Podcasts about andrei lankov

D-day is rapidly approaching for South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, with the Constitutional Court expected to rule on whether to uphold his impeachment in the next week. Whatever the court decides, it will have profound implications for not just domestic politics but also North Korea policy and peninsula security. To better understand what's on the horizon, NK Pro recently hosted a discussion with two experts on the Koreas: Andrei Lankov, a leading authority on North Korean studies, and Jumin Lee, a U.S.-based attorney and contributing analyst at Korea Pro. The experts explore a wide range of possible scenarios, from what a Lee Jae-myung presidency would look like to how North Korea would respond to the political chaos that would unfold if Yoon returns to power. Andrei Lankov is a director at NK News and writes for the site as one of the world's leading authorities on North Korea. He is also a professor at Kookmin University. Jumin Lee is a native South Korean and a U.S. trial lawyer practicing at Los Angeles-based law firm Bird Marella. He is a contributing analyst at Korea Pro, where he provides analysis on legal and political issues, and his commentary has also been featured in domestic and international outlets. He is the author of “Why Anti-Discrimination Law?,” a book that examines proposals for comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation in South Korea. This podcast was originally recorded at a Korea Risk Group event in Seoul on March 5, 2025. Jeongmin Kim, editorial director at Korea Pro and correspondent at NK News, moderated the discussion. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

In this episode, Jeongmin hosts a joint Korea Pro-NK Pro briefing with Andrei Lankov and Jumin Lee to analyze the political and security implications of President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment. Andrei discusses how North Korea, now economically buoyed by Chinese and Russian support, views South Korean politics with growing indifference — unless Donald Trump revives sanctions relief talks. He explains why Pyongyang sees South Korea as a “broken ATM” and why North Korea is more focused on military and strategic gains from Russia than engaging with Seoul. Jumin examines how a potential Lee Jae-myung presidency could reshape South Korea's domestic and foreign policy. He argues that Lee is more politically pragmatic than his progressive predecessors, likely focusing on consolidating power at home while managing a complex relationship with both the U.S. and China. The panel also explores how Trump's second administration could change the U.S.-ROK alliance, the likelihood of renewed nuclear talks with North Korea and whether South Korea might pursue a more independent foreign policy in response to growing tensions with China and Russia. Andrei Lankov is a Director at NK News and writes exclusively for the site as one of the world's leading authorities on North Korea. A graduate of Leningrad State University, he attended Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung University from 1984 to 1985. In addition to his writing, he is also a Professor at Kookmin University. Jumin Lee is a Korean trial attorney and former ROK Air Force officer. He is the author of a book that argues why South Korea needs an anti-discrimination law. He is based in Los Angeles. About the podcast: The Korea Pro Podcast is a weekly 15-minute conversation hosted by Editorial Director Jeongmin Kim (@jeongminnkim) and Editor John Lee (@koreanforeigner), diving deep into the most pressing stories shaping South Korea — and dissecting the most complicated ones for professionals monitoring ROK politics, diplomacy, culture, society and technology. Uploaded every Friday. This episode was recorded on Wednesday, March 5, 2025. Audio edited by Gaby Magnuson

Dmitri Alperovitch sits down with Andrei Lankov, one of the west's foremost experts on North Korea, and Sergey Radchenko, a leading Cold War historian, for a deep dive into North Korea. They discuss the threats posed by North Korea's nuclear program and possibility of a new war, the chances of a Trump-brokered peace deal with Kim Jong Un, and the nature of North Korea's relationships with China, Russia, and Iran. Andrei also offers rare insights into daily life under the regime, its surveillance state, hackers and IT workers, political succession, and long-term foreign policy ambitions. 00:00 Introduction 01:02 Can Trump Get a Peace Deal Done With North Korea? 15:19 Does Kim Jong Un Need America as an Enemy? 18:36 Chances of a Second Korean War and Nuclear Weapons Use 22:58 China's Frustrations With North Korea 27:17 China's Concerns of Nuclear Proliferation Across Asia 29:49 Nature of Transactional Relationships Between North Korea and China/Russia 35:28 Iran-North Korea Relationship 40:16 Why Do North Korean Soldiers Commit Suicide Rather Than Surrender? 44:52 Life in North Korean GULAGs 47:04 The Intricacies of Societal Surveillance in North Korea 51:21 Technology Use and Intranet Access in North Korea 54:24 North Korean Hackers and IT Workers 01:02:40 Female Empowerment in North Korea 01:15:21 Does North Korea Have the World's Most Effective Foreign Policy? Dmitri and Sergey's NYT article about the potential for a peace deal with North Korea: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/29/opinion/us-north-korea-china-russia-axis.html

