North Korea News Podcast by NK News
Episodes
North Korea’s impact on the South Korean general election – Ep. 337
10 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 i...
The challenges of archiving North Korea’s volatile media – Ep. 336
03 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Russia controversially vetoed a resolution to maintain the U.N. Panel of Experts on North Korea last week. NK News correspondent Shreyas Reddy (@shrey...
How North Korea rinses the dirty proceeds of its cyber heists – Ep. 335
27 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
North Korea continues to process cargo through a border disinfection facility established during the pandemic despite taking steps to ease COVID-19 co...
How dictatorship shapes the politics of the North Korean diaspora – Ep. 334
20 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 Edito...
North Korea’s unexpected response to US-ROK military exercises – Ep. 333
13 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S. and South Korea launched large-scale springtime military exercises to practice “neutralizing” North Korean nuclear threats this month. Py...
What the UN’s role in North Korea will look like going forward – Ep. 332
06 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
North Korea marked the fifth anniversary of leader Kim Jong Un’s trip to Vietnam by highlighting relations between Pyongyang and Hanoi, while making...
How a ‘new Cold War’ is making North Korea more risk-averse – Ep. 331
28 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 firs...
What Kim Jong Un’s appearances can tell us about the DPRK regime – Ep. 330
21 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korea’s leader, raised the possibility of engagement between Pyongyang and Tokyo last week but caveated...
Analyzing the US-ROK alliance’s impact on North Korea’s policies – Ep. 329
14 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
How North Korea started spat between Moscow and Seoul – Ep. 328
07 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Has Kim Jong Un really made a strategic decision to go to war? – Ep. 327
31 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Some three weeks ago, longtime North Korea watchers Robert Carlin and Siegfried Hecker set off alarm bells from Washington to Seoul when they asserted...
Covering North Korea and Kim Jong Un’s elite female entourage – Ep. 326
24 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
North Korea appears to have demolished a large monument in Pyongyang symbolizing hope for reunification with South Korea, following orders from Kim Jo...
Collecting evidence of North Korea’s human rights violations – Ep. 325
17 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
North Korean propaganda websites targeting South Korea suddenly started to disappear from the internet last week, after leader Kim Jong Un declared in...
The role of translation in shedding light on North Korea – Ep. 324
10 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Dissecting Kim Jong Un’s plenum speech on North Korea’s 2024 plans – Ep. 323
03 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
What over 100 experts think about North Korea’s next steps – Ep. 322
27 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Communicating with North Korea through faxes and phone calls – Ep. 321
20 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
North Korea launched two missiles within just ten hours of each other this week, including an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that state med...
What we know about Kim Jong Un’s daughter, one year after her reveal – Ep. 320
13 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
November marked one year since North Korean leader Kim Jong Un first introduced his daughter to the world — and in the process sparked widespread sp...
Behind the scenes of the US approach to North Korea – Ep. 319
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 g...
The role of the UN Command in keeping peace with North Korea – Ep. 318
29 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
South Korea partially withdrew from an inter-Korean military agreement over North Korea’s successful launch of a reconnaissance satellite last week....
North Korea’s successful satellite launch and what it means – Ep. 317
24 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Filming treacherous defections from North Korea – Ep. 316
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
North Korea claimed it successfully launched a rocket carrying a military spy satellite late Tuesday night. NK News Deputy Managing Editor Alannah Hil...
The growing evidence of North Korean weapons trade with Russia – Ep. 315
15 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Divisions over how to tackle North Korean human rights issues – Ep. 314
08 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The U.N. Panel of Experts overseeing DPRK sanctions released its latest report this month. NK News correspondent Shreyas Reddy (@shreyas_k_reddy) sits...
The intertwined histories of the two Koreas, and what the future holds – Ep. 313
01 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 missio...
Korean Americans’ messages to long-lost relatives in North Korea – Ep. 312
25 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 an...
North Korea’s rapidly changing media landscape – Ep. 311
18 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Photos released Friday by the Israeli military and media outlets show that Hamas likely used North Korea-made weapons in its offensive against Israel....
How North Korea is weighing in on Hamas attacks on Israel – Ep. 310
11 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
North Korea’s ruling party daily the Rodong Sinmun weighed in on the conflict between Israel and Hamas, blaming the violence on Israel’s “ceasel...
How outside information spreads in North Korea – Ep. 309
04 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 acr...
Driving change in North Korea through people, not the regime – Ep. 308
27 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
South Korea showed off its tanks, drones and missile defense systems in a “street march” through central Seoul on Tuesday afternoon. NK News Deput...
