany's approach to scientific and cultural exchange, nuclear weapons, the lessons of German reunification for the Korean Peninsula, and why he is not optimistic about the prospectives for change under the Kim Jong Un regime.
Thomas Schäfer was the German ambassador to North Korea from 2007 to 2010 and from 2013 to 2018. He is the author of a new book on his time in Pyongyang called "From Kim Jong Il to Kim Jong Un: How the Hardliners Prevailed: On the Political History of North Korea (2007 - 2020)."
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.
Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General and former National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster joins the NK News podcast to discuss why past efforts to denuclearize North Korea have failed, China's role on the Korean Peninsula and the U.S.-ROK alliance.
H.R. McMaster is the author of the recently released book "Battlegrounds: The Fight to Defend the Free World" as well as "Dereliction of Duty." You can also find him on Twitter and Instagram.
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 this exclusive roundtable podcast, the NK News team discusses the Biden administration's North Korea policy review, the latest from Pyongyang's state media and Kim Jong Un's crackdown on anti-socialist behavior among his country's youth.
Host Jacco Zwetsloot is joined by NK Pro correspondent Min Chao Choy and analysts Peter Ward and James Fretwell.
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.
Correction (May 4, 2021): A guest speaker on this podcast misstated that the previous U.S. presidential administration did not conduct a North Korea policy review.
In this week's podcast episode, Anthony Ruggiero — a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a former North Korea expert advising the White House — talks about the Biden administration's upcoming DPRK policy review, his time with the U.S. National Security Council and how the U.S. can more effectively communicate the logic behind 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.
In this week's podcast episode, Benjamin R. Young talks about his new book, "Guns, Guerillas, and the Great Leader." He discusses North Korea's foreign relations with the so-called "third world" during the Cold War and how its relations with these countries have changed over the past few decades.
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 defector Hyun-seung "Arthur" Lee discusses life in North Korea and why he got out, the lives of North Korea's elite, Kim Jong Un's "Youth League" and more.
Lee's YouTube channel can be found here.
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.
Dr. Cho Nam Han discusses North Korea's health and medical care system, the surprisingly high rate of diabetes in the country, malnutrition, insulin production, urban and rural divides and ways for the world to help remedy disease rates and treatment.
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 this week's podcast episode, the NK News team breaks down North Korea's recent ballistic missile launches, relations between Seoul and Washington and the first-ever extradition of a DPRK citizen to the United States.
Host Jacco Zwetsloot is joined by NK News reporters Chad O’Carroll, Jeongmin Kim, Colin Zwirko and Min Chao Choy.
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 this week's podcast episode, Joost Oliemans — an expert on the North Korean military — discusses his new book, "North Korea's Armed Forces: On the Path of Songun."
Oliemans discusses the Cheonan ship sinking and why it wasn't a conspiracy, how to study the North Korean military and how North Korea sells weapons abroad.
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.
Lt. Col. Steve Tharp, who is now retired, discusses the history of joint U.S.-ROK exercises, inter-operability and why he's not buying North Korea's claims that military drills are provocative.
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.
Koen de Ceuster, a lecturer at the Leiden University Institute for Area Studies, explores the role of art in North Korean society, the Mansudae Art Studio and the art 'business,' and why it is not possible to separate propaganda from the 'real' 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.
Host Jacco Zwetsloot joins NK News's Chad O'Carroll, Jeongmin Kim, Min Chao Choy and Won-Gi Jung to discuss the surreal evacuation of Russian diplomats from North Korea by rail trolley, a flipper-wearing defector that swam across the inter-Korean border, the new NK Pro Delegation Tracker and much more.
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 Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST) is the only privately funded, Christianity-linked university in North Korea. PUST Chancellor Chan-Mo Park tells us how the school came to be, its reputation among North Koreans and how it navigates around U.S. and international sanctions. Park also discusses the impact of journalist Suki Kim's book, "Without You, There Is No Us," which chronicles her time teaching at PUST.
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.
Author Simon Kuper joins the NK News podcast to discuss his new book, "The Happy Traitor: Spies, Lies and Exile in Russia: The Extraordinary Story of George Blake."
Blake was the first SIS/MI6 agent on the Korean Peninsula that North Korea captured during the Korean War. He soon became one of the KGB's most infamous double agents.
Kuper shares details of his story with NK News and answers questions from Jacco on a range of related questions.
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 NK News team discusses the first phone call between U.S. and South Korean Presidents Joe Biden and Moon Jae-in since the former's election win, COVID-19, a school for the children of North Korean defectors in Seoul, Kim Jong Un's missing wife and his new water slide.
This podcast episode features NK News correspondents Jeongmin Kim, Colin Zwirko and Won-Gi Jung.
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.
Dr. Hoo Chiew Ping discusses the history and political relations between Malaysia and North Korea, as well as broader ASEAN and Southeast Asia relations with the DPRK, rice museums and her new book coming out later this year.
Topics include the assassination of Kim Jong Un's half-brother in Kuala Lumpur in Feb 2017, economics, the arms trade, summitry and the future of DPRK diplomacy in Southeast Asia.
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 this episode, Rüdiger Frank discusses parallels between East Germany and North Korea and why a direct comparison of the two divisions doesn't always work. Frank also discusses engagement with the North Korean public, what Kim Jong Un can do to improve his country's economy and why South and North Korea cannot coexist.
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, along with insight from our very own journalists.
South Korean National Assembly member and former DPRK diplomat Thae Yong-ho discusses North Korean nuclear weapons, inter-Korean relations and representing Gangnam as a lawmaker.
Thae has appeared on the podcast before, and you can listen to that interview 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, along with insight from our very own journalists.
Following a year-long border closure and the reveal of a new ICBM, the NK News team takes a look at what the Eighth Party Congress means for North Korea's future. This podcast episode features NK Pro analysts Andrei Lankov and Ankit Panda, as well as Korea Risk Group CEO Chad O'Carroll, NK News Correspondent Jeongmin Kim and NK News podcast host Jacco Zwetsloot.
You can watch video footage of the discussion on YouTube 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, along with insight from our very own journalists.
Host Jacco Zwetsloot sits down with NK News staff members Chad O'Carroll, Min Chao Choy and Colin Zwirko to discuss North Korea-China trade, tourism, connecting infrastructure, sanctions, COVID-19 and what 2021 has in store for the two countries.
Read Korea Risk Group CEO Chad O'Carroll's NK Pro analysis on China-DPRK relations 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, along with insight from our very own journalists.
Professor, artist and author B.G. Muhn talks about the "North Koreanness" of contemporary art, what art tells us about the DPRK and artists' social standing in North Korean society. He also discusses working directly with artists at North Korea's famous Mansudae Art Studio.
You can find books written by Muhn mentioned in the show here and articles Muhn has written for NK News here and 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, along with insight from our very own journalists.
Is Korean reunification still a realistic or even a worthwhile goal? We explore both sides of the argument with NK News Director Andrei Lankov and Wang Son-taek, a research associate at Yeosijae (Future Consensus Institute).
The two discuss why North and South Korea will or will not ever reconcile, DPRK denuclearization and what kind of inter-Korean engagement is appropriate.
Andrei Lankov recently wrote a piece for NK News arguing that the two Koreas will never reconcile, which you can read here. Wang Son-taek responded with an NK News piece of his own, which you can find 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, along with insight from our very own journalists.
In this podcast episode, the Hanns Seidel Foundation's Bernhard Seliger joins the show to talk about the mission of the foundation, transforming the former East-West German border into a peaceful green space, North Korea's approach to climate change action, defining 'capacity building' and the foundation's work in South Korea. He also discusses environmental challenges on the Korean Peninsula including forestry, biodiversity, tidal flats and the East Asia/Australasia Flyway.
Dr. Seliger explores the parallels between divided Germany and divided Korea, and additionally explains why South Korea should change its North Korea policies before reunification can or will occur.
You can find the Hanns Seidel Foundation home page and the U.N. report on the state of the environment in the DPRK mentioned in the show here and 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, along with insight from our very own journalists.
Photojournalist Tim Franco’s new book, "Unperson," aims to show the world a new side of North Korean refugees and their incredible journey to freedom.
NK News sat down with Franco and talked about the best way to take photos in North Korea, the parallels and influence of George Orwell's "1984," the difficulties defectors face when assimilating in South Korea and the risks they take in sharing their stories.
Reclaiming The Negative: A short documentary about a North Korean defector's journey to the South and Franco's artistic process.
Tim Franco's "Unperson" is on sale at Ulele.com. Read a condensed version of this podcast interview.
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, along with insight from our very own journalists.
In this week's episode of the NK News podcast, Ambassador Robert R. King sits down with host Jacco Zwetsloot to talk about his seven years of experience as U.S. special envoy for North Korea human rights and the future of human rights issues under President-elect Joe Biden.
King also discusses negotiations in both the Kim Jong Il and Kim Jong Un eras, the Leap Day Deal, how the South Korean government assists incoming North Korean defectors and Trump's performance on DPRK human rights.
Links mentioned during the show:
Ambassador King's op-ed on Biden Michael Kirby's past podcast interview Satellite imagery of potential North Korean public execution
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, along with insight from our very own journalists.
In this exclusive roundtable discussion, the NK News team talks about COVID-19 in North Korea, forced labor, Pyongyang's reaction to the U.S. elections and more.
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, along with insight from our very own journalists.
A recent report from The Sentry focuses on North Korea's illicit financing, shady business deals and U.N., U.S. and EU sanctions evasions.
Principal authors Hilary Mossberg and John Dell'Osso join the NK News Podcast to talk sanctions and enforcement, cash-funneling programs for the North Korean government in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Mansudae Overseas Projects and how North Korean statue makers evade sanctions.
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, along with insight from our very own journalists.
Secretary-General Sang-young Hong of the Korean Sharing Movement talks about the role non-government actors and organizations play in inter-Korean relations, efficient distribution of food and other aid, the constraints on NGOs caused by sanctions and the importance of civil society on the Korean Peninsula.
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, along with insight from our very own journalists.
What will Trump 2.0's North Korea policy be? How would North Korea react to a Biden-Harris White House? What would these administrations mean for the future of the U.S.-ROK alliance?
Yonsei University Professor John Delury and Retired Lieutenant General In-Bum Chun join the NK News Podcast and dive into different scenarios that could result from the U.S. 2020 presidential election on Nov. 3.
Topics include balancing a North Korea policy vs. a broader Asia strategy, domestic politics and inter-Korean relations, the South Korean government's approach to alliance management, the Moon-Trump relationship 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 interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.
Former Secretary of Defense William J. Perry joins the NK News Podcast to talk about his time in the Bill Clinton administration, the problems with Bush's approach to North Korea and why diplomacy is still the best way to solve the DPRK nuclear problem.
In this week's episode, Perry also mentions a nuclear weapons-focused podcast called "At the Brink" — that can be found 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, along with insight from our very own journalists.
