North Korea News Podcast

Rowan Beard and Greg Vaczi: The return of Western tourism to North Korea Feb 20, 2025

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.

Kim’s redevelopment plans, Trump’s fund freeze and tour companies in North Korea Feb 18, 2025

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.

Thomas Stock: North Korea’s call for peace as a means of propaganda Feb 13, 2025

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.

Opposition leader on DPRK, Russian envoy’s interview and US-Japan nuclear pledge Feb 11, 2025

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.

Dan Gudgeon: How South Korea’s language on North Korea shapes peace narrative Feb 06, 2025

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’s criticism of Trump official and key DPRK officers killed in Kursk Feb 04, 2025

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.

Kap Seol: How North Korea’s troop dispatch to Russia has exacerbated proxy war Jan 30, 2025

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 Uprising Kap 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’s sea-to-surface missile launch and ROK spy agency allegations Jan 28, 2025

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.

Lyle Goldstein: Why Trump needs to engage North Korea to lower tensions Jan 23, 2025

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.

Kim Jong Un’s message to troops, Yoon’s arrest and Kim Yo Jong’s statement Jan 21, 2025

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.

Predicting 2025: What’s in store for North Korea in the year to come Jan 16, 2025

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 Kim The 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.

North Korean soldiers’ testimony from Ukraine and Kim Jong Un’s development push Jan 14, 2025

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.

Andrei Lankov: Why North Korean troops won’t make a difference in Ukraine war Jan 09, 2025

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’s upgraded hypersonic missile, and the year-end party plenum Jan 07, 2025

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.

Jingwu Fang: How a ‘third’ Korea formed on the North Korea-China border Jan 02, 2025

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 status of North Korea’s foreign community, five years after pandemic began Dec 31, 2024

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 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.

Year-end special: A look back at the most compelling North Korea stories of 2024 Dec 26, 2024

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.

North Korean troops’ fake IDs, and what’s left of the DPRK Embassy in Damascus Dec 24, 2024

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.

Hanna Song: How to ensure North Korean voices are not forgotten Dec 19, 2024

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.

North Korean soldiers killed in Kursk, martial law fallout and Russian trains Dec 17, 2024

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.

Kathi Zellweger: The life of a humanitarian worker in North Korea Dec 12, 2024

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.

Martial law revelations, commander-in-chief confusion and North Korea’s response Dec 10, 2024

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.

Examining the fallout from Yoon Suk-yeol’s shocking declaration of martial law Dec 04, 2024

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.

Balloon ban, border fencing and broadcasting television into North Korea Dec 03, 2024

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.

Urs Gerber: Why inter-Korean relations are back to square one Nov 28, 2024

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.

North Korea blasts US support for Ukraine, and Russia sends new air defenses Nov 26, 2024

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.

Sean King: Why Trump’s reelection could see Kim Jong Un visit the White House Nov 21, 2024

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.

How North Korean troops in Russia have changed peninsula dynamics Nov 19, 2024

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.

Minjung Kim: The Ten Principles that govern the lives of North Koreans Nov 14, 2024

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.

Fake news about North Korean troops, and a Russian attack on ROK websites Nov 12, 2024

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.

What Donald Trump’s return means for North Korea and Kim Jong Un Nov 08, 2024

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 Zwirko 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 new missile, fighting in Kursk and the end of the Juche calendar Nov 05, 2024

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.

Bruce Klingner: What a second Trump presidency would mean for the peninsula Oct 31, 2024

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.

North Korean soldiers in Kursk, ROK retaliation and propaganda leaflets in Seoul Oct 29, 2024

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.

Roman Husarski: How North Koreans practice religion in the atheistic state Oct 24, 2024

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.

Examining evidence of North Korean troop deployments to the war in Ukraine Oct 22, 2024

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: Why North Korea’s claims should be taken at face value Oct 17, 2024

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.

Breaking down North Korea’s claims about alleged South Korean drone incursion Oct 15, 2024

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: A woman’s journey from North Korea to British politics Oct 10, 2024

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.