What to make of Kim Jong Un’s second summit with Vladimir Putin – Ep. 307
20 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Lessons from four decades shaping US policy on North Korea – Ep. 306
13 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Why Kim Jong Un might want to discuss weapons sales with Putin – Ep. 305
06 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Reports that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could soon travel to Russia for a summit with Vladimir Putin made international headlines this week, foll...
Inside the UN Panel of Experts overseeing North Korea sanctions – Ep. 304
30 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 Cor...
How one activist helps North Koreans grow their own food – Ep. 303
23 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
North Korea’s imitation of foreign brands, from Choco Pie to Dior – Ep. 302
16 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 year...
The FBI investigation into Virgil Griffith, crypto guru to North Korea – Ep. 301
09 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Both China and North Korea have increased security along their border in recent years, making it much more difficult for DPRK escapees to avoid captur...
North Korea welcomes special guests for a ‘Victory Day’ parade – Ep. 300
01 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 h...
The American prisoners of war left behind in North Korea – Ep. 299
26 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
What’s next for the American soldier who crossed into North Korea – Ep. 298
19 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 thr...
North Korean threats over US planes, DPRK internet access and more – Ep. 297
12 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 Chie...
An interview with John Bolton, hardliner on North Korea – Ep. 296
05 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol announced his nominee for unification minister last week, but his pick for the role overseeing inter-Korean excha...
The Wagner Group and North Korea, Seoul under DPRK rule and more – Ep. 295
28 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Seoul sues North Korea, inter-Korean naval tensions and more – Ep. 294
21 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
North Korea dramatically destroyed an inter-Korean liaison office near the border in anger over ROK activists’ leafleting in 2020, and now three yea...
Why North Korea barely moves the needle for South Korean voters – Ep. 293
14 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 th...
What went wrong with North Korea’s spy satellite launch – Ep. 292
07 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The last several weeks have seen major developments on the Korean Peninsula, most notably North Korea’s botched satellite launch that triggered “w...
Evacuation warnings in Seoul, North Korean children’s books and more – Ep. 291
31 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Seoul residents awoke to the sound of evacuation sirens and shrill emergency text alerts on Wednesday, after North Korea launched a military spy satel...
How a US ambassador navigated North Korean tumult – Ep. 290
23 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 nuclea...
Helping North Koreans by promoting reform from within – Ep. 289
16 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
The bumpy road ahead for inter-Korean relations – Ep. 288
09 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
North Korea’s strategy for coping with the consequences of nukes – Ep. 287
02 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 tru...
What the US-ROK summit means for North Korea – Ep. 286
28 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ne...
The ‘nuclear warrior’ making the case for ending the Korean War – Ep. 285
25 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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-yea...
How learning English empowers North Korean refugees – Ep. 284
18 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Eunju Kim was a victim of human trafficking after she fled North Korea, spending three years in China in the house of a man who purchased her and her ...
Will North Korean missiles rain down on the Day of the Sun? – Ep. 283
11 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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....
Mount Paektu: North Korea’s sacred mountain and active volcano – Ep. 282
04 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 l...
The limits to what UN aid agencies can do to help North Korea – Ep. 281
28 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Few populations in the world need more help than North Koreans. Chronic food insecurity, poor sanitation and hygiene practices, inadequate infrastruct...
The North Korean victims of US atomic bombings on Japan – Ep. 280
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 thei...
An inside look at the Joint Security Area, ‘freedom’s frontier’ – Ep. 279
14 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Why North Korea’s state ideology appeals to some in Africa – Ep. 278
07 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For decades, North Korea has stressed the virtues of self-reliance, eschewing more robust ties with the outside world in favor of greater autonomy, ev...
Promoting creative engagement with North Korea – Ep. 277
28 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
North Korea has refused nearly all diplomatic outreach since mid-2019, choosing instead to go full bore into weapons development while pledging never ...
An unprecedented look inside North Korea’s nuclear facilities – Ep. 276
21 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ato...
Why the Korean War was actually two separate conflicts – Ep. 275
14 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When North Korea invaded the South in 1950, it triggered a brutal three-year war that killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions. But Da...
New missile and Kim Jong Un’s daughter steal show at military parade – Ep. 274
10 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
North Korea celebrated the 75th anniversary of its army on Wednesday, revealing a new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile and showing off mo...
Imagining worst case scenarios on the Korean Peninsula – Ep. 273
31 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 2...
Distinguishing between North Korea humanitarianism and human rights – Ep. 272
24 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Improving the lives of the North Korean people and ensuring they can exercise universal rights and liberties are among the most important tasks for in...