In this episode, Andrei Lankov returns to the podcast to discuss key developments in and around North Korea over the last year, including the deployment of DPRK weapons and soldiers to aid Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He also discusses the impact of Pyongyang's increasing alignment with Moscow, the current state of China-DPRK ties and why North Korea is in no hurry to allow Western visitors to return.  Andrei Lankov is a director at Korea Risk Group and writes for the site as one of the world's leading authorities on North Korea. A graduate of Leningrad State University, he attended Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung University from 1984-5. In addition to his writing, he is also a professor at Kookmin University. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.

Reżim Korei Północnej to jedna z najczarniejszych zagadek współczesności. Jak to możliwe, że odcięty od świata kraj o 26-milionowej populacji z centralnie sterowaną gospodarką jeszcze nie załamał się pod własnym ciężarem? Prof. Andrei Lankov, mieszkający w Seulu koreanista w rozmowie z Sebastianem Stodolakiem tłumaczy długowieczność rządów klanu Kimów. Korea Północna zaczynała jako stalinizm narodowy, czerpiący zasoby z pomocy przesyłanej przez ZSRR. Geniusz Kimów polegał i polega na rozgrywaniu interesu wielkich mocarstw i paradoksalnie zachowywaniu właściwie pełnej od nich niezależności. Dla zwykłych Koreańczyków z Północy oznacza to wyłącznie nieszczęścia – to ich dotyka głód i represje, gdy gospodarka kraju przebija kolejne poziomy dna. Po upadku ZSRR, gdy pomoc zagraniczna przestała do Korei docierać, gospodarka załamała się całkowicie, z głodu zmarło setki tysięcy obywateli kraju. Jednak ten kryzys sprawił, że oddolnie zaczął powstawać zalążek gospodarki kapitalistycznej. Ludzie, dzięki... korupcji, mogli zakładać prywatne firmy czy handlować z Chinami. To wszystko skończyło się jednak, gdy koreańscy naukowcy zbrojeniowi przeprowadzili udane próby balistyczne i termojądrowe. Wtedy nałożono na Koreę Północną bardzo szczelne sankcje, pod którymi zgodnie podpisały się USA, Rosja i Chiny. Jaka przyszłość czeka koreański reżim? Zachęcamy do wysłuchania całej rozmowy. Prof. Lankov w latach 80. studiował w Pjongjangu, co uwiarygadnia jego opisy życia w Korei Północnej. Wydawnictwo WEI wydało zaś książkę „Prawdziwa Korea Północna” Jego autorstwa. Książkę można kupić tutaj: https://wydawnictwo.wei.org.pl/product/prawdziwa-korea-polnocna-zycie-i-polityka-w-niedoszlej-stalinowskiej-utopii Lektor w wersji audio: Piotr Zagubień, thevoiceofpilot.com

Putin has visited North Korea for the first time in 24 years. The visit reflects the two countries' deepening alignment amid Pyongyang's active support for Russia's aggression against Ukraine. Andrei Lankov provides insights into the signals being exchanged between Moscow and Pyongyang, and addresses the question of whether a real alliance might be on the cards.

President Vladimir Putin was in North Korea and Vietnam this week, strengthening old alliances as his war in Ukraine drags on. But what do both sides stand to gain? And what does the US think? In this episode: Andrei Lankov, Professor at Kookmin University and director of NK News. Benjamin Young, Assistant Professor at the Virginia Commonwealth University. Carlyle Thayer, Professor Emeritus at the University of New South Wales Canberra. Host: Laura Kyle Connect with us:@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

For the first time since the end of the Cold War, North Korea has embraced relations with Russia as a key component of its foreign policy and domestic development. However, Russia's need for North Korean artillery and weapons to conduct its war in Ukraine also create a different dynamic between the two countries than during the Cold War. This new dynamic and the unknown outcome of the war in Ukraine raise questions about the long-term viability of deepening ties between North Korea and Russia, as well as Pyongyang's choice to deepen relations with Moscow and to a lesser extent Beijing, rather than seeking to improve relations with Washington and Seoul. On February 8, 2024, KEI hosted a discussion on these and other issues related to the growing relationship between North Korea and Russia with long-time North Korea expert Dr. Andrei Lankov of Kookmin University.