Seoul’s ‘monster missile’ and a defector’s attempt to return to North Korea Oct 08, 2024

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: Why a ‘peace regime’ must come before unification with North Korea Oct 03, 2024

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.

Japan’s new leader, Kim Yo Jong slams Zelensky and advisory on DPRK IT workers Oct 01, 2024

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: How USB flash drives can empower North Koreans Sep 26, 2024

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.

New North Korean missile, Vietnamese visitors and more trash balloons Sep 24, 2024

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.

John Everard: Deciphering rumors about return of more diplomats to North Korea Sep 19, 2024

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 Korea’s secret uranium enrichment site, a Swedish return and more Sep 17, 2024

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.S She 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.

David Fields: What road traffic reveals about North Korea’s economy Sep 12, 2024

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 Korea’s new naval base, Seoul’s pro-nuke defense chief and trash balloons Sep 10, 2024

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.

Bo Ram Kwon: How cooperation with Russia has emboldened North Korea Sep 05, 2024

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’s foundation day, top diplomat at UN and return of foreign teachers Sep 03, 2024

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.

Decker Eveleth: Scrutinizing North Korea’s nuclear missiles from the sky Aug 29, 2024

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 Korea’s new suicide drones, and Russian students in Pyongyang Aug 27, 2024

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.

Marcel Dirsus: What makes North Korea’s dictatorship unique from others Aug 22, 2024

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.

Yoon’s new vision for unification with North Korea and US-ROK summer drills Aug 20, 2024

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.

Rob York: How the Global South views North Korean human rights Aug 15, 2024

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 expert arrested for spying, and overachieving DPRK Olympians Aug 13, 2024

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.

Donald Kirk: How Seoul secretly paid for a summit with North Korea Aug 08, 2024

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 missiles to border, catastrophic floods and arms factory expansion Aug 06, 2024

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: Discovering the city where North Korea, China and Russia collide Aug 02, 2024

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 Olympic hopes, a $10M FBI bounty and a fond farewell Jul 30, 2024

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.

Roundtable: What to make of North Korea expert Sue Mi Terry’s indictment Jul 25, 2024

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.

ROK turns up loudspeakers, a North Korean diplomat’s testimony and defector art Jul 23, 2024

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 Jaechun: Why unification is only possible with North Korean people’s support Jul 18, 2024

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.

Kim Yo Jong threats, a North Korean eatery in Mongolia and aid workers return Jul 17, 2024

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: Why North Korea’s unification rejection shocked Koreans in Japan Jul 11, 2024

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 Yo Jong slams ROK border drills, Russian kids to visit North Korea Jul 09, 2024

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: Why Korean reunification could happen tomorrow Jul 04, 2024

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’s plenum, new Kim Jong Un pins and rumors of DPRK troops in Ukraine Jul 02, 2024

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.

Eric Foley: Why it’s better to launch balloons into North Korea under the radar Jun 27, 2024

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.

More North Korean balloons and border incursions after Kim-Putin summit Jun 26, 2024

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.

NK News Team: Deciphering North Korea’s new treaty with Russia Jun 20, 2024

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.

Putin’s looming visit to North Korea, inter-Korean border tensions and more Jun 18, 2024

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.

Daniel Pinkston: How North Korea uses technology to control its citizens Jun 13, 2024

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.

ROK restarts propaganda loudspeakers, and North Korean construction inside DMZ Jun 11, 2024

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.

Peter Moody: North Korean pop propaganda, girl groups and lyric revisionism Jun 06, 2024

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 Korean trash balloons, Kim Yo Jong snark and Seoul’s loudspeaker threats Jun 04, 2024

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.

Why the US seeks dialogue with North Korea on human rights – Ep. 344 May 29, 2024

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.

The surprising similarities between North Korea and Taiwan – Ep. 343 May 22, 2024

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.

How North Korea uses feature films as a social weapon – Ep. 342 May 15, 2024

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.

What Russia has to gain by killing the UN panel on North Korea – Ep. 341 May 08, 2024

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.

