Why are the lights on inside North Koreas infamous Ryugyong Hotel? | NK News NK News 2026-09-27 | Why are the lights on inside North Koreas infamous Ryugyong Hotel? | NK News
The forgotten postal link between North and South Korea NK News 2025-10-16 | For a brief period after Korea’s liberation, a cross-peninsula postage system shuttled letters across the 38th parallel, linking the Soviet-led north and U.S.-led south. This week, postal expert Tony Bard and historian JiHoon Suk join the podcast to explore this forgotten link and the logistics, politics and human stories behind the letter exchanges. They also reflect on the lasting significance of the inter-Korean postal system and the lack of any regular mail contact in the 75 years since its demise.Anthony Bard is editor of The London Philatelist and a member of the Royal Philatelic Society London. He collects North and South Korean postal history from 1945, with a focus on Korean War material and post-Armistice commissions.JiHoon Suk is a Korean historian completing his Ph.D. at Yonsei University, specializing in early modern Korean history.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.
Unpacking North Korea’s military parade, from foreign guests to new weapons NK News 2025-10-14 | This week, Korea Risk Group Executive Director Jeongmin Kim and Senior Analytical Correspondent Colin Zwirko unpack North Korea’s military parade in Pyongyang for the 80th anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea. They explore how the event demonstrated both a commitment to spectacle and restraint, featuring more than 100,000 soldiers but fewer weapons in years past. They also dig into parade references to North Korea’s support of the war in Ukraine, the debut of new weapons like the Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile and the high-profile foreign dignitaries on hand from China, Russia and Vietnam.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 insights from our very own journalists.
North Korea Military Parade 2025 - Livestream & Analysis (NK News/NK PRO) NK News 2025-10-11 | Join us for a rare livestream of North Korea’s 10.10 military parade, featuring real-time analysis from NK PRO specialists and top defense experts.As the official KCTV broadcast airs, our panel will break down new missile systems, leadership appearances, formations, and state messaging — explaining what they reveal about the DPRK’s evolving strategy.🔔 Sign up for alerts: signup.nknews.org/north-koreas-1010-military-parade📰 While you wait, read our latest coverage: nknews.org📍 Expected broadcast: October 10–11 (KST)🎙️ Live expert commentary: From NK PRO analysts and defense specialists
Watch North Korea’s 10.10 military parade #LIVE NK News 2025-10-10 | Watch North Korea’s military parade LIVE.NK PRO’s defense experts will deliver instant, on-air analysis the moment KCTV begins broadcasting.Get alerts: cstu.io/d3fa56
Watch North Koreas 10.10 military parade live #comingsoon #shorts NK News 2025-10-10 | COMING SOON: Watch North Korea’s 10.10 military parade live.NK PRO’s defense experts will deliver instant, on-air analysis the moment KCTV begins broadcasting.Sign up now to get the live-stream alert — time remains unannounced.🔗 cstu.io/7f76b3
Chandana Seshadri: How North Korean IT workers exploit remote hiring systems NK News 2025-10-09 | This week, Chandana Seshadri joins the podcast to discuss her RUSI Journal article, “How DPRK IT Workers Exploit Identity Management Vulnerabilities,” which documents how North Korean workers slip through remote-hiring systems to earn hard currency and open doors for bigger cyber operations. The researcher highlights the case of Christina Chapman — a U.S. citizen who helped DPRK workers get remote jobs through “laptop farms” — as a key example of how ordinary employment channels can be manipulated for sanctions evasion. She also explains how the rapid shift to remote work after COVID-19 opened new vulnerabilities for infiltration, as companies often skip in-person verification and identity checks.Seshadri calls for international working groups to share best practices and red flags while respecting privacy laws, while stressing the issue is not only relevant to cybersecurity but also national security and sanctions enforcement.Chandana Seshadri is a non-resident fellow at the Stimson Center’s 38 North and former research analyst at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), specializing in the intersection of sanctions, financial crime and cyber threats with a focus 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.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 latest weapons expo, naval ambitions and Pyongyang hospital opens NK News 2025-10-07 | NK News’ Senior Analytic Correspondent Colin Zwirko unpacks the key developments ahead of North Korea’s Oct. 10 military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea. He begins by discussing Pyongyang’s latest weapons exhibition, where state media previewed an unmanned surface vehicle — a type of naval drone — and explains that while the display appears designed to showcase technological progress, doubts remain over Pyongyang’s ability to control such systems without satellite communications support. He also talks about the DPRK’s naval ambitions, including Kim Jong Un’s recent inspection of new destroyers and the troubled rollout of the country’s corvette program, as well as the long-delayed opening of the Pyongyang General Hospital, a massive medical facility first promised in 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 insights from our very own journalists.
