Columns
Columns on the latest North Korea issues from analysts, academics and renowned experts. Views expressed by our columnists are exclusively the authors’ own.
How the private market brought pork to the table in North Korea
When state planning failed to deliver a steady supply of meat, Kim Il Sung handed the reins to private pig farmers
The extraordinarily normal life of a North Korean woman from a rural town
Move from countryside to career to housewife typifies apolitical path of majority that rarely questions DPRK society
Why North Korea’s COVID-19 outbreak won’t be a death sentence for Kim regime
Malnutrition and poor healthcare may cause more deaths than statistics show, but mainly among elderly and poor
Why Pyongyang’s top elites still cling to visions of a post-money society
Public distribution of food and consumer goods entrenches North Korea’s rigid caste system even further
How women run the small business world inside North Korea
Capitalist markets inside the country have propelled many women to be the primary breadwinners of their families
Denuclearization should not be a prerequisite for engagement with North Korea
The incoming government in Seoul may see clearly how the DPRK operates, but stated policies are useless – even dangerous
Why North Korea’s markets will survive state crackdowns on private commerce
Marketplaces have persisted in DPRK despite extreme suspicion from the state, which tolerates them as a necessary evil
How North Korea tried and failed to boost consumption of the other white meat
The regime heralded a future of ‘silk clothes’ and ‘meat soup’ through mass pig farms, a vision that never came to pass
The war in Ukraine changes everything — including the future of North Korea
Russia's invasion is the latest event to increase chance Kim Jong Un regime survives and becomes more aggressive
Why North Korea introduced its own version of alternative civilian service
The DPRK’s shock detachments realize a dream of early communist leaders and provide a path to social advancement