Why North Korea has embraced sustainable development – Ep. 340 May 01, 2024

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.

One man’s mission to map all of North Korea – Ep. 339 Apr 24, 2024

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.

The ups and downs of negotiating with North Koreans – Ep. 338 Apr 17, 2024

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.

North Korea’s impact on the South Korean general election – Ep. 337 Apr 10, 2024

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.

The challenges of archiving North Korea’s volatile media – Ep. 336 Apr 03, 2024

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.

How North Korea rinses the dirty proceeds of its cyber heists – Ep. 335 Mar 27, 2024

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.

How dictatorship shapes the politics of the North Korean diaspora – Ep. 334 Mar 20, 2024

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.

North Korea’s unexpected response to US-ROK military exercises – Ep. 333 Mar 13, 2024

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.

What the UN’s role in North Korea will look like going forward – Ep. 332 Mar 06, 2024

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.

How a ‘new Cold War’ is making North Korea more risk-averse – Ep. 331 Feb 28, 2024

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.

What Kim Jong Un’s appearances can tell us about the DPRK regime – Ep. 330 Feb 21, 2024

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.

Analyzing the US-ROK alliance’s impact on North Korea’s policies – Ep. 329 Feb 14, 2024

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.

How North Korea started spat between Moscow and Seoul – Ep. 328 Feb 07, 2024

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.

Has Kim Jong Un really made a strategic decision to go to war? – Ep. 327 Jan 31, 2024

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.

Covering North Korea and Kim Jong Un’s elite female entourage – Ep. 326 Jan 24, 2024

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.

Collecting evidence of North Korea’s human rights violations – Ep. 325 Jan 17, 2024

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.

The role of translation in shedding light on North Korea – Ep. 324 Jan 10, 2024

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.

Dissecting Kim Jong Un’s plenum speech on North Korea’s 2024 plans – Ep. 323 Jan 03, 2024

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.

What over 100 experts think about North Korea’s next steps – Ep. 322 Dec 27, 2023

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.

Communicating with North Korea through faxes and phone calls – Ep. 321 Dec 20, 2023

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.

What we know about Kim Jong Un’s daughter, one year after her reveal – Ep. 320 Dec 13, 2023

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 capital Plus, 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 Smith 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.

Behind the scenes of the US approach to North Korea – Ep. 319 Dec 06, 2023

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.

The role of the UN Command in keeping peace with North Korea – Ep. 318 Nov 29, 2023

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.

North Korea’s successful satellite launch and what it means – Ep. 317 Nov 24, 2023

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.

Filming treacherous defections from North Korea – Ep. 316 Nov 22, 2023

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.

The growing evidence of North Korean weapons trade with Russia – Ep. 315 Nov 15, 2023

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.

Divisions over how to tackle North Korean human rights issues – Ep. 314 Nov 08, 2023

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 intertwined histories of the two Koreas, and what the future holds – Ep. 313 Nov 01, 2023

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.

Korean Americans’ messages to long-lost relatives in North Korea – Ep. 312 Oct 25, 2023

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.

North Korea’s rapidly changing media landscape – Ep. 311 Oct 18, 2023

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.

How North Korea is weighing in on Hamas attacks on Israel – Ep. 310 Oct 11, 2023

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.

How outside information spreads in North Korea – Ep. 309 Oct 04, 2023

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.

Driving change in North Korea through people, not the regime – Ep. 308 Sep 27, 2023

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.

What to make of Kim Jong Un’s second summit with Vladimir Putin – Ep. 307 Sep 20, 2023

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.

Lessons from four decades shaping US policy on North Korea – Ep. 306 Sep 13, 2023

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.

Why Kim Jong Un might want to discuss weapons sales with Putin – Ep. 305 Sep 06, 2023

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.

Inside the UN Panel of Experts overseeing North Korea sanctions – Ep. 304 Aug 30, 2023

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.

How one activist helps North Koreans grow their own food – Ep. 303 Aug 23, 2023

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. A documentary on his work 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.

North Korea’s imitation of foreign brands, from Choco Pie to Dior – Ep. 302 Aug 16, 2023

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.