North Korean workers abroad have been a major controversy and a key target of international sanctions. Often, these individuals are working long hours in poor conditions and with low pay — many liken them to modern-day slave laborers.
But as Kookmin University professor Andrei Lankov and economic researcher Peter Ward point out in a new paper, it's important to remember that conditions are far worse in North Korea. They argue that North Koreans volunteer for and seek out opportunities abroad and in fact have much more agency than is typically reported.
Lankov and Ward join the North Korea News Podcast to discuss the work conditions of North Korean laborers, human rights, embedded agency, workers rights and the future of North Korean labor exports
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, along with insight from our very own journalists.
What exactly is U.S. intelligence and how does America use it to craft strategies to confront or engage North Korea? Former National Intelligence Officer Markus Garlauskas joins the show to talk about the limits and strengths of intelligence, estimative analysis, North Korea's nuclear program, ICBMs and other missile capabilities. Garlauskas also discussed summits, why 2015 was in fact the closest the Korean peninsula has come to war in recent years (not 2018), and shares advice on careers related to the Korean peninsula.
Markus V. Garlauskas led the U.S. intelligence community’s strategic analysis on North Korea as the National Intelligence Officer for North Korea from July 2014 to June 2020, after serving in U.S. Forces Korea for 12 years. Following the conclusion of his government appointment as a member of the Senior National Intelligence Service, he joined the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security of the Atlantic Council as a nonresident senior fellow affiliated with its Asia Security Initiative. Follow him on Twitter: @Mister_G_2.
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, along with insight from our very own journalists.
In 2016, a Danish documentary film director teamed up with two actors who would pretend to be interested in buying weapons and drug components from North Korea. For the next three years, the undercover actors flew around the world to meet with North Korean officials and foreign businessmen.
Director Mads Brügger joins the NK News Podcast to talk about how he chronicled these activities in “The Mole” — a new, three-episode documentary series that uses more than 10 years of secretly-recorded footage. Leveraging hidden cameras, the film shares illegal triangle-trade deals to smuggle Russian oil into the DPRK, underground arms factories on a private Ugandan island and sales meetings on North Korean weapons initially intended for Syria.
Read more about "The Mole" here Watch "The Mole" 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, along with insight from our very own journalists.
Everything you wanted to know about North Korea's military parade, with NK News reporters Jeongmin Kim, Colin Zwirko and Min Chao Choy. Topics include the country's new missiles, TELs, Kim Jong Un's speech and a special new white horse unit.
For full coverage of the parade, including more HD videos, high-resolution photos, analysis and more visit 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 interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.
North Korea is the most isolated nation in the world, and the regime expends large resources to keep it that way by impeding information flows, jamming signals and creating proprietary technology and network access incompatible everywhere else.
But the North Korean people are curious about the outside world and are taking real risks to learn about it, experts say. In this episode of the NK News podcast, host Jacco Zwetsloot speaks with Martyn Williams of North Korea Tech and author Jieun Baek about what trickles into North Korea and how. Baek and Williams also cover the leaflet controversy, Starlink, sim cards, what the North Korean news cycle is like, propoganda, evolving punishment structures for foreign media consumption and their nonprofit, Lumen.
Links: Lumen, "North Korea's Hidden Revolution" (book)
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, along with insight from our very own journalists.
In this exclusive roundtable discussion, the NK News team breaks down the latest updates on the death of a 47-year-old South Korean government worker near the Northern Limit Line. The team also discusses coffee culture in North Korea, a factory visit that may be linked to the North Korean nuclear program, an upcoming propaganda push and the return of the famous North Korean "bridge to nowhere."
Host Jacco Zwetsloot is joined by Korea Risk Group CEO Chad O’Carroll and NK News reporters Jeongmin Kim, Colin Zwirko and Min Chao Choy, along with special guest retired Lieutenant Colonel Steve Tharp.
Links and stories discussed:
NK Pro conference call: What to make of North Korea's October 10 military parade?
North Korea shot South Korean citizen and burned his body, ROK military says
Kim Jong Un apologizes for lethal shooting of South Korean official
North Korea warns South Korea not to ‘intrude’ while looking for victim’s body
North Korea’s killing of a South Korean official spells trouble for Moon Jae-in
North Korea’s cafe culture is growing, but coffee is still a luxury brew
North Korean statues are showing up in Africa — and they could be illegal
Russia exports more medical goods to North Korea ahead of major hospital opening
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, along with insight from our very own journalists.
In this week's podcast episode, Andray Abrahamian talks about his new book, "Being in North Korea." Abrahamian discusses North Korean scholarship and daily life, as well as diversity and conflict of thought in Pyongyang, entrepreneurship, women's rights, economic reform and ... unicorns.
Abrahamian is a former Koret Fellow at Stanford University's Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC) from 2018 to 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 interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.
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.
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, along with insight from our very own journalists.
This week's podcast episode discusses what COVID-19 has and hasn't impacted in North Korea, as well as inter-Korean relations and major DPRK anniversary events.
Host Jacco Zwetsloot is joined by Korea Risk Group CEO Chad O’Carroll and NK News reporters Jeongmin Kim and Colin Zwirko.
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, along with insight from our very own journalists.
In the second half of a two-part interview with NK News (part one can be found here), Pastor Cho Hun Jung discusses prospects for unification, family reunions and the politicization of what many see as benign inter-Korean issues. He also talks about the illusion of South Korea's sovereignty on inter-Korean issues and why human rights should be considered relative.
Pastor Cho is a standing member of the South Korean June 15 Joint Committee and a representative of the committee’s Seoul branch. The June 15, 2000 North-South Korea Joint Declaration can be found here.
Opinions and ideas discussed in this interview are the speakers’ own and do not represent 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 and extended interviews with leading experts in the field to insight from our very own journalists.
In this two-part interview, Pastor Cho Hun Jung discusses why he thinks bibles and leaflet launches should be stopped, the legacy of the Korean War and the evolution of inter-Korean diplomacy from the South's military dictatorships to democracy.
Pastor Cho is a standing member of the South Korean June 15 Joint Committee and a representative of the committee's Seoul branch. The June 15, 2000 North-South Korea Joint Declaration can be found here.
Opinions and ideas discussed in this interview are the speakers' own and do not represent 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 and extended interviews with leading experts in the field to insight from our very own journalists.
Former NK News managing editor Oliver Hotham discusses his years of reporting on North Korea, the existence of personality cults and Tintin, and offers advice for getting started in the news industry.
Article mentioned in the show: Being gay in the DPRK.
Also, would you like to pitch an article to new Managing Editor Kelly Kasulis? Read our pitching guidelines and then get in touch via email at editor@nknews.org!
About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news and extended interviews with leading experts in the field to insight from our very own journalists.
Veteran journalist Michael Breen reflects on his career reporting on the Korean peninsula, his time as a foreign correspondent and his multiple visits to North Korea.
Breen has worked as a journalist for The Guardian, The Times and the Washington Times and also founded Insight Communications Consultants. In this latest podcast episode, Breen discusses his new book, "The New Koreans" and shares his most high-profile experiences, such as meeting former North Korean leader Kim Il Sung.
About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by NK News and covering all things DPRK, from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field to insight from our very own journalists.
Poet, writer and actor Benjamin Zephaniah joins the NK News podcast to talk about his visits to North Korea. This includes breaking vegan bread with a North Korean chef, reading and teaching poetry with university students in Pyongyang, Rastafarianism and why he believes there's nothing like people power to reunify the Korean peninsula.
About the podcast: The NK 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.
Humanitarian balloon launches into North Korea have become a divisive issue in recent months. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's sister, Kim Yo Jong, harshly condemned leafleting balloon launches while Seoul moved to stop them in hopes of returning to the days of heightened inter-Korean diplomacy.
But as Voice of the Martyrs Korea (VOMK) CEO Eric Foley explains in this NK News podcast episode, not all launches are the same — nor are all groups and individuals who send humanitarian goods, aid or religious items similarly motivated.
In this episode, Eric Foley discusses his organization's efforts to send bibles into North Korea. He also talks about the underground Christian community in North Korea, punishments for Christianity in the DPRK and the possible legal challenges VOMK may face due to South Korea's sudden crackdown on leafleting activities.
You can find Eric Foley's book, "These are the generations," here. You can also find an article he wrote in 2018 for NK News mentioned in this podcast interview 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.
Few in South Korea — much less abroad — know that six of their fellow citizens are currently imprisoned in North Korea. Family members seldom speak publicly and the government answers questions only when asked.
While Donald Trump was energized to secure the release of three Korean American individuals before meeting Kim Jong Un in 2018, there were few calls for President Moon Jae-in to do the same during the three inter-Korean summits of the same year.
Their cases are complicated by the fact that neither Korea officially recognizes the legal system of the other, as well as the fact that there may be some truth to Pyongyang’s accusations of espionage.
Korea Risk Group CEO Chad O'Carroll and NK News Correspondent Jeongmin Kim join the podcast to talk about their recent investigation, which can be read 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.
Christianity has an odd history in North Korea. Pyongyang was once known as the "Jerusalem of the East" and North Korea's founding father Kim Il Sung himself grew up steeped in Christian traditions.
Though North Korea's well-known human rights abuses include the suppression of religious freedom, there is in fact a small, state-sanctioned community of Christians that appear to be genuinely pious.
Director for International Affairs at the World Council of Churches Peter Prove joins the NK News Podcast to talk about this community, international representation, the difficulty with gauging non-official religiosity in the North, and more.
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.
Paul White is the editor of DPRK Business Monthly who was previously English-language narrator at Pyongyang’s Kumsusan Palace of the Sun mausoleum.
He joined the NK News Podcast to discuss his decades of experience in East Asia, editing North Korean novels and propaganda, as well as business and investment opportunities in the country.
Paul's email: laisterdyke2003@yahoo.co.uk.
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.
We may be witnessing a step back from the brink of serious provocations on the Korean peninsula, following an abrupt shift in North Korea's official rhetoric last week.
But is demolishing the liaison office as far as Pyongyang will go, or will things get worse before they get better?
Join Korea Risk Group CEO Chad O’Carroll, NK News Managing Editor Oliver Hotham, NK News correspondent Jeongmin Kim, and host Jacco Zwetsloot in this roundtable discussion on current inter-Korean tensions.
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.
This week marks 70 years since the start of the Korean War, a truly international conflict with dozens of countries involved.
In an effort to honor and remember the sacrifices of those that fought on both sides of "The Forgotten War," Hannah Y. Kim traveled across six continents to 26 countries that participated in the war. She then followed up on that journey in 2018, ultimately visiting all 50 U.S. states.
Kim joins the NK News Podcast to talk about her journey and how she promotes awareness and appreciation for Korean War veterans through her work, which is featured on koreanwarmemorials.com and remember727.org. Kim's website archives her many interviews with Korean War veterans, as well as photos and videos collected on her journey.
