Features
Long-form reporting on timeless issues and human interest stories by NK News journalists and contributors.
A voice from beyond: How radio inspired a North Korean soldier to escape
Kang Min-kook says ROK broadcasts opened his eyes to life in the DPRK. Now he worries what happens when they stop.
Monster vs. hero: New North Korean thriller makes evil more compelling than good
‘Days and Nights of Confrontation’ revises spy movie tropes but largely reasserts logic of DPRK’s caste system
Seoul clings to hope for an empty train station, a symbol of inter-Korean ties
Jejin Station is a gateway to North Korea but has barely seen visitors for decades, a reality the South wants to change
How the Party Congress became North Korea’s biggest political event
A look back show how the Ninth Congress could announce policies, purge officials, herald a successor and more
How Chinese TikTok turns North Korean propaganda into memes
Viral edits to pop soundtracks recast Kim Jong Un as an absurdity, reflecting dim views of DPRK but attracting censors
Busting the many myths of North Korea, from Juche to Kim Jong Il’s Russian name
Seeing the DPRK clearly requires unearthing the fictions of state propaganda, including those recycled by scholars
How spies from both North and South Korea targeted a human rights advocate
In an interview, Roberta Cohen recounts encounters with ROK agents and DPRK hackers, and shares lessons for activists
What a hit ROK film gets right — and wrong — about Christianity in North Korea
Defectors say ‘Choir of God’ misrepresents life in the DPRK but draws attention to the reality of religious persecution
How anyone can now read North Korea’s party newspaper at a library in Seoul
NK News visited the National Library to see how officials are opening access to media long viewed as ‘anti-state’
Playing dictator: Why a Kim Jong Un lookalike says his act isn’t just a joke
Howard X shares how lampooning North Korea’s leader has linked his life to global geopolitics, from Ukraine to Hong Kong