If military cooperation with North Korea is a violation of UN Security Council resolutions, why would Russia do it so publicly? And what's in it for the Hermit Kingdom? Andrei Lankov, Director at NK News, joins Ray Suarez to explain why Kim Jong Un is solidifying relations with Russia… and not China.   Guest:   Andrei Lankov, Director at NK News and Professor at Kookmin University   Host:     Ray Suarez   If you appreciate this episode and want to support the work we do, please consider making a donation to World Affairs. We cannot do this work without your help. Thank you.

Pyongyang failed to achieve its dream of unifying the Korean Peninsula under the banner of the Kim regime during the Korean War, but that may not mean it has abandoned the goal. Andrei Lankov, a professor at Seoul's Kookmin University, argues that Pyongyang made unification a long-term goal to orient national ideology and justify military spending. And this week, he joins the podcast to discuss why he believes the DPRK's rapid development of long-range and tactical nuclear weapons now compressed the timeline under which it could realistically achieve this goal through nuclear blackmail. In a wide-ranging conversation, Lankov talks about why a low-level military clash between the Koreas is increasingly likely in the near future, whether the geopolitical conditions will ever materialize for North Korea to truly attempt to conquer the South, how Donald Trump's alliance skepticism energized the South Korean nuclear debate and more. Andrei Lankov is a director at NK News and professor at Kookmin University and writes exclusively for the site as one of the world's leading authorities on North Korea. A graduate of Leningrad State University, he attended Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung University from 1984 to 1985 and has authored several books on the DPRK. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

El académico ruso Andrei Lankov, uno de los mayores expertos del mundo en Corea del Norte, ofrece a BBC Mundo importantes claves sobre la actualidad del hermético país.

Is Kim Jong-un dying?  Why has he allowed the naming of a deputy?  Will the Biden administration ignore the Korean peninsula?  What role is Xi Jinping playing?  Misha and John are joined by eminent North Korea expert Andrei Lankov, of Seoul's Kookmin University.

Is Kim Jong-un dying?  Why has he allowed the naming of a deputy?  Will the Biden administration ignore the Korean peninsula?  What role is Xi Jinping playing?  Misha and John are joined by eminent North Korea expert Andrei Lankov, of Seoul's Kookmin University.

Andrei Lankov has gone where few outsiders have ever been. A native of the former Soviet Union, he lived as an exchange student in North Korea in the 1980s. He has studied it for his entire career, using his fluency in Korean and personal contacts to build a rich, nuanced understanding. In The Real North Korea, Lankov substitutes cold, clear analysis for the overheated rhetoric surrounding this opaque police state. After providing an accessible history of the nation, he turns his focus to what North Korea is, what its leadership thinks, and how its people cope with living in such an oppressive and poor place. He argues that North Korea is not irrational, and nothing shows this better than its continuing survival against all odds. A living political fossil, it clings to existence in the face of limited resources and a zombie economy, manipulating great powers despite its weakness. Its leaders are not ideological zealots or madmen, but perhaps the best practitioners of Machiavellian politics that can be found in the modern world. Even though they preside over a failed state, they have successfully used diplomacy - including nuclear threats - to extract support from other nations. But while the people in charge have been ruthless and successful in holding on to power, Lankov goes on to argue that this cannot continue forever, since the old system is slowly falling apart. In the long run, with or without reform, the regime is unsustainable. Lankov contends that reforms, if attempted, will trigger a dramatic implosion of the regime. They will not prolong its existence. Based on vast expertise, this book reveals how average North Koreans live, how their leaders rule, and how both survive.

In this podcast we talk to Peter Young, a regular attendee of our seminars and student of Austrian economics, who has spent a lot of time traveling to North Korea. Peter gives us his perspective on the communist economic system and how it functions, through the lens of the Austrian economics. You can follow Peter on Twitter using the handle @TheAustrian3. His Medium page contains a list of his threads on economics. Books Referenced Andrei Lankov – The Real North Korea (2013) Paul French – North Korea: State of Paranoia (2014) B.R. Myers - The Cleanest Race (2010) Robert L. Schuettinger & Eamonn Butler - Forty Centuries of Wage and Price Controls: How Not to Fight Inflation (1979) Videos YouTube video showing a DPRK market before and after the 2009 currency reform. Andrei Lankov discussion of Kim Jong Un land reforms. B.R. Myers discussion of DPRK economy and Hikikomori state.

