The “North Korea News Podcast” is a weekly program covering all things North Korea: discussion on the latest news, extended interviews with leading specialists, and insight from our very own staff. We welcome both generalist and specialist audiences interested in knowing more about the Korean Peninsula.
Breaking North Korea News, Opinion, Culture & Curiosities + Professional, Academic & Student resources on North Korea / DPRK
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North Korea News Podcast by NK News


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North Korea News Podcast by NK News
North Korea News Podcast by NK News
A weekly podcast discussing all things North Korea, produced by NK News
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Big Brother: North Korea’s Forgotten Prince


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Big Brother: North Korea’s Forgotten Prince
iHeartPodcasts
Kim Jong-nam should be the ruler of North Korea. Instead, he was the victim of the 21st century’s most bizarre assassination plot. A deep look inside a decades-long saga broiling with deceit, palace gossip, and political backstabbing—shedding light on the machinations of the most secretive nation on the planet.
Something for school
A great podcast about history in america
Ballads,Marches,SynthPop and other bizarre music straight out of PyongYang North Korea
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North Korea audio weblog on SermonAudio


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North Korea audio weblog on SermonAudio
Hackberry House of Chosun
The latest podcast feed searching 'North Korea audio weblog' on SermonAudio.
North Korea certainly deserves its title of the Hermit Kingdom of East Asia. Even today, for many that country remains a riddle wrapped up in an enigma. Does North Korea really have no COVID-19 cases? Has Kim Jong-un really executed people with a flamethrower? Is everyone there forced to get a Kim Jong-un haircut? As a North Korea watcher, in this podcast I do my best to provide short but detailed responses to these and other most common questions about this country. The podcast is powered b ...
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Should Kim Jong Un be the Leader of North Korea?


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'My Mate Went on Holiday to North Korea' tells the story of exactly what its like to visit the so-called Hermit Kingdom - everything from booking your trip in the first place, through getting on the train in Beijing, to creaking across the boarder, an Alcatraz-like hotel and seeing the embalmed corpses of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il - as seen through the eyes of Luke Pearce, who travelled there on vacation in 2016. The interviewer is @Dave___Smith
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Family and Legacy: The Story of a North Korean Escapee


My dad will be speaking on behalf of my grandma, who is an incredible doctor, mother, wife, and grandmother. This is her story; this is her journey from North Korea to the United States.
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North Korea News Podcast by NK News


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Distinguishing between North Korea humanitarianism and human rights – Ep. 272
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Improving the lives of the North Korean people and ensuring they can exercise universal rights and liberties are among the most important tasks for international actors working in and with the country. But digging beneath the surface quickly reveals that humanitarianism and human rights are different spheres with significantly different approaches …
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NK News – North Korea News

Improving the lives of the North Korean people and ensuring they can exercise universal rights and liberties are among the most important tasks for international actors working in and with the country. But digging beneath the surface quickly reveals that humanitarianism and human rights are different spheres with significantly different approaches …
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North Korea News Podcast


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Distinguishing between North Korea humanitarianism and human rights – Ep. 272
54:29
54:29
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54:29
Improving the lives of the North Korean people and ensuring they can exercise universal rights and liberties are among the most important tasks for international actors working in and with the country. But digging beneath the surface quickly reveals that humanitarianism and human rights are different spheres with significantly different approaches …
Kim Kang-woo escaped North Korea in 2016, promising his widowed mother that he would raise the money needed to get her out too. But after brokers were unable to arrange her escape, he decided to take matters into his own hands, crossing the border back into North Korea to attempt a dramatic rescue that reads […]…
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North Korea News Podcast by NK News


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The defector who snuck into North Korea to save his mother – Ep. 271
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Kim Kang-woo escaped North Korea in 2016, promising his widowed mother that he would raise the money needed to get her out too. But after brokers were unable to arrange her escape, he decided to take matters into his own hands, crossing the border back into North Korea to attempt a dramatic rescue that reads […]…
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North Korea News Podcast