The FBI investigation into Virgil Griffith, crypto guru to North Korea – Ep. 301 Aug 09, 2023

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 welcomes special guests for a ‘Victory Day’ parade – Ep. 300 Aug 01, 2023

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.

The American prisoners of war left behind in North Korea – Ep. 299 Jul 26, 2023

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.

What’s next for the American soldier who crossed into North Korea – Ep. 298 Jul 19, 2023

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 Korean threats over US planes, DPRK internet access and more – Ep. 297 Jul 12, 2023

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.

An interview with John Bolton, hardliner on North Korea – Ep. 296 Jul 05, 2023

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 and North Korea, Seoul under DPRK rule and more – Ep. 295 Jun 28, 2023

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 Changchun 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.

Seoul sues North Korea, inter-Korean naval tensions and more – Ep. 294 Jun 21, 2023

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.

Why North Korea barely moves the needle for South Korean voters – Ep. 293 Jun 14, 2023

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.

What went wrong with North Korea’s spy satellite launch – Ep. 292 Jun 07, 2023

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.

Evacuation warnings in Seoul, North Korean children’s books and more – Ep. 291 May 31, 2023

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.

How a US ambassador navigated North Korean tumult – Ep. 290 May 23, 2023

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.

Helping North Koreans by promoting reform from within – Ep. 289 May 16, 2023

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.

The bumpy road ahead for inter-Korean relations – Ep. 288 May 09, 2023

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.

North Korea’s strategy for coping with the consequences of nukes – Ep. 287 May 02, 2023

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 Taeho 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. Taeho 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.

What the US-ROK summit means for North Korea – Ep. 286 Apr 28, 2023

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 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 ‘nuclear warrior’ making the case for ending the Korean War – Ep. 285 Apr 25, 2023

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.

How learning English empowers North Korean refugees – Ep. 284 Apr 18, 2023

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 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.

Will North Korean missiles rain down on the Day of the Sun? – Ep. 283 Apr 11, 2023

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: North Korea’s sacred mountain and active volcano – Ep. 282 Apr 04, 2023

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.

The limits to what UN aid agencies can do to help North Korea – Ep. 281 Mar 28, 2023

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.

The North Korean victims of US atomic bombings on Japan – Ep. 280 Mar 21, 2023

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.

An inside look at the Joint Security Area, ‘freedom’s frontier’ – Ep. 279 Mar 14, 2023

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." Interested in a free annual subscription to NK News and helping us make a better podcast? We'd love to know what you would to hear. Click here and fill out the survey for a chance to win. 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.

Why North Korea’s state ideology appeals to some in Africa – Ep. 278 Mar 07, 2023

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.

Promoting creative engagement with North Korea – Ep. 277 Feb 28, 2023

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.

An unprecedented look inside North Korea’s nuclear facilities – Ep. 276 Feb 21, 2023

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.

Why the Korean War was actually two separate conflicts – Ep. 275 Feb 14, 2023

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=zUj3pfqcGY8 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.

New missile and Kim Jong Un’s daughter steal show at military parade – Ep. 274 Feb 10, 2023

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-archive 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.

Imagining worst case scenarios on the Korean Peninsula – Ep. 273 Jan 31, 2023

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.

Distinguishing between North Korea humanitarianism and human rights – Ep. 272 Jan 24, 2023

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=10.1080/01436597.2022.2141217 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 defector who snuck into North Korea to save his mother – Ep. 271 Jan 17, 2023

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.

How North Korea’s drones increase risk of inter-Korean conflict – Ep. 270 Jan 10, 2023

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 II 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.

What the blob really thinks about North Korea in 2023 – Ep. 269 Jan 03, 2023

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 SURVEY U.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 best and worst books on North Korea in 2022 — Ep. 268 Dec 27, 2022

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.

What drives North Korean missile testing — Ep. 267 Dec 20, 2022

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.

One man’s project to overthrow the Kim regime — Ep. 266 Dec 13, 2022

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.

