Podcasts about nk news

This week, Dr. Joëlle Hivonnet joins the podcast to discuss her four-year tenure as the EU's deputy head in Seoul from 2016, a tumultuous era in inter-Korean relations defined by both tensions and diplomacy. Hivonnet talks about how U.S. President Donald Trump's threats against North Korea transformed into summit talks between leader Kim Jong Un, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Trump, and how those developments ushered in a period of optimism for the EU. She also challenges the notion that Europe has a limited role in the peninsula's affairs, particularly after North Korea's direct involvement in the war in Ukraine. The EU's agenda is being “totally dominated” by the Ukraine-Russia war, and North Korea's deployment of troops and munitions in support of Moscow's invasion is clear evidence that issues involving the DPRK now relate to the 27-member state organization, she said. Hivonnet, now retired, worked in EU postings for over 30 years, including in Geneva and Kathmandu. Prior to working for the EU, she was a senior lecturer at the University of Northumbria in England.  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.

This week, NK News senior analytic correspondent Colin Zwirko joins the podcast to discuss recent developments along the inter-Korean border, as well North Korea's latest event showcasing new air force weaponry. He begins by sharing what satellite imagery shows about the DPRK's construction projects within the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone, some of which appear to cross the Military Demarcation Line, the actual border between the two Koreas. The discussion then turns to Kangwon Province, where leader Kim Jong Un appears to be planning to build a new dam that would flood part of the North Korean side of the DMZ. Whether the project is being actively developed is unclear, though it could have serious implications for South Korea. Lastly, Zwirko gives an overview of the recent 80th anniversary of the regime's air force celebration, where it showed off a new drone and other military assets that mimic American weaponry. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insights from our very own journalists.

This week, Lonnie Edge of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies joins the podcast to discuss North Korea's strategies for portraying itself as a legitimate government both inside and outside its borders. According to Edge, the Kim regime has become adept at changing its narrative or policies to address crises or changes in circumstances, such as building new apartments or bolstering rhetoric against the U.S. during economic downturns. The expert also discusses why progressive South Korean presidents typically reach out to North Korea first when attempting to build inter-Korean relations, explaining that taking this sort of diplomatic initiative without guarantees is rare and reflects how many Koreans view themselves as one people. Edge is an assistant professor in the Graduate School of Interpretation and Translation at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. He holds a Ph.D. in international relations and has been the managing editor of North Korean Review for over a decade. His work spans inter-Korean relations, contemporary Korea and identity politics. 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.

This week, NK News correspondent Joon Ha Park joins the podcast to recap a week's worth of news from Seoul and Pyongyang, starting with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung's comments about potentially scaling back joint military exercises with the U.S. to support diplomacy with North Korea. He talks about how previous progressive governments, such as the Moon Jae-in administration, downsized the joint drills in an effort to persuade the DPRK to come to the negotiating table. Park also explains Seoul's proposal for inter-Korean military talks on restoring land markers around the Military Demarcation Line, the border dividing the peninsula, to prevent an accidental clash. Seoul has accused North Korean troops of frequently crossing into the South, prompting it to fire warning shots. Finally, Park tracks North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's recent public appearances, including the inauguration of the first “modern” hospital outside of Pyongyang, and a visit to the Ministry of State Security's headquarters. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insights from our very own journalists.

Dr. Elizabeth Campbell, a visiting scholar at Korea University's Research Institute of Korean Studies, joins the podcast to discuss all things North Korean film — from former leader Kim Jong Il's love of foreign cinema to what is arguably the country's most famous movie, “The Flower Girl.” She sheds light on the second Kim leader's reported involvement in the creation of domestic films, including the procurement of a train for a scene, and his frustration with North Korea's inability to produce Hollywood-type cinema. These films play an integral role in North Korean society, and Campbell discusses how the Kim dynasty has used them to portray itself to citizens and the rest of the world. Campbell holds a Ph.D. in North Korean studies from Korea University. Her work examines North Korea propaganda, media and culture, including personality cults and representations of North Koreans.  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.

