Stay ConnectedThe NK 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 own staff. We welcome both generalist and specialist audiences interested in knowing more about the Korean Peninsula.
The full podcast is available to NK News subscribers.
Sign up today at NK News
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.
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