Kim Jong Un’s daughter steals spotlight from DPRK’s biggest missile – Ep. 265 Dec 06, 2022

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.

Deconstructing the US’ ‘hostile policy’ toward North Korea – Ep. 264 Nov 29, 2022

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.

A deep dive into the delicate ceasefire agreement with North Korea – Ep. 263 Nov 22, 2022

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.

The fuzzy, contentious division of the Koreas at sea — Ep. 262 Nov 15, 2022

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.

What to make of North Korea’s historic week of missile tests – Ep. 261 Nov 08, 2022

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.

What North Korea can learn from Southeast Asia – Ep. 260 Nov 01, 2022

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.

Africa to North Korea: Growing up under Kim Il Sung’s fatherly care – Ep. 259 Oct 25, 2022

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.

Rollerblading through Kim Il Sung Square – Ep. 258 Oct 18, 2022

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.

Are North Korea’s missile tests building up to something big? – Ep. 257 Oct 11, 2022

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.

A peace-first, pro-diplomacy approach to North Korea – Ep. 256 Oct 04, 2022

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.

What the CIA knows (and doesn’t know) about North Korea – Ep. 255 Sep 27, 2022

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.

Unplugging from the North Korean matrix – Ep. 254 Sep 20, 2022

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.

How nuclear weapons help North Korea punch above its weight – Ep. 253 Sep 13, 2022

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.

North Korea declares COVID victory and lashes out at US-ROK drills – Ep. 252 Sep 06, 2022

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.

Why it’s in America’s interest to withdraw troops from Korea – Ep. 251 Aug 30, 2022

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.

Why North Korean comic books don’t have superheroes – Ep. 250 Aug 23, 2022

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.

When North Korea invited East German secret police to Pyongyang – Ep. 249 Aug 16, 2022

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.

North Korea threatens death penalty for illegal drug sales – Ep. 248 Aug 09, 2022

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.

Up close and personal at the Demilitarized Zone – Ep. 247 Aug 02, 2022

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.

Emerging North Korean threats in cyber and outer space – Ep. 246 Jul 26, 2022

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.

How Sweden created a safe space for North Korea talks – NKNews Podcast Ep. 245 Jul 19, 2022

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.

North Korea blames ‘alien things’ for COVID-19 outbreak – NKNews Podcast Ep. 244 Jul 12, 2022

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.

Life inside the pro-North Korea enclave in Japan – NKNews Podcast Ep. 243 Jul 05, 2022

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.

North Korea’s invented histories – NKNews Podcast Ep. 242 Jun 28, 2022

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 untold story of Kim Jong Un’s older brother – NKNews Podcast Ep. 241 Jun 21, 2022

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.

Lured to North Korea on false promises – NKNews Podcast Ep. 240 Jun 14, 2022

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.

Debating nukes a stone’s throw from North Korea – NKNews Podcast Ep. 239 Jun 07, 2022

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.

Inside North Korea’s Lazarus heist hack — NKNews Podcast Ep. 238 May 31, 2022

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.

Exploring North Korea from south of the DMZ – NKNews Podcast Ep. 237 May 24, 2022

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.

North Korea reports first-ever COVID-19 outbreak – NKNews Podcast Ep. 236 May 16, 2022

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.

Exploring North Korean art in Africa – NKNews Podcast Ep. 235 May 10, 2022

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.

Visiting a remote island on North Korea’s doorstep – NKNews Podcast Ep. 234 May 03, 2022

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 complexities of solving the North Korea issue – NKNews Podcast Ep. 233 Apr 26, 2022

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.

What Kim Il Sung shares with Hitler, Mao and Stalin – NKNews Podcast Ep. 232 Apr 19, 2022

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 first American to visit North Korea’s nuclear plant – NKNews Podcast Ep. 231 Apr 12, 2022

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.

Why North Koreans don’t have time to pursue hobbies – NKNews Podcast Ep. 230 Apr 05, 2022

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’s ICBM test and what comes next – NKNews Podcast Ep. 229 Mar 29, 2022

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.