[LIVE] North Korea 10.10 military parade #shorts NK News 2025-10-06 | Live expert commentary from NK PRO.As North Korea’s 10.10 parade airs, our analysts will deliver instant insights, from new weapons systems to state messaging and what they reveal about the DPRK’s evolving strategy.NK PRO briefings are members-only, but not this time.📩 Register and we'll alert you when it starts: cstu.io/7e05f3
James Heenan: Inside the UN’s new human rights report on North Korea NK News 2025-10-02 | James Heenan, the representative of the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Seoul, joins the podcast this week to unpack the High Commissioner’s new update on human rights in the DPRK — an effort to take stock of the situation in the country 11 years after the landmark U.N. Commission of Inquiry report.Several activists have argued that the update offers little in the way of new revelations and falls short by not naming key perpetrators. But Heenan contends that its value lies elsewhere: It is the most comprehensive trend analysis to date, built on 314 victim and witness testimonies gathered over the past decade and backed by dozens of U.N. documents.He outlines what the report has to say about North Korea’s tightening system of repression — rooted in state ideology, codified punishments and forced labor — and weighs in on what meaningful public action looks like now.James Heenan is the representative for the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Seoul. He previously served as the head of the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights in Palestine and has also worked in academia on labor rights issues and as a practicing lawyer in the U.K. and Australia. He last appeared on episode 325 of the NK News podcast. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
Ask a North Korean: Is it possible to get plastic surgery in North Korea? NK News 2025-09-30 | From double eyelids to tattoos, cosmetic procedures in North Korea often happen illegally and at great risk.In NK News’ Ask A North Korean, a defector explains why.Read Joshua's full account on NK News: cstu.io/0893f6
Lee Jae-myung’s ‘E.N.D.’ game, two states debate and North Korea-China talks NK News 2025-09-30 | NK News Correspondent Joon Ha Park joins the podcast to discuss President Lee Jae-myung’s first speech to the U.N. General Assembly and his debut of a new acronym for his peace road map — “E.N.D.,” short for exchange, normalization and denuclearization.He also talks about Seoul's unification minister’s controversial “two states” remarks, Lee’s calls for greater military self-reliance and North Korea’s latest diplomatic outreach to China, with Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui meeting her counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing.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 insights from our very own journalists.
A North Korean general’s forgotten memoir illuminates the regime’s brutality #shorts NK News 2025-09-30 | #northkorea A forgotten memoir by a North Korean general reveals how Kim Il Sung’s purges created a system of political terror that still shapes the DPRK today.In NK News, Andrei Lankov revisits this rare firsthand account, the only known prison narrative from 1960s North Korea, to show how the regime built its concentration camps.🔗 Read the full column on NK News: nknews.org/2025/09/a-north-korean-generals-forgotten-memoir-illuminates-the-regimes-brutality
Vipin Narang: Why Seoul doesn’t need its own nukes to counter North Korea NK News 2025-09-25 | This week, Dr. Vipin Narang joins the NK News podcast to unpack how the U.S. and South Korea are seeking to strengthen extended deterrence against North Korean threats under the joint Nuclear Consultative Group, a platform that he helped develop and lead as a key nuclear policy official under the Biden administration.Narang highlights how North Korea’s rapid nuclear expansion drove the creation of the NCG, which gives Seoul a structured role in deterrence planning, and he warns that the DPRK’s cooperation with Russia could accelerate its efforts to build a more diverse nuclear arsenal featuring both lower-yield short-range systems and land-based ICBMs.The former co-chair of the NCG also weighs in on the dangers of South Korea pursuing indigenous nuclear weapons, stressing that Washington is adapting alliance management to maintain credible deterrence even amid global crises and growing North Korea-China-Russia alignment.Dr. Vipin Narang is an American political scientist who served as the acting assistant secretary of defense for space policy until Aug. 2024, a portfolio that included policy on space and missile defense policy, nuclear deterrence and countering weapons of mass destruction. He also served as co-chair of the NCG.He has since returned to MIT, where he is the Frank Stranton Professor of Nuclear Security and the inaugural director of the Center for Nuclear Security 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.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.
