Podcasts about Pyongyang

2025 was packed with news from the Korean Peninsula: new presidents assumed office in South Korea and the United States, North Korea expanded its cooperation with Russia and Pyongyang finally opened its long-awaited beach resort. In this special year-end episode, the NK News team joins the podcast to revisit their most compelling stories of the year.  NK News data correspondent Anton Sokolin, correspondents Joon Ha Park and Jooheon Kim, executive director Jeongmin Kim, founder Chad O'Carroll, lead correspondent Shreyas Reddy and senior analytic correspondent Colin Zwirko unpack their stories ranging from Russia's radioactive delivery to North Korea to Pyongyang's record-breaking crypto theft. 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.

Send us your feedback — we're listeningHebrews 13:3 — Prayer for the Persecuted Church, the Secret Church and the Underground Church From London to Kabul, from Mogadishu to Pyongyang, from Tripoli to hidden house churches across the world — we stand with believers who cannot stand openly. Hebrews 13:3 — “Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them…” 2 Timothy 2:9 — “God's word is not chained.”THE FOUR ROTATED PERSECUTED NATIONS (NEW TODAY)Afghanistan — believers hunted, churches fully underground Somalia — conversion punishable, extreme secrecy North Korea — the world's most dangerous place to follow Christ Libya — believers disappear into detention without trial Global searches rise today around “underground church stories,” “Christians suffering,” and “faith under persecution.” December often intensifies crackdowns in hostile regions. Hebrews 13:3 is one of the most-read persecuted-church scriptures worldwide. Prayer  Father, in the mighty name of Jesus, we lift the persecuted church before You — the underground church, the whispering church, the secret worshippers who follow Christ in danger. We pray for Afghanistan, Somalia, North Korea and Libya. Strengthen believers who gather quietly in locked rooms, caves, basements or remote places. Protect those who hide their Bibles, whisper their hymns and share the gospel at great personal risk. Lord, cover every pastor, every family, every new convert and every imprisoned believer with Your supernatural protection. Let courage rise where fear presses in. Let hope burn where darkness tries to swallow the light. Jesus, sustain Your people. Surround them with angels, fortify their faith and let Your Word run freely where chains attempt to silence it. Prayer Points persecuted church prayer, faith under fire, underground church, afghanistan somalia north korea libya prayer, secret believers, hebrews 13:3 devotional Pause today and pray for one persecuted believer or nation. Speak Hebrews 13:3 aloud and commit to remembering the suffering church. Declaration I declare the persecuted church is strengthened, protected and upheld by God. Call to Action Share this prayer to raise awareness and intercede for believers who cannot speak openly.24-Hour Arc ConnectorPrevious: 5 A.M. — Freedom from Night AnxietyThis Episode: 9 A.M. — Faith Under FireNext: 12 P.M. — Healing from Seasonal IllnessThank you for pSupport the showFor more inspiring content, visit RBChristianRadio.net — your home for daily devotionals, global prayer, and biblical encouragement for every season of life. We invite you to connect with our dedicated prayer hub at DailyPrayer.uk — a place where believers from every nation unite in prayer around the clock. If you need prayer, or would like to leave a request, this is the place to come. Our mission is simple: to pray with you, to stand with you, and to keep the power of prayer at the centre of everyday life. Your support through DailyPrayer.uk helps us continue sharing the gospel and covering the nations in prayer. You can also discover our ministry services and life celebrations at LifeCelebrant.net — serving families with faith, dignity, and hope. If this devotional blesses you, please consider supporting our listener-funded mission by buying us a coffee through RBChristianRadio.net. Every prayer, every gift, and every share helps us keep broadcasting God's Word to the world.

This week's podcast kicks off with the 2003 murder case of a North Korean man in St. Petersburg, previously known as the “criminal capital” of Russia, and the unanswered questions surrounding his brutal death at the hands of a neo-Nazi group. NK News data correspondent Anton Sokolin then discusses North Korea's reaction to Russian Ambassador Alexander Matsegora's sudden death in Pyongyang, including leader Kim Jong Un's appearance at the diplomat's memorial service. Finally, Sokolin talks about the monthslong deployment of North Korean soldiers to Russia's Kursk region, where they were tasked with clearing explosives left by Ukrainian troops. The DPRK troops reportedly suffered nine fatalities during the deployment, with Kim heralding them for performing their duties with valor. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insights from our very own journalists.