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The defector who snuck into North Korea to save his mother – Ep. 271
50:35
50:35
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50:35
Kim Kang-woo escaped North Korea in 2016, promising his widowed mother that he would raise the money needed to get her out too. But after brokers were unable to arrange her escape, he decided to take matters into his own hands, crossing the border back into North Korea to attempt a dramatic rescue that reads like something out of a movie script.Was…
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NK News – North Korea News

Multiple North Korean drones entered ROK airspace and even breached a no-fly zone near the presidential office late last year, prompting Seoul to order its own unmanned aerial vehicle to cross the border and photograph a DPRK military facility. The Yoon administration’s stated eagerness to “punish” what it considers North Korean provocations has si…
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North Korea News Podcast by NK News


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How North Korea’s drones increase risk of inter-Korean conflict – Ep. 270
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Multiple North Korean drones entered ROK airspace and even breached a no-fly zone near the presidential office late last year, prompting Seoul to order its own unmanned aerial vehicle to cross the border and photograph a DPRK military facility. The Yoon administration’s stated eagerness to “punish” what it considers North Korean provocations has si…
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North Korea News Podcast


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How North Korea’s drones increase risk of inter-Korean conflict – Ep. 270
56:35
56:35
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56:35
Multiple North Korean drones entered ROK airspace and even breached a no-fly zone near the presidential office late last year, prompting Seoul to order its own unmanned aerial vehicle to cross the border and photograph a DPRK military facility.The Yoon administration’s stated eagerness to “punish” what it considers North Korean provocations has sig…
The NK News Podcast wants to hear from you! Fill out the listener survey at the following link for a chance to win a free 12-month subscription to NK News: CLICK HERE FOR SURVEY U.S.-North Korea relations have been stuck in place for the last two years, as other geopolitical developments seem to dominate Washington’s […]…
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North Korea News Podcast by NK News


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What the blob really thinks about North Korea in 2023 – Ep. 269
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The NK News Podcast wants to hear from you! Fill out the listener survey at the following link for a chance to win a free 12-month subscription to NK News: CLICK HERE FOR SURVEY U.S.-North Korea relations have been stuck in place for the last two years, as other geopolitical developments seem to dominate Washington’s […]…
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North Korea News Podcast


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What the blob really thinks about North Korea in 2023 – Ep. 269
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The NK News Podcast wants to hear from you! Fill out the listener survey at the following link for a chance to win a free 12-month subscription to NK News: CLICK HERE FOR SURVEYU.S.-North Korea relations have been stuck in place for the last two years, as other geopolitical developments seem to dominate Washington’s attention. But North Korea has n…
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North Korea News Podcast by NK News


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The best and worst books on North Korea in 2022 — Ep. 268
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The number of North Korea books to choose from gets bigger every year, and it can be challenging to figure out where best to start. That’s where David Tizzard comes in. The Seoul-based university lecturer has reviewed several books for NK News and joins the podcast to share his favorites from the past year — […]…
The number of North Korea books to choose from gets bigger every year, and it can be challenging to figure out where best to start. That’s where David Tizzard comes in. The Seoul-based university lecturer has reviewed several books for NK News and joins the podcast to share his favorites from the past year — […]…
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North Korea News Podcast


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The best and worst books on North Korea in 2022 — Ep. 268
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The number of North Korea books to choose from gets bigger every year, and it can be challenging to figure out where best to start. That’s where David Tizzard comes in. The Seoul-based university lecturer has reviewed several books for NK News and joins the podcast to share his favorites from the past year — as well as the ones to avoid.About the p…
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North Korea News Podcast


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What drives North Korean missile testing — Ep. 267
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Throughout this year, North Korea has repeatedly framed its weapons tests as simple reactions to U.S.-ROK efforts to restart military exercises and boost deterrence. It claims its long-range missile launches, sortie flybys, artillery drills and other military activities are necessary defensive moves against U.S. “hostile policy.”But Gordon Flake, C…
Throughout this year, North Korea has repeatedly framed its weapons tests as simple reactions to U.S.-ROK efforts to restart military exercises and boost deterrence. It claims its long-range missile launches, sortie flybys, artillery drills and other military activities are necessary defensive moves against U.S. “hostile policy.” But Gordon Flake, …
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North Korea News Podcast by NK News