Hannah Y. Kim is the founder of Remember 727, an organization dedicated to remembering the sacrifices of soldiers who fought in the Korean War and the armistice that was signed on July 27, 1953.
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.
Tensions are rising between the two Koreas as increasingly vicious rhetoric from Pyongyang suggests serious provocations could be imminent.
Live from the ferry from Yeongpyeong Island right on the edge of the Northern Limit Line (NLL), the NK News team talks about North Korean pressure tactics, cross-border provocations, and what Seoul may and may not do to try and de-escalate the emerging situation.
Join Korea Risk Group CEO Chad O'Carroll, Professor Andrei Lankov, Professor Andray Abrahamian and fearless host Jacco Zwetsloot in this exclusive roundtable discussion.
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.
Tropes and plot devices used in South Korean movies, television shows, and music depicting North Korea and interactions with North Koreans have changed over time, and often reflect attitudes and relations of a given era.
Stephen Epstein, Director of Asian Languages and Cultures and Victoria University of Wellington, joins the NK News Podcast to talk about how inter-Korean politics and identity are reflected in popular culture, gender, and media representation of North Korean defectors, and how some of them are even becoming media stars in their own right.
He also discusses collaborations with researchers like Christopher Green, and what the hit K-drama "Crash Landing on You" has to say about today's North-South relations.
Stephen Epstein's paper, "The Axis of Vaudeville: Images of North Korea in South Korean Pop Culture," can be found here.
NOTE: the Korean word talbukja (탈북자) is often used in the show. It means North Korean defector.
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.
"Collision in Korea" set a new world record for the largest pro wrestling attendance ever that still stands today -- and it happened in the middle of Pyongyang in 1995.
Former head of World Championship Wrestling (WCW) Eric Bischoff joins the NK News Podcast to discuss the international wrestling business, how it reached North Korea, Muhammad Ali, Antonio Inoki, 2 Cold Scorpio, "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair, and the prospects for sports diplomacy.
Eric Bischoff has written a book about his life in wrestling called "Controversy Creates Cash."
Plus! Nick Bonner joins (01:00:09) to talk about what it was like to plan a 100-plus person tour to Pyongyang just for Collision in Korea.
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.
The U.S.-ROK alliance has served as the linchpin for regional security for over 70 years and continues to be among the most important and consequential institutions and partnerships in Asia.
General Vincent Brooks was the Commander of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), as well as United Nations Command and Combined Forces Command, from 2016-2018, a period of extraordinary tension and summit diplomacy on the Korean peninsula.
He joins the NK News Podcast to discuss those escalating tensions, the demonstration of capabilities, deterrence, THAAD, U.S. security objectives, and more.
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.
Author John Feffer joins the NK News Podcast to discuss North Korea, its relations with the United States, and his and others' personal experiences traveling to the DPRK. John speaks of relationships of trust between Washington and Pyongyang and explores the idea of whether the Kim Jong Un regime is its own worst enemy.
John also performed a one-man show in Washington DC last year about North Korea; you can watch it here.
John Feffer is director of Foreign Policy In Focus at the Institute for Policy Studies, a progressive think tank based in Washington DC.
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.
Thomas Billhardt is among the most acclaimed German photographers, gaining a reputation for capturing the human and political experience in North Korea, Vietnam, Nicaragua, Vietnam, and elsewhere.
Thomas joins the NK News Podcast to talk about his impressions of North Korea in 1989, where he was dispatched to photograph the 13th World Festival of Youth and Students.
Thomas Billhardt's work can be found here.
With Kim Il Sung in Pyongyang, 1989 | Photo: Thomas Billhardt
About the Festival: the 13th World Festival of Youth and Students was held in the North Korean capital Pyongyang almost thirty years ago next month. A global gathering of international Communist Party-affiliated youth organizations, it represented something of a last hurrah for a world that was soon to disappear in a storm of revolution and unrest.
Hosted by North Korea in large part as a response to the South's successful hosting of the 1988 Summer Olympic Games, the Festival cost the country billions and saw thousands of international students descend on Pyongyang for an event devoted to Anti-Imperialist Solidarity, Peace, and Friendship.
And if you're interested in learning more about the festival, last summer NK News produced a six-part podcast series on it! You can listen to part one here, part two here, part three here, part four here, part five here, and part six 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.
Some 100,000 children were orphaned during the Korean War (1950-53). North Korea decided to send many on their side of the peninsula to Soviet-controlled Eastern Europe for so-called "commissioned education."
South Korean filmmaker Young Kim spent a decade and a half discovering the fates of these children for his new documentary, "Kim Il Sung's Children." He joins the NK News Podcast to discuss the film, the making of, and what he learned.
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.
Is Kim Jong Un alive? Where is he? Why hasn't he been seen in weeks? Who's next in the line of succession?
Amid a storm of global speculation, we gathered a roundtable discussion with host Jacco Zwetsloot, NK News CEO Chad O'Carroll, and NK News reporter Jeongmin Kim.
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.
It's been 500 days since our friend Michael Spavor -- and his fellow Canadian Michael Kovrig -- were taken into custody by the Chinese government, very likely as a result of "hostage diplomacy" with Canada.
This week, Jacco is joined by NK News CEO Chad O'Carroll, Kyungnam University's Dean J. Ouellette, filmmaker Chris Petersen-Clausen, and travel writer Martin Zatko to discuss the conditions Michael is being held in, reminisce about our favorite stories, and talk about what you can do to help him and his family in this difficult time.
Please consider donating to help Michael 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.
James Scullin talks about his new book, "Hotels of Pyongyang," which reveals never-before-seen photos of North Korean architecture and aesthetic. James Scullin is a part-time tour leader for Juche Travel Services, a British-North Korean travel company, and China business consultant for the Australia China Business Council. 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.
Free Joseon is the mysterious group behind the daring 2019 raid of North Korea's embassy in Madrid, and has orchestrated defections of at least one North Korean diplomat overseas.
Alastair Gale co-authored what is perhaps the most extensive exposé of the group for The Wall Street Journal, published last week. He joins the NK News Podcast to talk about Free Joseon, their motivations, connections, leadership, and more. Alastair Gale is Japan editor for The Wall Street Journal, where he focuses on regional security and politics, and handles investigative projects. 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.
The Month in Review is a regular product by NK News's parent company the Korea Risk Group, summarizing the most important trends and news in North Korea and forecasting events that will likely grab headlines in the coming weeks. Subscribers can read the most recent issue here.
On this week's episode, contributing analyst Caroline Kearney talks us through some of the most important developments in North Korea in March -- and what to expect in April.
Caroline Kearney is a recipient of the Global Korea scholarship and begins a PhD in the Korean Studies department at Yonsei University in Seoul this fall. She is also a contributing analyst to 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 interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists.
The Quincy Institute was launched in Washington DC last year with funding from George Soros's Open Society Foundation and the Koch Foundation, and aims to work toward ending "endless war" and forging a more modest, non-interventionist path for U.S. foreign policy. So how would this approach translate into action on the Korean peninsula?
This week, Jessica Lee, a Senior Research Fellow at the think tank's East Asia Program, discusses managing diplomacy with North Korea, the importance of realistic expectations, and why we should keep the Korean people at the center of any Korean peninsula strategy. Jessica Lee is a Senior Research Fellow in the East Asia Program at the Quincy Institute. 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.
North Koreans that escape and resettle in the South release a myriad of challenges, perhaps none more daunting than acclimating to a 21st century global economy. Connecting these people with the right mentors and resources is essential.
That's where today's guest Marta Allina comes in. Marta is the founder of Seoul Startups and a coach with ASAN SANGHOE, an entrepreneurship training program now in its second year that brings together North Korean resettlers with young people from South Korea and abroad to conceive of and plan business proposals. She also has a personal blog.
The organization is now recruiting people to go through their second startup boot camp. The deadline is April 3.
ASAN SANGHOE is a project run by the Asan Nanum Foundation, founded in 2011 to commemorate Hyundai founder Chung Ju-young, and its aims are the alleviation of social inequality and the promotion of entrepreneurship among youth. It is funded by the Hyundai Group.
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.
North Korea was one of the first to completely block all travel to and from China amid fears of the spread of COVID-19, and although state media has been reticent to reveal the extent to which the novel coronavirus is affecting the North Korean people, it's likely having a severe toll. Rob Lauler at Daily NK joins the NK News Podcast to talk about the impacts of the coronavirus, follows up on some startling reports out of the country, the state of international cooperation between the regime and the outside world, and how to tell fact from fiction when reporting on North Korea. Rob Lauler is the English language editor at Daily NK and its parent organization the Unification Media Group. 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.
Continuing our European Union theme from last week's episode, the NKNews Podcast sits down with Lukas Mandl, the Chair of the EU's Delegation for relations with the Korean peninsula, to talk about the institution's role on the Korean peninsula and key issues such as sanctions and human rights. Lukas Mandl of the Austrian People's Party is a member of the European Parliament, where he is vice-chair of the Subcommittee on Security and Defence, a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Chair of the Delegation to the European Parliament's Delegation for Relations with the Korean peninsula. 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.
The European Union is invested in solving the North Korea nuclear issue as well as improving the human rights situation.
Virginie Battu-Henriksson, spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy from the EU’s European Commission, discusses the role that sanctions are designed to play in denuclearizing the North, how those sanctions are formulated, and what opportunities exist for Pyongyang to get sanctions relief.
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 interview with NK News’s Washington DC correspondent, Jacob Fromer, we learn about the current discourse regarding North Korea, how U.S. President Donald Trump’s approach has been received, and how a new president, potentially elected this year, may change Washington-Pyongyang relations.
Jacob Fromer is NK News's Washington DC correspondent. He previously worked in the U.S. Senate. You can read his work here, and follow him on Twitter @jakefromer.
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.
"The Two Koreas" is among the most well-known and widely read books on inter-Korean relations, North Korea’s nuclear program, and the U.S.’s interactions with and policy directed at North Korea.
Robert Carlin, co-author of the third edition of the book, joins the NK News podcast to discuss writing the book, American intelligence on North Korea, why he believes there is room for discourse and discussion among Pyongyang’s elite, and what Washington gets right (and wrong) about its North Korea policy.
Robert Carlin is a visiting scholar at Stanford University's Center for International Security and Cooperation.
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.
Retired Lt. Gen. Robert G. Gard, Jr., is the first Korean War veteran to appear on the NK News podcast.
On today's episode, he reminisces about his time in Korea in 1952 and 1953. He also talks about his involvement after the Korean War in projects, ranging from banning anti-personnel land mines and nuclear arms control, and what, in his opinion, has gone wrong in U.S. negotiations with North Korea over the past decades.
Retired Lt. Gen. Robert G. Gard, Jr. is a senior military fellow at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.
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.
North Korea has long been known as one of the most challenging countries for foreign journalists to report on, given the lack of access and general information black hole that the DPRK can represent.
So how best to navigate this complex environment?