Loyalty relays for Kim Jong Un, and North Korea’s terms for talks with the US NK News 2025-09-23 | This episode of the NK News podcast unpacks the unusual loyalty relays taking place across North Korea, where both children and adults carry letters pledging fealty to Kim Jong Un.NK News Lead Correspondent Shreyas Reddy also discusses new murals of the leader, some of which appear to have replaced longstanding depictions of his father and grandfather, and what this means for his evolving cult of personalityThe episode then turns to Kim Jong Un’s recent address at the Supreme People’s Assembly, where he reiterated North Korea’s refusal to give up its nuclear weapons while leaving the door open to talks with the U.S.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 insights from our very own journalists.
Stephen Mercado: How Japan crafted secret weapons to counter North Korea NK News 2025-09-18 | This week, Stephen Mercado returns to the NK News Podcast to discuss his new book, “Japanese Spy Gear and Special Weapons,” and how Japan’s secretive Noborito Research Institute supported covert operations targeting the DPRK during the Korean War. Mercado is a former CIA analyst and open source officer who worked for most of his career in the Foreign Broadcast Information Service, later named the Open Source Center and now known as the Open Source Enterprise. He retired in 2017 and first appeared on episode 324 of this podcast.About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
Blaming Russia for North Korean deaths, 100 days of Lee Jae-myung and drills NK News 2025-09-16 | This week, NK News Correspondent Joon Ha Park joins the podcast to discuss newly revealed DPRK state media footage that appears to blame Russia for North Korean casualties during fighting against Ukraine.He also talks about what President Lee Jae-myung said about the DPRK at a press conference to mark his first 100 days, as well as Pyongyang’s criticism of U.S. military drills with South Korea and Japan that kicked off on Monday.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 insights from our very own journalists.
Mark Sauter: What to make of the reported US Navy SEAL mission into North Korea NK News 2025-09-11 | This week, the NK News podcast explores the New York Times’ recent revelations about a 2019 U.S. Navy SEAL mission on North Korea’s coast. The operation reportedly aimed at installing surveillance equipment but went awry, resulting in the death of unarmed North Koreans and raising escalation risks.Mark Sauter, a former U.S. Army soldier with decades of experience investigating POW/MIA issues and covert operations, joins the podcast to explain what allegedly happened, why it may have gone sideways and how these events echo earlier covert U.S. and South Korean infiltrations stretching back to the Korean War.Sauter is the founder and president of the POW Investigative Project 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 exclusively for NK News, covering 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 engine test, Kim Jong Un’s Beijing diplomacy and trade fair plans NK News 2025-09-09 | This week, NK News Senior Analytic Correspondent Colin Zwirko joins the podcast to discuss North Korea’s “static firing test of a high-thrust solid-fuel motor” used in long-range nuclear missiles, a week after Kim Jong Un inspected a new ballistic missile design.The conversation then turns to Kim’s high-profile trip to Beijing, his first in six years, where bilateral meetings with China and Russia underscored tacit support for North Korea’s nuclear program. Zwirko also discusses the upcoming Pyongyang International Trade Fair and the DPRK’s decision to bar Western businesses from participating.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 insights from our very own journalists.
The optics of Kim Jong Un’s appearance at China’s military parade NK News 2025-09-04 | North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made his appearance at a large-scale multilateral event on Wednesday, standing shoulder to shoulder with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin at China’s Victory Day parade in Beijing. But was this just optics, or did it mark a deeper realignment of global power blocs?NK News Lead Correspondent Shreyas Reddy joins this week’s episode to explore what Kim’s presence revealed about North Korea’s shifting position globally, compare the 2025 parade to previous landmark events and discuss the risks for Kim in playing second fiddle to Xi and Putin. He also discusses why Kim’s daughter — but not his wife — may have joined him for the trip to Beijing. 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 insights from our very own journalists.
Go Myong-hyun: US-ROK talks and North Korea’s diplomatic theater in Beijing NK News 2025-09-02 | In this episode, Go Myong-hyun of Seoul’s Institute for National Security Strategy returns to the podcast to assess the recent summit between South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump.He also looks ahead to Kim Jong Un’s expected appearance in Beijing on Sept. 3 for a Victory Day parade marking the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II, where he said he expects optics to dominate over substance.Dr. Go Myong-hyun is the director at the Department of Security Strategy Studies at the Institute for National Security Strategy (INSS). Previously, he worked at the Institute for Security and Development Policy, focusing on hybrid threats in Northeast Asia and international coordination to counter them, and previously served as a senior fellow at the Asan Institute for 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.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.