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What drives North Korean missile testing — Ep. 267
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Throughout this year, North Korea has repeatedly framed its weapons tests as simple reactions to U.S.-ROK efforts to restart military exercises and boost deterrence. It claims its long-range missile launches, sortie flybys, artillery drills and other military activities are necessary defensive moves against U.S. “hostile policy.” But Gordon Flake, …
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North Korea News Podcast


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One man’s project to overthrow the Kim regime — Ep. 266
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In 2019, the activist Adrian Hong led a daring raid on North Korea’s Embassy in Madrid, stealing hard drives and documents and apparently assaulting embassy staff.Initial news reports suggested that Free Joseon, Hong’s human rights activist group that advocates for overthrowing the Kim regime in Pyongyang, was behind the raid. But it soon became cl…
In 2019, the activist Adrian Hong led a daring raid on North Korea’s Embassy in Madrid, stealing hard drives and documents and apparently assaulting embassy staff. Initial news reports suggested that Free Joseon, Hong’s human rights activist group that advocates for overthrowing the Kim regime in Pyongyang, was behind the raid. But it soon became […
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North Korea News Podcast by NK News


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One man’s project to overthrow the Kim regime — Ep. 266
1:00:39
1:00:39
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In 2019, the activist Adrian Hong led a daring raid on North Korea’s Embassy in Madrid, stealing hard drives and documents and apparently assaulting embassy staff. Initial news reports suggested that Free Joseon, Hong’s human rights activist group that advocates for overthrowing the Kim regime in Pyongyang, was behind the raid. But it soon became […
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NK News – North Korea News

Tension remained elevated on the peninsula in November as North Korea continued an array of weapons tests, including its first successful launch of its largest nuclear-capable missile and dozens of other ballistic and artillery tests. But another development arguably garnered more attention than even the massive Hwasong-17: North Korean state media…
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North Korea News Podcast by NK News


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Kim Jong Un’s daughter steals spotlight from DPRK’s biggest missile – Ep. 265
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Tension remained elevated on the peninsula in November as North Korea continued an array of weapons tests, including its first successful launch of its largest nuclear-capable missile and dozens of other ballistic and artillery tests. But another development arguably garnered more attention than even the massive Hwasong-17: North Korean state media…
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North Korea News Podcast


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Kim Jong Un’s daughter steals spotlight from DPRK’s biggest missile – Ep. 265
52:19
52:19
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52:19
Tension remained elevated on the peninsula in November as North Korea continued an array of weapons tests, including its first successful launch of its largest nuclear-capable missile and dozens of other ballistic and artillery tests. But another development arguably garnered more attention than even the massive Hwasong-17: North Korean state media…
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North Korea News Podcast


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Deconstructing the US’ ‘hostile policy’ toward North Korea – Ep. 264
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The U.S. and North Korea seem incapable of moving past the status quo, with neither side willing to concede to the other’s demands of either complete denuclearization, complete sanctions relief, or some combination of the two. The two countries haven’t spoken in years and appear no closer to a breakthrough despite several summits and other engageme…
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North Korea News Podcast by NK News


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Deconstructing the US’ ‘hostile policy’ toward North Korea – Ep. 264
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The U.S. and North Korea seem incapable of moving past the status quo, with neither side willing to concede to the other’s demands of either complete denuclearization, complete sanctions relief, or some combination of the two. The two countries haven’t spoken in years and appear no closer to a breakthrough despite several summits and other […]…
The U.S. and North Korea seem incapable of moving past the status quo, with neither side willing to concede to the other’s demands of either complete denuclearization, complete sanctions relief, or some combination of the two. The two countries haven’t spoken in years and appear no closer to a breakthrough despite several summits and other […]…
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North Korea News Podcast by NK News


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A deep dive into the delicate ceasefire agreement with North Korea – Ep. 263
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For nearly 70 years, a delicate ceasefire has prevailed between the two Koreas through cycle after cycle of tensions. But the Korean War Armistice Agreement was never meant to last so long, nor did its architects envision it would ever be so widely applicable across the land, air and sea domains. John Burzynski spent 20 […]…
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NK News – North Korea News

