Columns
Columns on the latest North Korea issues from analysts, academics and renowned experts. Views expressed by our columnists are exclusively the authors’ own.
What the world lost when North Korea’s doors swung closed
Revisiting period when the DPRK felt within reach shows how much was taken for granted, and how quickly things change
The true story of Lee Seung-bok, the boy slaughtered by North Korean commandos
A failed attempt to foment revolution exemplified the intensity of Cold War struggle, and made a 9-year-old into a hero
Why South Korea’s Left is embracing a two-state solution to North Korea
Chung Dong-young’s claim that Koreas are separate countries concedes a reality long papered over by political fictions
A North Korean general’s forgotten memoir illuminates the regime’s brutality
Firsthand account of Kim Il Sung’s purges shows how the DPRK turned to concentration camps as a tool of political terror
Kim Jong Un’s much-hyped show of unity with Xi and Putin masks deep divides
Ties between North Korea, China and Russia are defined by distrust, providing a shaky foundation for a trilateral axis
Women at the wheel: Why North Korea is lifting long-standing gender bans
A quiet revolution under Kim Jong Un has opened the door for women to ride bikes, wear pants and more
North Korea’s latest deployment may be a trial for mass labor exports to Russia
6K military workers won’t serve on Ukraine front lines, but the allies are using dispatch to show off strengthened ties
Accidental sanctuary: Where nature and history meet on the North Korean border
Central South Korean areas along the DMZ are home to secret tunnels, sweeping vistas and former communist buildings
How North Korea has clawed back control over the economy by hiking state wages
Public sector salaries have skyrocketed in recent years as Pyongyang looks to revive state economy and suppress markets
Up close and personal: The best border observatories to see North Korean life
Ganghwa and Gimpo west of Seoul provide unparalleled spots to witness the reality of division and how North Koreans live
