Visiting a remote island on North Korea’s doorstep – NKNews Podcast Ep. 234

North Korea News Podcast

A four-hour ferry ride from South Korea’s west coast takes one to a remote island so far north that it seems like it would be in North Korea. Yet Baengnyeong Island remains, improbably, a part of the South, and this far-flung location on the country’s frontier has been at the center of several important events in inter-Korean history — including the infamous sinking of the ROKS Cheonan. This week, NK News podcast host Jacco Zwetsloot takes listeners on a special audio tour of South Korea’s westernmost island, uncovering its history and talking with residents and experts about its significance to the two Koreas. Part travelogue, part interview, this episode explores how the island plays into disputes with North Korea over fishing rights, the DPRK’s abductions of South Korean nationals, life on the heavily militarized territory within sight of the North and more. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.