In a very special crossover podcast produced in collaboration with the Korea Society this week, freelance journalist and outgoing Asian American Journalist Association New York President Hannah Bae joins NK News's very own CEO Chad O'Carroll and podcast host Jacco Zwetsloot to talk media, foreign policy, and the future of North Korea coverage.
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.
North Korea cares deeply about its bilateral relations with the United States, perhaps even more so than its stated priority of unifying the Korean peninsula. This sequencing is not always the most well-executed or demonstrated, but it helps explain Pyongyang’s behavior under Kim Jong Un and may outline the “new path” the regime continues to allude to.
Dr. Ramon Pacheco Pardo has written extensively on this topic, and he joins the NKNews Podcast to discuss U.S.-DPRK relations, how that relationship has changed through various presidents, and what the North Koreans thought and think about the Trump administration. Dr. Ramon Pacheco Pardo is Associate Professor in International Relations at King's College London and the KF-VUB Korea Chair at the Institute for European Studies of Vrije Universiteit Brussel. 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.
The Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC) plays a unique role on the Korean peninsula, one unlike in any other part of the world, and is an institution that serves as a reminder that the Korean War never officially ended.
Swiss Major General Patrick Gauchat is based at the Demilitarized Zone and joins the NKNews Podcast to explain the role of the NNSC, the importance of neutral actors on the peninsula, and how it fits into inter-Korean relations in the 2020s.
Swiss Major General Patrick Gauchat is head of the Swiss delegation to the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC) in Panmunjom.
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.
It’s been nearly fourteen years since North Korea conducted its first successful nuclear test, and neither South Korea, the U.S., nor the international community appears anywhere close to convincing the Kim Jong Un regime to give up its nuclear weapons.
Is there another forward? Duyeon Kim offers her analysis on North Korea, the nuclear weapons situation, the state of negotiations, and lays out realistic ways forward for policymakers in 2020 and beyond.
Duyeon Kim is a senior adviser for Northeast Asia and nuclear policy at the International Crisis Group.
Articles written by Duyeon Kim mentioned in the show: "How to Make Proportionate Bargains with North Korea on Denuclearization and Peace" // "No Christmas gift from North Korea? Not so fast."
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.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un bucked recent tradition this week by releasing a major speech at the conclusion of the Party plenum on New Year's Day instead of making the anticipated annual New Year Address.
In the speech, Kim revealed a policy shift towards a greater national focus on weapons development, telling the North Korean people he will not back down to U.S. demands and that, assuming the U.S. will not give in, citizens should expect economic hardships as sanctions relief is not likely to come.
In this week's episode, Dr. Andrei Lankov along with NK News reporters Jeongmin Kim and Colin Zwirko sat down for a roundtable chat to discuss the plenum speech and what it means for U.S.-DPRK relations in the coming year -- a year which will see both a U.S. Presidential election in November and Pyongyang's continued pursuit of economic development amid the stalemate.
Japan and North Korea have a complicated relationship, and Tokyo’s approach to solving the nuclear and other issues diverges from the current Seoul government in many ways.
Tokyo and Seoul’s own bilateral discord of late has amplified those differences and complicated matters for what are two countries essential in bringing about long-term change on the Korean peninsula.
Professor Sakata Yasuyo is an expert on Japan-South Korea and Japan-North Korea relations and joins the NKNews Podcast to discuss the history of those relations, their current state, and where she believes things are heading.
Sakata Yasuyo is Professor of International Relations and Kanda University of International Studies in Japan, and recorded this podcast with NK News on December 27.
The NK Shop is now live: you can get all of your Christmas essentials there, including NK News calendars, t-shirts, posters, and much much more. Use the code “PODCAST” at the checkout for a $10 discount.
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.
A U.S. citizen who says he was arrested and subsequently released from North Korea in 2015 has told his story for the first time, in a series of exclusive interviews with the NK News podcast published today. Listen to part one here and part two here.
Unable to return to North Korea for now, our guest still feels there is unfinished business. In this episode he talks of his hopes and dreams for the country, and the role he believes he could play in it. He also hints at a message that he must give to Kim Jong Un, a message he feels he can only deliver personally.
The NK Shop is now live: you can get all of your Christmas essentials there, including NK News calendars, t-shirts, posters, and much much more. Use the code “PODCAST” at the checkout for a $10 discount.
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.
A U.S. citizen who says he was arrested and subsequently released from North Korea in 2015 has told his story for the first time, in a series of exclusive interviews with the NK News podcast published today. Listen to part one here and part three here.
Our guest, while finished with the farm, is far from finished with North Korea. He returns as a tourist on a solo bespoke two-week trip. During a visit to the east coast, a proposal is made that piques his interest. A letter is written to Kim Jong Un and things look hopeful, but it ends bitterly. He vows to return, welcome or not, and this leads to a series of events, both fortunate and unfortunate, that are out of his control.
The NK Shop is now live: you can get all of your Christmas essentials there, including NK News calendars, t-shirts, posters, and much much more. Use the code “PODCAST” at the checkout for a $10 discount.
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.
A U.S. citizen who says he was arrested and subsequently released from North Korea in 2015 has told his story for the first time, in a series of exclusive interviews with the NK News podcast published today. Listen to part two here and part three here.
In part one, our guest, who has asked to only be identified by his first name, Miles, describes how he went from knowing almost nothing about the Koreas to volunteering to live for six months in remote north-eastern North Korea, working unpaid on a farm as a paramedic for animals and general handyman. He explains how this came to be and what effect this experience had on his life and live plans.
The NK Shop is now live: you can get all of your Christmas essentials there, including NK News calendars, t-shirts, posters, and much much more. Use the code “PODCAST” at the checkout for a $10 discount.
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.
Ever wondered what it would be like to work at an embassy in Pyongyang? How dangerous it might be, how effective diplomacy may or may not be, or even just want it's like to live in North Korea?
Ambassador John Everard served as the UK’s lead diplomat in Pyongyang for over two years in the mid-2000s, and sat down with the NK News Podcast to discuss his experience on the ground, his analysis of North Korea’s diplomatic and national security objectives, and why he is pessimistic about prospects for peace in 2020.
Ambassador John Everard is the former British ambassador to North Korea and a former member of the United Nations' Panel of Experts on the DPRK. He is also the author of "Only Beautiful Please," an account of his time living in the DPRK.
The NK Shop is now live: you can get all of your Christmas essentials there, including NK News calendars, t-shirts, posters, and much much more. Use the code “PODCAST” at the checkout for a $10 discount.
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.
Korean Studies occupies a small space in academia, a virtual shrimp among whales in the larger humanities ocean.
What happens, then, when one of the titans in this close-knit field is accused of plagiarism? Furthermore, what if it became clear that it was your work he or she had ripped off as their own?
Professor Balázs Szalontai found himself in this very situation, and it took years of painstaking effort to build the case against Charles Armstrong at Columbia University.
What unfolded was a scandal that rocked the Korean Studies field with implications that are still becoming apparent.
We talk with Szalontai about it, plus his scholarly work on North Korea, Pyongyang’s involvement in the Vietnam War, and what happened after Armstrong was exposed for stealing his work.
Balázs Szalontai is a professor in the North Korean Studies department at Korea University. He is a historian who focuses on the Cold War and well as the domestic and foreign policies of Communist regimes, particularly North Korea, Vietnam, Mongolia, and Albania.
The NK Shop is now live: you can get all of your Christmas essentials there, including NK News calendars, t-shirts, posters, and much much more. Use the code “PODCAST” at the checkout for a $10 discount.
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.
Featured image: Rodong Sinmun
Senior NK News correspondent Dagyum Ji has been behind some of our biggest stories, research, and analysis these last three years, including "fire and fury," summits, and missile launches.
Dagyum is off to Washington, DC to pursue her next great opportunity, and before she left we sat down with her to hear her thoughts on North Korea, the media scene in Seoul, her favorite NK News story, and more.
PLUS! A special “super-large” guest makes a surprise appearance on the show.
Dagyum Ji was, until this week, senior correspondent at NK News. Prior to that, she worked for Reuters TV.
The NK Shop is now live: you can get all of your Christmas essentials there, including NK News calendars, t-shirts, posters, and much much more. Use the code “PODCAST” at the checkout for a $10 discount.
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.
Featured image: White House
To call Park Chul-un a powerhouse in inter-Korean relations may be an understatement. Park visited North Korea secretly decades before any real periods of détente would emerge between Seoul and Pyongyang. As one of the leading South Korean government figures in inter-Korean relations for a time, he has amassed decades' worth of experience and perspective.
He, along with translation from NK News's very own Jihye Park, explains how his clandestine visits north of the DMZ went down, why North Korea remains the wickedest of problems, what the Moon Jae-in administration and the U.S. should do differently, and -- of course -- his attendance at the 1989 13th World Festival of Youth and Students in Pyongyang.
Minister Park Chul-un was a three-time National Assemblyman in the 1980s and 1990s, Secretary to the President for Political Affairs, and the architect of the "Northern Policy" under former President Roh Tae-woo. He currently serves as the chairman of the Korea Foundation for Welfare and Unification, among other positions.
The NK Shop is now live: you can get all of your Christmas essentials there, including NK News calendars, t-shirts, posters, and much much more. Use the code “PODCAST” at the checkout for a $10 discount.
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.
Featured image: NK News
Bringing in music, art, film, and other forms of entertainment into North Korea for the consumption of a highly select privileged elite has long been a controversial practice, particularly so if the cultural exchange in question involves one of the most controversial rock bands in the western world.
Laibach brought its own totalitarian aesthetics to the world's most totalitarian state back in 2015, and Morten Traavik directed the documentary about the trip.
We speak with Traavik, and his cultural interpreter Mary Sun Kim, about how the Laibach concert became a reality, navigating censorship, and North Korea's artistic sensibilities.
Morten Traavik is a Norwegian director and artist. Mary Sun Kim is an arts and literature researcher, interpreter, and photographer.
The NK Shop is now live: you can get all of your Christmas essentials there, including NK News calendars, t-shirts, posters, and much much more. Use the code “PODCAST” at the checkout for a $10 discount.
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.
Featured image: courtesy of Morten Traavik
The United Nation's Report of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) on Human Rights in North Korea was a landmark document that detailed and codified the horrors the Kim Jong Un regime and its forebears inflict upon its people.
Crimes against humanity, torture, rape, religious and racial persecution - these are but some of the gross human rights abuses that the North Korean people must endure on an everyday basis.
Michael Kirby led the commission and report, and he joins the NK News podcast to discuss his findings five years later, how things have changed (and haven’t), and what mechanisms exist to place human rights at the center of engagement with North Korea.
The Honourable Michael Kirby is a retired judge, formerly a Justice of the High Court of Australia serving from 1996 to 2009. In 2013 he was appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council to lead an inquiry into human rights abuses in the DPRK.
The NK Shop is now live: you can get all of your Christmas essentials there, including NK News calendars, t-shirts, posters, and much much more. Use the code “PODCAST” at the checkout for a $10 discount.