This week, NK News Data Correspondent Anton Sokolin joins the podcast to discuss Russian participation in North Korea's fall trade fair and the latest in the two sides' military cooperation over the war in Ukraine. He talks about how over a dozen Russian commercial firms hawked their electronics and foods in Pyongyang last month, as well as about Moscow's announcement that DPRK military engineers have started work in Kursk to clear “hundreds of different types of explosive devices” left by Ukrainian troops. He also explains why the Russian communist party recently awarded North Korean leader Kim Jong Un the “Lenin Prize,” tracing the history and significance of the little known award. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insights from our very own journalists.

This week, a former Ukrainian lawmaker and a Ukrainian military official join the podcast to discuss North Korea's support of Russian forces, and why this poses a threat to South Korea's security. Dr. Hanna Hopko, co-founder of the International Center of Ukrainian Victory, and Ukrainian National Guard Lt. Volodymyr Vernygora examine the evolving DPRK-Russia military partnership, which they say should be raising alarms throughout the international community, as well as Seoul's response. The two experts also stress that South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy should boost bilateral engagements to counter these developments, while warning that North Korea's troops are obtaining something money can't always buy: battlefield experience. Hopko is a former member of Ukraine's parliament and the co-founder of the International Center of Ukrainian Victory, a nongovernmental organization seeking to mobilize international support for Kyiv's fight against Ukraine. Vernygora is a lieutenant and international cooperation officer in the 1st Corps Azov of the National Guard of Ukraine, with two decades of experience in international relations, academia, and strategic communications.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insights from our very own journalists.

This week, NK News founder Chad O'Carroll joins the podcast to discuss the life of Kim Yong Nam, the longtime No. 2 in North Korea's leadership who died this month at 97.  He also unravels the mystery behind Pyongyang Papers, the website that anonymously published information on North Korea's sanctions-evading network before disappearing without warning last month. Lastly, he discusses U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's visit to South Korea and the possibility of a  future summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insights from our very own journalists.

Maarten Jongsma, a senior researcher at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, joins the podcast to discuss his years of collaboration with North Korean agricultural scientists and efforts to help improve potato cultivation in the DPRK. He shares his recollections from his multiple visits to North Korea between 2004 and 2012, describing the country's push to make potatoes a core part of the national diet, particularly in the cooler northern regions. He also explains the scientific and logistical challenges his team faced, and why yields ultimately declined after the collaboration ended. Dr. Maarten Jongsma is senior researcher at Wageningen University, where he focuses on how plants or plant products interact with other organisms. He once headed a project to make North Korean potatoes resistant to the disease phytophthora.  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.

This week, three members of the NK News team unpack their time at the APEC summit in Gyeongju and discuss how North Korea featured in the week's diplomatic drama.  Despite high expectations, U.S. President Donald Trump did not meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his trip to Korea, though Pyongyang still loomed large in many of the summit's side discussions. This week's episode features:  Jeongmin Kim — Executive Director at Korea Risk Group Shreyas Reddy — Lead Correspondent at NK News Joon Ha Park — Correspondent at Korea Risk Group About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insights from our very own journalists.

In this episode, veteran KBS journalist Bong-Seung Shin shares his experience reporting from North Korea and communicating with journalists on the ground in the country. Shin first traveled to Pyongyang in 2008, crossing the demilitarized zone by air as part of a trip organized by an NGO. He describes the excitement of entering North Korea for the first time, the strict media controls he faced and the challenge of filming under constant supervision. A decade later, in 2018, Shin led KBS coverage of inter-Korean events from Seoul, coordinating live broadcasts with his team stationed in Pyongyang. He explains how they managed to send footage, the professionalism of North Korean media workers and how journalists on both sides found common ground despite political barriers. Reflecting on both trips, Shin discusses what these experiences taught him about inter-Korean relations, the divided culture of the two Koreas and his hope to one day open a KBS bureau in Pyongyang. Bong-Seung Shin is a TV journalist with South Korea's state-owned broadcaster KBS.  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.

NK News founder Chad O'Carroll joins the podcast this week to unpack the busy week ahead on the Korean Peninsula as APEC kicks off and U.S. President Donald Trump heads to South Korea. He discusses the growing speculation over whether Trump will meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for the first time in over six years, and explores signs that the DPRK may be keeping the door open for such diplomacy.  He also talks about the appointment of Kevin Kim as the new acting U.S. chargé d'affaires in Seoul, as well as Kim Jong Un's visit to a cemetery for Chinese soldiers who fought in the Korean War.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insights from our very own journalists.

