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Analysis

Leading experts analyze recent events and affairs involving North Korea

The secret to success in North Korea? Workers’ Party membership

The secret to success in North Korea? Workers’ Party membership

Joining the ruling WPK in North Korea is the surest, and in many cases only, path towards social mobility

The secret to success in North Korea? Workers’ Party membership
Andrei Lankov
Andrei Lankov November 11, 2021
Cold hard cash? Currency coupons give North Korea options with money supply
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Cold hard cash? Currency coupons give North Korea options with money supply

Inability to print cash likely behind coupons, but they also provide a safeguard for post-pandemic currency devaluation

Cold hard cash? Currency coupons give North Korea options with money supply
Peter Ward
Peter Ward November 10, 2021
Why panic over Pyongyang’s missile shenanigans is unnecessary
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Why panic over Pyongyang’s missile shenanigans is unnecessary

North Korea's latest tests are insufficient to prove weapon reliability, and there are no signs of an impending attack

Why panic over Pyongyang’s missile shenanigans is unnecessary
Nah Liang Tuang
Nah Liang Tuang November 9, 2021
Despite the hype, North Korea and US won’t play ball on ending the Korean War
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Despite the hype, North Korea and US won’t play ball on ending the Korean War

Seoul is insistent, but Pyongyang and Washington are stuck on what comes first: denuclearization or sanctions relief

Despite the hype, North Korea and US won’t play ball on ending the Korean War
James Fretwell
James Fretwell November 8, 2021
Why the Sandinistas sent Kim Il Sung a stuffed crocodile carrying drinks

Why the Sandinistas sent Kim Il Sung a stuffed crocodile carrying drinks

DPRK support for the Nicaraguan revolutionaries dates back to early 1970s and reflects support for liberation movements

Why the Sandinistas sent Kim Il Sung a stuffed crocodile carrying drinks
Benjamin R. Young
Benjamin R. Young November 8, 2021
New proposal to relieve UN sanctions on North Korea: What do experts think?
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New proposal to relieve UN sanctions on North Korea: What do experts think?

Experts say proposal neglects DPRK’s weapons development, but some welcome suggestions on humanitarian aid and dialogue

New proposal to relieve UN sanctions on North Korea: What do experts think?
Chad O'Carroll
Chad O'Carroll November 5, 2021
North Korean coal: Sanctions and stranded assets
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North Korean coal: Sanctions and stranded assets

DPRK coal mines will have trouble making the kinds of profits they did in the 2010s even if the country fully reopens

North Korean coal: Sanctions and stranded assets
Peter Ward
Peter Ward November 5, 2021
Window on the world: How global expos encourage engagement with North Korea

Window on the world: How global expos encourage engagement with North Korea

Global expos promote cultural exchange and people-to-people contact, and provide paths to dialogue post-COVID

Window on the world: How global expos encourage engagement with North Korea
Matt Abbott
Matt Abbott November 5, 2021
Why a papal visit to North Korea doesn’t have a prayer

Why a papal visit to North Korea doesn’t have a prayer

COVID-19 restrictions and Pyongyang’s disinterest stand in the way, but ROK ruling party hopes to gain regardless

Why a papal visit to North Korea doesn’t have a prayer
Andrei Lankov
Andrei Lankov November 4, 2021
Timeline: From North Korea’s new missile to South Korea’s first rocket
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Timeline: From North Korea’s new missile to South Korea’s first rocket

NK Pro timeline charts the key events from October 1 to October 31

Timeline: From North Korea’s new missile to South Korea’s first rocket
NK Pro
NK Pro November 3, 2021