Episodes

  • Shinyoung Kwon: Authoritarian roots of North Korea’s neighborhood associations

    Shinyoung Kwon: Authoritarian roots of North Korea’s neighborhood associations
    Jul 10 2025
    Dr. Shinyong Kwon joins this week’s episode to discuss how neighborhood associations — known today as inminban in the DPRK — have been used as tools of governance, social indoctrination and moral authority. She explains how these associations originated from East Asian communal traditions but were reshaped under Japanese colonial rule to serve wartime mobilization […]
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    14 mins
  • Additional North Korean troop deployment, Kim mourns in public and beachgoers

    Additional North Korean troop deployment, Kim mourns in public and beachgoers
    Jul 8 2025
    Seoul last week said it cannot confirm a CNN report that North Korea plans to send 30,000 additional soldiers to support Russia’s war in Ukraine, amid conflicting intelligence assessments. While Ukraine’s military intelligence suggested the deployment is imminent, its chief Kyrylo Budanov said no buildup has yet been observed, instead predicting voluntary enlistment of DPRK […]
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    21 mins
  • Mitsuhiro Mimura: The secret to North Korea’s economic resilience

    Mitsuhiro Mimura: The secret to North Korea’s economic resilience
    Jul 3 2025
    Professor Mitsuhito Mimura, a leading Japanese expert on the North Korean economy, joins this week’s podcast for an in-depth discussion on the DPRK’s economic resilience, shifting trade patterns and deepening ties with China and Russia. With over 35 trips to North Korea under his belt, Mimura shares rare insights into how Pyongyang sustains infrastructure growth […]
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    11 mins
  • North Korea’s mega resort opens, testimony of executions and taekwondo rivalry

    North Korea’s mega resort opens, testimony of executions and taekwondo rivalry
    Jul 1 2025
    North Korea finally opened the long-delayed Wonsan Kalma mega resort on the east coast last week, with leader Kim Jong Un calling for a “new era” of tourism. But with the tourism zone boasting over 50 hotels and capacity for 20,000 tourists, questions remain about who will actually visit the resort as the country keeps […]
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    18 mins
  • Matchmaking across borders: Documenting North Koreans relationships in the South

    Matchmaking across borders: Documenting North Koreans relationships in the South
    Jun 26 2025
    In this episode, Norwegian artist and director Morten Traavik and cultural mediator Sun Kim discuss their new documentary “North South Man Woman.” The film explores the emotional complexities of North Korean defectors trying to build lives — and relationships — in South Korea, with a special focus on matchmaking between DPRK women and ROK men. […]
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    16 mins
  • Seoul’s new unification minister, DPRK rocket launches and border drills

    Seoul’s new unification minister, DPRK rocket launches and border drills
    Jun 24 2025
    South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has announced nominations for several key positions handling North Korean issues, continuing to select pro-engagement officials for inter-Korean roles. NK News Correspondent Joon Ha Park talks about the latest appointments, as well as South Korea’s live-fire artillery exercises near the inter-Korean border and North Korea’s launch of about 10 artillery […]
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    18 mins
  • Dong Jin Kim: What North Korea can learn from Ireland’s peace process

    Dong Jin Kim: What North Korea can learn from Ireland’s peace process
    Jun 19 2025
    Dr. Dong Jin Kim, a leading peace studies scholar with research experience spanning Korea, Ireland, Cyprus and South Africa, joins the podcast to explore how divided societies navigate conflict, peacebuilding and reconciliation, as well as lessons from these cases for the Korean Peninsula. Examining Ireland’s journey, he argues that lasting peace depends on sustained community […]
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    16 mins
  • Lessons for North Korea from Israeli strikes on Iran, and loudspeakers go silent

    Lessons for North Korea from Israeli strikes on Iran, and loudspeakers go silent
    Jun 17 2025
    Israel’s dramatic strikes on Iran’s nuclear program and Tehran’s retaliation have dominated headlines in recent days, and North Korea is no doubt paying close attention. NK News CEO Chad O’Caroll joins the podcast to talk about what lessons North Korea might be drawing from the clashes and U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, including the importance of deterrence […]
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    16 mins