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 d…

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…

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 d…

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 deterr…

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 deterr…

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…

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 da…

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 da…

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 engagemen…

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 engagemen…

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 […]…

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 […]…

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 […]…

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 […]…

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 […]…

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 […]…

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 d…

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 d…

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 […]…

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 […]…

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, th…

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, th…

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 […]…

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 […]…

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 aw…

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 […]…

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 […]…

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 po…

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 […]…

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 […]…

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,…

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 th…

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 […]…

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 […]…

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 Nor…

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 […]…

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 mi…

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