The last time Yamato was heavily involved on the continent, they were defeated militarily, and they returned to fortify their islands.  So how are things looking, now? This episode we will talk about some of what has been going on with Tang and Silla, but also touch on the Mishihase, the Hayato, the people of Tamna and Tanegashima, and more! For more information and references, check out:  https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-140   Rough Transcript   Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua and this is episode 140: Improving Diplomatic Ties Garyang Jyeongsan and Gim Hongsye looked out from the deck of their ship, tossing and turning in the sea.  The waves were high, and the winds lashed at the ship, which rocked uncomfortably beneath their feet.  Ocean spray struck them from below while rain pelted from above. Through the torrential and unstable conditions, they looked out for their sister ship.  It was their job to escort them, but in these rough seas, bobbing up and down, they were at the mercy of the elements.  One minute they could see them, and then next it was nothing but a wall of water.  Each time they caught a glimpse the other ship seemed further and further away.  They tried calling out, but it was no use—even if they could normally have raised them, the fierce winds simply carried their voices out into the watery void.  Eventually, they lost sight of them altogether. When the winds died down and the seas settled, they looked for their companions, but they saw nothing, not even hints of wreckage on the ocean.  They could only hope that their fellow pilots knew where they were going.  As long as they could still sail, they should be able to make it to land—either to the islands  to which they were headed, or back to the safety of the peninsula. And so the escort ship continued on, even without a formal envoy to escort.  They would hope for the best, or else they would explain what would happen,  and hope that the Yamato court would understand. The seas were anything but predictable, and diplomacy was certainly not for the faint of heart.   We are going through the period of the reign of Ohoama, aka Temmu Tennou.  It started in 672, with the death of his brother, Naka no Oe, remembered as the sovereign Tenji Tenno, when Temmu took the throne from his nephew, Ohotomo, aka Kobun Tenno, in what would become known as the Jinshin no Ran.  From that point, Ohoama continued the work of his brother in creating a government based on a continental model of laws and punishments—the Ritsuryo system.  He accomplished this with assistance from his wife, Uno, and other members of the royal family—his own sons, but also nephews and other princes of the time.  And so far most of our focus has been on the local goings on within the archipelago. However, there was still plenty going on in the rest of the world, and though Yamato's focus may have been on more local affairs, it was still engaged with the rest of the world—or at least with the polities of the Korean Peninsula and the Tang Dynasty.  This episode we are going to look at Yamato's foreign relations, and how they were changing, especially as things changed on the continent. Up to this point, much of what had been happening in Yamato had been heavily influenced by the mainland in one way or another.  And to begin our discussion, we really should backtrack a bit—all the way to the Battle of Baekgang in 663, which we discussed in Episode 124.  That defeat would lead to the fall of Baekje, at the hands of the Silla-Tang alliance.  The loss of their ally on the peninsula sent Yamato into a flurry of defensive activity.  They erected fortresses on Tsushima, Kyushu, and along the Seto Inland Sea.  They also moved the capital up to Ohotsu, a more easily defended point on the shores of Lake Biwa, and likewise reinforced various strategic points in the Home Provinces as well.  These fortresses were built in the style and under the direction of many of the Baekje refugees now resettled in Yamato. For years, the archipelago braced for an invasion by the Silla-Tang alliance.  After all, with all that Yamato had done to support Baekje, it only made sense, from their perspective, for Silla and Tang to next come after them.  Sure, there was still Goguryeo, but with the death of Yeon Gaesomun, Goguryeo would not last that long.  With a unified peninsula, then why wouldn't they next look to the archipelago? And yet, the attack never came.  While Yamato was building up its defenses, it seems that the alliance between Silla and Tang was not quite as strong as their victories on the battlefield may have made it seem.  This is hardly surprising—the Tang and Silla were hardly operating on the same scale.  That said, the Tang's immense size, while bringing it great resources, also meant that it had an extremely large border to defend.  They often utilized alliances with other states to achieve their ends.  In fact, it seems fairly common for the Tang to seek alliances with states just beyond their borders against those states that were directly on their borders.  In other words, they would effectively create a pincer maneuver by befriending the enemy of their enemy.  Of course.  Once they had defeated said enemy well, wouldn't you know it, their former ally was now their newest bordering state. In the case of the Silla-Tang alliance, it appears that at the start of the alliance, back in the days of Tang Taizong, the agreement, at least from Silla's perspective, was that they would help each other against Goguryeo and Baekje, and then the Tang dynasty would leave the Korean peninsula to Silla.  However, things didn't go quite that smoothly.  The fighting against Goguryeo and Baekje can be traced back to the 640s, but Tang Taizong passed away in 649, leaving the throne to his heir, Tang Gaozong.  The Tang forces eventually helped Silla to take Baekje after the battle of Baekgang River in 663, and then Goguryeo fell in 668, but the Tang forces didn't leave the peninsula.  They remained in the former territories of Baekje and in Goguryeo, despite any former agreements.  Ostensibly they were no doubt pointing to the continuing revolts and rebellions in both regions.  While neither kingdom would fully reassert itself, it didn't mean that there weren't those who were trying.  In fact, the first revolt in Goguryeo was in 669.  There was also a revolt each year until 673.  The last one had some staying power, as the Goguryeo rebels continued to hold out for about four years. It is probably worth reminding ourselves that the Tang dynasty, during this time, had reached out on several occasions to Yamato, sending diplomatic missions, as had Silla.  While the Yamato court may have been preparing for a Tang invasion, the Tang perspective seems different.  They were preoccupied with the various revolts going on, and they had other problems.  On their western border, they were having to contend with the kingdom of Tibet, for example.  The Tibetan kingdom had a powerful influence on the southern route around the Taklamakan desert, which abuts the Tibetan plateau.   The Tang court would have had to divert resources to defend their holdings in the western regions, and it is unlikely that they had any immediate designs on the archipelago, which I suspect was considered something of a backwater to them, at the time.  In fact, Yamato would have been much more useful to the Tang as an ally to help maintain some pressure against Silla, with whom their relationship, no longer directed at a common enemy, was becoming somewhat tense. In fact, just before Ohoama came to the throne, several events had occurred that would affect the Silla-Tang alliance. The first event is more indirect—in 670, the Tibetan kingdom attacked the Tang empire.  The fighting was intense, and required serious resources from both sides.  Eventually the Tibetan forces were victorious, but not without a heavy toll on the Tibetan kingdom, which some attribute to the latter's eventual demise.  Their pyrrhic victory, however, was a defeat for the Tang, who also lost troops and resources in the fighting.  Then, in 671, the Tang empire would suffer another loss as Silla would drive the Tang forces out of the territory of the former kingdom of Baekje. With the Baekje territory under their control, it appears that Silla was also working to encourage some of rebellions in Goguryeo.  This more than irked the Tang court, currently under the formal control of Tang Gaozong and the informal—but quite considerable—control of his wife, Wu Zetian, who some claim was the one actually calling most of the shots in the court at this point in time.  Silla encouragement of restoration efforts in Goguryeo reached the Tang court in 674, in and in 675 we see that the Tang forces were sent to take back their foothold in the former Baekje territory.  Tang defeated Silla at Gyeonggi, and Silla's king, Munmu, sent a tribute mission to the Tang court, apologizing for their past behavior. However, the Tang control could not be maintained, as they had to once again withdraw most of their troops from the peninsula to send them against the Tibetan kingdom once more.  As soon as they did so, Silla once again renewed their attacks on Tang forces on the peninsula.  And so, a year later, in 676, the Tang forces were back.  They crossed the Yellow Sea to try and take back the Tang territories on the lower peninsula, but they were unsuccessful.  Tang forces were defeated by Silla at Maeso Fortress in modern day Yeoncheon.  After a bit more fighting, Silla ended up in control of all territory south of the Taedong River, which runs through Pyongyang, one of the ancient capitals of Goguryeo and the capital of modern North Korea.  This meant that the Tang dynasty still held much of the territory of Goguryeo under their control. With everything that was going on, perhaps that explains some of the apparently defensive measures that Yamato continued to take.  For example, the second lunar month of 675, we know that Ohoama proceeded to Takayasu castle, likely as a kind of formal inspection.  Then, in the 10th lunar month of 675 Ohoama commanded that everyone from the Princes down to the lowest rank were to provide the government with weapons.  A year later, in the 9th month of 676, the Princes and Ministers sent agents to the capital and the Home Provinces and gave out weapons to each man.  Similar edicts would be issued throughout the reign.  So in 679 the court announced that in two years time, which is to say the year 681, there would be a review of the weapons and horses belonging to the Princes of the Blood, Ministers, and any public functionaries.  And in that same year, barrier were erected for the first time on Mt. Tatsta and Mt. Afusaka, along with an outer line of fortifications at Naniwa. While some of that no doubt also helped to control internal movements, it also would have been useful to prepare for the possibility of future invasions.  And the work continued.  In 683  we see a royal command to all of the various provinces to engage in military training.  And in 684 it was decreed at that there would be an inspection in the 9th month of the following year—685—and they laid out the ceremonial rules, such as who would stand where, what the official clothing was to look like, etc.  Furthermore, there was also an edict that all civil and military officials should practice the use of arms and riding horses.  They were expected to supply their own horses, weapons, and anything they would wear into battle. If they owned horses, they would be considered cavalry soldiers, while those who did not have their own horse would be trained as infantry.  Either way, they would each receive training, and the court was determined to remove any obstacles and excuses that might arise.   Anyone who didn't comply would be punished.  Non compliance could mean refusing to train, but it could also just mean that they did not provide the proper horses or equipment, or they let their equipment fall into a state of disrepair.  Punishments could range from fines to outright flogging, should they be found guilty.  On the other hand, those who practiced well would have any punishments against them for other crimes reduced by two degrees, even if it was for a capital crime.  This only applied to previous crimes, however—if it seemed like you were trying to take advantage of this as a loophole to be able to get away with doing your own thing than the pardon itself would be considered null and void. A year later, the aforementioned inspection was carried out by Princes Miyatokoro, Hirose, Naniwa, Takeda, and Mino.  Two months later, the court issued another edict demanding that military equipment—specifically objects such as large or small horns, drums, flutes, flags, large bows, or catapults—should be stored at the government district house and not kept in private arsenals.  The "large bow" in this case may be something like a ballista, though Aston translates it to crossbow—unfortunately, it isn't exactly clear, and we don't necessarily have a plethora of extant examples to point to regarding what they meant.  Still, these seem to be focused on things that would be used by armies—especially the banners, large bows, and catapults.  The musical instruments may seem odd, though music was often an important part of Tang dynasty military maneuvers.  It was used to coordinate troops, raise morale, provide a marching rhythm, and more.  Granted, much of this feels like something more continental, and it is unclear if music was regularly used in the archipelago.  This could be more of Yamato trying to emulate the Tang dynasty rather than something that was commonplace on the archipelago.  That might also explain the reference to the Ohoyumi and the catapults, or rock throwers. All of this language having to do with military preparations could just be more of the same as far as the Sinicization of the Yamato government is concerned; attempts to further emulate what they understood of the civilized governments on the mainland—or at least their conception of those governments based on the various written works that they had imported.  Still, I think it is relevant that there was a lot of uncertainty regarding the position of various polities and the potential for conflict.  Each year could bring new changes to the political dynamic that could see military intervention make its way across the straits.  And of course, there was always the possibility that Yamato itself might decide to raise a force of its own. Throughout all of this, there was continued contact with the peninsula and other lands.  Of course, Silla and Goguryeo were both represented when Ohoama came to the throne—though only the Silla ambassador made it to the ceremony, apparently.  In the 7th lunar month of 675, Ohotomo no Muraji no Kunimaro was sent to Silla as the Chief envoy, along with Miyake no Kishi no Irishi.  They likely got a chance to witness first-hand the tensions between Silla and the Tang court.  The mission would return in the second lunar month of the following year, 676.  Eight months later, Mononobe no Muarji no Maro and Yamashiro no Atahe no Momotari were both sent.  That embassy also returned in the 2nd lunar month of the following year. Meanwhile, it wasn't just Yamato traveling to Silla—there were also envoys coming the other way.  For example, in the 2nd lunar month of 675 we are told that Silla sent Prince Chyungweon as an ambassador.  His retinue was apparently detained on Tsukushi while the actual envoy team went on to the Yamato capital.  It took them about two months to get there, and then they stayed until the 8th lunar month, so about four months in total. At the same time, in the third month, Goguryeo and Silla both sent "tribute" to Yamato.  And in the 8th month, Prince Kumaki, from Tamna, arrived at Tsukushi as well.  Tamna, as you may recall, refers to nation on the island known today as Jeju.  The late Alexander Vovin suggested that the name originated from a proto-Japonic cognate with "Tanimura", and many of the names seem to also bear out a possible Japonic influence on the island nation. Although they only somewhat recently show up in the Chronicles from our perspective, archaeological evidence suggests that they had trade with Yayoi Japan and Baekje since at least the first century.  With the fall of Baekje, and the expansion of Yamato authority to more of the archipelago, we've seen a notable uptick in the communication between Tamna and Yamato noted in the record.  A month after the arrival of Prince Kumaki in Tsukushi, aka Kyushu, it is noted that a Prince Koyo of Tamna arrived at Naniwa.  The Tamna guests would stick around for almost a year, during which time they were presented with a ship and eventually returned in the 7th lunar month of the following year, 676.   Tamna envoys, who had also shown up in 673, continued to be an annual presence at the Yamato court through the year 679, after which there is an apparent break in contact, picking back up in 684 and 685. 676 also saw a continuation of Silla representatives coming to the Yamato court, arriving in the 11th lunar month.  That means they probably passed by the Yamato envoys heading the other way.  Silla, under King Mumnu, now had complete control of the Korean peninsula south of the Taedong river.  In the same month we also see another mission from Goguryeo, but the Chronicle also points out that the Goguryeo envoys had a Silla escort, indicating the alliance between Silla and those attempting to restore Goguryeo—or at least the area of Goguryeo under Tang control.  The Tang, for their part, had pulled back their commandary to Liaodong, just west of the modern border between China and North Korea, today.  Goguryeo would not go quietly, and the people of that ancient kingdom—one of the oldest on the peninsula—would continue to rise up and assert their independence for years to come. The chronicles also record envoys from the somewhat mysterious northern Mishihase, or Sushen, thought to be people of the Okhotsk Sea culture from the Sakhalin islands.  There were 11 of them, and they came with the Silla envoys, possibly indicating their influence on the continent and through the Amur river region.  Previously, most of the contact had been through the regions of Koshi and the Emishi in modern Tohoku and Hokkaido.  This seems to be their only major envoy to the Yamato court recorded in this reign. Speaking of outside groups, in the 2nd lunar month of 677 we are told that there was an entertainment given to men of Tanegashima under the famous Tsuki tree west of Asukadera.  Many people may know Tanegashima from the role it played in the Sengoku Period, when Europeans made contact and Tanegashima became a major hub of Sengoku era firearm manufacturing.  At this point, however, it seems that it was still a largely independent island in the archipelago off the southern coast of Kyushu.  Even southern Kyushu appears to have retained some significant cultural differences at this time, with the "Hayato" people being referenced in regards to southern Kyushu—we'll talk about them in a bit as they showed up at the capital in 682.  Tanegashima is actually closer to Yakushima, another island considered to be separate, culturally, from Yamato, and could be considered the start of the chain of islands leading south to Amami Ohoshima and the other Ryukyuan islands.  That said, Tanegashima and Yakushima are much closer to the main islands of the archipelago and show considerable influence, including Yayoi and Kofun cultural artifacts, connecting them more closely to those cultures, even if Yamato initially saw them as distinct in some way. A formal Yamato envoy would head down to Tanegashima two years later, in the 11th lunar month of 679.  It was headed up by Yamato no Umakahibe no Miyatsuko no Tsura and Kami no Sukuri no Koukan.  The next reference to the mission comes in 681, when the envoys returned and presented a map of the island.  They claimed that it was in the middle of the ocean, and that rice was always abundant. With a single sowing of rice it was said that they could get two harvests.  Other products specifically mentioned were cape jasmine and bulrushes, though they then note that there were also many other products that they didn't bother to list.  This must have been considered quite the success, as the Yamato envoys were each awarded a grade of rank for their efforts.   They also appear to have returned with some of the locals, as they were entertained again in Asuka—this time on the riverbank west of Asukadera, where various kinds of music were performed for them. Tanegashima and Yakushima would be brought formally under Yamato hegemony in 702 with the creation of Tane province, but for now it was still considered separate.  This was probably just the first part of the efforts to bring them into Yamato, proper. Getting back to the Silla envoys who had arrived in 676, they appear to have remained for several months.  In the third lunar month of 677 we are told that they, along with guests of lower rank—thirteen persons all told—were invited to the capital.  Meanwhile, the escort envoys and others who had not been invited to the capital were entertained in Tsukushi and returned from there. While this was going on, weather out in the straits drove a Silla boat to the island of Chikashima.  Aboard was a Silla man accompanined by three attendants and three Buddhist priests.  We aren't told where they were going, but they were given shelter and when the Silla envoy, Kim Chyeonpyeong, returned home he left with those who had been driven ashore, as well. The following year, 678, was not a great one for the Silla envoys.  Garyang Jyeongsan and Gim Hongsye arrived at Tsukushi, but they were just the escorts.  The actual envoys had been separated by a storm at sea and never arrived.  In their place, the escort envoys were sent to the capital, probably to at least carry through with the rituals of diplomacy.  This was in the first month of the following year, 679, and given when envoys had previously arrived, it suggests to me that they waited a few months, probably to see if the envoys' ship eventually appeared and to give the court time to figure out what to do.  A month later, the Goguryeo envoys arrived, still being accompanied by Silla escorts, also arrived. Fortunately the Yamato envoys to Silla and elsewhere fared better.  That year, 679, the envoys returned successfully from Silla, Goguryeo, and Tamna.  Overall, though, I think it demonstrates that this wasn't just a pleasure cruise.  There was a very real possibility that one could get lost at sea.  At the same time, one needed people of sufficient status to be able to carry diplomatic messages and appropriately represent the court in foreign lands.  We often seen envoys later taking on greater positions of responsibility in the court, and so you didn't have to go far to find those willing to take the risk for later rewards. That same year, another tribute mission from Silla did manage to make the crossing successfully.  And in this mission we are given more details, for they brought gold, silver, iron, sacrificial cauldrons with three feet, brocade, cloth, hides, horses, dogs, mules, and camels.  And those were just the official gifts to the court.  Silla also sent distinct presents for the sovereign, the queen, and the crown prince, namely gold, silver, swords, flags, and things of that nature. This appears to demonstrate increasingly close ties between Silla and Yamato. All of that arrived in the 10th lunar month of 679, and they stayed through the 6th lunar month of 680—about 7 to 9 months all told, depending on if there were any intercalary months that year.  In addition to entertaining the Silla envoys in Tsukushi—it is not mentioned if they made it to the capital—we are also told that in the 2nd lunar month, halfway through the envoys' visit, eight labourers from Silla were sent back to their own country with gifts appropriate to their station. Here I have to pause and wonder what exactly is meant by this.  "Labourer" seems somewhat innocuous.  I suspect that their presence in Yamato may have been less than voluntary, and I wonder if these were captured prisoners of war who could have been in Yamato now for over a decade.  If so, this could have been a gesture indicating that the two sides were putting all of that nastiness with Baekje behind them, and Yamato was accepting Silla's new role on the peninsula.  Or maybe I'm reading too much into it, but it does seem to imply that Silla and Yamato were growing closer, something that Yamato would need if it wanted to have easy access, again, to the wider world. Speaking of returning people, that seems to have been something of a common thread for this year, 680, as another mission from Goguryeo saw 19 Goguryeo men also returned to their country.  These were condolence envoys who had come to mourn the death of Takara Hime—aka Saimei Tennou.  They must have arrived in the midst of all that was happening peninsula, and as such they were detained.  Their detention is somewhat interesting, when you think about it, since technically Baekje and Goguryeo—and thus Yamato—would have been on the same side against the Silla-Tang alliance.  But perhaps it was just considered too dangerous to send them home, initially, and then the Tang had taken control of their home.  It is unclear to me how much they were being held by Yamato and how much they were just men without a country for a time.  This may reflect how things on the mainland were stabilizing again, at least from Yamato's perspective.  However, as we'll discuss a bit later, it may have also been another attempt at restoring the Goguryeo kingdom by bringing back refugees, especially if they had connections with the old court.  The Goguryeo envoys—both the recent mission and those who had been detained—would remain until the 5th lunar month of 681, when they finally took their leave.  That year, there were numerous mission both from and to Silla and Goguryeo, and in the latter part of the year, Gim Chyungpyeong came once again, once more bearing gives of gold, silver, copper, iron, brocade, thin silk, deerskins, and fine cloth.  They also brought gold, silver, flags of a rosy-colored brocade and skins for the sovereign, his queen, and the crown prince. That said, the 681 envoys also brought grave news:  King Munmu of Silla was dead.  Munmu had reigned since 661, so he had overseen the conquest of Silla and Goguryeo.  His regnal name in Japanese might be read as Monmu, or even "Bunbu", referencing the blending of literary and cultural achievements seen as the pinnacle of noble attainment.  He is known as Munmu the Great for unifying the peninsula under a single ruler—though much of the Goguryeo territory was still out of reach.  Indeed he saw warfare and the betterment of his people, and it is no doubt significant that his death is recorded in the official records of the archipelago.   He was succeeded by his son, who would reign as King Sinmun, though the succession wasn't exactly smooth. We are told that Munmu, knowing his time was short, requested that his son, the Crown Prince, be named king before they attended to Munmu's own funerary arrangements, claiming that the throne should not sit vacant.  This may have been prescient, as the same year Munmu died and Sinmun ascended to the throne there was a revolt, led by none other than Sinmun's own father-in-law, Kim Heumdol.  Heumdol may, himselve, have been more of a figurehead for other political factions in the court and military.  Nonetheless, the attempted coup of 681 was quickly put down—the envoys in Yamato would likely only learn about everything after the dust had settled upon their return. The following year, 682, we see another interesting note about kings, this time in regards to the Goguryeo envoys, whom we are told were sent by the King of Goguryeo.  Ever since moving the commandery to Liaodong, the Tang empire had claimed dominion over the lands of Goguryeo north of the Taedong river.  Originally they had administered it militarily, but in 677 they crowned a local, Bojang as the "King of Joseon", using the old name for the region, and put him in charge of the Liaodong commandery.  However, he was removed in 681, and sent into exile in Sichuan, because rather than suppressing revolt, he had actually encouraged restoration attempts, inviting back Goguryeo refugees, like those who had been detained in Yamato.  Although Bojang himself was sent into exile, his descendants continued to claim sovereignty, so it may have been one of them that was making the claim to the "King of Goguryeo", possibly with Silla's blessing. Later that year, 682, we see Hayato from Ohosumi and Ata—possibly meaning Satsuma—the southernmost point of Kyushu coming to the court in 682.  They brought tribute and representatives of Ohosumi and Ata wrestled, with the Ohosumi wrestler emerging victorious.  They were entertained west of Asukadera, and various kinds of music was performed and gifts were given. They were apparently quite the sight, as Buddhist priests and laiety all came out to watch. Little is known for certain about the Hayato.  We have shields that are attributed to them, but their association may have more to do with the fact that they were employed as ceremonial guards for a time at the palace.  We do know that Southern Kyushu had various groups that were seen as culturally distinct from Yamato, although there is a lot of overlap in material culture.  We also see early reports of the Kumaso, possibly two different groups, the Kuma and So, in earlier records, and the relationship between the Kumaso and the Hayato is not clearly defined. What we do know is that southern Kyushu, for all that it shared with Yamato certain aspects of culture through the kofun period, for example, they also had their own traditions. For example, there is a particular burial tradition of underground kofun that is distinct to southern Kyushu.  A great example of this can be found at the Saitobaru Kofun cluster in Miyazaki, which contains these unique southern Kyushu style burials along with more Yamato style keyhole shaped and circular type kofun.  Miyazaki sits just north of the Ohosumi peninsula, in what was formerly the land of Hyuga, aka  Himuka.  This is also where a lot of the founding stories of the Heavenly grandchild were placed, and even today there is a shrine there to the Heavenly Rock Cave.  In other words there are a lot of connections with Southern Kyushu, and given that the Chronicles were being written in the later 7th and early 8th centuries, it is an area of intense interest when trying to understand the origins of Yamato and Japanese history. Unfortunately, nothing clearly tells us exactly how the Hayato were separate, but in the coming century they would both come under Yamato hegemony and rebel against it, time and again.  This isn't the first time they are mentioned, but it may be the first time that we see them as an actual people, in a factual entry as earlier references in the Chronicles are suspect. Continuing on with our look at diplomacy during this period, the year 683 we see a continuation of the same patterns, with nothing too out of the ordinary.  Same with most of 684 until the 12th lunar month.  It is then that we see a Silla ship arrive with Hashi no Sukune no Wohi and Shirawi no Fubito no Hozen.  They had both, previously been to the Tang empire to study, though we don't have a record of them leaving for that or any other purpose.  They are accompanied by Witsukahi no Muraji no Kobito and Tsukushi no Miyake no Muraji no Tokuko, both of whom had apparently been captured and taken by the Tang dynasty during the Baekje campaign.  Apparently they had all traveled back from the Tang empire together to Silla, who then provided them passage to Yamato. The timing of this suggests it may have had something to do with the changes going on in the Tang empire—changes that I desperately want to get into, but given that we are already a good ways into this current episode, I think I will leave it for later.  But I will note this:  Emperor Gaozong had passed away and his wife, Empress Wu Zetian, was now ruling as regent for her sons.  Wu Zetian is probably the most famous empress in all of Chinese history, and while she held de facto power as a co-regent during her husband's reign and as a regent during her sons' reigns, she would actually ascend the throne herself in 690.  Her reign as a woman during a time of heightened patriarchal tradition is particularly of note, and it leads us to wonder about the vilification that she received by the men who followed her rule.  And I really want to get into all of that but, thematically, I think it better to wait.  Those of you reading ahead in the syllabus—which is to say the Chronicles—probably know why.  So let us just leave it there and say that the Tang was going through a few things, and that may explain why students were returning back in the company of former war captives. A few months later, the Silla escort, Gim Mulyu, was sent home along with 7 people from Silla who had been washed ashore—presumably during a storm or other such event, again illustrating the dangers of taking to the ocean at this time.  Perhaps related to that theme is the entry only a month later, which merely stated that Gim Jusan of Silla returned home.  Gim Jusan was an envoy sent to Yamato in the 11th lunar month of 683.  He was entertained in Tsukushi, and we are told that he returned to his own country on the 3rd month of 684.  Now we are seeing an entry in the 4th month of 685 that this same person apparently returned home. It is possible that something got mixed up, and that the Chroniclers were dealing with a typo in the records that made it seem like this took place a year later than it did.  This was certainly an issue at this time, given all the math one had to do just to figure out what day it was.  There is also the possibility that he returned on another embassy, but just wasn't mentioned for some reason.  The last possible explanation is that he somehow got lost and it took him a year to find his way back.  Not entirely impossible back then, though I am a bit skeptical.  Among other things, why would that note have found its way into the Chronicles in Yamato?  While they were certainly using some continental sources, this seems like something they were talking about as far as him leaving the archipelago, rather than discussion of something happening elsewhere. Speaking of happening elsewhere, I'm wondering about another event that happened around this time as well.  In fact, it was while Gim Mulyu was still in the archipelago.  For some reason the Yamato court granted rank to 147 individuals from Tang, Baekje, and Goguryeo.  Interestingly, they don't mention Silla.  Furthermore, there is no real mention of any Tang envoys during this reign.  In fact, there is hardly mention of the Tang dynasty at all.  There is a mention of some 30 Tang men—captives, presumably—being sent to the Yamato court from Tsukushi.  Those men were settled in Toutoumi, so there were men of Tang in the archipelago.  But beyond that, there are only three other mentions of the Tang dynasty.  One was when the students and war captives came back.  Another was this note about giving rank to 147 individuals.  Finally there is a similar record in 686, at the very end of the reign, where it is 34 persons who were given rank.  This time it was to carpenters, diviners, physicians, students from Tang—possibly those who had just come back a year or so earlier.  So if there weren't envoys from Tang, Goguryeo, and Baekje, who were these people and why were they being granted Yamato court rank?  My assumption is that it was foreigners living in the archipelago, and being incorporated into the Yamato court system.  Still, it is interesting that after the overtures by the Tang in the previous reign we have heard virtually nothing since then.  Again, that is likely largely due to the conflicts between Tang and Silla, though now, things seem to be changing.  The conflicts have settled down, and new rulers are in place, so we'll see how things go. Speaking of which, let's finish up with the diplomatic exchanges in this reign.  I'm only hitting some of the highlights here.  First is the return from Silla, in the 5th month of 685, of Takamuku no Asomi no Maro and Tsuno no Asomi no Ushikahi.  They had traveled to Silla in 684, and they did not come back emptyhanded.  The new King of Silla presented them with gifts, including 2 horses, 3 dogs, 2 parrots, and 2 magpies.  They also brought back the novice monks Kanjou and Ryoukan.  Not bad, overall. Then, 6 months later, another tribute mission came, but this one has an interesting—if somewhat questionable—note attached to it.  It is said that the envoys Gim Jisyang and Gim Geonhun were sent to request "governance" and to bring tribute.  This certainly go the court's attention.  They didn't bring the envoys all the way to the capital, but they did send to them, in Tsukushi, Prince Kawachi, Ohotomo no Sukune no Yasumaro, Fujiwara no Asomi no Ohoshima, and Hodzumi no Asomi no Mushimaro. About three months later they send the musical performers from Kawaradera to provide entertainment during a banquet for the Silla envoy, and in payment some 5,000 bundles of rice rom the private lands attached to the queen's palace were granted to the temple in gratitude. The Silla tribute was then brought to the capital from Tsukushi.  This time it was more than 100 items, including one fine horse, one mule, two dogs, a gold container inlaid with some kind of design, gold, silver, faint brocade, silk gauze, tiger and leopard skins, and a variety of medicines.  In addition, as was now common, the envoys, Gim Jisyang and Gim Geonhun, apparently had personal gifts to give in the form of gold, silver, faint brocade, silk gauze, gold containers, screens, saddle hides, silk cloth, and more medicine.  There were also gifts specifically for the sovereign, the queen, the Crown Prince, and for the various princes of the blood. The court returned this favor with gifts to the envoys, presented at a banquet just for them, before sending them on their way. A couple of notes.  First off, it is interesting that they are entertained at Tsukushi rather than being invited to the capital, and I wonder if this was because the sovereign, Ohoama, wasn't doing so well.  This was all happening in 685 and 686, and the sovereign would pass away shortly afterwards.  So it is possible that Ohoama just was not up to entertaining visitors at this time.  Of course, the Chronicles often don't tell us exactly why a given decision was made, only that it was.  And sometimes not even that. The other thing that seems curious is the mention of a request for governance.  That almost sounds like Silla was asking to come under Yamato hegemony, which I seriously doubt.  It may be that they were asking something along the lines of an alliance, but it is also possible that the scribes recording things for Yamato heard what they wanted to hear and so wrote it down in the light most favorable to Yamato laying claim to the peninsula. Or perhaps I'm misunderstanding exactly what they were asking for.  Maybe "governance" here means something else—perhaps just some kind of better relationship. And with that, we'll leave it for now.  There is more developing in the next reign, but I think we want to wait until we get there.  There are still a lot more things to cover in this reign before we move on—we haven't even touched on the establishment of the new capital, on the various court events, not to mention some of the laws and punishments that this period is named for.  And there is the minor issue of a rebellion.  All of that will be dealt with.  And then, after that, we get to the final reign of the Chronicles: the reign of Jitou Tennou.  From there?  Who knows. It is the winter holiday season, so I hope everyone is enjoying themselves.  Next episode will be the New Year's recap, and then we should finish with this reign probably in January or early February. Until then, if you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.