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.
Featured image: UNICEF
Both U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in have made achieving denuclearization and establishing a "peace regime" on the peninsula their key foreign policy goals.
Not everyone is convinced, however: David Straub, a 30-year U.S. State Department veteran and expert on East Asian politics and security, has been a critical voice of Moon and the South Korean left, as well as the Trump administration’s North Korea strategy. In this week's episode, Straub joins the podcast to discuss U.S. foreign policy in the Trump era, what South Korea's progressive camp gets wrong about North Korea, and how to effectively negotiate with Pyongyang. Note to listeners: this interview was conducted in September, before the resignation of John Bolton. David Straub is a researcher, author, and commentator on Korean peninsula affairs and U.S.-Korea relations. He was a foreign service officer from 1976 to 2006, with his career in the State Department centering on Japan and Korea. The NK Shop is now live: you can get all of your Christmas essentials there, including NK News calendars, t-shirts, posters, and much much more. Use the code "PODCAST" at the checkout for a $10 discount. 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. Featured image: Blue House
Join NK News staff and contributors for a very special centenary episode of the podcast
In April 2003, the Tuvalu-flagged North Korean Pong Su ship was seized by Australian authorities, with the ship's crew accused of smuggling up to 125 kg of heroin. The men were detained pending trial in Australia, only for them then to be acquitted and repatriated.
In this week's episode, host Jacco Zwetsloot -- who spent time with the ship's crew and their associates during their time in Australia back in 2003 -- speaks with journalist Richard Baker, the creator of a new podcast which investigates the unsolved questions surrounding the Pong Su case.
Richard Baker is a multi-award winning investigative reporter for The Age.
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.
Featured image: Australian Department of Defence, modified by NK News
The first working-level talks between North Korea and the United States in months kicked off Saturday, only to break off hours later.
Both sides apparently walked away with different assessments of what went wrong, but it seems clear that expectations from both sides were as unaligned as they appeared to be at the Hanoi summit.
Hoping to make sense of what went wrong, NK News’s Oliver Hotham, Chad O’Carroll, Dagyum Ji, and Rachel Minyoung Lee sat down for a roundtable chat to discuss the negotiations and what they may mean for DPRK-U.S. relations going forward.
Also under discussion? South Korea's role in all this, the Bolton effect, and a very paranoid development in downtown Pyongyang.
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.
Featured image: KCNA, modified by NK News
Unification has been a primary ethos of both South and North Korean identity since the peninsula was split in two, a sine qua non of a shared 'minjok' bloodline that stretches back (accordingly) 5000 years.
But what was once self-evident for South Koreans is no longer so, particularly among younger, more diverse, more metropolitan South Koreans that seek and appreciate community and connections beyond tribal ethnic dimensions.
Darcie Draudt, an expert in Korean identity and South Korea’s changing multiculturalism, explains how these concepts and ideas impact Seoul’s policy towards North Korea.
Darcie Draudt is a Ph.D. candidate in the department of political science at Johns Hopkins University, and was recently in Seoul as a Korea Foundation dissertation fieldwork fellow and a visiting scholar at the Yonsei University department of political science.
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.
Featured image: Uriminzokkiri
Hard numbers are, well, hard to come by in and from North Korea, making quantitative analysis much more challenging than it would be in other parts of the world. The denouement of decades of poor or non-existence record keeping means even rather mundane measurements, such as a national census, are at best guesswork.
Dr. Nicholas Eberstadt has sought to clear up the opacity to provide more accurate demographic and economic development statistics for North Korea.
On this week's episode, we talk about his work and related challenges, why North Korea’s poor numerics may in fact be a strategic move, predicting the end of the DPRK, and learn about the time he got a death threat from Pyongyang.
Nicholas Eberstadt holds the Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he researches and writes extensively on demographics and economic development generally, and more specifically on international security in the Korean peninsula and Asia.
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.
Featured image: NK News
How does North Korea retain control over its 25 million people, and is that control administered on a day-to-day basis?
These questions drove scholar Benjamin Silberstein's interest in the DPRK, and on this week's episode he discusses the country's powerful police state, the importance of Songbun, and broader issues of law and order in North Korea.
Benjamin Katzeff Silberstein is a 2019 Templeton Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, editor of North Korea Economy Watch, and a PhD candidate at the University of Pennsylvania.
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.
This episode is part six of a special summer miniseries on the 13th World Festival of Youth and Students. You can listen to part one here, part two here, part three here, part four here, and part five here.
The 13th World Festival of Youth and Students was held in the North Korean capital almost thirty years ago next month. A global gathering of international Communist Party-affiliated youth organizations, it represented something of a last hurrah for a world that was soon to disappear in a storm of revolution and unrest.
Hosted by North Korea — in large part as a response to the South’s successful hosting of the 1988 Summer Olympic Games — the festival cost the country billions and saw thousands of international students descend on Pyongyang for an event devoted to “Anti-Imperialist Solidarity, Peace and Friendship.”
Norwegian historian August Myrseth wrote his master’s thesis on the festival, and applies theory, history, and politics to the event in a unique way that gives a broad perspective of the festival’s significance in and outside of North Korea, particularly in the communist world of old.
(And, as a little extra for our podcast listeners who are particularly interested in the festival, host Jacco Zwetsloot has created a playlist of all the videos on YouTube of the festival, which you can watch 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.
Featured image: Retro DPRK
Is China truly the security threat in Asia that Washington seems convinced it is? David Kang doesn’t think so, and he points the actions of the Koreas and others as evidence that states in the region are calibrated to a world in which China does not need to be balanced against.
On this week's podcast, Dr. Kang explains how this fundamental misunderstanding of the security calculus spills over into the North Korea issue, explores the top-down engagement approach currently favored by U.S. and North Korean leaders, and how decision-makers can better align policy to more accurately reflect the reality on the ground.
David C. Kang is Professor of International Relations and Business at the University of Southern California, with appointments in both the School of International Relations and the Marshall School of Business. He is also Director of USC Korean Studies Institute and Director of the USC Center for International 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 interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists.
Featured image: The White House
This episode is part five of a special summer miniseries on the 13th World Festival of Youth and Students. You can listen to part one here, part two here, part three here, and part four here.
The 13th World Festival of Youth and Students was held in the North Korean capital almost thirty years ago next month. A global gathering of international Communist Party-affiliated youth organizations, it represented something of a last hurrah for a world that was soon to disappear in a storm of revolution and unrest.
Hosted by North Korea — in large part as a response to the South’s successful hosting of the 1988 Summer Olympic Games — the festival cost the country billions and saw thousands of international students descend on Pyongyang for an event devoted to “Anti-Imperialist Solidarity, Peace and Friendship.”
Choi Sung-guk, a former North Korean national who has since defected to the South and built a career for himself as an animator and cartoonist, lived in Pyongyang during the festival and observed the micro-level changes in the city as a young boy.
We talk about what he saw, how he interpreted it, his journey to South Korea, and where he draws inspiration for his animation.
(And, as a little extra for our podcast listeners who are particularly interested in the festival, host Jacco Zwetsloot has created a playlist of all the videos on YouTube of the festival, which you can watch 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: ournation-school.com (우리민족강당)
Sanctions continue to be the main sticking point seemingly preventing greater diplomatic progress from occurring between the U.S. and North Korea.
But is Kim Jong Un interpreting them the same way that Washington believes? If so, what kind of dispersed or targeted impacts do we see, and do those align with broader objectives on the peninsula?
Dr. Go Myong-hyun, a trained neuropsychiatrist, has been applying a non-conventional tool set to the North Korea sanctions issue for years.
He joins us on this episode of the NK News Podcast to talk about the impact that sanctions are having for the government in Pyongyang, the North Korean people, and whether they are effective in the way outsiders imagine.
Go Myong-hyun is a research fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies. Previously, Dr. Go was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles, Neuropsychiatry Institute. His research applies quantitative perspectives to traditional and non-traditional security issues.
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
Thousands of western tourists travel to North Korea every year, though doing so raises questions about whether money from sightseeing ultimately ends up contributing to the country's nuclear weapons program and whether visitors are putting themselves in danger of arbitrary arrest and imprisonment.
Simon Cockerell of Koryo Tours has been facilitating trips to the DPRK for over a decade and has been there himself nearly 200 times (by his own counting).
In this episode, Simon makes the case for visiting the North, why it’s not as dangerous as is believed in some circles, and what impact regular foreign interaction and engagement may have on the North Korean people.
Simon Cockerell is the general manager of Koryo Tours, the largest and oldest travel company taking people to North Korea.
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: Koryo Tours
North Korea has fired a series of short-range ballistic missiles and other projectiles in the last two weeks, the first such weapons provocations since early May.
The launches were accompanied, before and shortly after, by language that strongly suggests they were designed as retaliation for joint U.S.-South Korea exercises this month.
In this roundtable, NK News’s Chad O’Carroll, Oliver Hotham, and Rachel Minyoung Lee join host Jacco Zwetsloot to discuss the launches, what North Korea is trying to achieve, and how it may impact diplomatic dialogue in the future.
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: KCTV
North Korea and Syria have long enjoyed close ties, sharing historical roots in the anti-imperialist socialist camp during the Cold War and the relationship between the two countries' founding leaders, Kim Il Sung and Hafez Al-Assad.
That friendship has only grown stronger in recent years, too, as North Korea and Syria have become increasingly internationally isolated over, respectively, their nuclear programs and a brutal and now almost-a-decade-long civil war.
At the forefront of this unusual alliance is Tamman Sulaiman, who this week joined the NK News podcast to discuss the Damascus-Pyongyang alliance, expanding cooperation between the two countries, and daily life as a diplomat in the DPRK.
Tamman Sulaiman has served as Syrian Ambassador to North Korea since 2015. Prior to that, he served as Charge D'Affaires Ad Interim in Pyongyang, and before that as Syrian Ambassador to Australia.
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.
Ambassador Sulaiman with his wife in Pyongyang | Picture: NK News
Featured image: file photo
Seoul’s ongoing efforts to provide an $8 million humanitarian aid package to North Korea via the World Food Program and UNICEF (and the obstacles encountered) demonstrate the enormous resources necessary to navigate international sanctions against the North.
Daniel Wertz has for years analyzed the sanctions regime and its impact on the North Korean economy, recently publishing a paper for the Korea Economic Institute on how the U.S. can turn "maximum pressure" into maximum leverage.
Daniel Wertz is the Program Manager at The National Committee on North Korea. He manages research and publications at NCNK, and is also the lead researcher and editor of North Korea in the World.
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: UNICEF
Kim Jong Un has placed scientific development and innovation at the forefront of his economic policies, placing new resources in front of North Korean scientists previously unavailable to them for many years. These researchers are collaborating with a number of overseas counterparts, publishing data that offers a peek inside Pyongyang’s scientific priorities.
Researcher Joshua Pollack combed through thousands of published journal articles to reveal the surprisingly international scientific community in North Korea.