Joseph Torigian: How Xi Jinping’s father rebuilt China-North Korea ties NK News 2025-08-28 | On this episode, scholar Joseph Torigian joins the podcast to discuss his new biography of Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s father and Xi senior’s delicate diplomacy with North Korea in the 1980s.Torigian explores Xi Zhongxun’s role in rebuilding ties, navigating the DPRK’s succession politics and nudging Pyongyang toward reform. He also talks about how China and North Korea influenced each other’s policies during this pivotal period, and how those interactions still shape Beijing-Pyongyang relations today. Joseph Torigian is a research fellow at Stanford’s Hoover History Lab, an associate professor at the School of International Service at American University, and a center associate of the Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies at the University of Michigan. He is the author of “The Party’s Interests Come First” from Stanford University Press.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.
The first Lee-Trump summit, and North Korea’s commemoration of war dead NK News 2025-08-26 | In this week’s episode, NK News Deputy Managing Editor Alannah Hill breaks down President Lee Jae-myung’s first summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, where Lee appealed for Trump to take on a “peacemaker” role with Pyongyang. She also discusses the flood of newly released state media footage showing North Korean troops in combat in Russia’s Kursk region, which have provided a rare look at battlefield tactics, drone warfare and how official propaganda is framing the war.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 insights from our very own journalists.
Tycho van der Hoog: North Korea’s forgotten allies in Africa NK News 2025-08-21 | In this episode, Tycho van der Hoog joins the podcast to explore how North Korea forged and sustained ties with African liberation movements and governments during and after the Cold War — connections that continue to shape the country’s activities on the continent today.He shares how his interest in the topic began with a trip to Namibia, where he encountered North Korean-built monuments. He also talks about his years of archival research and fieldwork across Southern Africa and the role of cultural and ideological exchange, including how North Korea used Juche ideology and its own unique aesthetics to build loyalty.Dr. Tycho van der Hoog is assistant professor of international security studies at the Netherlands Defense Academy, and the author of “Comrades Beyond the Cold War,” a new book that traces North Korea’s unexpected ties with postcolonial states in Southern Africa.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.
What a cross-wearing Russian pop star could teach North Korea about nationalism #shorts NK News 2025-08-19 | In Pyongyang this Liberation Day, a Russian pop star named Shaman stepped onto the stage.Tight jeans. A wooden cross. Russian and North Korean flags in each hand.At first the crowd seemed shocked and was silent. A few songs later, they clapped along.Kim Jong Un, however, appeared unmoved.Why did North Korea give him this platform and what does it reveal about how Moscow and Pyongyang fuse propaganda with youth appeal?Full analysis by Anton Sokolin at NK News: cstu.io/22d0a6
An ex-North Korean soldier’s bid for repatriation, and controversial remittances NK News 2025-08-19 | NK News Correspondent Jooheon Kim joins the podcast this week to discuss Ahn Hak-sop, a 95-year-old former North Korean soldier and so-called unconverted prisoner of war who is seeking repatriation to the DPRK after decades in the South.He also talks about the controversy surrounding ROK police investigations into defector remittances to relatives in the North, which have focused attention on legal challenges around the transfers and spurred a legislator to address the issue.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 insights from our very own journalists.
Kornel Chang: How Korea’s liberation led to division into North and South NK News 2025-08-14 | On today’s episode, Kornel Chang discusses his new book “A Fractured Liberation: Korea Under U.S. Occupation,” which sheds light on the period from 1945 to 1950 when the country was divided into the North and South.Chang describes how the immediate post-liberation “opening” was more fluid than commonly portrayed, with ordinary Koreans pursuing varied aspirations that did not map neatly onto left-right labels. He also discusses land redistribution in the North in 1946 and the resulting migrations, including elites moving south and left-leaning writers heading north.Kornel Chang is associate professor of History and American Studies and chair of the History Department at Rutgers University-Newark. 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.
A North Korean defection, postponed US-ROK drills and dismantling loudspeakers NK News 2025-08-12 | NK News Executive Director Jeongmin Kim joins the podcast to discuss the story of a North Korean defector in her 70s who is under investigation for allegedly leaking the locations of fellow escapees to Pyongyang’s secret police, as well as the daring maritime defection of a North Korean who swam across the Han River estuary.She also talks about the recent decision by South Korea and the U.S. to postpone half of their summertime Ulchi Freedom Shield drills and the latest on the dismantling of propaganda loudspeaker arrays along the inter-Korean 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 insights from our very own journalists.