North Korea goes viral on YouTube – NKNews Podcast Ep. 228 Mar 22, 2022

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.

A Swiss mountain lover explores North Korea’s peaks – NKNews Podcast Ep. 227 Mar 15, 2022

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.

Is North Korea’s ultimate goal to conquer the South? – NKNews Podcast Ep. 226 Mar 10, 2022

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.

How North Korea has responded to the war in Ukraine – NKNews Podcast Ep. 225 Mar 08, 2022

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.

Tracking state killings under Kim Jong Un – NKNews Podcast Ep. 224 Mar 01, 2022

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.

The Unification movement and opening up North Korea – NKNews Podcast Ep. 223 Feb 22, 2022

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.

The man who invented North Korea’s Juche ideology – NKNews Podcast Ep. 222 Feb 15, 2022

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.

A journalist detained in North Korea – NKNews Podcast Ep. 221 Feb 08, 2022

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.

Why is North Korea testing so many missiles? – NKNews Podcast Ep. 220 Feb 01, 2022

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.

The ‘rookie mistakes’ of Trump-Kim diplomacy – NKNews Podcast Ep. 219 Jan 25, 2022

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.

Missile tests, train shipments and redefection, oh my! – NKNews Podcast Ep. 218 Jan 18, 2022

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 ministry veterans promoting Korean peace – NKNews Podcast Ep. 217 Jan 11, 2022

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.

Opening the first US news bureau in North Korea – NKNews Podcast Ep. 216 Jan 04, 2022

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.

The biggest North Korea stories of 2021 – NKNews Podcast Ep. 215 Dec 28, 2021

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.

Seeing past North Korean propaganda – NKNews Podcast Ep. 214 Dec 21, 2021

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.

Broadcasting live from Pyongyang – NKNews Podcast Ep. 213 Dec 14, 2021

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.

Has ‘Squid Game’ been smuggled into North Korea? – NKNews Podcast Ep. 212 Dec 08, 2021

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.

The dangerous appeal of North Korean culture – NKNews Podcast Ep. 211 Nov 30, 2021

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.

North Korea’s response to global warming – NKNews Podcast Ep. 210 Nov 23, 2021

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.

Female breadwinners in North Korean households – NKNews Podcast Ep. 209 Nov 16, 2021

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.

North Korea rumblings in European capitals – NKNews Podcast Ep. 208 Nov 09, 2021

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.

The many lives of Yeonmi Park – NKNews Podcast Ep. 207 Nov 02, 2021

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.

Investigating the Daejeon Massacre – NKNews Podcast Ep. 206 Oct 26, 2021

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.

Repatriating US soldiers’ remains from North Korea – NKNews Podcast Ep. 205 Oct 19, 2021

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.

North Korean human rights abuses and reunification – NKNews Podcast Ep. 204 Oct 12, 2021

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 freewheeling, ‘Ask Me Anything’ special – NKNews Podcast Ep. 203 Oct 05, 2021

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.

The shared future of the two Koreas – NKNews Podcast Ep. 202 Sep 28, 2021

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.

North Korean nukes, sanctions and the United Nations – NKNews Podcast Ep. 201 Sep 21, 2021

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.

A 200th episode roundtable – NKNews Podcast Ep. 200 Sep 14, 2021

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.

A Canadian detained in China – NKNews Podcast Ep. 199 Sep 05, 2021

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.

Creativity and propaganda in North Korean music – NKNews Podcast Ep. 198 Aug 31, 2021

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.

Failing to foresee China’s entry into the Korean War – NKNews Podcast Ep. 197 Aug 24, 2021

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.

Pyongyang or bust: DPRK tourism and the pandemic – NKNews Podcast Ep. 196 Aug 17, 2021

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.

Telling North Korean resettlers’ stories with fashion – NKNews Podcast Ep. 195 Aug 10, 2021

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.

How Trump brought Korea to the brink of nuclear war – NKNews Podcast Ep. 194 Aug 03, 2021

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.

Front row at the Korean War armistice talks – NKNews Podcast Ep. 193 Jul 27, 2021

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.

