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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.
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