On this week's podcast, he discusses what North Korean scientists are studying, who they are collaborating with, and if their research runs against international sanctions.
Joshua H. Pollack is a senior research associate at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey and editor of the Nonproliferation Review.
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
Key to any economic development in North Korea, or anywhere else, is the electricity that supports expanding commercial and industrial activity.
But the North has a dilapidated, balkanized electric grid made up of a hodgepodge of Cold War-era and repurposed parts running different currents of electricity.
Quite simply, the country cannot power the economic growth Kim Jong Un says he wants with the current power system in place.
Peter Hayes has researched the issue of energy security in North Korea for decades, and sits down with the podcast to talk about electricity, environmentalism, and what it takes to gain mutual trust from North Korean decision-makers.
Professor Peter Hayes is an Honorary Professor at the Center for International Security Studies at Sydney University and Director of the Nautilus Institute in Berkeley, California.
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
North Korea went to Hanoi thinking they had a deal. But it suddenly went sideways, leaving both Washington and Pyongyang with nothing in hand and no progress made towards the denuclearization of the peninsula.
Ambassador Robert Gallucci knows better than most what it's like to negotiate with the North, having worked as chief U.S. negotiator during the North Korean nuclear crisis of 1994 and as a key architect of that year's Agreed Framework between the two countries.
We sat down with Gallucci at the Jeju Forum in May to get his thoughts on the current administration's North Korea strategy, the importance of working-level talks, and why he believes the two countries are yet to reach a deal.
Ambassador Robert Gallucci now works as a Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy at Georgetown University.
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: White House
The U.S.’s presence on and approach to the Korean peninsula is based on a conventional understanding of its role in the world, in Asia, and the ways in which the country achieves its foreign policy goals.
Doug Bandow has for years fought against the mainstream “blob” in D.C., arguing that America’s activities and alliance commitments – as currently exercised in the world – do not reflect the realities of geopolitics and national security goals in 2019.
In this week's episode, we ask Bandow what Washington can do to engage North Korea, evaluate the current administration’s top-down diplomatic efforts, look into parallels between the DPRK and Iran, and learn why he believes it’s time for a phased reduction in U.S. military presence on the peninsula.
Doug Bandow is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, specializing in foreign policy and civil liberties. He worked as special assistant to President Ronald Reagan and editor of the political magazine Inquiry.
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
While U.S. President Donald Trump last year declared an end to the nuclear threat from North Korea and South Korean President Moon Jae-in declared just last week that Washington and Pyongyang have now brought an end to hostile relations, not everyone is quite so rosy-eyed about North Korea's intentions.
Joshua Stanton, an attorney and writer, has long argued that the best way to change Pyongyang's behavior is to get tough, through a concerted and targeted campaign of new sanctions and efforts to bring down the state from within.
This week, Stanton speaks to the NK News Podcast about prospects for "maximum pressure" in an era of U.S.-DPRK diplomacy, what he sees as North Korea's long-term goals, as well as a lack of transparency in how think tanks that focus on the Koreas are often funded.
Joshua Stanton runs a blog called "One Free Korea," and describes himself as "South Dakota’s foremost authority on North Korea." He served in the U.S. Army in South Korea from 1998 to 2002, and works as a lawyer in Washington, D.C.
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: White House
Beijing and Pyongyang have held five summits in the past 16 months, with Xi Jinping making his first trip to North Korea just two weeks ago.
Dr. Seong-hyon Lee has analyzed the North Korea-China relationship for years, and discusses how China interprets the nuclear issue, the personal relationship between Xi and Kim Jong Un, Chinese views on inter-Korean relations, and more.
Dr. Lee is the director of the Center for Chinese Studies at the Sejong Institute in Seoul, and has given lectures and conferences at universities worldwide. He is also the author of numerous books, policy briefs, and articles on the national security and foreign policy of China, North Korea, and East Asia.
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
Sunday saw an extraordinary meeting take place on the inter-Korean border, between Kim Jong Un, Donald Trump -- and waiting on the sidelines -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
A meeting purportedly organized at the very last minute on the initiative of the U.S. President, the talks were the first between the two leaders since their acrimonious no-deal Hanoi summit, and followed months of diplomatic stalemate between Washington and Pyongyang.
And while it was light on substance, there's little doubt that it was big on theatrics, with Trump even choosing to make history by becoming the first sitting U.S. President to step foot in the North.
Hoping to make sense of the surprise summit, NK News journalists Chad O'Carroll, Oliver Hotham, and Colin Zwirko, as well as senior analyst Minyoung Lee, sat down early Monday morning to discuss the historic meeting, how it panned out, and what it means for U.S.-DPRK diplomacy 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 interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists.
Featured image: White House
This episode is part four of a special summer miniseries on the 13th World Festival of Youth and Students. You can listen to part one here, part two here, and part three here.
The 13th World Festival of Youth and Students was held in the North Korean capital almost thirty years ago next month. A global gathering of international Communist Party-affiliated youth organizations, it represented something of a last hurrah for a world that was soon to disappear in a storm of revolution and unrest.
Hosted by North Korea — in large part as a response to the South’s successful hosting of the 1988 Summer Olympic Games — the festival cost the country billions and saw thousands of international students descend on Pyongyang for an event devoted to “Anti-Imperialist Solidarity, Peace and Friendship.”
The International Union of Students, headquartered in communist Czechoslovakia, was a primary organizing body of the 1989 World Festival of Youth and Students in Pyongyang, and as such a closer look at its role can provide us with a unique interpretation of the event from an institutional perspective.
For the first time, Dr. Vladimir Hlasny has accessed and synthesized Cold War-era archives dating back to the 1950s to better understand the union, its approach to the festival, how it saw Pyongyang’s execution of the event, and its place in the communist world.
Dr. Vladimir Hlasny of economics at Ewha Women's University in Seoul. His research is normally in the areas of welfare economics, labor economics, and industrial organization. In 2015 he served as an economic affairs officer at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia in Beirut.
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
Solving the North Korean nuclear issue is not a South Korean problem or an American one, but rather a global conundrum that will require the weight of the world’s international institutions to resolve. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) is one such institution.
NK News managing editor Oliver Hotham was fortunate enough to recently sit down with CTBTO head Dr. Lassina Zerbo to discuss the CTBTO’s role on the Korean peninsula, the "definition" of denuclearization, and how the treaty can help narrow the chasm between Washington and Pyongyang.
Dr. Lassina Zerbo is the Executive Secretary of the CTBT Organization. During a professional career spanning nearly 25 years, Dr. Zerbo has developed expertise ranging from scientific and technical competencies to results-based management and multilateral diplomacy.
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
This episode is part three of a special summer miniseries on the 13th World Festival of Youth and Students. You can listen to part one here and part two here.
The 13th World Festival of Youth and Students was held in the North Korean capital almost thirty years ago next month. A global gathering of international Communist Party-affiliated youth organizations, it represented something of a last hurrah for a world that was soon to disappear in a storm of revolution and unrest.
Hosted by North Korea — in large part as a response to the South’s successful hosting of the 1988 Summer Olympic Games — the festival cost the country billions and saw thousands of international students descend on Pyongyang for an event devoted to “Anti-Imperialist Solidarity, Peace and Friendship.”
Tobias Kjellström and Monique Macias were present in Pyongyang during the festival, albeit in very different circumstances.
Tobias was part of a Swedish delegation, chiefly responsible for playing music with his band, while Monique, originally born in Equatorial Guinea, had lived in North Korea for several years by the time of the festival and had a first-row seat to the buzz, the excitement, and change on the ground.
Tobias Kjellström was an indie musician visiting Pyongyang for the festival, and is now a teacher in Stockholm.
Monique Macias was born in Equatorial Guinea and grew up in Pyongyang, North Korea -- an experience you can read about here. She graduated at the University of Light Industry, with a BA as a Textile Engineer. Since leaving North Korea, Macias has been working as a fashion designer in countries including Spain, South Korea, and the U.S. She now lives in London, England.
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: Tobias Kjellström
Of the many things wrong with North Korea, beer is, apparently, something they do right.
Indeed, if any were to take the leap and plunge their money into the Pyongyang abyss, the brewing industry may be one of the safer bets, due to the diversity of beers, the equipment, and proven domestic and international demand.
Daniel Tudor identified this bright spot years ago, and successfully leveraged his interest in beer (and North Korea) into two well-received books on changes in North Korea – particularly markets and private sector character – as well as a South Korean brew pub.
Daniel Tudor previously worked as Korea correspondent for the Economist. He has written several books on North and South Korea, including "North Korea Confidential" and "Ask a North Korean." He is also the co-founder of The Booth Brewing Co.
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: Uriminzokkiri
This episode is part two of a special summer miniseries on the 13th World Festival of Youth and Students. You can listen to part one here.
The 13th World Festival of Youth and Students was held in the North Korean capital almost thirty years ago next month. A global gathering of international Communist Party-affiliated youth organizations, it represented something of a last hurrah for a world that was soon to disappear in a storm of revolution and unrest.
Hosted by North Korea — in large part as a response to the South’s successful hosting of the 1988 Summer Olympic Games — the festival cost the country billions and saw thousands of international students descend on Pyongyang for an event devoted to "Anti-Imperialist Solidarity, Peace and Friendship."
Bradley K. Martin had been covering North for over a decade already when he visited the DPRK capital for the event.
In this episode, Martin tells us about the relative liberation observed and enjoyed by the North Korean public during the festival, the massive costs of the event, and why it was the beginning of the end for the Cold War-era North Korean economic system.
Bradley K. Martin is a journalist for Asia Times (in which he recently some North Korean propaganda about the Lim Su-kyung case here) and is the author of "Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader: North Korea and the Kim Dynasty." He has covered the region since the 1970s.
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: Retro DPRK
This episode is part one of a special summer miniseries on the 13th World Festival of Youth and Students. You can listen to part two here.
The 13th World Festival of Youth and Students was held in the North Korean capital almost thirty years ago next month. A global gathering of international Communist Party-affiliated youth organizations, it represented something of a last hurrah for a world that was soon to disappear in a storm of revolution and unrest.
Hosted by North Korea -- in large part as a response to the South's successful hosting of the 1988 Summer Olympic Games -- the festival cost the country billions and saw thousands of international students descend on Pyongyang for an event devoted to "Anti-Imperialist Solidarity, Peace and Friendship."
In the inaugural episode of a special summer miniseries on the landmark event, we talk to Dr. Andrei Lankov about its geopolitical background, its impact in South Korea, and how the festival represented a peculiar period of opening up for the modern-day Hermit Kingdom.
Andrei Lankov is a Director at NK News and writes exclusively for the site as one of the world's leading authorities on North Korea. In addition to his writing, he is also a Professor at Kookmin University.