Working with the disabled in North Korea – NKNews Podcast Ep. 192 Jul 21, 2021

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.

An interview with Stephen Biegun – NKNews Podcast Ep. 191 Jul 14, 2021

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.

Laughing along with North Korean comedy films – NKNews Podcast Ep. 190 Jul 06, 2021

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.

When Trump visited the DMZ – NKNews Podcast Ep. 189 Jun 29, 2021

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/

Crazy price fluctuations in Pyongyang – NKNews Podcast Ep. 188 Jun 18, 2021

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.

Documenting human rights abuses in North Korea – NKNews Podcast Ep. 187 Jun 15, 2021

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.

Teaching entrepreneurship in North Korea – NKNews Podcast Ep. 186 Jun 08, 2021

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.

Two years in Pyongyang – NKNews Podcast Ep. 185 Jun 01, 2021

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.

What happened at the Moon-Biden summit – NKNews Podcast Ep. 184 May 25, 2021

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.

How the hardliners prevailed in North Korea – NKNews Podcast Ep. 183 May 18, 2021

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.

H. R. McMaster on North Korea and denuclearization – NKNews Podcast Ep. 182 May 11, 2021

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.

Biden’s North Korea policy review and what it means – NKNews Podcast Ep. 181 May 04, 2021

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.

The US, sanctions and North Korean denuclearization – NKNews Podcast Ep. 180 Apr 27, 2021

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.

North Korea and the ‘third world’ – NKNews Podcast Ep. 179 Apr 20, 2021

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.

Coming to America – NKNews Podcast Ep. 178 Apr 13, 2021

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.

Diabetes and healthcare in North Korea – NKNews Podcast Ep. 177 Apr 06, 2021

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.

Ballistic missiles, alliances and extraditions – NKNews Podcast Ep. 176 Mar 30, 2021

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.

Understanding North Korea’s missiles and military – NKNews Podcast Ep. 175 Mar 23, 2021

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.

US-ROK joint military exercises, explained – NKNews Podcast Ep. 174 Mar 16, 2021

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.

Art, power and propaganda in North Korea – NKNews Podcast Ep. 173 Mar 09, 2021

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.

Rail trolleys, swim flippers and lockdown in Pyongyang – NKNews Podcast Ep. 172 Mar 02, 2021

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 private, Christian-led university in North Korea – NKNews Podcast Ep. 171 Feb 23, 2021

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.

The Calvinist, communist, royalist Dutch double agent – NKNews Podcast Ep. 170 Feb 16, 2021

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.

Kim Jong Un’s water slide, missing wife and vaccines – NKNews Podcast Ep. 169 Feb 09, 2021

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.

North Korea-Malaysia relations: the past and future – NKNews Podcast Ep. 168 Feb 02, 2021

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.

North and South Korea are not East and West Germany – NKNews Podcast Ep. 167 Jan 26, 2021

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.

Why North Korea is as dangerous as ever to South Korea – NKNews Podcast Ep. 166 Jan 19, 2021

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.

The Eighth Party Congress and the future of North Korea – NKNews Podcast Ep. 165 Jan 12, 2021

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.

‘Lips and teeth’: The rise of DPRK-China relations – NKNews Podcast Ep. 164 Jan 05, 2021

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.

North Korea’s thriving art scene – NKNews Podcast Ep. 163 Dec 29, 2020

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 the dream of Korean reunification dead? – NKNews Podcast Ep. 162 Dec 24, 2020

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.

Turning the Korean DMZ into an ecological peace zone – NKNews Podcast Ep. 161 Dec 15, 2020

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.

Photographing the ‘Unpersons’ from North Korea – NKNews Podcast Ep. 160 Dec 08, 2020

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.

North Korean human rights under Trump and Biden — NKNews Podcast Ep. 159 Dec 01, 2020

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.

Forced labor, COVID-19 and DPRK silence on US elections – NKNews Podcast Ep. 158 Nov 24, 2020

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.