Send us your feedback — we're listeningMatthew 5:10 — Morning Prayer for Strength, Courage, Protection and Hope for Believers in North Korea, Iran, Nigeria and Pakistan  From London to Pyongyang, from Tehran to Abuja, from Lahore to Karachi — recorded live here in London, England — a global 9 A.M. prayer within the DailyPrayer.uk 24-Hour Devotional Cycle. Scripture (NIV) Matthew 5:10 — “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” 2 Thessalonians 3:3 — “But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.” Every morning global searches rise for updates and prayer over persecuted believers. Today, North Korea, Iran, Nigeria and Pakistan show the highest pressure trend. Matthew 5:10 remains one of the world's most accessed scriptures for courage and endurance under persecution. Prayer  Father, today we lift the persecuted church in North Korea, Iran, Nigeria and Pakistan. Strengthen believers who worship secretly, who face intimidation, violence or imprisonment for their faith. Protect underground churches, guard families and uphold leaders serving under constant danger. Heal wounds, provide shelter and surround communities with Your supernatural peace. Let courage rise where fear threatens, let hope break through where darkness presses in and let Your presence fill every hidden gathering. Sustain those who are weary, comfort those who are grieving and provide a shield around all who stand firm in the name of Jesus. Prayer Points prayer for persecuted church, prayer for protection, prayer for courage, prayer for underground church, prayer for hope, prayer for endurance, prayer for strength Pray Matthew 5:10 today, remembering persecuted believers and standing with them in faith, courage and endurance. Declaration I declare that God strengthens, protects and upholds His persecuted church today.Call to Action Share this prayer and visit DailyPrayer.uk for global devotional resources.24-Hour Arc ConnectorPrevious: 5 A.M. — Healing for Family TensionThis Episode: 9 A.M. — Persecuted ChurchNext: 12 P.M. — Healing for Grief: The Empty Chair at Christmasmatthew 5:10 persecuted church prayer, north korea iran nigeria pakistan prayer, underground church courage, reverend ben cooper, dailyprayer.uk, global prayer podcastSupport the showFor more inspiring content, visit RBChristianRadio.net — your home for daily devotionals, global prayer, and biblical encouragement for every season of life. We invite you to connect with our dedicated prayer hub at DailyPrayer.uk — a place where believers from every nation unite in prayer around the clock. If you need prayer, or would like to leave a request, this is the place to come. Our mission is simple: to pray with you, to stand with you, and to keep the power of prayer at the centre of everyday life. Your support through DailyPrayer.uk helps us continue sharing the gospel and covering the nations in prayer. You can also discover our ministry services and life celebrations at LifeCelebrant.net — serving families with faith, dignity, and hope. If this devotional blesses you, please consider supporting our listener-funded mission by buying us a coffee through RBChristianRadio.net. Every prayer, every gift, and every share helps us keep broadcasting God's Word to the world.