This week, historian Remco Breuker explores how Pyongyang has built illicit networks that operate far beyond its borders to oversee labor exports, arrange business deals and traffic arms. He reflects on the collapse of the U.N. Panel of Experts that once tracked sanctions violations, warning that the world has lost a vital mechanism for understanding and constraining North Korea's overseas operations. He also argues for rebuilding expertise on the country's financial and labor networks to regain leverage, while questioning the effectiveness and ethics of existing sanctions.  Remco Breuker is a historian who works on medieval Korean and Northeast Asian history and on contemporary North Korean affairs. Since 2014, he has been working on making the voices of elite exiles from the DPRK heard in academic debates. He is the author of a number of books about North Korea, most recently “De Wereld volgens Noord-Korea” (“The World According to North Korea”). About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. 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.

This week, NK News Correspondent Jooheon Kim joins the podcast to discuss the North Korean soldier who crossed the inter-Korean border over the weekend, marking the first confirmed military defection under the Lee Jae-myung administration.  He also talks about next week's APEC Summit in Gyeongju. With former U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping expected to attend, speculation is growing over whether Trump might reach out to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for an impromptu meeting.  Finally, he breaks down new details on North Korea's diplomatic and defense interactions with Southeast Asian nations, particularly Indonesia and Vietnam, around the recent party anniversary celebrations. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insights from our very own journalists.

For a brief period after Korea's liberation, a cross-peninsula postage system shuttled letters across the 38th parallel, linking the Soviet-led north and U.S.-led south.  This week, postal expert Tony Bard and historian JiHoon Suk join the podcast to explore this forgotten link and the logistics, politics and human stories behind the letter exchanges. They also reflect on the lasting significance of the inter-Korean postal system and the lack of any regular mail contact in the 75 years since its demise. Anthony Bard is editor of The London Philatelist and a member of the Royal Philatelic Society London. He collects North and South Korean postal history from 1945, with a focus on Korean War material and post-Armistice commissions. JiHoon Suk is a Korean historian completing his Ph.D. at Yonsei University, specializing in early modern Korean history. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.

This week, Korea Risk Group Executive Director Jeongmin Kim and Senior Analytical Correspondent Colin Zwirko unpack North Korea's military parade in Pyongyang for the 80th anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea.  They explore how the event demonstrated both a commitment to spectacle and restraint, featuring more than 100,000 soldiers but fewer weapons in years past. They also dig into parade references to North Korea's support of the war in Ukraine, the debut of new weapons like the Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile and the high-profile foreign dignitaries on hand from China, Russia and Vietnam. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insights from our very own journalists.

This week, Chandana Seshadri joins the podcast to discuss her RUSI Journal article, “How DPRK IT Workers Exploit Identity Management Vulnerabilities,” which documents how North Korean workers slip through remote-hiring systems to earn hard currency and open doors for bigger cyber operations.  The researcher highlights the case of Christina Chapman — a U.S. citizen who helped DPRK workers get remote jobs through “laptop farms” — as a key example of how ordinary employment channels can be manipulated for sanctions evasion. She also explains how the rapid shift to remote work after COVID-19 opened new vulnerabilities for infiltration, as companies often skip in-person verification and identity checks. Seshadri calls for international working groups to share best practices and red flags while respecting privacy laws, while stressing the issue is not only relevant to cybersecurity but also national security and sanctions enforcement. Chandana Seshadri is a non-resident fellow at the Stimson Center's 38 North and former research analyst at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), specializing in the intersection of sanctions, financial crime and cyber threats with a focus on North Korea.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.

NK News' Senior Analytic Correspondent Colin Zwirko unpacks the key developments ahead of North Korea's Oct. 10 military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea. He begins by discussing Pyongyang's latest weapons exhibition, where state media previewed an unmanned surface vehicle — a type of naval drone — and explains that while the display appears designed to showcase technological progress, doubts remain over Pyongyang's ability to control such systems without satellite communications support.   He also talks about the DPRK's naval ambitions, including Kim Jong Un's recent inspection of new destroyers and the troubled rollout of the country's corvette program, as well as the long-delayed opening of the Pyongyang General Hospital, a massive medical facility first promised in 2020.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insights from our very own journalists.