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: May 2019 edition of "DPR Korea" magazine
South Korean public opinion towards North Korea and unification is much more diverse and multi-layered than what is often transmitted by Seoul’s official channels. The Korea Institute for National Unification, or KINU, is one of the most respected think tanks in Seoul and has for years documented and cataloged how people feel about the North. In this week's episode, we discuss their most recent comprehensive survey on South Korean attitudes towards reunification, and what public opinion can tell us in the wake of stalled denuclearization talks and the failed Hanoi summit. Lee Sang-shin is a research fellow of the unification policy research division at KINU. Dr. Lee's areas of study include political behavior and elections, public opinion in South Korea, and political psychology. 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: file photo
President Trump has long talked about the need for a "big" deal with North Korea, one in which Kim Jong Un relinquishes his nuclear arsenal in exchange for a bright economic future -- and maybe some condos along the Wonsan coast.
But as diplomacy stalls and North Korea steps up its rhetoric, what does the U.S. really stand to gain from a deal with Pyongyang?
Bruce Klingner says it's time for Washington to think more pragmatically, sketching out a policy more in line with U.S. arms control pacts with the USSR than one of Trump's all-or-nothing real estate deals.
Bruce Klingner specializes in Korean and Japanese affairs as the 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.
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 insights from our very own journalists.
Featured image: Kevin Lim/THE STRAITS TIMES
As South Korea moves forward with plans to dispatch $8 million worth of food aid to North Korea, humanitarianism should be above politics and beyond the scope of sanctions, argues Dr. Kee Park, one of the leading voices on food and medical aid to the DPRK.
In this week's podcast, we look at the breadth and scope of humanitarian need in North Korea, the situation on the ground, and why Kim Jong Un might care more about healthcare than is often believed.
Dr. Kee Park is director of the North Korea program at the Korean American Medical Association and has led collaborations between U.S. and North Korean physicians since 2007.
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 insights from our very own journalists.
Featured image: UNICEF
One of South Korea's most prominent experts on North Korea, Moon Chung-in has observed and crafted North-South Korea relations for decades and has extensive knowledge of all three iterations of the Kims in Pyongyang.
This week on the podcast, we sat down with Moon to discuss unification scenarios, his assessment of Kim Jong Un's leadership style, why the Hanoi summit failed, and why Yongbyon is worth bargaining for.
Moon Chung-in is a distinguished professor at Yonsei University and a special advisor on foreign affairs and national security to South Korea's President Moon Jae-in.
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 insights from our very own journalists.
North Korea watchers were rudely awoken Saturday morning by news that the DPRK had launched a series of so-called "projectiles" off its east coast.
And as state media footage emerged the following morning, it became clear that one of the weapons tested by North Korea was a new-type short-range ballistic missile -- representing the first such test of its kind by Pyongyang since November 2017.
Hoping to make sense of these developments and more, host Jacco Zwetsloot was joined by NK News CEO Chad O'Carroll, managing editor Oliver Hotham, and senior analyst Minyoung Lee to discuss missiles, state media, and the mysteries of the North Korean economy.
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.
Featured image: KCNA
There's no shortage of "weird North Korea" stories, but few are as unsettling as the ghost ship phenomenon, wherein dozens of North Korean fishing vessels reach the west coast of Japan, Russia, and sometimes South Korea everywhere without a crew.
If there are people on board, they are often dead, emaciated, or, in one exceptional case, beheaded.
In this podcast, we talk with Nicholas Ahlmark about his new documentary, ‘The mystery of North Korean 'Ghost Ships,'' produced with Channel News Asia under its award-winning investigative series ‘Undercover Asia’.
Nicholas Ahlmark is a UK-based filmmaker specializing in long-form documentary set in the Asia Pacific region. You can find out more about him on his website.
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.
Interpreting what and how North Korea says about its nuclear weapons program, foreign policy, and the domestic economy is one of the hardest tasks for Pyongyang-watchers.
Minyoung Rachel Lee, recently hired as an analyst for NK News's sister site NK Pro, has been cutting through the noise for close to two decades and has it down to an exact science.
In this episode, Minyoung explains her five-step approach to reading North Korea's foreign and domestic propaganda, discusses Kim Jong Un's communication approach compared to his predecessors, and underlines why the Rodong Sinmun is the most important medium for understanding North Korea's policy priorities.
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.
This week on the podcast, Jacco Zwetsloot, the Fearless Host of the NK News Podcast, gives us a debrief of his recent trip to North Korea and his eventful return to Seoul.
Also discussed? NK News Managing Editor Oliver Hotham and correspondent Colin Zwirko take a look back at last week's Supreme People's Assembly session, a Russian delegation's visit to North Korea, and the potential for a Putin-Kim summit.
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.
Last September saw the two Koreas sign what was described at the time as a "de facto" peace treaty: a comprehensive agreement by their two militaries to seek to reduce tensions and establish trust.
But what impact might these changes have on the ground? In this episode Chun In-bum discusses the U.S.-ROK alliance, Pyongyang's sincerity in seeking talks, and whether North Korea is South Korea's "main enemy."
Retired Lieutenant General Chun In-bum entered the Korea Military Academy in 1977. From April 2015, he was the deputy commander for the First ROK Army. He retired from active duty as of July of 2016.
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: Ministry of National Defense
Contrary to conventional wisdom, there is such a thing as rule of law in North Korea, with lawyers, litigation, mitigation, and other familiar proceedings.
In fact, Mike Hay argues that the North takes law very seriously when it comes to foreign businesses operating in country in order to create more hospitable environment for foreign investment.
This week on the podcast, we sat down with Mike about his law practice in Pyongyang, his years living in the country, and why he is optimistic about the future in North Korea.
Mike Hay is a lawyer who, in 2004, moved to Pyongyang to start the country's first and only international law firm. He now heads the DPRK team at HMP Law 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.
Holly Kang is the international programs manager at the UniKorea Foundation, which helps facilitate cross-border understanding, generate research and solutions on North Korea-related issues, and aims to improve global awareness of North Korea-related issues.
The UniKorea Foundation provides grants for organizations (including NGOs and corporations) working on future-oriented and creative projects related to Korean unification.
Interested applicants can find more information about the program 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: DPRK Today
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.
The breakdown in dialogue at last week's Hanoi Summit was driven, in part, by the inability for both sides to communicate clearly what their objectives and timelines were.
As Glyn Ford explains in his new book, however, poor communication between Washington and Pyongyang is a chronic problem that has derailed real progress on the nuclear issue --progress that, he claims, Kim Jong Un is willing to pursue.
Glyn Ford was a Member of the European Parliament for over 25 years, serving as a Member of the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Committees. He now works as a director at Track2Asia, and has visited North Korea almost fifty times.
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: Featured image not available.
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
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.
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 Special Envoy for Six Party Talks from 2003 to 2006 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
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.
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
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.
Our annual holiday shop is also coming to a close on Friday. Be sure to check it out before it's too late! https://www.nkshop.org/
Featured image: White House
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
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
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/
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 podcast@nknews.org 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
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 stories 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 podcast@nknews.org 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
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 podcast@nknews.org 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
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.
If you have any questions about cultural production in North Korea, be sure to send them to us at podcast@nknews.org--we’ll collect the best ones and have Tatiana answer them in another episode.
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 podcast@nknews.org with proof of your username identity, to redeem your subscription.
Featured image: Pyeongyang Press Corps
During his four 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/
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 affects 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/
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 News team.
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
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
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 (Chinese), 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 Weekly and 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 nkpodcast10 at 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.
Nine years old at the start of the Korean War, Ra Jong-yil 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-yil 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
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 podcast@nknews.org 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
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 News subscription, and save $50 by using promo code “podcast” at checkout: nknews.org/signup
Featured image: Pyeongyang Press Corps
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
Featured image: Pyeongyang Press Corps
Thursday saw NK News Managing 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 podcast@nknews.org 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
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 News subscribers. For this segment, we wanted to learn more about the people who supported us from the very beginning – our NK News readers – 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 podcast@nknews.org 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.
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 podcast@nknews.org 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.
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 Kayemaye and Ivan Curtis for winning the July and August subscription giveaway! Please contact podcast@nknews.org 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 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.
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. Bronwen 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.
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.
This week, the NK News team 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 News CEO 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 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: USFK
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.
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 podcast@nknews.org 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.
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 podcast@nknews.org 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.
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 News Managing 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 podcast@nknews.org 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.
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.
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 podcast@nknews.org 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.
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 podcast@nknews.org 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.
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 $50 by using promo code "podcast" at checkout.
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
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 détente between 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 $50 by using promo code “podcast” at checkout.
Feature Image: Guiparang
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 fury” 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 News CEO 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
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 News subscription and save $50 by using promo code “podcast” at checkout: nknews.org/signup
Featured image: NK News
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 News team 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 News Bossman 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 $50 by using promo code "podcast" at checkout: nknews.org/signup
Featured image: Joint Inter-Korean Press Corps
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
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, 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.
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.
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 News CEO 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
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 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.
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
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.
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
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
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 podcast@nknews.org to redeem your free subscription, with proof of your username identity.
Featured image: U.S. Navy
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 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 podcast@nknews.org to redeem your free subscription, with proof of your username identity.
Featured image: KCNA
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 podcast@nknews.org to redeem your free subscription, with proof of your username identity.
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 podcast@nknews.org 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
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.
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.
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.
Got a suggestion for our next topic or guest? Let us know at podcast@nknews.org.
Featured image: Kremlin.ru
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.
There are thousands of news podcasts out there in the audio world, hosted by some of the world’s leading news agencies and think tanks. But there is one topic that has yet to be covered with any depth or regularity: North Korea.
To fill this void, NK News is launching a new weekly podcast this February to update readers on what we do best – getting behind the North Korea headlines with insight and analysis from some of the world’s leading experts on the country, defector voices, former residents and leading international observers.
Hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot, director of business development at HMP law firm by day and a keen North Korea watcher by night, the “North Korea News Podcast” will cover all things DPRK: from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists.
The podcast builds on the success of Kurt Achin’s work between 2014-2015 for an earlier iteration of the NK News podcast, which ran for 23 episodes and can be listened to here.
This new English language program is available directly on the NK News site, as well as on iTunes, Stitcher, SoundCloud, iHeartRadio, Youtube, and other podcast hosting directories.
“Despite global interest in North Korea issues having surged in 2017 to unprecedented levels, there is surprisingly no dedicated podcast to exploring the subject,” said Korea Risk Group managing director Chad O’Carroll.
“As the leading provider of specialist news, analysis and data on North Korea, we are looking forward to help our listeners get behind the headlines each week in this new podcast.”
In its pilot episode, NK News interviewed leading North Korea expert Andrei Lankov, the Director of Korea Risk Group and Professor at Kookmin University in Seoul. Having recently returned from a trip to Yanji, which he wrote about here, Lankov shared more details from the trip, looked at how UN sanctions are impacting the Sino-DPRK relationship, and discussed how South Korea is faring under President Moon Jae-in almost one year since his election.
Read an excerpt from the episode:
Jacco Zwetsloot: When you are in Yanji, how do you actually go about approaching a North Korean informant?