Send us your feedback — we're listeningMatthew 5:10 — Faith Under Fire Prayer for the Persecuted Church, Underground Believers, Hidden Worshippers and Christians Enduring Violence, Fear and Pressure for Their Faith  From London to Pyongyang, from Asmara to Lahore, from Tehran to Nairobi — recorded live here in London, England — a global 9 A.M. prayer within the DailyPrayer.uk 24-Hour Devotional Cycle.  Scripture (NIV)  Matthew 5:10 — “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”Psalm 147:3 — “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”  Every morning, global searches rise for prayer, healing and protection for believers facing danger for their faith. Matthew 5:10 remains the world's strongest anchor for courage, endurance and hope among persecuted Christians. Prayer  Father, today we lift the Faith Under Fire Church before You. Strengthen and heal believers in North Korea, Eritrea, Pakistan and Iran. Protect those worshipping in secret, gathering quietly, sharing Scripture in hidden rooms and standing firm under threat. Heal wounds from violence, imprisonment and emotional trauma. Surround families separated because of their faith. Give courage to pastors, wisdom to underground leaders and peace to those living under surveillance and pressure. Heal their fear, restore their hope and bind up every wound with Your presence. Today, let Your strength uphold them and Your protection surround them. Prayer Points prayer for persecuted believers, prayer for protection, prayer for courage, prayer for healing, prayer for endurance, prayer for hope, prayer for restoration Life Application  Speak Matthew 5:10 today, praying courage, healing and protection over persecuted believers standing firm across dangerous nations. Declaration I declare that persecuted believers are strengthened, protected and upheld by God today. Call to Action Share this prayer and visit DailyPrayer.uk for global devotional resources.24-Hour Arc ConnectorPrevious: 5 A.M. — Healing for Family TensionThis Episode: 9 A.M. — Healing for the Persecuted ChurchNext: 12 P.M. — Healing from Grief & Missing Loved Ones at Christmasmatthew 5:10 prayer, persecuted church prayer, underground church prayer, faith under fire prayer, christian healing prayer, reverend ben cooper, dailyprayer.uk, global prayer podcast, daily prayer podcastSupport the showFor more inspiring content, visit RBChristianRadio.net — your home for daily devotionals, global prayer, and biblical encouragement for every season of life. We invite you to connect with our dedicated prayer hub at DailyPrayer.uk — a place where believers from every nation unite in prayer around the clock. If you need prayer, or would like to leave a request, this is the place to come. Our mission is simple: to pray with you, to stand with you, and to keep the power of prayer at the centre of everyday life. Your support through DailyPrayer.uk helps us continue sharing the gospel and covering the nations in prayer. You can also discover our ministry services and life celebrations at LifeCelebrant.net — serving families with faith, dignity, and hope. If this devotional blesses you, please consider supporting our listener-funded mission by buying us a coffee through RBChristianRadio.net. Every prayer, every gift, and every share helps us keep broadcasting God's Word to the world.

Former Australian diplomat Jane Hardy joins this episode to discuss how Australia has engaged with North Korea over the past few decades, and what that experience reveals about diplomacy, deterrence and nuclear risk today.  Hardy, who spent over 30 years in the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, shares insights from her work on Korean Peninsula issues during the Sunshine Policy era, including Australia's brief normalization with Pyongyang and her own visit to North Korea in 2001.  Jane Hardy is a former senior Australian diplomat who has served in seven long-term overseas missions, four at ambassador level. She also held numerous senior executive positions at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Canberra, during her 33-year career. Jane is now a senior fellow at the U.S. Studies Center, Sydney University advising the Women in the Alliance 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. 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.

Send us your feedback — we're listeningPsalm 147:3 — Faith Under Fire Healing Prayer for the Persecuted Church, the Underground Church, and Believers Facing Violence, Trauma and Severe Oppression. From London to Asmara, from Riyadh to Pyongyang, from New Delhi to Nairobi — recorded live here in London, England — a global 9 A.M. prayer within the DailyPrayer.uk 24-Hour Devotional Cycle. Scripture (NIV) Psalm 147:3 — “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”Matthew 5:10 — “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness…” Each morning, global searches rise for healing, courage and protection for believers suffering persecution. Psalm 147:3 remains a worldwide anchor for Christians living under violence, secrecy and oppressive conditions across the most hostile regions. Prayer  Father, today we lift the Faith Under Fire Church before You. Bring healing, strength and covering to persecuted believers in Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, North Korea and India. Heal physical wounds caused by violence, imprisonment and hardship. Restore minds overwhelmed by fear, secrecy and constant danger. Strengthen families torn apart, protect hidden gatherings and uphold those worshipping in silence. Surround the Underground Church with courage, peace and miraculous protection. Bind up emotional wounds, restore hope where pressure is crushing and let Your presence shield every believer who risks everything to follow Jesus. Today, heal, strengthen and sustain them by Your power. Prayer Points prayer for persecuted believers, prayer for healing, prayer for courage, prayer for protection, prayer for endurance, prayer for hope, prayer for restoration Life Application  Speak Psalm 147:3 today and pray healing and courage over persecuted Christians standing firm in dangerous nations across the world. Declaration I declare that persecuted believers are healed, strengthened and upheld by God today.Call to Action Share this prayer and visit DailyPrayer.uk for global devotional resources.24-Hour Arc ConnectorPrevious: 5 A.M. — Healing from Trauma, Grief & Emotional WoundsThis Episode: 9 A.M. — Healing for the Persecuted ChurchNext: 12 P.M. — Healing for Families & Household Atmospherespsalm 147:3 prayer, persecuted church prayer, faith under fire prayer, underground church prayer, christian healing prayer, reverend ben cooper, dailyprayer.uk, global prayer podcast, daily prayer podcastSupport the showFor more inspiring content, visit RBChristianRadio.net — your home for daily devotionals, global prayer, and biblical encouragement for every season of life. We invite you to connect with our dedicated prayer hub at DailyPrayer.uk — a place where believers from every nation unite in prayer around the clock. If you need prayer, or would like to leave a request, this is the place to come. Our mission is simple: to pray with you, to stand with you, and to keep the power of prayer at the centre of everyday life. Your support through DailyPrayer.uk helps us continue sharing the gospel and covering the nations in prayer. You can also discover our ministry services and life celebrations at LifeCelebrant.net — serving families with faith, dignity, and hope. If this devotional blesses you, please consider supporting our listener-funded mission by buying us a coffee through RBChristianRadio.net. Every prayer, every gift, and every share helps us keep broadcasting God's Word to the world.

On this episode, Dr. Victor Cha moderates a discussion with Amb. Cho Byung Jae and Dr. Jun Bong-geun on North Korea's nuclear program and the future of diplomacy. The episode explores Pyongyang's constitutional embrace of nuclear weapons, Seoul's E.N.D. initiative to revive dialogue, and President Trump's push for summitry.

Today's guest is Jean Lee, one of the world's foremost experts on North Korea and a journalist whose reporting has reshaped how we understand one of the most secretive countries on earth.Jean co-hosted the BBC World Service's acclaimed podcast The Lazarus Heist, the gripping true-crime investigation into the billion-dollar cyberattacks tied to North Korea — from the Sony Pictures hack to global financial crime rings and crypto-gangsters.She led The Associated Press coverage of the Korean Peninsula as bureau chief from 2008 to 2013, and in 2012 became the first American reporter to join Pyongyang's foreign press corps, opening AP's Pyongyang bureau. Over the years, she has made dozens of extended reporting trips into North Korea, visiting farms, factories, schools, military academies, and private homes — gaining rare access and insight into daily life inside the country.

