North Korea News Podcast by NK News

Content warning: This episode contains discussion of sexual violence. NK News Data Correspondent Anton Sokolin kicks off the podcast this week by discussing the long-running debate over the transfer of wartime operational control, or OPCON, from the U.S. to South Korea, following comments made by U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson. He also examines […]

NK News Correspondent Jooheon Kim kicks off the podcast this week by discussing North Korea-Japan relations, focusing on lingering tensions over the abductions issue, recent trilateral naval cooperation with Seoul and Washington, and Pyongyang’s criticism of Japan’s latest diplomatic Blue Book. In the second half, the scholar Sayaka Chatani joins the podcast to explore the […]

Korea Risk Group Executive Director Jeongmin Kim kicks off the podcast this week by discussing North Korea’s positive response after Seoul expressed regret for past civilian drone incursions, only to quickly undercut hopes for inter-Korean detente with more hardline messaging and a series of missile launches. In the second half, Dr. Cathy Kang of the […]

NK News founder Chad O’Carroll begins this week’s episode by discussing the death of North Korea’s longtime representative to the International Olympic Committee, a South Korean helicopter’s accidental flight into the demilitarized zone during a firefighting mission and Seoul’s expression of regret over civilian drone incursions. In the second half, Jonathan Cheng, the China bureau […]

NK News Data Correspondent Anton Sokolin kicks off this week’s episode with a look at Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s visit to Pyongyang for a summit last week, and his potential to serve as an intermediary between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump. The conversation explores Belarus’s evolving ties with the DPRK, including plans to establish […]

NK News Correspondent Joon Ha Park opens this week’s episode by discussing the first session of the new Supreme People’s Assembly, which reappointed Kim Jong Un as North Korea’s head of state and carried out a generational reshuffle of officials. He also discusses Pyongyang’s increasingly hardline rhetoric toward South Korea and the U.S., Kim Yo […]

This week, NK News Data Correspondent Anton Sokolin opens the episode with a roundup of recent developments on the Korean Peninsula, including the resumption of China-North Korea passenger rail service and plans to restart flights. He also touches on the DPRK’s weekend test of multiple launch rocket systems, as well as how Russian media is […]

NK News Lead Correspondent Shreyas Reddy and Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB) Executive Director Hanna Song join this week’s episode of the NK News Podcast. The news roundup begins with the sudden cancellation of the Pyongyang International Marathon, before turning to Seoul’s move to adopt a new term for North Korean-born residents […]

International security expert Ankit Panda joins the podcast this week to unpack the latest U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran and what they could mean for North Korea’s deterrence thinking. The conversation covers what does and doesn’t translate to the Korean Peninsula: the impact of geography and escalation dynamics, why saturation tactics and interceptor “magazine depth” matter […]

In this special roundtable edition of the NK News podcast, the team sits down to discuss the results of North Korea’s Ninth Party Congress, the messaging behind the latest parade in Pyongyang and what leadership reshuffles may signal for the country’s domestic and foreign policy direction. The panel explores why this congress focused less on […]

NK News Correspondent Joon Ha Park joins the podcast to discuss the ongoing Ninth Party Congress, which kicked off last week in Pyongyang The conversation breaks down key developments from the congress so far, including Kim Jong Un’s reappointment as general secretary of the Workers’ Party, the promotion of younger loyal cadres and the sidelining […]

North Korea media and tech specialist Martyn Williams joins this week’s episode to discuss his trips to the inter-Korean border with NK News CEO Chad O’Carroll, which have explored how technology is reshaping control and communication in the DPRK. The conversation covers smartphones and digital infrastructure inside North Korea, including how mobile technology has expanded […]

Alec Zubrick of blockchain analytics company Chainalysis joins this week’s episode to break down how North Korea-linked actors are upgrading their tactics to steal cryptocurrency, why 2025 was a record year for large-scale hacks and what can be done to reduce risk. The expert explores the shift in North Korean operations toward fewer but much […]

In this episode, NK News Deputy Managing Editor David Choi and Senior Analytical Correspondent Colin Zwirko discuss newly released U.S. Justice Department files that show the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein explored possible business opportunities in North Korea. The conversation then shifts to the two North Korean prisoners of war currently held in Ukraine, including […]

Lee Sang-sin of the Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU) returns to the podcast to discuss the results of the think tank’s annual survey, which found for the first time ever that less than half of South Korean adults think that unification with North Korea is necessary. The expert discusses how Seoul’s broad unification framework […]

NK News Lead Correspondent Shreyas Reddy joins this week’s episode to discuss the formal preparations for the upcoming Ninth Party Congress, including meetings where the Central Committee has elected delegates and observers, and what signs to watch for as Pyongyang moves closer to announcing an official schedule. He also talks about recent diplomatic activity in […]

In this episode, Agence France-Presse (AFP) global news editor Roland de Courson joins the podcast to discuss his photo-and-essay project — K-Scar — documenting life, memory and tourism along the inter-Korean border. De Courson explains why he describes the border as a “scar” and reflects on how indifference, curiosity and commercialized “dark tourism” shape the […]

NK News CEO Chad O’Carroll joins the podcast this week to discuss why the Workers’ Party of Korea still hasn’t held its Ninth Congress, the lack of typical pre-event mobilization campaigns and what satellite imagery of parade preparations suggests about a possible timeline. The episode then turns to leadership dynamics in Pyongyang, including Kim Jong […]

Dr. Ria Roy, a scholar of modern Korea and East Asian history, joins the podcast to discuss the differences in language between the two Koreas, including contrasts in linguistic and ideological correctness. She examines the Soviet Union’s influence on the Korean language in the DPRK and the importance of conveying information with the right tone. […]

This week, NK News Senior Analytic Correspondent Colin Zwirko delves into the large-scale conference marking the 80th anniversary of the Socialist Patriotic Youth League, attended by Kim Jong Un. He then turns to signals surrounding the timing of the upcoming Ninth Party Congress, as well as expectations for announcements on long-term economic planning, weapons development […]