Maeng Hyo-shim: A North Korean family’s escape against all odds NK News 2025-08-07 | On this week’s episode, Maeng Hyo-shim, a young woman who fled North Korea in 2018, joins the podcast to share her experiences of state discrimination, systemic neglect and a violent attack against her disabled mother which led her family to escape the DPRK.Born in Hyesan in 2001, Maeng shares her memories of life growing up under the Kim regime, where people with disabilities were routinely excluded from society and punished for being unable to work in state-run enterprises. She reflects on the hardships her family faced due to her mother’s condition, how her parents met and raised her despite overwhelming odds.Maeng Hyo-shim was born in Hyesan, a city on North Korea’s northern border with China, in the years after the devastating famine of the 1990s. In 2018, she fled North Korea with her parents after a violent incident against her mother who has a disability and the regime’s refusal to deliver justice. She now lives in South Korea and works to raise awareness about human rights issues in North Korea, testifying publicly under her real name — including at the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights in Seoul in June this year.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.
Russia-DPRK bridge update, trilateral boat tours and Moscow-Pyongyang flights NK News 2025-08-05 | On this week’s episode, NK News Data Analyst Anton Sokolin unpacks major construction updates on the Russia–DPRK car bridge project near the Tumen River. He also breaks down the ambitious trilateral initiative to launch historical boat tours connecting China, Russia and North Korea along the same river as well as new direct flights between Moscow and Pyongyang and a Russian military aircraft’s mysterious trip to 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.
How South Korea’s Lee Jae-myung could revive US-North Korea talks NK News 2025-07-31 | The flurry of summitry in 2018-19 between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in inspired hopes for a breakthrough on resolving a decades-old conflict, only for talks to collapse without any progress on the DPRK nuclear issue.This week, historian John Delury returns to the podcast to revisit that heady time on the Korean Peninsula and explore what Seoul’s new President Lee Jae-myung might do to revive Trump-Kim diplomacy. He explains why Russia-DPRK ties ensure that another round of engagement won’t look like the last and examines how China’s ties with the South impact its approach to the North.He also talks about Kim Jong Un’s desire to be a “developmental dictator,” the potential impact of the U.S. bombing of Iran on efforts to entice Pyongyang to negotiations and why there is no military solution to the North Korea problem.John Delury is a historian of modern China and an expert on U.S.-China relations and Korean Peninsula affairs. The author of “Agents of Subversion,” he previously served as a professor of Chinese studies at Yonsei University in Seoul and most recently taught at the American Academy in Rome, Luiss University and John Cabot 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.
Kim Yo Jong spurns Seoul’s overtures, and US targets North Korean laptop farms NK News 2025-07-29 | North Korea broke its relative silence about the new South Korean administration of Lee Jae-myung on Monday, with the DPRK leader’s sister Kim Yo Jong dismissing the president’s peace overtures and attacking Seoul’s alliance with the U.S.NK News Lead Correspondent Shreyas Reddy joins the podcast to discuss why North Korea’s proverbial “bad cop” suddenly weighed in on inter-Korean ties and what Pyongyang actually wants from Seoul. He also talks about new U.S. sanctions against a DPRK company and three North Koreans for their role in remote IT worker schemes, as well as a surprise visit to Pyongyang by a global baseball chief.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 Korea’s Kim rulers manage elites to guarantee regime survival NK News 2025-07-24 | North Korea’s ruling Kim family has orchestrated not one but two leadership successions during its over seven decades in power, and may well be preparing for a third. But the success of such transitions in authoritarian states is far from certain and depends in large part on how rulers manage the elites that compose their power base, a new book argues.This week, researchers Edward Goldring and Peter Ward join the podcast to discuss their new volume about the tools that the Kim family dictatorship has used to facilitate leadership transitions. They explore how successors must rely on their predecessor’s power base to govern while building their own inner circle of elites, and they explain why autocrats don’t necessarily want to use forceful means like purges to exert control.Ward also talks about a forthcoming paper that digs into the ways in which South Korean society discriminates against North Korean defectors despite a pervasive belief in a Korean ethnic identity, as well as about a second upcoming paper on the factors that make North Koreans more likely to consume ROK media in violation of state censorship laws.Edward Goldring is a lecturer in comparative politics in the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne, and Peter Ward is a research fellow at the Sejong Institute in Seoul. They are the co-authors of the new book “Authoritarian Survival and Leadership Succession in North Korea and Beyond” from Cambridge University Press.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 ChatGPT, renaming the unification ministry and Seoul’s main enemy NK News 2025-07-22 | South Korea’s National Assembly questioned the Lee administration’s nominees for key positions last week, including the ministers of unification, defense, foreign affairs and labor, and North Korea issues ended up playing a prominent role at all of the hearings.NK News Correspondent Joon Ha Park joins the podcast this week to discuss the main takeaways from the hearing, and to explain why the question of whether Pyongyang is the South’s main enemy repeatedly came up. He also talks about unification minister nominee’s claims about North Korea's semiconductor plants and AI ambitions, the labor minister nominee’s grilling over a request to attend Kim Jong Il’s funeral and the defense minister’s plan to carry out OPCON transfer from the U.S. to South 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 Russian tiger hunters got roped into a plot to kill the North Korean leader NK News 2025-07-17 | In this episode, Professor Andrei Lankov and NK News’ Anton Sokolin discuss the fascinating story of the Yankovskys — a Russian family whose journey took them from Siberian exile to colonial Korea, and ultimately, to the heart of North Korea's tumultuous 20th-century history.The discussion centers on the family’s time in what became the DPRK after relocating from Siberia, where they ran a tiger hunting resort in the northern region, near Chongjin. They also explore how the family's story intersects with the shifting allegiances of North Korea, highlighting their relationship with the regime and how it shaped their survival in a rapidly changing geopolitical environment.Andrei Lankov is a professor at Kookmin University in Seoul and the director at Korea Risk Group.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.