James Heenan, the representative of the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Seoul, joins the podcast this week to unpack the High Commissioner's new update on human rights in the DPRK — an effort to take stock of the situation in the country 11 years after the landmark U.N. Commission of Inquiry report. Several activists have argued that the update offers little in the way of new revelations and falls short by not naming key perpetrators. But Heenan contends that its value lies elsewhere: It is the most comprehensive trend analysis to date, built on 314 victim and witness testimonies gathered over the past decade and backed by dozens of U.N. documents. He outlines what the report has to say about North Korea's tightening system of repression — rooted in state ideology, codified punishments and forced labor — and weighs in on what meaningful public action looks like now. James Heenan is the representative for the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Seoul. He previously served as the head of the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights in Palestine and has also worked in academia on labor rights issues and as a practicing lawyer in the U.K. and Australia. He last appeared on episode 325 of the NK News podcast.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.

NK News Correspondent Joon Ha Park joins the podcast to discuss President Lee Jae-myung's first speech to the U.N. General Assembly and his debut of a new acronym for his peace road map — “E.N.D.,” short for exchange, normalization and denuclearization. He also talks about Seoul's unification minister's controversial “two states” remarks, Lee's calls for greater military self-reliance and North Korea's latest diplomatic outreach to China, with Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui meeting her counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insights from our very own journalists.

This week, Dr. Vipin Narang joins the NK News podcast to unpack how the U.S. and South Korea are seeking to strengthen extended deterrence against North Korean threats under the joint Nuclear Consultative Group, a platform that he helped develop and lead as a key nuclear policy official under the Biden administration. Narang highlights how North Korea's rapid nuclear expansion drove the creation of the NCG, which gives Seoul a structured role in deterrence planning, and he warns that the DPRK's cooperation with Russia could accelerate its efforts to build a more diverse nuclear arsenal featuring both lower-yield short-range systems and land-based ICBMs. The former co-chair of the NCG also weighs in on the dangers of South Korea pursuing indigenous nuclear weapons, stressing that Washington is adapting alliance management to maintain credible deterrence even amid global crises and growing North Korea-China-Russia alignment. Dr. Vipin Narang is an American political scientist who served as the acting assistant secretary of defense for space policy until Aug. 2024, a portfolio that included policy on space and missile defense policy, nuclear deterrence and countering weapons of mass destruction. He also served as co-chair of the NCG. He has since returned to MIT, where he is the Frank Stranton Professor of Nuclear Security and the inaugural director of the Center for Nuclear Security policy.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.

This episode of the NK News podcast unpacks the unusual loyalty relays taking place across North Korea, where both children and adults carry letters pledging fealty to Kim Jong Un. NK News Lead Correspondent Shreyas Reddy also discusses new murals of the leader, some of which appear to have replaced longstanding depictions of his father and grandfather, and what this means for his evolving cult of personality The episode then turns to Kim Jong Un's recent address at the Supreme People's Assembly, where he reiterated North Korea's refusal to give up its nuclear weapons while leaving the door open to talks with the U.S. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insights from our very own journalists.

This week, Stephen Mercado returns to the NK News Podcast to discuss his new book, “Japanese Spy Gear and Special Weapons,” and how Japan's secretive Noborito Research Institute supported covert operations targeting the DPRK during the Korean War.  Mercado is a former CIA analyst and open source officer who worked for most of his career in the Foreign Broadcast Information Service, later named the Open Source Center and now known as the Open Source Enterprise. He retired in 2017 and first appeared on episode 324 of this podcast. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.

This week, NK News Correspondent Joon Ha Park joins the podcast to discuss newly revealed DPRK state media footage that appears to blame Russia for North Korean casualties during fighting against Ukraine. He also talks about what President Lee Jae-myung said about the DPRK at a press conference to mark his first 100 days, as well as Pyongyang's criticism of U.S. military drills with South Korea and Japan that kicked off on Monday. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insights from our very own journalists.