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin:  We're bringing you the latest on the tragic attack in Washington, D.C. A National Guardsman has now died, and investigators are uncovering new details about the suspected gunman. We'll tell you what we know about the shooter, the charges he faces, and where the investigation stands. North Korea's nuclear machine is picking up speed. New satellite imagery shows Pyongyang building what appears to be a major new enrichment plant — a move that could dramatically boost Kim Jong Un's stockpile of fissile material. We'll break down what this means for Kim's arsenal, and look at South Korea's plans to respond by deploying a new "monster" bunker-busting missile. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Nobl Travel: Protect your gear and travel smarter—NOBL's zipper-free carry-on is up to 58% off at https://NOBLTravel.com TriTails Premium Beef: Feed your family and your legacy. Grab your Black Friday gift before it's gone! Visit https://trybeef.com/pdb Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PREVIEW — Bruce Bechtol — Kim Jong-un's Vital Role in the Axis of Evil. Bechtol discusses how Kim Jong-un, despite international perceptions of him as a "clownish figure," is regarded with strategic seriousness by the "axis of evil," which now encompasses four nations. This respect stems from Pyongyang's formidable military capabilities, including a sophisticated arsenal of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, coupled with its demonstrated ability to manufacture and proliferate vital weapon systems required by axis partners throughout the region.

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.

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.

2025-11-16 | Silicon Wafers 057 | DAILY UPDATES | Russia's war against Ukraine is being fought on a scale that few seem to imagine or comprehend, and that includes the scale of resources that are being consumed, from tanks to vehicles, people to artillery shells. The proportions are huge, and the scale is vast, so it should not come as a surprise that certain commodities essential to war are starting to run out. Artillery shells – the supply from North Korea that Russia depends on is running dry, but at the same time the wildly successful Czech initiative that supplies Ukraine is starting to fall apart. Today's episode is about shells – who has them, who doesn't, and how that may decide on whether Ukraine holds the line or is forced to cede more territory. Two stories:1. North Korea's shell pipeline to Russia is faltering – Ukraine's intelligence says Pyongyang has more than halved its artillery shipments as its own stockpiles run low. (The Kyiv Independent)2. Czechia's ammunition lifeline to Ukraine is in political limbo – a populist coalition led by Andrej Babiš walks into Prague promising “Czechia first” and casting doubt on the country's landmark shell initiative. (The Kyiv Independent)----------SOURCES: Kyiv Independent – report on North Korea cutting shell shipments to Russia (Nov 15, 2025)https://kyivindependent.com/north-korea-halves-arms-shipments-to-russia-as-its-own-stockpiles-run-low-ukraines-intelligence-says/Ukrinform – “North Korea cuts shell supplies to Russia, launches drone production – Ukrainian intelligence” (Nov 15, 2025)https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4058997-north-korea-cuts-shell-supplies-to-russia-launches-drone-production-ukrainian-intelligence.htmlUkrainska Pravda – “North Korea has reduced shell supplies to Russia and is sending outdated ones” (Nov 15, 2025)https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2025/11/15/8007392/Defence Express – “North Korea's ammunition pipeline to Russia shows signs of exhaustion” (Nov 16, 2025)https://en.defence-ua.com/industries/north_koreas_ammunition_pipeline_to_russia_shows_signs_of_exhaustion_ukrainian_intelligence_says-16502.htmlReuters – coverage of Russian glide bomb and drone production and North Korean shell supplies (Nov 2025)https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/russia-plans-make-up-120000-glide-bombs-this-year-ukrainian-intelligence-says-2025-11-14/Reuters, AP, The Guardian, Le Monde – various pieces on North Korean troop deployment and casualties in Kurskhttps://apnews.com/article/cf71c682b57863e4e5207d2c86295738----------SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISERA project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's front-line towns.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------

진행자: 박준희, Chelsea Proctor기사 제목: Doubts grow over 'world-class' claims of Pyongyang General Hospital기사 요약: 이달 초 문을 연 북한 평양종합병원은 2천 병상 규모를 갖춘 대형 시설이지만, 이에 비해 의료 장비는 여전히 크게 부족해 보인다.[1] North Korea's newly opened Pyongyang General Hospital, hailed by state media as a facility at the "world's best level," is drawing skepticism after Seoul officials and observers said it appears to lack even basic modern medical equipment.* hail: (특히 신문 등에서 아주 훌륭하거나 특별한 것으로) 묘사하다* skepticism: 회의론* lack of: ~의 부족[2] The hospital, which began admitting patients Monday, according to the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency, after more than five years of construction, was touted by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as the heart of national health modernization. Yet photographs and videos released by state outlets KCNA and Korean Central Television show only limited equipment — notably a computed tomography scanner and an X-ray machine, with no sign of a magnetic resonance imaging device or other high-end diagnostic systems.* admit: 입장하게 하다; (무엇이 사실임을 마지못해) 인정하다* tout: 장점을 내세우다, 홍보하다* modernization: 현대화* high-end: 고급의[3] Despite its impressive infrastructure — with a helipad, grand lobby and conference halls — as shown in photos and videos, the hospital's interior suggests serious technological shortfalls.* despite: ~에도 불구하고* impressive: 인상적인* suggest: 시사하다; 암시하다* shortfall: 부족한 양[4] A Seoul Unification Ministry official, requesting anonymity, said Wednesday that Seoul's assessment, based on the photos, indicates that the facility likely "struggled to secure high-priced, cutting-edge medical equipment." The official added that the most expensive device seen during Kim's inspection was a CT scanner, underscoring Pyongyang's continued challenges under international sanctions restricting imports of advanced medical technology.* anonymity: 익명성* assessment: 평가(한 의견)* indicate: (사실임·존재함을) 나타내다/보여주다* cutting-edge: 최첨단기사 원문: https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10609496[코리아헤럴드 팟캐스트 구독]아이튠즈(아이폰):https://itunes.apple.com/kr/podcast/koliaheleoldeu-paskaeseuteu/id686406253?mt=2네이버 오디오 클립(아이폰, 안드로이드 겸용): https://audioclip.naver.com/channels/5404팟빵 (안드로이드): http://www.podbbang.com/ch/6638

大沢孝司さん北朝鮮による拉致の可能性を排除できない「特定失踪者」の大沢孝司さん、新潟県、失踪当時、ら１２人について、国連人権理事会の作業部会が同国に安否確認などを求めるリストに追加したことが、特定失踪者問題調査会などへの取材で１６日までに分かった。 A U.N. Human Rights Council group added 12 missing Japanese people not officially recognized as victims of North Korea's abductions to a list compiled to urge Pyongyang to confirm their safety, sources have said.

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: The case of the Nord Stream pipeline bombing may finally be solved. The undersea gas line was once a vital link between Russia and Europe—but instead of uniting the continent, the investigation is tearing it apart. The U.S. government shutdown is having real consequences for America's allies. Over $5 billion in weapons sales to NATO partners and Ukraine are now frozen, putting key defense deals in jeopardy. European nations are deploying anti-drone units to Belgium after a swarm of drones was spotted over a nuclear power plant—raising new fears of Russian hybrid warfare. And in today's Back of the Brief—Japan's military is dealing with an unexpected threat. Not from Beijing or Pyongyang, but from bears. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting https://PDBPremium.com.  Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Goldbelly: Impress your friends and family. go to https://GOLDBELLY.com and get 20% off your first order with promo code PDB. BUBS Naturals: Live Better Longer with BUBS Naturals. For A limited time get 20% Off your entire order with code PDB at https://Bubsnaturals.com  Birch Gold: Text PDB to 989898 and get your free info kit on gold Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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.

Les journalistes et experts de RFI répondent également à vos questions sur l'adhésion de l'Ukraine à l'Union européenne et des soldats nord-coréens capturés en Ukraine qui demandent l'asile à la Corée du Sud. Soudan: comment le Tchad se prépare à accueillir des milliers de réfugiés?    Après la prise de la ville d'El-Fasher par les Forces de soutien rapide (FSR), le Tchad craint un nouvel afflux massif de réfugiés venant du Darfour. Les autorités et les organisations humanitaires estiment qu'au moins 120 000 personnes fuyant les combats pourraient franchir la frontière. Avec déjà près d'1,5 million de réfugiés soudanais, le pays peut-il accueillir cette nouvelle vague ? Comment leur arrivée sera-t-elle organisée ?  Avec Nadia Ben Mahfoudh, correspondante de RFI à N'Djamena.       Union européenne: l'Ukraine peut-elle encore rejoindre les 27?   Le président Volodymyr Zelensky a demandé au Premier ministre hongrois, Viktor Orbán, de ne pas bloquer l'adhésion de son pays à l'Union européenne. Pourquoi la Hongrie pose-t-elle son veto ? Quelles sont les chances que l'Ukraine puisse rejoindre l'UE ? Une adhésion permettrait-elle de changer le cours de la guerre ?    Avec Kseniya Zhornokley, journaliste spécialisée pour la rédaction ukrainienne de RFI.     Guerre en Ukraine: que vont devenir les soldats nord-coréens capturés?  Alors que les militaires nord-coréens combattant au front auraient reçu l'ordre de se suicider pour éviter d'être capturés, deux d'entre eux, arrêtés par l'armée ukrainienne, demandent l'asile politique à la Corée du Sud. En dépit des relations déjà tendues avec Pyongyang, quelle sera la réponse de Séoul ?   Avec Théo Clément, chercheur indépendant, spécialiste du développement économique de la Corée du Nord.    Et en fin d'émission, la chronique « Un œil sur les réseaux » de Jessica Taieb. Aujourd'hui, elle revient sur un post X de la célèbre rappeuse américaine Nicki Minaj qui a suscité de nombreuses réactions de la part des internautes nigérians.

Este viernes comienza en Tokio un Congreso sobre la pena de muerte en Asia Oriental, organizada por asociaciones abolicionistas de la región. Países como Corea del Norte siguen aplicando ejecuciones, en su gran mayoría fuera de la vista de la comunidad internacional, y han sido señalados por defensores de derechos humanos. RFI conversó con Elizabeth Salmón, relatora de la ONU para los derechos humanos en la República Popular Democrática de Corea.  Se le conoce como Corea del Norte, pero en Naciones Unidas su nombre oficial es República Popular Democrática de Corea - o RPDC. La peruana Elizabeth Salmón es relatora de la ONU para los derechos humanos en ese país y entre sus tareas se encuentra la de monitorear cómo se imparte justicia en el terreno, donde no hay un equipo de Naciones Unidas. El derecho internacional exige que los Estados que no han abolido la pena de muerte solo la apliquen a los crímenes o delitos de extrema gravedad. “En el caso de la República Popular Democrática de Corea, sin embargo, lo que tenemos es que existen alrededor de 40 posibles delitos que podrían terminar siendo objeto de pena de muerte”, apunta Salmón. Entre los delitos castigados con muerte están aquellos vinculados a la comercialización de droga, prostitución y trata de personas. Se incluye también algo “tremendamente llamativo, el consumo de información de lo que se llama naciones hostiles o enemigas, que básicamente se refieren a Corea del Sur". Salmón participa en Tokio en el Congreso regional sobre la pena de muerte en Asia Oriental, del 7 al 9 de noviembre. Aunque es imposible establecer cifras, tuvo acceso a casos de ejecuciones incompatibles con el estándar de castigo a "delitos más graves". "Como relatora, junto con otros relatores de Naciones Unidas, levantamos la voz y enviamos comunicaciones a la RPDC porque llegó a nuestro conocimiento el caso de 11 mujeres que habían sido repatriadas de China y que fueron sometidas el 31 de agosto de 2024 a un juicio público en el que se les acusaba de haber cometido el delito de tráfico humano y esclavitud sexual. Dos de estas mujeres fueron ejecutadas ese mismo día”, explicó. Dos recomendaciones aceptadas La RPDC ha participado en varios ciclos del Examen Periódico Universal, el mecanismo del Consejo de Derechos Humanos de Naciones Unidas para vigilar que se cumplan obligaciones. “En noviembre de 2024, en su cuarto ciclo, por primera vez en la historia de este mecanismo, aceptó dos recomendaciones que tienen que ver precisamente con el tema de la pena de muerte”, aseguró la relatora. Chile pedía reducir los casos castigables con la pena de muerte mientras que Países Bajos le solicitó restringir la pena de muerte a los crímenes más serios del derecho. “A pesar de que tradicionalmente la RPDC no ha querido conversar sobre este tema, en el año 2024 ha aceptado estas dos recomendaciones, que considero tremendamente importantes. Podría ser un signo para poder conversar en el futuro, y ojalá que se tomen en serio estas dos recomendaciones y puedan, en su próximo ciclo o incluso antes, presentar elementos positivos, reformas normativas, restricciones y protocolos que garanticen el derecho a la vida". Salmón apunta además que, al realizar ejecuciones públicas, Pyongyang busca desalentar cualquier crítica en la ciudadanía.