Lavrov sails on Kim Jong Un’s yacht, military parade prep and wastewater rumors NK News 2025-07-15 | NK News Senior Analytic Correspondent Colin Zwirko joins this week’s episode to discuss Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s high-profile visit to the newly opened Wonsan Kalma beach resort, where he met Kim Jong Un aboard a luxury yacht.He also dissects emerging signs that North Korea is preparing for a military parade and possible mass games to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea this October, while unpacking claims — now largely debunked — that the DPRK released radioactive wastewater into the Han River estuary. 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.
Shinyoung Kwon: Authoritarian roots of North Korea’s neighborhood associations NK News 2025-07-10 | Dr. Shinyong Kwon joins this week’s episode to discuss how neighborhood associations — known today as inminban in the DPRK — have been used as tools of governance, social indoctrination and moral authority.She explains how these associations originated from East Asian communal traditions but were reshaped under Japanese colonial rule to serve wartime mobilization and state control and traces how both Koreas retained and adapted the system post-liberation.Dr. Shinyoung Kwon holds a PhD in history from the University of Chicago and did postdoctoral research at the University of Cambridge. She now lives in the United States. Her book Moral Authoritarianism: Neighborhood Associations in the Three Koreas, 1931–1972 was published in November 2023. 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.
Additional North Korean troop deployment, Kim mourns in public and beachgoers NK News 2025-07-08 | Seoul last week said it cannot confirm a CNN report that North Korea plans to send 30,000 additional soldiers to support Russia’s war in Ukraine, amid conflicting intelligence assessments. While Ukraine’s military intelligence suggested the deployment is imminent, its chief Kyrylo Budanov said no buildup has yet been observed, instead predicting voluntary enlistment of DPRK nationals into Russian forces.On this week’s episode, NK News Data Correspondent Anton Sokolin joins the podcast to discuss deployment logistics, Kim Jong Un’s public mourning of fallen soldiers and evolving DPRK-Russia infrastructure projects.About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.
Mitsuhiro Mimura: The secret to North Korea’s economic resilience NK News 2025-07-03 | Professor Mitsuhito Mimura, a leading Japanese expert on the North Korean economy, joins this week’s podcast for an in-depth discussion on the DPRK’s economic resilience, shifting trade patterns and deepening ties with China and Russia.With over 35 trips to North Korea under his belt, Mimura shares rare insights into how Pyongyang sustains infrastructure growth under heavy sanctions, how unofficial coal exports to China support both formal and informal sectors and how military and economic cooperation with Moscow could shape the North’s trajectory. He also weighs in on Japan's view of the emerging China-Russia-DPRK axis and what it could mean for Tokyo’s future engagement with Pyongyang.Mitsuhiro Mimura is a leading Japanese expert on the North Korean economy and regional integration in Northeast Asia. Currently a professor at the Economic and Social Research Institute for Northeast Asia, University of Niigata Prefecture, he previously served as a senior research fellow at the Economic Research Institute for Northeast Asia. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
North Korea’s mega resort opens, testimony of executions and taekwondo rivalry NK News 2025-07-01 | North Korea finally opened the long-delayed Wonsan Kalma mega resort on the east coast last week, with leader Kim Jong Un calling for a “new era” of tourism. But with the tourism zone boasting over 50 hotels and capacity for 20,000 tourists, questions remain about who will actually visit the resort as the country keeps its doors closed to most foreigners.This week, NK News Correspondent Jooheon Kim joins the podcast to discuss the resort amenities that the DPRK showed off and who was on hand for the grand opening. He also dives into a recent event spotlighting defector testimony about executions in North Korea, an inter-Korean rivalry over claims to the martial art of taekwondo and the story of one defector’s quest to make his name as a mixed martial arts fighter.About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.