For nearly 70 years, a delicate ceasefire has prevailed between the two Koreas through cycle after cycle of tensions. But the Korean War Armistice Agreement was never meant to last so long, nor did its architects envision it would ever be so widely applicable across the land, air and sea domains. John Burzynski spent 20 […]…
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North Korea News Podcast


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A deep dive into the delicate ceasefire agreement with North Korea – Ep. 263
1:21:50
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1:21:50
For nearly 70 years, a delicate ceasefire has prevailed between the two Koreas through cycle after cycle of tensions. But the Korean War Armistice Agreement was never meant to last so long, nor did its architects envision it would ever be so widely applicable across the land, air and sea domains.John Burzynski spent 20 years as an international rel…
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North Korea News Podcast


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The fuzzy, contentious division of the Koreas at sea — Ep. 262
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North Korea’s launch of a surface-to-air missile into waters south of the inter-Korean maritime border this month marked a major escalation in its recent missile testing campaign, inviting a tit-for-tat response from South Korea. The incident also raised a number of questions about the countries’ sea boundaries, from how far they extend into the oc…
North Korea’s launch of a surface-to-air missile into waters south of the inter-Korean maritime border this month marked a major escalation in its recent missile testing campaign, inviting a tit-for-tat response from South Korea. The incident also raised a number of questions about the countries’ sea boundaries, from how far they extend into the oc…
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NK News – North Korea News

North Korea set a new record last week when it launched at least 23 missiles in one day, including a short-range projectile that splashed down into waters south of the inter-Korean maritime border, and also sent an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) careening toward Japan. Pyongyang’s attempts to frame these escalations as purely defensive m…
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North Korea News Podcast


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What to make of North Korea’s historic week of missile tests – Ep. 261
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North Korea set a new record last week when it launched at least 23 missiles in one day, including a short-range projectile that splashed down into waters south of the inter-Korean maritime border, and also sent an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) careening toward Japan.Pyongyang's attempts to frame these escalations as purely defensive me…
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North Korea News Podcast


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What North Korea can learn from Southeast Asia – Ep. 260
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While officially communist, North Korea’s economy has been a strange hybrid of socialist and capitalist elements for decades now. Millions in the country rely on markets outside the state-planned economy for necessities and to make a living, and this has raised questions about how the DPRK could make the transition to a more capitalist economy — if…
While officially communist, North Korea’s economy has been a strange hybrid of socialist and capitalist elements for decades now. Millions in the country rely on markets outside the state-planned economy for necessities and to make a living, and this has raised questions about how the DPRK could make the transition to a more capitalist economy […]…
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North Korea News Podcast


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Africa to North Korea: Growing up under Kim Il Sung’s fatherly care – Ep. 259
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At the age of 6, Monique Macias fled political turmoil in Equatorial Guinea and found refuge in Pyongyang, becoming not only one of the few foreigners to grow up there but doing so under the guardianship of founding leader Kim Il Sung.This week, Macias joins the NK News podcast to talk about her unique upbringing and about identity, culture and acc…
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North Korea News Podcast


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Rollerblading through Kim Il Sung Square – Ep. 258
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At the turn of the century, the markets were betting big on North Korea. The last holdout of the Cold War seemed to be on its last legs, and South Korea secured its first-ever summit in Pyongyang.Businessman Charles Thirlwall was part of the explosion of interest, representing a French company that probed business operations in the DPRK and visitin…
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North Korea News Podcast


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Are North Korea’s missile tests building up to something big? – Ep. 257
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North Korea has resumed missile testing at a rapid pace in recent weeks, at times launching one or more ballistic missiles every other day. Leader Kim Jong Un even ordered the launch of a new type of intermediate-range ballistic missile over Japan, according to state media, while sending out hundreds of fighters and bomber jets for air strike drill…
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North Korea News Podcast