This week, the NK News podcast explores the New York Times' recent revelations about a 2019 U.S. Navy SEAL mission on North Korea's coast. The operation reportedly aimed at installing surveillance equipment but went awry, resulting in the death of unarmed North Koreans and raising escalation risks. Mark Sauter, a former U.S. Army soldier with decades of experience investigating POW/MIA issues and covert operations, joins the podcast to explain what allegedly happened, why it may have gone sideways and how these events echo earlier covert U.S. and South Korean infiltrations stretching back to the Korean War. Sauter is the founder and president of the POW Investigative Project and author of “American Trophies.” He has been investigating American POWs for almost 30 years and previously served as a soldier in the U.S. Army, including as a guard post commander at the Demilitarized Zone. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.

This week, NK News Senior Analytic Correspondent Colin Zwirko joins the podcast to discuss North Korea's “static firing test of a high-thrust solid-fuel motor” used in long-range nuclear missiles, a week after Kim Jong Un inspected a new ballistic missile design. The conversation then turns to Kim's high-profile trip to Beijing, his first in six years, where bilateral meetings with China and Russia underscored tacit support for North Korea's nuclear program. Zwirko also discusses the upcoming Pyongyang International Trade Fair and the DPRK's decision to bar Western businesses from participating. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insights from our very own journalists.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made his appearance at a large-scale multilateral event on Wednesday, standing shoulder to shoulder with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin at China's Victory Day parade in Beijing. But was this just optics, or did it mark a deeper realignment of global power blocs? NK News Lead Correspondent Shreyas Reddy joins this week's episode to explore what Kim's presence revealed about North Korea's shifting position globally, compare the 2025 parade to previous landmark events and discuss the risks for Kim in playing second fiddle to Xi and Putin. He also discusses why Kim's daughter — but not his wife — may have joined him for the trip to Beijing.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insights from our very own journalists.

In this episode, Go Myong-hyun of Seoul's Institute for National Security Strategy returns to the podcast to assess the recent summit between South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump. He also looks ahead to Kim Jong Un's expected appearance in Beijing on Sept. 3 for a Victory Day parade marking the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II, where he said he expects optics to dominate over substance. Dr. Go Myong-hyun is the director at the Department of Security Strategy Studies at the Institute for National Security Strategy (INSS). Previously, he worked at the Institute for Security and Development Policy, focusing on hybrid threats in Northeast Asia and international coordination to counter them, and previously served as a senior fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.

On this episode, scholar Joseph Torigian joins the podcast to discuss his new biography of Chinese leader Xi Jinping's father and Xi senior's delicate diplomacy with North Korea in the 1980s. Torigian explores Xi Zhongxun's role in rebuilding ties, navigating the DPRK's succession politics and nudging Pyongyang toward reform. He also talks about how China and North Korea influenced each other's policies during this pivotal period, and how those interactions still shape Beijing-Pyongyang relations today.  Joseph Torigian is a research fellow at Stanford's Hoover History Lab, an associate professor at the School of International Service at American University, and a center associate of the Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies at the University of Michigan. He is the author of  “The Party's Interests Come First” from Stanford University Press. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.

In this week's episode, NK News Deputy Managing Editor Alannah Hill breaks down President Lee Jae-myung's first summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, where Lee appealed for Trump to take on a “peacemaker” role with Pyongyang.  She also discusses the flood of newly released state media footage showing North Korean troops in combat in Russia's Kursk region, which have provided a rare look at battlefield tactics, drone warfare and how official propaganda is framing the war. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insights from our very own journalists.

In this episode, Tycho van der Hoog joins the podcast to explore how North Korea forged and sustained ties with African liberation movements and governments during and after the Cold War — connections that continue to shape the country's activities on the continent today. He shares how his interest in the topic began with a trip to Namibia, where he encountered North Korean-built monuments. He also talks about his years of archival research and fieldwork across Southern Africa and the role of cultural and ideological exchange, including how North Korea used Juche ideology and its own unique aesthetics to build loyalty. Dr. Tycho van der Hoog is assistant professor of international security studies at the Netherlands Defense Academy, and the author of “Comrades Beyond the Cold War,” a new book that traces North Korea's unexpected ties with postcolonial states in Southern Africa. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.