Matchmaking across borders: Documenting North Koreans relationships in the South NK News 2025-06-26 | In this episode, Norwegian artist and director Morten Traavik and cultural mediator Sun Kim discuss their new documentary “North South Man Woman.” The film explores the emotional complexities of North Korean defectors trying to build lives — and relationships — in South Korea, with a special focus on matchmaking between DPRK women and ROK men.Traavik and Kim reflect on the documentary’s five-year production process, the personal journeys of their protagonists and how issues of cultural identity, trauma, gender roles and social integration shape life after defection. They also unpack how the film balances moments of lightness and pain, and how storytelling can illuminate the human costs of geopolitical division.Norwegian artist and director Morten Traavik has undertaken several provocative and boundary-pushing art and film projects involving North Korea. His work often explores themes of cultural exchange, propaganda and the role of art in politically charged environments. He previously appeared on epsiode 103 of the podcast. His collaborator Sun Kim is a Korean American and Belgian producer and cultural mediator for a number of Morten’s exchanges with North Korean authorities for over a decade. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
Seoul’s new unification minister, DPRK rocket launches and border drills NK News 2025-06-24 | South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has announced nominations for several key positions handling North Korean issues, continuing to select pro-engagement officials for inter-Korean roles.NK News Correspondent Joon Ha Park talks about the latest appointments, as well as South Korea’s live-fire artillery exercises near the inter-Korean border and North Korea’s launch of about 10 artillery rockets from near Pyongyang. He also discusses his interview with retired Vice Adm. Suh Young-gil, who led South Korean naval forces at the First Battle of Yeonpyeong, to mark the 26th anniversary of the pivotal inter-Korean clash.About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.
The improbable tale of the Russian tiger hunters recruited to kill Kim Il Sung NK News 2025-06-20 | 🇷🇺🧵 The tiger hunter who wouldn’t kill Kim Il SungA Russian émigré recruited by Japan to assassinate a young Kim Il Sung refused, saying he only hunted “four-legged beasts.”But that was just one chapter in the Yankovsky family's wild journey through DPRK history.Read the full story by Anton Sokolin: nknews.org/2025/06/the-improbable-tale-of-the-russian-tiger-hunters-recruited-to-kill-kim-il-sung
Dong Jin Kim: What North Korea can learn from Ireland’s peace process NK News 2025-06-19 | Dr. Dong Jin Kim, a leading peace studies scholar with research experience spanning Korea, Ireland, Cyprus and South Africa, joins the podcast to explore how divided societies navigate conflict, peacebuilding and reconciliation, as well as lessons from these cases for the Korean Peninsula.Examining Ireland’s journey, he argues that lasting peace depends on sustained community engagement and mutual recognition, not just political agreements. He also draws on examples like youth art exchanges between North and South Korea to highlight how everyday people can help build trust even when official dialogue stalls.Dong Jin Kim is the Kim Dae Jung chair professor of Peace Studies at Hanshin University and also an adjunct professor at the School of Religion, Theology and Peace Studies at Trinity College, Dublin.About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
Lessons for North Korea from Israeli strikes on Iran, and loudspeakers go silent NK News 2025-06-17 | Israel’s dramatic strikes on Iran’s nuclear program and Tehran’s retaliation have dominated headlines in recent days, and North Korea is no doubt paying close attention.NK News CEO Chad O’Caroll joins the podcast to talk about what lessons North Korea might be drawing from the clashes and U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, including the importance of deterrence and missile capabilities and the value of secrecy in the face of foreign intelligence threats.He also discusses the shifting state of inter-Korean propaganda broadcasts and an unexpected report about a possible North Korean tourism re-opening.About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.