Following a year-long border closure and the reveal of a new ICBM, the NK News team takes a look at what the Eighth Party Congress means for North Korea’s future. This podcast episode features NK Pro analysts Andrei Lankov and Ankit Panda, as well as Korea Risk Group CEO Chad O’Carroll, NK News Correspondent Jeongmin Kim and […]

North Korean workers abroad have been a major controversy and a key target of international sanctions. Often, these individuals are working long hours in poor conditions and with low pay — many liken them to modern-day slave laborers. But as Kookmin University professor Andrei Lankov and economic researcher Peter Ward point out in a new […]

This episode is part one of a special summer miniseries on the 13th World Festival of Youth and Students. You can listen to part two here. The 13th World Festival of Youth and Students was held in the North Korean capital almost thirty years ago next month. A global gathering of international Communist Party-affiliated youth organizations, it represented something of a last hurrah for a world that was soon to disappear in a storm of revolution and unrest. Hosted by North Korea -- in large part as a response to the South's successful hosting of the 1988 Summer Olympic Games -- the festival cost the country billions and saw thousands of international students descend on Pyongyang for an event devoted to "Anti-Imperialist Solidarity, Peace and Friendship." In the inaugural episode of a special summer miniseries on the landmark event, we talk to Dr. Andrei Lankov about its geopolitical background, its impact in South Korea, and how the festival represented a peculiar period of opening up for the modern-day Hermit Kingdom. Andrei Lankov is a Director at NK News and writes exclusively for the site as one of the world's leading authorities on North Korea. In addition to his writing, he is also a Professor at Kookmin University. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interview with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. Featured image: May 2019 edition of "DPR Korea" magazine

Life in North Korea is a mystery to most of the world and few know what day-to-day existence entails for the average North Korean. How did North Korea become a hermit kingdom? And what does it really look like on the ground? Our hosts speak to Dr. Andrei Lankov, Director, NKNews.org and Professor at Kookmin University; Pulitzer-nominated veteran foreign correspondent Jean Lee who led the Associated Press news agency’s coverage of the Korean Peninsula as bureau chief from 2008 to 2013; and North Korean defector Sehyek Oh who currently is a researcher at the Transitional Justice Working Group.

Reflecting increasingly warm inter-Korean relations, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed (via Twitter) his willingness to meet face-to-face with Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un this year in what would be the first-ever meeting between a sitting U.S. president and a member of the ruling Kim family. In this episode of the “North Korea News Podcast”, we are joined by NK News Managing Director Chad O'Carroll, Director of Korea Risk Group and Professor of North Korean History Dr. Andrei Lankov, and Analyst Fyodor Tertitskiy to discuss how we got to this point and the long road still ahead. About the podcast: The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly podcast hosted exclusively by NK News, covering all things DPRK: from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. *From now until March 31, we will be choosing one lucky listener every week to receive a free NK News subscription ($300 value). To enter, please leave us a rating or review on iTunes or the iOS Podcast app.

Back in December 2017, most people would have found it hard to believe that North Korea would be participating in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, let alone inviting President Moon Jae-in to Pyongyang at "an early date" or expressing their openness to engage in dialogue with the U.S. But in an interview with NK News last year, Dr. Georgy D. Toloraya, a Professor of Oriental Studies at Moscow University of International Relations University and director of the Center of Asian strategy at the Russian Academy of Sciences, said that North Korea's "completion of a state nuclear force" offered a window of opportunity for dialogue. "I believe that this is the perfect chance to start a peace-building process and if it would start from the Olympics, then that would still be highly symbolic," he told NK News. Fast forward to the end of the Olympics, with inter-Korean relations significantly improved, and even the possibility of a North Korea-U.S. dialogue on the table. Toloraya says the North would never succumb to CVID, the complete verifiable irreversible dismantlement, as they hold the nuclear program sacred. What, then, can the U.S. and North Korea talk about, and how are things really progressing in terms of inter-Korean and U.S.-DPRK dialogue? In this episode of the "North Korea News Podcast," host Jacco Zwetsloot sat down with Dr. Toloraya to discuss how the Korean Peninsula is faring post-Olympics, and how Russia (and the Soviet Union) managed to balance relations with both Koreas over the years. They also delved into Dr. Toloraya's extensive experience working in Pyongyang in the 1970s and 80s (when he also briefly met our first podcast guest Andrei Lankov), in contrast to working in Seoul as the Minister-Counselor and Deputy Chief of Mission at the Russian Embassy in the 90s, when Kim Il Sung passed away leaving Kim Jong Un in power, high-ranking North Korean official Hwang Jang Yop defected to South Korea, and two North Korean submarines were caught in South Korean waters. Got a suggestion for our next topic or guest? Let us know at podcast@nknews.org. Featured image: Kremlin.ru