The defector who snuck into North Korea to save his mother – Ep. 271
17 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
How North Korea’s drones increase risk of inter-Korean conflict – Ep. 270
10 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Multiple North Korean drones entered ROK airspace and even breached a no-fly zone near the presidential office late last year, prompting Seoul to orde...
What the blob really thinks about North Korea in 2023 – Ep. 269
03 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
The best and worst books on North Korea in 2022 — Ep. 268
27 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 wher...
What drives North Korean missile testing — Ep. 267
20 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Throughout this year, North Korea has repeatedly framed its weapons tests as simple reactions to U.S.-ROK efforts to restart military exercises and bo...
One man’s project to overthrow the Kim regime — Ep. 266
13 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Kim Jong Un’s daughter steals spotlight from DPRK’s biggest missile – Ep. 265
06 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tension remained elevated on the peninsula in November as North Korea continued an array of weapons tests, including its first successful launch of it...
Deconstructing the US’ ‘hostile policy’ toward North Korea – Ep. 264
29 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 complet...
A deep dive into the delicate ceasefire agreement with North Korea – Ep. 263
22 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For nearly 70 years, a delicate ceasefire has prevailed between the two Koreas through cycle after cycle of tensions. But the Korean War Armistice Agr...
The fuzzy, contentious division of the Koreas at sea — Ep. 262
15 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 r...
What to make of North Korea’s historic week of missile tests – Ep. 261
08 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 wa...
What North Korea can learn from Southeast Asia – Ep. 260
01 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
While officially communist, North Korea’s economy has been a strange hybrid of socialist and capitalist elements for decades now. Millions in the co...
Africa to North Korea: Growing up under Kim Il Sung’s fatherly care – Ep. 259
25 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Rollerblading through Kim Il Sung Square – Ep. 258
18 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 Kor...
Are North Korea’s missile tests building up to something big? – Ep. 257
11 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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...
A peace-first, pro-diplomacy approach to North Korea – Ep. 256
04 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 Wa...
What the CIA knows (and doesn’t know) about North Korea – Ep. 255
27 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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. Stat...
Unplugging from the North Korean matrix – Ep. 254
20 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 tr...
How nuclear weapons help North Korea punch above its weight – Ep. 253
13 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
North Korea is a small country, with a tiny economy and rigid political system, squeezed between much larger, richer nations. And yet its nuclear weap...
North Korea declares COVID victory and lashes out at US-ROK drills – Ep. 252
06 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 miss...
Why it’s in America’s interest to withdraw troops from Korea – Ep. 251
30 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Why North Korean comic books don’t have superheroes – Ep. 250
23 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Over the last four years, Jacco Zwetsloot has hosted 249 episodes of the NK News podcast, interviewing everyone from longtime Korea watchers and promi...
When North Korea invited East German secret police to Pyongyang – Ep. 249
16 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 s...
North Korea threatens death penalty for illegal drug sales – Ep. 248
09 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
July was a busy month on the Korean Peninsula. The South Korean government launched an investigation into the 2019 forced repatriation of two North Ko...
Up close and personal at the Demilitarized Zone – Ep. 247
02 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, NK News podcast host Jacco Zwetsloot returns to what some call “freedom’s frontier,” better known as the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) sep...
Emerging North Korean threats in cyber and outer space – Ep. 246
26 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Threat dynamics on the Korean Peninsula are rapidly evolving. North Korea has proven extremely capable in cyberspace, compromising sensitive systems a...
How Sweden created a safe space for North Korea talks – NKNews Podcast Ep. 245
19 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 futur...
North Korea blames ‘alien things’ for COVID-19 outbreak – NKNews Podcast Ep. 244
12 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Life inside the pro-North Korea enclave in Japan – NKNews Podcast Ep. 243
05 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 clas...
North Korea’s invented histories – NKNews Podcast Ep. 242
28 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When the war in Ukraine broke out earlier this year, Russian leader Vladimir Putin justified his country’s invasion as an effort to “denazify” i...
The untold story of Kim Jong Un’s older brother – NKNews Podcast Ep. 241
21 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Lured to North Korea on false promises – NKNews Podcast Ep. 240
14 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 prom...
Debating nukes a stone’s throw from North Korea – NKNews Podcast Ep. 239
07 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 watcher...
Inside North Korea’s Lazarus heist hack — NKNews Podcast Ep. 238
31 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
North Korea has rapidly expanded its cyber capabilities over the last decade, from marginal operations focused on distributed denial-of-service (DDoS)...