NK News Correspondent Jooheon Kim joins the podcast this week to discuss Ahn Hak-sop, a 95-year-old former North Korean soldier and so-called unconverted prisoner of war who is seeking repatriation to the DPRK after decades in the South. He also talks about the controversy surrounding ROK police investigations into defector remittances to relatives in the North, which have focused attention on legal challenges around the transfers and spurred a legislator to address the issue. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insights from our very own journalists.

Rob York is director for regional affairs at Pacific Forum in Honolulu, working on Korean Peninsular security and Indo-Pacific information warfare. He previously worked as production editor at the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong and as editor of NK News from 2013 to 2016. He earned his PhD in Korean history in 2023. Pacific Forum: https://pacforum.org/ Discussion Outline 0:00 Lee Jae Myung 17:50 Trump and Korea 39:00 North Korea 43:10 Communism 47:55 China in the 21st Century 1:10:00 Korea and Japan 1:15:50 The International Order David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr. Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/vIbpLfWJoZM?si=srRVQ1vRkLvCV076 Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873 Music by Jocelyn Clark Connect with us:  ▶ David's Insta: @datizzard ▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed Listen to Korea Deconstructed ▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128 ▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE ▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com

On today's episode, Kornel Chang discusses his new book “A Fractured Liberation: Korea Under U.S. Occupation,” which sheds light on the period from 1945 to 1950 when the country was divided into the North and South. Chang describes how the immediate post-liberation “opening” was more fluid than commonly portrayed, with ordinary Koreans pursuing varied aspirations that did not map neatly onto left-right labels. He also discusses land redistribution in the North in 1946 and the resulting migrations, including elites moving south and left-leaning writers heading north. Kornel Chang is associate professor of History and American Studies and chair of the History Department at Rutgers University-Newark.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.

NK News Executive Director Jeongmin Kim joins the podcast to discuss the story of a North Korean defector in her 70s who is under investigation for allegedly leaking the locations of fellow escapees to Pyongyang's secret police, as well as the daring maritime defection of a North Korean who swam across the Han River estuary. She also talks about the recent decision by South Korea and the U.S. to postpone half of their summertime Ulchi Freedom Shield drills and the latest on the dismantling of propaganda loudspeaker arrays along the inter-Korean border. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insights from our very own journalists.

On this week's episode, Maeng Hyo-shim, a young woman who fled North Korea in 2018, joins the podcast to share her experiences of state discrimination, systemic neglect and a violent attack against her disabled mother which led her family to escape the DPRK. Born in Hyesan in 2001, Maeng shares her memories of life growing up under the Kim regime, where people with disabilities were routinely excluded from society and punished for being unable to work in state-run enterprises. She reflects on the hardships her family faced due to her mother's condition, how her parents met and raised her despite overwhelming odds. Maeng Hyo-shim was born in Hyesan, a city on North Korea's northern border with China, in the years after the devastating famine of the 1990s. In 2018, she fled North Korea with her parents after a violent incident against her mother who has a disability and the regime's refusal to deliver justice. She now lives in South Korea and works to raise awareness about human rights issues in North Korea, testifying publicly under her real name — including at the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights in Seoul in June this year. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.

On this week's episode, NK News Data Analyst Anton Sokolin unpacks major construction updates on the Russia–DPRK car bridge project near the Tumen River.  He also breaks down the ambitious trilateral initiative to launch historical boat tours connecting China, Russia and North Korea along the same river as well as new direct flights between Moscow and Pyongyang and a Russian military aircraft's mysterious trip to the DPRK. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

The flurry of summitry in 2018-19 between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in inspired hopes for a breakthrough on resolving a decades-old conflict, only for talks to collapse without any progress on the DPRK nuclear issue. This week, historian John Delury returns to the podcast to revisit that heady time on the Korean Peninsula and explore what Seoul's new President Lee Jae-myung might do to revive Trump-Kim diplomacy. He explains why Russia-DPRK ties ensure that another round of engagement won't look like the last and examines how China's ties with the South impact its approach to the North. He also talks about Kim Jong Un's desire to be a “developmental dictator,” the potential impact of the U.S. bombing of Iran on efforts to entice Pyongyang to negotiations and why there is no military solution to the North Korea problem. John Delury is a historian of modern China and an expert on U.S.-China relations and Korean Peninsula affairs. The author of “Agents of Subversion,” he previously served as a professor of Chinese studies at Yonsei University in Seoul and most recently taught at the American Academy in Rome, Luiss University and John Cabot University. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.