There are thousands of news podcasts out there in the audio world, hosted by some of the world's leading news agencies and think tanks. But there is one topic that has yet to be covered with any depth or regularity: North Korea. To fill this void, NK News is launching a new weekly podcast this February to update readers on what we do best – getting behind the North Korea headlines with insight and analysis from some of the world's leading experts on the country, defector voices, former residents and leading international observers. Hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot, director of business development at HMP law firm by day and a keen North Korea watcher by night, the “North Korea News Podcast” will cover all things DPRK: from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field and insight from our very own journalists. The podcast builds on the success of Kurt Achin's work between 2014-2015 for an earlier iteration of the NK News podcast, which ran for 23 episodes and can be listened to here. This new English language program is available directly on the NK News site, as well as on iTunes, Stitcher, SoundCloud, iHeartRadio, Youtube, and other podcast hosting directories. “Despite global interest in North Korea issues having surged in 2017 to unprecedented levels, there is surprisingly no dedicated podcast to exploring the subject,” said Korea Risk Group managing director Chad O'Carroll. “As the leading provider of specialist news, analysis and data on North Korea, we are looking forward to help our listeners get behind the headlines each week in this new podcast.” In its pilot episode, NK News interviewed leading North Korea expert Andrei Lankov, the Director of Korea Risk Group and Professor at Kookmin University in Seoul. Having recently returned from a trip to Yanji, which he wrote about here, Lankov shared more details from the trip, looked at how UN sanctions are impacting the Sino-DPRK relationship, and discussed how South Korea is faring under President Moon Jae-in almost one year since his election. Read an excerpt from the episode: Jacco Zwetsloot: When you are in Yanji, how do you actually go about approaching a North Korean informant?  Andrei Lankov: Ten, fifteen years ago, you could basically walk into a market and come across a North Korean easily. This is ancient history now. Now you have to use your networks to establish trust and make contact. Jacco Zwetsloot: Yanji is a city where you can find North Korean refugees escaping from North Korea but also North Korean officials. That seems like a potential volatile or dangerous mix. Are the refugees shy about talking to outsiders?  Andrei Lankov: If they have recommendations and they believe the security is reasonably good, they are talking. And I'm not talking about politics, usually. They talk about daily life, economics, etc. In this trip, I have not seen a single refugee. Last time I did, but the numbers are very small now. Jacco Zwetsloot: Why is that?  Andrei Lankov: A few reasons. You will hear that control on the border is much tighter than before. It's true. Starting from--I remember the days in 2005 to 2008, when the border with China was essentially unprotected. There were no fences, no patrols, no nothing on the Chinese side of the border. Anyone could go to the border and stay near the river and in winter when the river is frozen, it was quite possible to walk to North Korea. The North Koreans were much better in border control, but the Chinese didn't care. It was essentially an open border, practically the same border as the United States and Canada. But that's not the case anymore. Listen to the full episode here:

This week’s guest is Peter Ward, an aspiring scholar of North Korean studies. He’s a research assistant to Dr. Andrei Lankov, as well as a masters student at Seoul National University, Peter is also a researcher at the Asan Policy Institute, and a contributing writer at NKNews. Peter is fluent in Korean and has unique insights on both North and South Korean society. We discuss growing up in the UK, misperceptions between the west and Korea, and how to learn Korean effectively. You can connect with Peter on Twitter @rpcward89. And just some quick housekeeping, if you like the show please share it with your friends, rate us on iTunes, Twitter, Facebook, you know whatever you use, just get it out there. I’ve already received several recommendations for future guests would love to hear from you, the listeners, who we should interview and what kind of topics you care about.

It’s been four years since Kim Jong-un came to power in North Korea after the death of his father in 2011. To assess how the comparatively young and inexperienced leader has been doing so far, we had the pleasure of meeting with Andrei Lankov, the guest of our first episode. With him we spoke about Kim Jong-un's approach to the North Korean economy, the country’s relationship with China, the impact and value of the international community’s sanctions, and whether North Korea has become more stable ever since it is in the hands of Kim Jong-un. Andrei Lankov is Professor of Korean Studies at Kookmin University. He received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Leningrad State University and also attended Pyongyang's Kim Il-sung University. He has published books in English and Russian and contributes to various news outlets, including The Korea Times and Al Jazeera.

For our first episode we sat down with Andrei Lankov, one of the world’s foremost experts on the society of North Korea. As he argues, the real North Korea is different from the one we know through the media – and important changes are happening there at this moment.