Statues and sanctions: North Korea in Congo – NKNews Podcast Ep. 157 Nov 17, 2020

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.

How South Korean NGOs impact inter-Korean relations – NKNews Podcast Ep. 156 Nov 10, 2020

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.

Trump or Biden: Who can solve the North Korea problem? – NKNews Podcast Ep. 155 Nov 03, 2020

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.

Why diplomacy is still the way to go with North Korea – NKNews Podcast Ep. 154 Oct 30, 2020

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.

How overseas labor improves ordinary North Korean lives – NKNews Podcast Ep. 153 Oct 27, 2020

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.

US intelligence and strategy on North Korea – NKNews Podcast Ep. 152 Oct 23, 2020

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.

Interview with ‘The Mole’ director Mads Brügger — NKNews Podcast Ep.151 Oct 20, 2020

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.

Missiles galore: North Korea’s post-parade prognosis — NKNews Podcast Ep.150 Oct 13, 2020

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’s rapidly evolving tech scene — NKNews Podcast Ep.149 Oct 06, 2020

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.

A mysterious death at the inter-Korean maritime border – NKNews Podcast Ep.148 Sep 29, 2020

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.

Teaching entrepreneurship in North Korea – NKNews Podcast Ep.147 Sep 22, 2020

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.

Almost-live from the White House with Chanel Rion – NKNews Podcast Ep.146 Sep 15, 2020

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.

COVID-19 and major upcoming events in North Korea – NKNews Podcast Ep.145 Sep 08, 2020

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.

The case for South Korean engagement with the North – NKNews Podcast Ep.144 Sep 01, 2020

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.

A pastor weighs in on bible and balloon launches – NKNews Podcast Ep.143 Aug 26, 2020

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.

The best and the worst of reporting on North Korea – NKNews Podcast Ep.142 Aug 18, 2020

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.

Meeting Kim Il Sung and years of reporting on Korea – NKNews Podcast Ep.141 Aug 11, 2020

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.

Talking Rastafarianism with North Koreans – NKNews Podcast Ep.140 Aug 04, 2020

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.

Sending Bibles to North Korea – NKNews Podcast Ep.139 Jul 28, 2020

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.

The six South Koreans still held in North Korea – NKNews Podcast Ep.138 Jul 21, 2020

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 in North Korea – NKNews Podcast Ep.137 Jul 14, 2020

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.

The English-language voice of North Korea – NKNews Podcast Ep.136 Jul 07, 2020

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.

Back from the inter-Korean breakdown brink? – NKNews Podcast Ep.135 Jun 29, 2020

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.

A journey across the globe to remember the Korean War – NKNews Podcast Ep.134 Jun 23, 2020

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.

Inter-Korean tensions: Live from Yeonpyeong-do – NKNews Podcast Ep.133 Jun 14, 2020

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.

Depictions of North Korea in South Korean pop culture – NKNews Podcast Ep.132 Jun 09, 2020

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.

Bringing American pro wrestling to North Korea – NKNews Podcast Ep.131 Jun 02, 2020

"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 in the “fire and fury” era – NKNews Podcast Ep.130 May 26, 2020

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.

The feasibility of détente between the U.S. and the DPRK – NKNews Podcast Ep.129 May 19, 2020

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.

Photographing North Korea’s 1989 World Festival – NKNews Podcast Ep.128 May 12, 2020

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.

“Kim Il Sung’s Children” – NKNews Podcast Ep.127 May 05, 2020

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.

Where in the world is Kim Jong Un? – NKNews Podcast Ep.126 Apr 28, 2020

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.

Free Michael Spavor – NKNews Podcast Ep.125 Apr 23, 2020

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.

Hotels of Pyongyang – NKNews Podcast Ep.124 Apr 21, 2020

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.

Exploring the 2019 raid on North Korea’s Madrid embassy – NKNews Podcast Ep.123 Apr 14, 2020

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.

North Korea, a month in review – NKNews Podcast Ep.122 Apr 07, 2020

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.

Managing expectations with North Korea – NKNews Podcast Ep.121 Mar 31, 2020

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.

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