North Korea broke its relative silence about the new South Korean administration of Lee Jae-myung on Monday, with the DPRK leader's sister Kim Yo Jong dismissing the president's peace overtures and attacking Seoul's alliance with the U.S. NK News Lead Correspondent Shreyas Reddy joins the podcast to discuss why North Korea's proverbial “bad cop” suddenly weighed in on inter-Korean ties and what Pyongyang actually wants from Seoul. He also talks about new U.S. sanctions against a DPRK company and three North Koreans for their role in remote IT worker schemes, as well as a surprise visit to Pyongyang by a global baseball chief. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

North Korea's ruling Kim family has orchestrated not one but two leadership successions during its over seven decades in power, and may well be preparing for a third. But the success of such transitions in authoritarian states is far from certain and depends in large part on how rulers manage the elites that compose their power base, a new book argues. This week, researchers Edward Goldring and Peter Ward join the podcast to discuss their new volume about the tools that the Kim family dictatorship has used to facilitate leadership transitions. They explore how successors must rely on their predecessor's power base to govern while building their own inner circle of elites, and they explain why autocrats don't necessarily want to use forceful means like purges to exert control. Ward also talks about a forthcoming paper that digs into the ways in which South Korean society discriminates against North Korean defectors despite a pervasive belief in a Korean ethnic identity, as well as about a second upcoming paper on the factors that make North Koreans more likely to consume ROK media in violation of state censorship laws. Edward Goldring is a lecturer in comparative politics in the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne, and Peter Ward is a research fellow at the Sejong Institute in Seoul. They are the co-authors of the new book “Authoritarian Survival and Leadership Succession in North Korea and Beyond” from Cambridge University Press. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.

South Korea's National Assembly questioned the Lee administration's nominees for key positions last week, including the ministers of unification, defense, foreign affairs and labor, and North Korea issues ended up playing a prominent role at all of the hearings. NK News Correspondent Joon Ha Park joins the podcast this week to discuss the main takeaways from the hearing, and to explain why the question of whether Pyongyang is the South's main enemy repeatedly came up. He also talks about unification minister nominee's claims about North Korea's semiconductor plants and AI ambitions, the labor minister nominee's grilling over a request to attend Kim Jong Il's funeral and the defense minister's plan to carry out OPCON transfer from the U.S. to South Korea. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

In this episode, Professor Andrei Lankov and NK News' Anton Sokolin discuss the fascinating story of the Yankovskys — a Russian family whose journey took them from Siberian exile to colonial Korea, and ultimately, to the heart of North Korea's tumultuous 20th-century history. The discussion centers on the family's time in what became the DPRK after relocating from Siberia, where they ran a tiger hunting resort in the northern region, near Chongjin.  They also explore how the family's story intersects with the shifting allegiances of North Korea, highlighting their relationship with the regime and how it shaped their survival in a rapidly changing geopolitical environment. Andrei Lankov is a professor at Kookmin University in Seoul and the director at Korea Risk Group. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.

NK News Senior Analytic Correspondent Colin Zwirko joins this week's episode to discuss Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's high-profile visit to the newly opened Wonsan Kalma beach resort, where he met Kim Jong Un aboard a luxury yacht. He also dissects emerging signs that North Korea is preparing for a military parade and possible mass games to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea this October, while unpacking claims — now largely debunked — that the DPRK released radioactive wastewater into the Han River estuary.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Dr. Shinyong Kwon joins this week's episode to discuss how neighborhood associations — known today as inminban in the DPRK — have been used as tools of governance, social indoctrination and moral authority. She explains how these associations originated from East Asian communal traditions but were reshaped under Japanese colonial rule to serve wartime mobilization and state control and traces how both Koreas retained and adapted the system post-liberation. Dr. Shinyoung Kwon holds a PhD in history from the University of Chicago and did postdoctoral research at the University of Cambridge. She now lives in the United States. Her book Moral Authoritarianism: Neighborhood Associations in the Three Koreas, 1931–1972 was published in November 2023.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.

