North Korea News Podcast

Editor’s note: Starting Nov. 21, our full-length episodes with special guests will only be available to NK News subscribers. This shift allows us to invest in bringing you top-quality interviews, exclusive insights and a more comprehensive NK News experience.

Listeners who sign up before Nov. 30 pay just $1 for their first month, then get 50% off for the next 12 months. Visit nknews.org/join to subscribe and get access to daily news and analysis, as well as special invites to webinars and events.



Beijing took a particularly firm stance on security issues related to the Korean Peninsula at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting in Peru this week, saying it “will not sit idly by when its strategic security and core interests are under threat.”

Korea Pro Editor John Lee joins the podcast to discuss how North Korea’s deployment of troops to aid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has changed the dynamics on the peninsula, as well as the possibility of Seoul providing weapons to Kyiv. 

About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Editor’s note: Starting Nov. 21, our full-length episodes with special guests will only be available to NK News subscribers. This shift allows us to invest in bringing you top-quality interviews, exclusive insights and a more comprehensive NK News experience.

Listeners who sign up before Nov. 30 pay just $1 for their first month, then get 50% off for the next 12 months. Visit nknews.org/join to subscribe and get access to daily news and analysis, as well as special invites to webinars and events.



In this week’s episode, Minjung Kim joins the podcast to discuss the Ten Principles for the Establishment of a Monolithic Leadership System, a North Korean doctrine that outlines how citizens should act and that authorities use to justify the suppression of freedom of expression. 

She talks about the status of these ten principles in the DPRK and their relation to the country’s other foundational documents, as well as how the preamble to these principles may change now that Kim Jong Un has taken the goal of reunification with South Korea off the table. 

Dr. Minjung Kim is Deputy Director of Unification Human Rights Studies at the Institute for National Security Strategy (INSS) in Seoul, South Korea, and the president of Save NK.

About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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, 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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, 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.

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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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 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 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 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.

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.

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 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.

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, 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 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, 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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

When North Korea released a newsong 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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 Shieldexercises 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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 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.

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’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.