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.

« De la Tyrannie en Amérique ». C'est la couverture du Nouvel Obs cette semaine. Un dossier sur les débuts du second mandat de Donald Trump, élu le 5 novembre 2024, il y a un an. Et ce titre « De la Tyrannie en Amérique » évoque la fracture du système démocratique américain ébranlée depuis le retour au pouvoir de Trump, bien loin du célèbre ouvrage d'Alexis de Tocqueville De la démocratie en Amérique, publié au XIXè siècle. Ainsi, commente le Nouvel Obs, le président américain « transforme la plus vieille démocratie du monde, en régime illibéral ». Dès janvier dernier, le Financial Times avait pu voir clair sur l'avenir du pays, le jour de l'investiture : « Le contraste entre Trump et ses prédécesseurs signale plus un changement de régime qu'un simple transfert de pouvoir ». Et depuis, les péripéties ont été nombreuses depuis le retour du Roi à la Maison Blanche, comme résume une manifestante du mouvement « No Kings » (« Pas de roi en Amérique ») avec ces quelques mots : « Louis XVI a dit "L'État, c'est moi". C'est exactement comme ça que Trump voit les choses ». Louis XVI et « La doctrine du Gangster » Le Nouvel Obs revient sur ce qu'il appelle « La doctrine du Gangster ». Ainsi, Trump « s'est servi d'Elon Musk comme d'un idiot utile, en le nommant à la tête d'un département à l'Efficacité gouvernementale pour licencier des dizaines de milliers d'employés fédéraux et fermer des agences telles que l'USAID, chargée de l'aide étrangère. Il a imposé le nationalisme chrétien blanc comme la nouvelle idéologie nationale, interdit les termes "diversité", "équité", "inclusion", (…) a attaqué ses opposants, mais amnistié ses amis, à commencer par les émeutiers du Capitole. » Que dire des droits humains et des minorités sur le sol américain ? Le président a également « asphyxié l'audiovisuel public, instrumentalisé la culture, réécrit l'histoire » Le Nouvel Obs s'intéresse aussi aux antivax au pouvoir. En fait, souligne le magazine, « Quand la réalité ne lui plaît pas, il la change. » Les États-Unis sont par ailleurs sortis de l'Accord de Paris sur le Climat et de l'Organisation mondiale de la Santé. Et ce n'est pas fini… Dernièrement, l'assassinat de Charlie Kirk, érigé en martyr national, a lancé une nouvelle phase dans la consolidation du pouvoir Trumpien. « Objectif : rendre l'opposition inopérante avant les midterms. Une vaste opération de redécoupage a été lancée (…) pour priver les démocrates de futurs sièges aux Congrès » Ainsi, « L'adversaire désigné, c'est "l'extrémisme de gauche", "les antifas", des appellations assez floues – Vous l'aurez compris – pour s'en prendre à toute l'opposition, accusée de promouvoir la violence politique responsable de la mort de Charlie Kirk. » Et ceux en travers de sa route, ont fini par se faire inculper. L'ex-directeur du FBI James Comey, la procureur générale de New York Laetitia James, son ancien conseiller à la sécurité nationale James Bolton. Reste cette question : Ira-t-il jusqu'à déclencher l'Insurrection Act autorisant le déploiement de l'armée dans le pays ? Trump a déjà envoyé la garde nationale dans les bastions démocrates : Washington, Portland, Chicago… Washington, devenu un « laboratoire de la dictature » détaille dans un nouvel article Le Nouvel Obs : Trump montre qu'il peut « soumettre une ville ayant voté à 92 % contre lui et repousser les limite du pouvoir exécutif en profitant de sa vulnérabilité » car la capitale n'est pas un État et n'a pas de représentation au Capitole, ni de contrôle sur son budget. Trump veut même rebaptiser la scène culturelle en « Trump Kennedy Center »… il en a déjà pris la présidence et a placé ses proches au conseil d'administration. Sur sa politique internationale, l'hebdomadaire souligne : « l'admirateur de Vladimir Poutine et de Xi Jinping a abandonné son rôle de rempart contre le despotisme. Au contraire, il a assis sa puissance sur le rapport de force, par le chantage aux droits de douane ou par les armes, comme en Iran. » Kim Jung-un ou « la résurrection d'un paria », sur fond de guerre en Ukraine Et justement, protégé par Moscou et Pékin, un dictateur est scruté de près par Donald Trump. Il s'est même rendu indispensable à Vladimir Poutine depuis le début de la guerre en Ukraine. Kim Jung-un ou « la résurrection d'un paria » titre l'Express, qui analyse à quel point l'invasion russe en Ukraine a été une bénédiction pour le leader nord-coréen. Lui qui était reparti les mains vides de son second sommet avec Donald Trump à Hanoï. « Dès le début du conflit en Ukraine, Kim comprend qu'il peut tirer profit de la situation. (…) Avec la Syrie, il est le seul à reconnaître les Républiques de Louhansk et Donetsk, annexées par la Russie. Manquant désespérément de devises (…) il livre jusqu'à 40 % des munitions tirées par les Russes » entre octobre 2023 et avril 2025. Ajoutez à cela plus d'une centaine de missiles pour la seule année 2025, la signature d'un traité de défense mutuelle en juin 2024, puis 10 000 soldats nord-coréens pour aider les Russes à reprendre les zones de la région ukrainienne de Koursk. Des soldats traités comme de la chair à canon. Conséquences : « Les livraisons à Moscou sont ensuite montées en gamme, grâce à l'afflux de devises russes, qui permet à Pyongyang de relancer sa production d'armes ». De quoi inquiéter les occidentaux car « Moscou pourrait en effet permettre à Kim de réaliser son rêve : développer un sous-marin lanceur d'engin à propulsion nucléaire ». Quoi qu'il en soit, c'est un immense succès diplomatique pour la Corée du Nord. Sachant que la Russie avait voté les sanctions du Conseil de Sécurité de l'ONU contre son voisin à la suite de son premier essai nucléaire en 2006. Pyongyang « mise ainsi sur la volonté de Pékin et Moscou de bousculer l'ordre mondial dominé par les États-Unis. » « Son but est de devenir une puissance nucléaire comparable à celle de la France », souligne un chercheur. Ainsi, un ex-diplomate nord-coréen qui a fait défection en 2016  analyse la stratégie de Kim Jung-un dans l'Express : « La Corée du Nord est convaincue que si elle prouve que ses armes nucléaires peuvent détruire le territoire américain, les États-Unis finiront par venir à négocier. Pyongyang pourrait alors proposer de démanteler les installations capables de cibler les États-Unis. En échange, ceux-ci retireraient leurs troupes de Corée du Sud et leurs sanctions. » La Finlande face à Poutine Moscou et Pyongyang se sont donc rapprochés à l'occasion de la guerre en Ukraine, tandis que la Finlande, elle, se prépare au pire. Au pire, c'est-à-dire à la guerre contre la Russie. Membre de l'Otan, la Finlande partage la plus longue frontière terrestre avec Moscou. Un envoyé spécial du Point raconte l'état d'esprit des Finlandais qui peuvent notamment apercevoir le paysage russe depuis leur maison. « S'ils envoient des drones, ma maison sera la première à exploser » témoigne une certaine Saara Wilhems, depuis son cottage en bois. Après avoir entendu un hélicoptère tournoyer toute une nuit, elle raconte qu'au matin, en ouvrant sa voiture, elle comprend qu'une présence étrangère rodait : le siège de sa voiture est baissé. Pour elle, c'est sûr, une personne « cherchait à se cacher ». Elle « connaît la rumeur. Cette fois, elle est convaincue que des agents russes pénètrent en Finlande par les forêts et les lacs. » La Finlande, disposerait de près d'un million de réservistes, « parmi lesquels 280 000 hommes équipés et prêts à combattre. Un record en Europe pour une nation de 5 millions et demi d'habitants ». Le service militaire connaît un certain succès. Il est obligatoire pour les hommes, volontaire pour les femmes, et un tiers de la population se dit favorable au service universel. La Finlande dispose aussi du plus vaste réseau de bunkers en Europe, de quoi accueillir 87 % de la population.

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.