Andrei Lankov: Ten, fifteen years ago, you could basically walk into a market and come across a North Korean easily. This is ancient history now. Now you have to use your networks to establish trust and make contact.
Jacco Zwetsloot: Yanji is a city where you can find North Korean refugees escaping from North Korea but also North Korean officials. That seems like a potential volatile or dangerous mix. Are the refugees shy about talking to outsiders?
Andrei Lankov: If they have recommendations and they believe the security is reasonably good, they are talking. And I'm not talking about politics, usually. They talk about daily life, economics, etc. In this trip, I have not seen a single refugee. Last time I did, but the numbers are very small now.
Jacco Zwetsloot: Why is that?
Andrei Lankov: A few reasons. You will hear that control on the border is much tighter than before. It's true. Starting from--I remember the days in 2005 to 2008, when the border with China was essentially unprotected.
There were no fences, no patrols, no nothing on the Chinese side of the border. Anyone could go to the border and stay near the river and in winter when the river is frozen, it was quite possible to walk to North Korea. The North Koreans were much better in border control, but the Chinese didn't care. It was essentially an open border, practically the same border as the United States and Canada. But that's not the case anymore.
Listen to the full episode here:
North Korean state media released a video depicting a missile attack on the United States Capitol and the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier on Wednesday.
Government mouthpiece Arirang-Meari released the video, entitled “Within the Scope of Destruction”, in an apparent response to recent U.S. military maneuvers near the Korean peninsula.
A commentary in Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK), also reported on Thursday that the “White House and the Blue House are in the crosshairs of the gunsight of the Paektusan (Mt. Paektu) revolutionary powerful army.”
The video begins with a recording of a speech delivered by Choe Ryong Hae, a vice-chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK, at last week's Day of the Sun military parade.
“If the U.S. makes a reckless provocation against us, our revolutionary armed forces will immediately hit a merciless blow,” Choe says. “We will respond to an all-out war with an all-out war and a nuclear war with our style of a nuclear attack.”
The video features the Hwasong-7 Scud-ER, which was test launched last September, and the Pukguksong-2 (KN-15), which was launched for the first time in early February. The Scud-ER and the Pukguksong-2 are short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles, respectively.
https://www.nknews.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/arirang-meari-video.mp4
The video also showed the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) and its carrier strike group in the crosshairs of a telescopic sight, with a subtitle saying “foolish and fat animals crawling and becoming a huge target.”
After depicting what appears to be a joint amphibious training drill between the U.S. and Republic of Korea (ROK), exploding smoke shells are seen with subtitles reading: “Poor tiger moth which doesn’t know that they will die. Crawl into here if you can."
The media also shows the launch of an anti-ship cruise missile, which was covered by state media in February 2015, and what appeared to be the four Scud-ER missiles launched in early March hitting the USS Carl Vinson.
“The nuclear power of the East is envied by the world. Asia’s leading country in rockets will knock you down if you take one step towards invasion and provocation,” the subtitles read.
The video then shows footage of the Pukguksong-2 firing from a launch tube - footage first aired by Korean Central Television (KCTV) in early February. Multiple Pukguksong-2 missiles then head toward the U.S. mainland and hit the U.S. Capitol in a computer graphic simulation.
The final subtitle read: “the final collapse will begin.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFbCRbiRVSY
The provocative simulation of a North Korean attack on the U.S. mainland came the day that Commander of U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM) Harry Harris called the DPRK "the most immediate threat to the security of the U.S. and our allies in the Indo-Asia-Pacific," in a hearing of the U.S. House Committee on Armed Services.
Speaking at a hearing on “Military Assessment of the Security Challenges in the Indo-Asia-Pacific Region,” Harris said there is a “mismatch” between the rhetoric of North Korea and its capabilities, saying that it “has threatened by name Manhattan, Washington, Colorado, Australia, Hawaii.”
But the commander said that North Korea “moves closer to [its] stated goal of a pre-emptive nuclear strike capability against American cities” every time it conducts a missile or nuclear test.
“Defending our homeland is my top priority so I must assume that Kim Jong Un’s nuclear claims are true,” Harris told the panel.
“When he threatens the United States, then that's one level,” he said. “When he threatens the United States with the capability of realizing that threat, that's a different place. And when that happens, that's an ‘inflection point’ and we'll have to deal with that I believe."
In a statement submitted before the hearing, Harris said “aggressive rhetoric since the New Year...
PYONGYANG – Preparations for a military parade in Pyongyang were clearly visible on Thursday evening, with NK News observing scores of military vehicles driving slowly along closed off roads across the center of the city. The preparations come amid speculation in South Korean media on whether or not the North will conduct a military parade on Saturday and growing suspicions that if one goes ahead, Pyongyang might use it to showcase brand new missile technology. Though no official confirmation has yet been provided to a delegation of foreign journalists in the DPRK - who have been in the city since Wednesday evening - the clear presence of significant numbers of military vehicles in downtown areas strongly suggests one is likely to take place on April 15, the anniversary of founding president Kim Il Sung’s birth. NK News journalists walking from Pyongyang train station to the city’s Yanggakdo Hotel saw scores of olive green flatbed trucks carrying hundreds of armed soldiers along closed roads at around 7pm on Thursday. Southeast of the train station, NK News observed a convoy of trucks carrying special forces clad with night vision goggles, bearing war-paint camouflage on their faces and carrying what appeared to be rifles fitted with grenade launchers.
https://www.nknews.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/AUDIO-RECORDING-1.mp3 Chad O'Carroll describes the passing military convoys in real time from Pyongyang (Part 1/3) Significant numbers of vehicles carrying men armed with rocket propelled grenades (RPGs) and Type 58 assault rifles were also observed. Korean People’s Army (KPA), Navy and Airforce personnel were all visible in the convoy of vehicles, which journalists were not allowed to photograph. The convoy was witnessed by chance, following a road closure that led to buses being unable to return to the Yanggakdo hotel. Notably, due to an impasse created by the passing vehicles - sometimes multiple lanes wide - regular traffic was stopped throughout parts of the downtown area, making movement extremely difficult and even impacting diplomats who later spoke to NK News on Thursday. And at around 6pm, NK News observed hundreds of people amassing at Chung-guyok in the center of Pyongyang, with men dressed in suits and women in traditional Korean dress. Hundreds of civilians were seen practicing movements in the city’s landmark Kim Il Sung Square.
Citizens amassing in central Pyongyang at around 7pm on Thursday evening I Photo: NK News The closed roads, presence of military vehicles and observation of local citizens amassing around the city strongly suggest festivities - including a military display - will go ahead on Saturday to commemorate the anniversary. Historically, North Korea has not conducted military displays on April 15, described locally as the Day of the Sun. https://www.nknews.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/AUDIO-RECORDING-2.mp3 Chad O'Carroll describes the passing military convoys in real time from Pyongyang (Part 2/3) But as of Friday authorities in Pyongyang could still not confirm when, if at all, any parade would take place, saying they were waiting for instructions as to what journalists will be expected to see over the weekend. NK News didn’t observe any further military vehicles in Pyongyang on Friday, though a strong police presence could be heard, with sounds of sirens regularly ringing in the damp morning air. Pyongyang saw heavy rain raining later in the day, though a mixture of cloud and sun is forecast for Saturday, meaning dry and warm conditions - ideal for any possible military parade. https://www.nknews.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/AUDIO-RECORDING-3.mp3 Chad O'Carroll describes the passing military convoys in real time from Pyongyang (Part 3/3) While Pyongyang appears to be in an otherwise festive and celebratory mood, citizens remain largely unaware of growing speculation that the U.S. may be considering kinetic military strikes in the event North Korea conducts a sixth...
Night-time satellite images of the Korean peninsula – showing North Korea as a black hole surrounded by the gleaming lights of economic powerhouses like China, Japan and South Korea – have become a click-winning favorite among online media outlets.
Most recently, footage captured from the International Space Station made headlines worldwide with a raw display of disparities between North Korea and its more well-off neighbors.
But while the contrasts apparent in such footage is visually stunning, it is not very informative, according to researchers. "We don't need satellites to tell us (that) South Korea is more economically developed than North Korea," said Travis Pope at UC San Diego, adding that "simply comparing North Korea to its neighbors can be either misleading or lead one to make nothing but obvious comments". "We don't need satellites to tell us (that) South Korea is more economically developed than North Korea," But if applied correctly, analyses of night-time satellite imagery – so-called 'luminosity studies' – can fill an important knowledge-gap about a country on which information is notoriously scarce, as is illustrated by the works of a handful of researchers around the globe.
USEFUL COMPLEMENT
For countries on which socio-economic statistics are scarce – like North Korea – researchers are in want of indicators that can substitute, or at least add to, traditional data. “Luminosity might serve as a useful proxy for output because it is 'objectively' measured, is highly correlated with output, and is universally available for the world except for the high latitudes,” according to a paper written by Yale researchers Xi Chen and William Nordhaus from 2010.
Due to noise in the light signals, light density data as a proxy for Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has limited value for countries with functioning national statistical bureaus. But, according to the paper, for regions with poor data, “luminosity shows considerable promise”.
Recently, researchers have attempted to apply this to the case of North Korea. Travis Pope, along with UCSD professor Stephan Haggard, has been looking into what luminosity data from night-time satellite imagery actually says about the state of affairs in North Korea, as can be viewed in recent posts at the 'North Korea: Witness to Transformation' blog.
The data – images from the National Geophysical Data Center's (NGDC) Earth Observation Group, collected between 1992 and 2012 – are composite images, one for each year, pieced together by a range of momentary shots, allowing the observations to avoid random changes, and to pick up smaller sources of luminosity.
But there are caveats when it comes to using the data. According to Pope, among the biggest of them – a phenomenon called 'blooming' – happens when light emanating from one grid cell in the dataset 'blooms' into neighbouring cells, causing them to appear lit even when there are no light sources within them. This makes assessments about locations along national borders particularly difficult, Pope said.
There's also the issue of inter-calibration between the various compund images. Since the sensors picking up the data have not been adjusted to the same measurement standards, it becomes difficult to compare changes in absolute luminosity over time. What is possible, however, is to measure the relative share of total luminosity held by each geographic region, and look at how those ratios develop over time.
Using this method, Haggard and Pope have made approximate inferences with regards to regional developments, comparisons between cities, and urban-rural development gaps, finding increases in economic activity in and around Pyongyang, as well as in areas close to the Chinese border in recent years.
Be sure to read: North Korea by night: the technical side
ADAPTING TO SANCTIONS
In another satellite imagery-based study, Yong Suk Lee, an assistant professor at Williams College in Massachusets,
Plans by a German arms manufacturer to sell high-tech cruise missiles to South Korea has angered North Korean diplomats.
1North Korea's iconic statues of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il will remain standing even if the country collapses and it is re-unifed with the South, according to a foremost expert in North Korean current affairs.1