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A peace-first, pro-diplomacy approach to North Korea – Ep. 256
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Talks between the U.S. and North Korea have been stalled for years. During that time, Pyongyang has resumed ballistic missile testing and Seoul and Washington have restarted large-scale joint military drills. DPRK leader Kim Jong Un himself said he would never again participate in denuclearization talks.To Christine Ahn and Colleen Moore of Women C…
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North Korea News Podcast


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What the CIA knows (and doesn’t know) about North Korea – Ep. 255
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North Korea is one of the hardest targets for U.S. intelligence, and the country’s border closure since 2020 has only increased the difficulty. State propaganda remains one of the only ways to learn about the regime and what’s happening in the country.A former analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency, Soo Kim has been working to understand the K…
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North Korea News Podcast


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Unplugging from the North Korean matrix – Ep. 254
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Growing up in an elite DPRK family, Seohyun Lee enjoyed privileges available to few other North Koreans. But that all changed during a study abroad trip to China, when she says a seemingly innocuous question from a taxi driver led to her “waking up from the matrix.” Then when a close friend of hers disappeared, she and her family were forced to esc…
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North Korea News Podcast


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How nuclear weapons help North Korea punch above its weight – Ep. 253
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North Korea is a small country, with a tiny economy and rigid political system, squeezed between much larger, richer nations. And yet its nuclear weapons allow it to dominate discourse about the region, give it a seat at the table with the U.S. and propel leader Kim Jong Un to front-page headlines. To Dr. Sung-Yoon Lee, assistant professor at the F…
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North Korea declares COVID victory and lashes out at US-ROK drills – Ep. 252
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In August, the U.S. and South Korea carried out large-scale field training exercises for the first time since 2018, while North Korea conducted a missile test for the first time in months. The DPRK declared “victory” over COVID-19 less than three months after reporting its first outbreak. And a South Korean man attacked the high-profile activist an…
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North Korea News Podcast


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Why it’s in America’s interest to withdraw troops from Korea – Ep. 251
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How far should the U.S. go to protect its allies, and can South Korea do more to protect itself without outside help?Doug Bandow (@Doug_Bandow), a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, has spent decades considering this equation and has come to believe the U.S.-ROK alliance needs serious reimagination, starting with the withdrawal of U.S. troops fro…
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Why North Korean comic books don’t have superheroes – Ep. 250
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Over the last four years, Jacco Zwetsloot has hosted 249 episodes of the NK News podcast, interviewing everyone from longtime Korea watchers and prominent defectors to Donald Trump’s point man for negotiations with Pyongyang. But the podcast’s 250th episode features a particularly special guest — the host himself.This week, Zwetsloot talks with NK …
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North Korea News Podcast


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When North Korea invited East German secret police to Pyongyang – Ep. 249
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Before the mid-1980s, North Korea and East Germany did not have the most robust relationship despite both being allies of the Soviet Union and their similar situations as the communist half of a divided country. That all changed when founding leader Kim Il Sung decided to host one of the largest events in North Korean history.In this episode of the…
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North Korea threatens death penalty for illegal drug sales – Ep. 248
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July was a busy month on the Korean Peninsula. The South Korean government launched an investigation into the 2019 forced repatriation of two North Koreans. DPRK leader Kim Jong Un slammed ROK President Yoon Suk-yeol as a “military gangster.” And Pyongyang expressed willingness to send laborers to breakaway Ukrainian regions.This week, the NK News …
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North Korea News Podcast


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Up close and personal at the Demilitarized Zone – Ep. 247
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This week, NK News podcast host Jacco Zwetsloot returns to what some call “freedom’s frontier,” better known as the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, for a special travelogue episode.Ret. U.S. Lt. Col. Steve Tharp. Ret. ROK Col. Jee Hong-ki, NK News founder and CEO Chad O’Carroll join the tour of the less-visited central border re…
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North Korea News Podcast


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Emerging North Korean threats in cyber and outer space – Ep. 246
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Threat dynamics on the Korean Peninsula are rapidly evolving. North Korea has proven extremely capable in cyberspace, compromising sensitive systems around the world and stealing hundreds of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency. The DPRK’s armed forces are also adopting unmanned aerial vehicles and developing hypersonic missiles that present new c…