Columns
Columns on the latest North Korea issues from analysts, academics and renowned experts. Views expressed by our columnists are exclusively the authors’ own.
Kim Yo Jong is barking at the US, but North Korea probably won’t bite
Flurry of statements is likely an attempt at verbal deterrence, not a harbinger of violence or signal DPRK seeks talks
Shocked Soviets: What embassy records reveal about North Korean market activity
Declassified archives show DPRK was a tough place to live even during era now remembered for stability
North Korea’s satellite launch showcases the growing risks of status quo
Condemning DPRK and issuing new sanctions do little to deter it from launches, raising need for new approaches
In Washington, worries of ROK nukes steal spotlight from North Korean missiles
US capital has shifted focus to trilateral pacts with Tokyo, info dissemination into DPRK — and China above all
Dandong dispatch: How COVID has reshaped the North Korea border region
Orwellian controls have made Chinese border provinces a less welcoming place for outsiders — especially DPRK defectors
North Korea rails against markets. But its policies show it can live with them.
DPRK authorities did little to curtail flourishing seafood trade for years, only to reverse course during the pandemic
How foreigners laid the groundwork for North Korea’s market revolution
Early DPRK entrepreneurs leveraged connections in Japan and China, undercutting regime’s narratives of self-sufficiency
The cult of Kim: North Korea’s obsession with portraits of its leaders
Complex rules govern the display of images of the Kim family, which are treated like holy icons in a state religion
North Korea takes step closer to dream of conquering South with solid-fuel ICBM
DPRK seeks to keep US from intervening in conflict, a strategy pushing ROK toward developing its own nuclear deterrent
Why even hawkish Yoon administration won’t ignore a North Korean peace offensive
Pyongyang can manipulate pro-engagement, anti-Japan factions with a simple olive branch to Seoul — even if it’s all talk