Het Witte Huis is geen ambtswoning, maar het nationale symbool van de Verenigde Staten. Een politiek heiligdom. Élysée en Torentje tegelijk. Niettemin was het in 250 jaar Verenigde Staten al van alles, van woonhuis tot kinderspeelplaats, crisiscentrum, perskamer, feestzaal, rouwkapel en seksplek. Een deel ervan is nu gesloopt voor een balzaal voor 1000 gasten. En dat is nog maar het begin. Trumps bouwproject is een en al symboliek. Wat begon met ordinaire opsmuk in het oval office en een pantry vol MAGA-prullaria - 'Do not forget to visit the Gift Shop!' - ontaardt in een Versailles-achtige aanbouw bij een Romeins-republikeins stadspaleisje. Daar komt de destructie van historische plaatsen bij en een plan om heel het hart van Washington visueel te ruïneren. *** Deze aflevering is mede mogelijk gemaakt met donaties van luisteraars die we hiervoor hartelijk danken. Word ook vriend van de show! Heb je belangstelling om in onze podcast te adverteren of ons te sponsoren? Zend ons een mailtje en wij zoeken contact. *** Is dit megalomanie, vragen Jaap Jansen en PG Kroeger zich af. Welnee! In het milieu van Las Vegas en vastgoedmagnaten waar Donald Trump zich thuis voelt is zoiets de norm. Anne Applebaum analyseert het als een bewuste privatisering van de nationale symboliek en haar historische waarde. Zoals Trump ook '250 jaar Verenigde Staten' privatiseert, zodat de historie alleen door hem en in hem betekenis krijgt en verleent. Het is de geesteshouding van een autocraat. En in geestverwanten in zulke regimes door de eeuwen heen vindt Trump zijn rolmodel. Keizer Nero bouwde een kolossaal standbeeld van zichzelf met een stadion ernaast, het Colosseum. Benito Mussolini schonk Rome een complex voor een wereldtentoonstelling en Olympiade. De Kims bouwen nog steeds aan Pyongyang als een hoofdstad van lege façade-architectuur. Hun bewonderaar Nicolae Ceaușescu dreigde Boekarest met net zulke monsterlijke bouwwerken te ruïneren. De Muur viel net op tijd. Jozef Stalin had waanzinnige bouwplannen en realiseerde ze. Al ging een 424 meter hoge toren pal naast het Kremlin met daarop een 80 meter hoog beeld van Lenin niet door. Adolf Hitler liet Albert Speer het Justitiepaleis van Brussel en de Arc de Triomphe in Parijs natekenen als voorontwerp voor zijn wereldhoofdstad Germania met haar Volkshalle. Alleen tunneldelen onder Berlijn en draagzuilen van zijn boog bleven over. Maar ambitieuze democratische heersers kunnen er ook wat van. François Mitterrand liet Parijs verfraaien met zijn Grand Louvre en Piramide, Musée d'Orsay, La Vilette, Institut Monde Arabe, Grande Arche de la Défense, Bibliotèque Nationale François Mitterrand en natuurlijk de Opéra Bastille. Die werd geopend in 1989 met een gala voor de Revolutie van 14 juli 1789. Alle groten der klassieke zang traden op. 'Le Jour de Gloire est Arrivé!' De natte droom van Donald Trump. *** Verder kijken Trump’s new White House ballroom: modern luxury or historic risk? President Trump on White House Ballroom Construction (en Mark Rutte doet of hij er niet bij is) *** Verder luisteren 494 - Trumps aanval op de geschiedenis en de geest van Amerika https://art19.com/shows/betrouwbare-bronnen/episodes/ec4b170a-05a9-4af3-9010-c0986376dd3a 360 - 4th of July: Mar-a-Lago, de plek waar het al 100 jaar gebeurt https://art19.com/shows/betrouwbare-bronnen/episodes/d3a58eb1-086c-4fb6-8688-6d87a37d3925 481 - Donald Trumps nieuwe idool William McKinley, ‘de tarievenkoning’ https://art19.com/shows/betrouwbare-bronnen/episodes/018eaa63-b81a-4b17-9342-e98ee53bf516 475 – Trumps rolmodel Andrew Jackson https://art19.com/shows/betrouwbare-bronnen/episodes/06d493a9-b8fd-4fb9-a125-6399192697c0 459 – Rolmodel George Washington https://art19.com/shows/betrouwbare-bronnen/episodes/92f012be-cd93-4928-b3b3-5bef409c6bca 519 - Thomas Jefferson, de revolutionaire schrijver van de Onafhankelijkheidsverklaring https://omny.fm/shows/betrouwbare-bronnen/519-thomas-jefferson-de-revolutionaire-schrijver-van-de-onafhankelijkheidsverklaring 397 - Benjamin Franklin, Zijner Majesteits meest loyale rebel https://art19.com/shows/betrouwbare-bronnen/episodes/18e40074-a4f4-4752-8dc9-6fbdaf8c91f0 115 - Thomas Paine en De Rechten van de Mens https://art19.com/shows/betrouwbare-bronnen/episodes/2271fce7-c85d-41fa-a64a-94e589251166 534 - Franse schandalen: Nicolas Sarkozy en andere presidenten waar een luchtje aan zit https://omny.fm/shows/betrouwbare-bronnen/534-franse-schandalen-nicolas-sarkozy-en-andere-presidenten-waar-een-luchtje-aan-kleeft 105 - Dagelijks leven in Nazi-Duitsland https://art19.com/shows/betrouwbare-bronnen/episodes/ad301f73-376f-4d97-b8c2-fb74f084db5e 531 - Muziek en tirannie: de schrijnende actualiteit van Dmitri Sjostakovitsj https://omny.fm/shows/betrouwbare-bronnen/531-muziek-en-tirannie-de-schrijnende-actualiteit-van-dmitri-sjostakovitsj 354 - Eenzaamheid, machtsstrijd en repressie in het Russische rijk van Poetin, Stalin en tsaar Nicolaas II https://art19.com/shows/betrouwbare-bronnen/episodes/411a9106-9da2-40f5-9f06-9f19aff37246 395 - Winterboeken, met Stephen Kotkins monumentale Stalin-biografie https://art19.com/shows/betrouwbare-bronnen/episodes/8451693e-9bbe-4b87-906b-4a494edfca2e 394 – Honderd jaar na zijn dood: de schrijnende actualiteit van Lenin https://art19.com/shows/betrouwbare-bronnen/episodes/27f967ab-d2e5-496f-83bd-d5d3c1e26413 281 - Fourth of July: Amerika reisgids voor politieke junkies https://art19.com/shows/betrouwbare-bronnen/episodes/d1f6fb79-49b3-456e-a7b3-b09ddf2a5ae8 *** Tijdlijn 00:00:00 – Deel 1 00:23:27 – Deel 2 00:50:22 – Deel 3 01:24:40 - EindeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

As President Donald Trump prepares for his upcoming trip to South Korea to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may be on the agenda. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung first suggested the meeting during his recent trip to Washington. Trump and Kim seem open to the possibility, with one major caveat: Kim has stated publicly that discussions of denuclearization are off the table. Whether or not that meeting occurs, North Korea's growing nuclear arsenal and deepening relationships with Russia and China are a persistent challenge for Washington.How should the second Trump administration alter, or maintain, its approach to North Korea?  Is Washington reading Kim and the internal politics of Pyongyang correctly? And what role should China and South Korea play in U.S. strategy?Join Aaron David Miller as he engages Jean H. Lee, the presidential chair of the East-West Center, and Joel S. Wit, a distinguished fellow in Asian and Security Studies at the Stimson Center, on these and other issues. 

A veteran of the Second World War and the Korean War, Francis L. Sampson was a real-life hero whose exploits inspired one of the most famous war films of all time, Saving Private Ryan. From rural beginnings in northwestern Iowa, Sampson's life would take him from the University of Notre Dame to the battlefields of Normandy on D-Day, the ambitious failure of Operation Market Garden, the harshness of a winter as a POW of the Germans during the closing stages of the Second World War, to the fall of North Korean capital Pyongyang in the early stages of the Korean War. Part of the very rare breed of Parachute Chaplains, in his case with the 101 st Airborne Division, Sampson spent much of his career as an army chaplain in the center of maelstroms of the 20th century. Throughout it all, Sampson offered a valuable Christian witness in the darkest of times and the most difficult of circumstances. This second edition of his memoirs, Look Out Below!: A Story of the Airborne by a Paratrooper Padre (Catholic U of America Press, 2023) contains material on his service during the Korean War and occupation duty in Germany and Japan as well as the Second World War, with a new historical introduction by University of Scranton Professor Sean Brennan. Allison Isidore is a Religious Studies Ph.D. student at the University of Iowa and is the Assistant Director for the American Catholic Historical Association. Her research interest is focused on the twentieth-century American Civil Rights Movement and the Catholic Church's response to racism and the participation of Catholic clergy, nuns, and laypeople in marches, sit-ins, and kneel-ins during the 1950s and 1960s. She tweets from @AllisonIsidore1. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

A veteran of the Second World War and the Korean War, Francis L. Sampson was a real-life hero whose exploits inspired one of the most famous war films of all time, Saving Private Ryan. From rural beginnings in northwestern Iowa, Sampson's life would take him from the University of Notre Dame to the battlefields of Normandy on D-Day, the ambitious failure of Operation Market Garden, the harshness of a winter as a POW of the Germans during the closing stages of the Second World War, to the fall of North Korean capital Pyongyang in the early stages of the Korean War. Part of the very rare breed of Parachute Chaplains, in his case with the 101 st Airborne Division, Sampson spent much of his career as an army chaplain in the center of maelstroms of the 20th century. Throughout it all, Sampson offered a valuable Christian witness in the darkest of times and the most difficult of circumstances. This second edition of his memoirs, Look Out Below!: A Story of the Airborne by a Paratrooper Padre (Catholic U of America Press, 2023) contains material on his service during the Korean War and occupation duty in Germany and Japan as well as the Second World War, with a new historical introduction by University of Scranton Professor Sean Brennan. Allison Isidore is a Religious Studies Ph.D. student at the University of Iowa and is the Assistant Director for the American Catholic Historical Association. Her research interest is focused on the twentieth-century American Civil Rights Movement and the Catholic Church's response to racism and the participation of Catholic clergy, nuns, and laypeople in marches, sit-ins, and kneel-ins during the 1950s and 1960s. She tweets from @AllisonIsidore1. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/military-history

A veteran of the Second World War and the Korean War, Francis L. Sampson was a real-life hero whose exploits inspired one of the most famous war films of all time, Saving Private Ryan. From rural beginnings in northwestern Iowa, Sampson's life would take him from the University of Notre Dame to the battlefields of Normandy on D-Day, the ambitious failure of Operation Market Garden, the harshness of a winter as a POW of the Germans during the closing stages of the Second World War, to the fall of North Korean capital Pyongyang in the early stages of the Korean War. Part of the very rare breed of Parachute Chaplains, in his case with the 101 st Airborne Division, Sampson spent much of his career as an army chaplain in the center of maelstroms of the 20th century. Throughout it all, Sampson offered a valuable Christian witness in the darkest of times and the most difficult of circumstances. This second edition of his memoirs, Look Out Below!: A Story of the Airborne by a Paratrooper Padre (Catholic U of America Press, 2023) contains material on his service during the Korean War and occupation duty in Germany and Japan as well as the Second World War, with a new historical introduction by University of Scranton Professor Sean Brennan. Allison Isidore is a Religious Studies Ph.D. student at the University of Iowa and is the Assistant Director for the American Catholic Historical Association. Her research interest is focused on the twentieth-century American Civil Rights Movement and the Catholic Church's response to racism and the participation of Catholic clergy, nuns, and laypeople in marches, sit-ins, and kneel-ins during the 1950s and 1960s. She tweets from @AllisonIsidore1. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/biography

A veteran of the Second World War and the Korean War, Francis L. Sampson was a real-life hero whose exploits inspired one of the most famous war films of all time, Saving Private Ryan. From rural beginnings in northwestern Iowa, Sampson's life would take him from the University of Notre Dame to the battlefields of Normandy on D-Day, the ambitious failure of Operation Market Garden, the harshness of a winter as a POW of the Germans during the closing stages of the Second World War, to the fall of North Korean capital Pyongyang in the early stages of the Korean War. Part of the very rare breed of Parachute Chaplains, in his case with the 101 st Airborne Division, Sampson spent much of his career as an army chaplain in the center of maelstroms of the 20th century. Throughout it all, Sampson offered a valuable Christian witness in the darkest of times and the most difficult of circumstances. This second edition of his memoirs, Look Out Below!: A Story of the Airborne by a Paratrooper Padre (Catholic U of America Press, 2023) contains material on his service during the Korean War and occupation duty in Germany and Japan as well as the Second World War, with a new historical introduction by University of Scranton Professor Sean Brennan. Allison Isidore is a Religious Studies Ph.D. student at the University of Iowa and is the Assistant Director for the American Catholic Historical Association. Her research interest is focused on the twentieth-century American Civil Rights Movement and the Catholic Church's response to racism and the participation of Catholic clergy, nuns, and laypeople in marches, sit-ins, and kneel-ins during the 1950s and 1960s. She tweets from @AllisonIsidore1. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

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.

Watch this episode on YouTube.LTG (Ret.) H.R. McMaster and Brad Bowman join host Cliff May to explain why diplomacy only works when backed by force. From Gaza to Ukraine, they trace how strength — not illusions — shapes outcomes and frustrates the ambitions of the Axis of Aggressors: Beijing, Moscow, Tehran, and Pyongyang.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang has expressed the country's readiness to strengthen high-level exchanges and strategic communication with North Korea. He met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang on Thursday.

Watch this episode on YouTube.LTG (Ret.) H.R. McMaster and Brad Bowman join host Cliff May to explain why diplomacy only works when backed by force. From Gaza to Ukraine, they trace how strength — not illusions — shapes outcomes and frustrates the ambitions of the Axis of Aggressors: Beijing, Moscow, Tehran, and Pyongyang.