Seoul last week said it cannot confirm a CNN report that North Korea plans to send 30,000 additional soldiers to support Russia's war in Ukraine, amid conflicting intelligence assessments.  While Ukraine's military intelligence suggested the deployment is imminent, its chief Kyrylo Budanov said no buildup has yet been observed, instead predicting voluntary enlistment of DPRK nationals into Russian forces. On this week's episode, NK News Data Correspondent Anton Sokolin joins the podcast to discuss deployment logistics, Kim Jong Un's public mourning of fallen soldiers and evolving DPRK-Russia infrastructure projects. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Professor Mitsuhito Mimura, a leading Japanese expert on the North Korean economy, joins this week's podcast for an in-depth discussion on the DPRK's economic resilience, shifting trade patterns and deepening ties with China and Russia. With over 35 trips to North Korea under his belt, Mimura shares rare insights into how Pyongyang sustains infrastructure growth under heavy sanctions, how unofficial coal exports to China support both formal and informal sectors and how military and economic cooperation with Moscow could shape the North's trajectory. He also weighs in on Japan's view of the emerging China-Russia-DPRK axis and what it could mean for Tokyo's future engagement with Pyongyang. Mitsuhiro Mimura is a leading Japanese expert on the North Korean economy and regional integration in Northeast Asia. Currently a professor at the Economic and Social Research Institute for Northeast Asia, University of Niigata Prefecture, he previously served as a senior research fellow at the Economic Research Institute for Northeast Asia.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.

North Korea finally opened the long-delayed Wonsan Kalma mega resort on the east coast last week, with leader Kim Jong Un calling for a “new era” of tourism. But with the tourism zone boasting over 50 hotels and capacity for 20,000 tourists, questions remain about who will actually visit the resort as the country keeps its doors closed to most foreigners. This week, NK News Correspondent Jooheon Kim joins the podcast to discuss the resort amenities that the DPRK showed off and who was on hand for the grand opening. He also dives into a recent event spotlighting defector testimony about executions in North Korea, an inter-Korean rivalry over claims to the martial art of taekwondo and the story of one defector's quest to make his name as a mixed martial arts fighter. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

In this episode, Norwegian artist and director Morten Traavik and cultural mediator Sun Kim discuss their new documentary “North South Man Woman.” The film explores the emotional complexities of North Korean defectors trying to build lives — and relationships — in South Korea, with a special focus on matchmaking between DPRK women and ROK men. Traavik and Kim reflect on the documentary's five-year production process, the personal journeys of their protagonists and how issues of cultural identity, trauma, gender roles and social integration shape life after defection. They also unpack how the film balances moments of lightness and pain, and how storytelling can illuminate the human costs of geopolitical division. Norwegian artist and director Morten Traavik has undertaken several provocative and boundary-pushing art and film projects involving North Korea. His work often explores themes of cultural exchange, propaganda and the role of art in politically charged environments. He previously appeared on epsiode 103 of the podcast.  His collaborator Sun Kim is a Korean American and Belgian producer and cultural mediator for a number of Morten's exchanges with North Korean authorities for over a decade.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has announced nominations for several key positions handling North Korean issues, continuing to select pro-engagement officials for inter-Korean roles. NK News Correspondent Joon Ha Park talks about the latest appointments, as well as South Korea's live-fire artillery exercises near the inter-Korean border and North Korea's launch of about 10 artillery rockets from near Pyongyang.  He also discusses his interview with retired Vice Adm. Suh Young-gil, who led South Korean naval forces at the First Battle of Yeonpyeong, to mark the 26th anniversary of the pivotal inter-Korean clash. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Dr. Dong Jin Kim, a leading peace studies scholar with research experience spanning Korea, Ireland, Cyprus and South Africa, joins the podcast to explore how divided societies navigate conflict, peacebuilding and reconciliation, as well as lessons from these cases for the Korean Peninsula. Examining Ireland's journey, he argues that lasting peace depends on sustained community engagement and mutual recognition, not just political agreements. He also draws on examples like youth art exchanges between North and South Korea to highlight how everyday people can help build trust even when official dialogue stalls. Dong Jin Kim is the Kim Dae Jung chair professor of Peace Studies at Hanshin University and also an adjunct professor at the School of Religion, Theology and Peace Studies at Trinity College, Dublin. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.