Balazs Szalontai: North Korea’s calculated diplomacy in the Middle East NK News 2025-06-12 | This week, Balazs Szalontai returns to the podcast to explore the overlooked history of North Korea’s relationship with countries across the Middle East and North Africa.The expert discusses how Pyongyang navigated ideological contradictions, opportunistic diplomacy and shifting global alliances throughout the Cold War, touching on the DPRK’s ties with Iran, Egypt, Algeria, Iraq and more.He also explains how North Korea often prioritized strategic survival and a symbolic presence in the region over ideological consistency. Dr. Balazs Szalontai is a historian and professor at Korea University in the Division of Public Sociology and Korean Unification. He previously appeared on episode 106 of the podcast.About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
Kim Jong Un’s hospital visit, damaged warship’s voyage and DPRK election report NK News 2025-06-10 | North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected a hospital construction site in Kusong on Monday, where he criticized the skills of the military conscripts he frequently mobilizes for major state construction projects.NK News Senior Analytic Correspondent Colin Zwirko joins the podcast to talk about Kim's comments, as well the voyage by North Korea’s damaged destroyer to a shipyard in the northeast for repairs and Pyongyang’s brief coverage of South Korea’s election of Lee Jae-myung as president.About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.
Moon Chung-in: Why the window to rebuilding inter-Korean relations is closed NK News 2025-06-05 | In this episode, NK News welcomes back Professor Moon Chung-in, one of South Korea’s most influential scholars of inter-Korean relations to assess the landscape on the peninsula today and what prospects remain for diplomacy.He discusses why he believes North Korea has officially abandoned unification in its current form, how inter-Korean engagement has become increasingly constrained by global geopolitics, and what a presidency under Lee Jae-myung might mean for the peninsula.Moon Chung-in is a professor emeritus at Yonsei University and one of South Korea’s most influential scholars of inter-Korean relations. He served as special adviser on unification, diplomacy and national security to former President Moon Jae-in, and has long been a key advocate for diplomatic engagement with North Korea. He previously appeared on episode 71 of the podcast.About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
North Korea’s warship troubles, Shangri-La and Lee Jae-myung on cusp of victory NK News 2025-06-03 | North Korea’s new warship remains submerged on its side more than 10 days after the embarrassing failure to side-launch the vessel last month, despite DPRK experts’ confidence that they could right the ship. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made only a passing mention of North Korea at the Shangri-La Dialogue over the weekend, even as officials talked behind the scenes about wanting U.S. Forces Korea to play a bigger role in countering China. And Lee Jae-myung appears poised to claim the South Korean presidency in Tuesday’s snap election, setting up potential changes in inter-Korean policy.This week, NK News CEO Chad O’Caroll and Lead Correspondent Shreyas Reddy join the podcast to discuss all these events during a busy week on the peninsula, as the ROK prepares to finally fill a monthslong leadership vacuum since Yoon Suk-yeol’s ill-fated declaration of martial law and subsequent impeachment.They also talk about why North Korea will likely do little in response to a new president in Seoul and explore why Kim Jong Un should worry about Ukrainian drones following Kyiv’s stunning attack on Russian assets far from the front lines.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.
Should Seoul formally abandon the goal of reunification with North Korea? NK News 2025-05-29 | A year and a half ago, North Korea made waves when it announced that it was abandoning the goal of inter-Korean reunification. Now, South Koreans are getting ready to head to the ballot box to elect a new president, with their pick set to shape Seoul’s policy toward a neighbor that now views the South as a “hostile, enemy state.”On this week’s episode, Dr. Tomasz Wierzbowski and Dr. J.R. Kim join the podcast to debate whether Seoul should formally abandon the national goal of unification with North Korea.They discuss the evolving generational and political attitudes toward unification, whether the Ministry of Unification should be overhauled or scrapped and the ethics of maintaining peaceful coexistence with an authoritarian neighbor.Dr. Tomasz Wierzbowski is an adjunct professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and the Korea Representative of EURAXESS, a European Commission initiative supporting researcher mobility. Dr. J.R. Kim retired as director-general at South Korea’s Ministry of Unification and is still active as the president of the Korean Council for Peace and Cooperation. 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.
What South Korea’s presidential candidates are saying about North Korea NK News 2025-05-27 | Just one week remains until South Koreans head to the polls in the snap election to replace impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol, setting up potential changes in how Seoul approaches North Korea, the U.S. alliance and more.NK News Executive Director Jeongmin Kim joins the podcast to unpack where the major and minor candidates stand on DPRK policy — and whether they’re avoiding the topic altogether.She discusses how North Korea was once a clear dividing line between conservative and progressive parties, with the former adopting hardline communist stances and the latter favoring engagement. And she explains why both major candidates in this election — Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party and Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party — are taking a more subdued approach.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.