Adventure photographer Dan Milner has spent three decades turning a bike into a passport. From North Korea to Afghanistan, from camping among polar bears in Svalbard to being buried by a 10-day Alaskan blizzard, his career has been about chasing risk, chasing stories, and suffering for the photo. During this episode we get into the infamous 1994 MBUK self-timer 'selfie' that started it all, smuggling bikes onto gondolas in flip-flops, why real risk changes as you age, the strange normality of Pyongyang, bivvying through a typhoon with minders in polythene raincoats, and the wild beauty of Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor. Dan also opens up about leaving Chamonix after 24 years for a biodiversity project on the Isle of Skye, the demise of magazines versus short form content, mentoring the next generation, and where AI does (and doesn't) fit into adventure storytelling. We hope you enjoy the fascinating look into one of the world's most respected adventure photographers.  The Ride Companion Christmas Ride at BikePark Wales! Episode Sponsors:-  - WORX Tools → 15% off the full range with code THERIDECOMPANION: https://uk.worx.com - Talk it out with BetterHelp and get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/ridecompanion - Want an easy way to tick your daily nutritional needs? Support the show and get 15% OFF HUEL products with code ‘RIDE' at huel.com Unlock a healthier, easier way to eat with Huel — nutritionally complete meals in minutes, so you can focus on what really matters… biking. Get early access & ad-free episodes → https://www.patreon.com/theridecompanion You can also support our long term partners: - Marin Bikes: marinbikes.com/gb - Focus Bikes: focus-bikes.com - HUEL: Get 15% OFF with code 'RIDE' at huel.com/ - Hiplok: https://hiplok.com/the-ride-companion  - Play Fantasy Downhill at The Race Companion: theracecompanion.com instagram.com/theracecompanion - Get 10% off Troy Lee Designs with code 'theridecompanion' at saddleback.avln.me/c/OzduCWvjtcOr - Athletic Greens: Get a FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs at athleticgreens.com/RIDECOMPANION - Compex: Get 20% off with code ‘THERIDECOMPANION' at compex.com/uk/ - Worx: Get 15% off with code ‘THERIDECOMPANION' at worx.com - LAKA: Get 30 days of FREE insurance with code ‘RIDECOMPANION30' at laka.co - HKT Products: Use code ‘PODCAST' for 10% off the entire site. Follow Olly Wilkins Instagram @odub_23 YouTube @owilkins23 The Ride Companion Instagram @theridecompanion YouTube @TheRideCompanion YouTube clips and BTS channel @moreridecompanion Get official Ride Companion merch, find old episodes and more theridecompanion.co.uk

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.

On today's episode, Andy sits down with Bobbie Johnson, senior editor at Wired and an investigative journalist with deep experience covering technology, security, and digital culture. Bobbie unpacks a startling new investigation into how North Korea has infiltrated Western tech companies through remote work schemes. Using fake identities, stolen documents, and AI-powered tools to breeze through coding tests and interviews, North Korean operatives have managed to secure jobs at hundreds of U.S. companies. With the help of facilitators inside the United States, these workers receive laptops, funnel salaries back to Pyongyang, and generate millions for the regime's weapons programs. The conversation explores how these tactics threaten both national security and private industry, why they're so hard to detect, and what steps companies can take to guard against them. Change Agents is an IRONCLAD Original Firecracker Farm Use code IRONCLAD to get 15% off your first order at https://firecracker.farm/ AmmoSquared Visit https://ammosquared.com/ today for a special offer and keep yourself fully stocked. With over 100,000 members and thousands of 5-star ratings, Your readiness is their mission. TacPack Visit http://www.TacPack.com and use code IRONCLAD at checkout to get a free $70 tactical gift Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: South Korea says it has intelligence that Russia may have secretly supplied North Korea with nuclear reactor modules for submarines. If true, it would represent a dangerous leap forward for Pyongyang's military capabilities and a major escalation in Moscow's ties with the regime. Israel declares its new laser defense system, the Iron Beam, operational. Officials say it's a historic milestone—promising to shoot down rockets and drones at the speed of light and at a fraction of the cost of traditional interceptors. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Jacked Up Fitness: Get the all-new Shake Weight by Jacked Up Fitness at https://JackedUpShakeWeight.com Stash Financial: Don't Let your money sit around. Go to https://get.stash.com/PDB to see how you can receive $25 towards your first stock purchase. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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.

durée : 00:57:59 - Cultures Monde - par : Julie Gacon, Mélanie Chalandon - Trump veut relancer les négociations avec Pyongyang, malgré l'échec de 2019. Soutenu par Séoul, il espère revoir Kim Jong-un. Mais le virage stratégique nord-coréen vers Moscou et Pékin, et son refus de la dénucléarisation, rendent l'issue incertaine. - réalisation : Vivian Lecuivre - invités : Sébastien Falletti Journaliste, correspondant du Figaro à Séoul; Pascal Dayez-Burgeon Chargé de mission au CNRS, ancien diplomate français à Séoul; Hui-Yeon Kim Maîtresse de conférences en sociologie à l'INALCO, membre titulaire de l'Institut Français de Recherche sur l'Asie de l'Est (IFRAE)

The world's most endangered democracies—Taiwan, South Korea, Israel, and Ukraine—face relentless threats from the Axis of Aggressors: Beijing, Pyongyang, Tehran, and Moscow. With Ukraine locked in an existential war, host Cliff May welcomes British historian Mark Galeotti, host of In Moscow's Shadows, for an unflinching look at Russia's ambitions, Putin's imperial drive, and what it all means for the future of the free world.

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.

Kate Adie presents stories from Alaska, Washington, South Korea, Chile and France.From the military fly-past to the grandiose entrance on the red carpet, to the press conference, without any questions, the meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin drew dismay from Western governments. Steve Rosenberg was in Alaska - and reflects on the aftermath.After the pomp and pageantry of Donald Trump's meeting with Vladimir Putin, six European leaders rushed to Washington DC this week to meet with the US President in a show of solidarity with Volodymyr Zelensky. Tom Bateman followed the twists and turns and reflects on what was actually achieved at the White House.Vladimir Putin has come to rely on support from North Korea to bolster his troops in Ukraine. Pyongyang is now sending thousands of construction workers, to help fill a huge labour shortage created by the war. Jean Mackenzie has spoken to six workers who've managed to escape.In the hills of southern Chile and is an alluring tourist destination - a German-style village - but it was once home to a religious sect run by a manipulative and abusive leader. The Chilean government wants to expropriate some of its land to create a memorial for the people who were tortured and killed there during Pinochet's regime. But Grace Livingstone finds, it's proving divisive.In the Loire valley the summer months bring both extended bank holiday weekends in France and the return in the last few decades of the 'Guinguettes', waterside outdoor bars and dance halls which were once popular in the 17th and 18th centuries. Jamie Smith-Maillet went to soak up the atmosphereSeries Producer: Serena Tarling Production Coordinators: Katie Morrison & Sophie Hill Editor: Richard Vadon

$1.5 billion disappears in minutes. But what follows reveals North Korea's expanding reach — from elite hackers to soldiers on the battlefield.The audacious attack was on the ByBit crypto exchange in February 2025. Investigators say North Korean hackers the Lazarus Group are responsible – the biggest heist in the history of crypto. With our hosts Jean Lee and Geoff White, we uncover how they pulled it off.But as Pyongyang's cyber army is striking targets all over the world, North Korean soldiers have also been fighting on more traditional battlegrounds – siding with Russia in its war on Ukraine. We meet the South Korean correspondent who secured a world-exclusive interview with a North Korean POW. Does this all signify a turning point for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, as his cyber operatives pull off increasingly daring heists and his military gain real-world combat experience fighting with the Russians against Ukraine? As Kim continues to ally with Vladimir Putin — a leader whose country possesses exactly the kind of nuclear expertise North Korea has long sought – is he more dangerous than ever? Meanwhile North Korea says it has nothing to do with the cybercrimes the Lazarus Group is accused of, saying the United States is making these allegations to try and tarnish its image.Our story is about more than money. It's about where it goes, what it buys, and who's fighting in the shadows.

A ransomware attack exposes personal medical records of VA patients. New joint guidance from CISA and the NSA emphasizes asset inventory and OT taxonomy. The UK government reportedly spent millions to cover up a data breach. Researchers identified two critical flaws in a widely used print orchestration platform.  Phishing attacks increasingly rely on personalization. Rooting and jailbreaking frameworks pose serious enterprise risks. Fortinet warns of a critical command injection flaw in FortiSIEM. Estonian nationals are sentenced in a crypto Ponzi scheme. Michele Campobasso from Forescout joins us to unpack new research separating the hype from reality around “vibe hacking.” Meet the Blockchain Bandits of Pyongyang. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our daily intelligence roundup, Daily Briefing, and you'll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow CyberWire Daily on LinkedIn. CyberWire Guest Michele Campobasso from Forescout joins us to unpack new research separating the hype from reality around “vibe hacking.” Their team tested open-source, underground, and commercial AI models on vulnerability research and exploit development tasks—finding high failure rates and significant limitations, even among top commercial systems. Selected Reading Medical records for 1 million dialysis patients breached in data hack of VA vendor (Stars and Stripes) NSA Joins CISA and Others to Share OT Asset Inventory Guidance (NSA.gov) CISA warns of N-able N-central flaws exploited in zero-day attacks (Bleeping Computer) U.K. Secretly Spent $3.2 Million to Stop Journalists From Reporting on Data Breach (The New York Times) From Support Ticket to Zero Day  (Horizon3.ai) Personalization in Phishing: Advanced Tactics for Malware Delivery (Cofense) The Root(ing) Of All Evil: Security Holes That Could Compromise Your Mobile Device (Zimperium) Fortinet warns of FortiSIEM pre-auth RCE flaw with exploit in the wild (Bleeping Computer) Estonians behind $577 million cryptomining fraud sentenced to 16 months (The Record) Someone counter-hacked a North Korean IT worker: Here's what they found (Cointelegraph) Audience Survey Complete our annual audience survey before August 31. Want to hear your company in the show? You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here's our media kit. Contact us at cyberwire@n2k.com to request more info. The CyberWire is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Russia has been trying to tackle a significant labour shortage by recruiting North Koreans; the BBC has been speaking to some of them. Also in the programme: the American surgeon recycling surgical pins and plates in Gaza; and how studying cat dementia can help humans.Photograph: President Putin and Kim Jung Un meeting in Pyongyang in 2024. Credit: Reuters.

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: Beijing detains one of its top diplomats, a man once seen as a future foreign minister. Is this just another anti-corruption campaign—or evidence of growing paranoia from Xi Jinping? Lebanon signs on to a U.S.-backed plan to disarm Hezbollah—but days later, six Lebanese soldiers are killed in a blast while seizing the group's weapons. Ukraine accuses Russia of helping North Korea upgrade its nuclear weapons delivery systems. Is Moscow trading tech for troops in its war against Ukraine? And in today's Back of the Brief—an update from Haiti, where the government has declared a three-month state of emergency in the central region as gangs tighten their grip and violence surges. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com.Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief.YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Birch Gold: Text PDB to 989898 and get your free info kit on goldJacked Up Fitness: Get the all-new Shake Weight by Jacked Up Fitness at https://JackedUpShakeWeight.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donate (no account necessary) | Subscribe (account required) Join Bryan Dean Wright, former CIA Operations Officer, as he dives into today's top stories shaping America and the world. In today's episode, we cover Democrats Admit Trump's Tariffs Worked Even liberal voices like Bill Maher now acknowledge that Trump's tariffs didn't tank the economy, despite widespread predictions of disaster. Meanwhile, Europe is reeling from the new U.S.-EU trade deal, calling it a humiliation and bracing for economic pain. Democrats Hit Lowest Approval in 35 Years A new Wall Street Journal poll shows the Democratic Party at its lowest favorability since 1990. Senator Mark Kelly blames messaging, but Bryan highlights six stunning stories, from migrant crime to teacher union extremism, that point to deeply unpopular policies. Nuclear Warning to Putin President Trump authorizes the transfer of U.S. nuclear weapons to a base in the UK and gives Vladimir Putin a 10–12 day deadline to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine. New tariffs, and possibly more, are on the table if Moscow fails to comply. Russia Restarts Flights to North Korea A direct air route opens between Moscow and Pyongyang for the first time in 30 years. While publicized as tourism, analysts warn it may serve as a covert weapons pipeline, just as Trump escalates nuclear posturing in Europe. Zelensky Retreats on Anti-Corruption Rollback After global backlash and pressure from the White House, Ukraine's president backpedals on a controversial move to weaken anti-corruption agencies. Still, the episode deepens Western mistrust of Kyiv's leadership. China Bans Gender Humor in Stand-Up Chinese officials warn comedians not to joke about men and women, citing concerns over “gender antagonism.” Bryan unpacks why this crackdown is part of a broader pattern of civil rights suppression that the world needs to confront. "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:32