Features
Long-form reporting on timeless issues and human interest stories by NK News journalists and contributors.
What North Korea’s 2026 calendar reveals about its plans for the year ahead
Lack of major anniversaries suggests events, including military parade, will be front-loaded around Ninth Party Congress
YouTubers, K-pop defectors and Trump: The top North Korea stories of 2025
From a radioactive Russian delivery to influencers in Pyongyang, NK News revisits our best reporting from this year
High-level North Korean defector reports top official was executed by burning
New memoir by ex-diplomat Ryu Hyun-woo also reveals existence of secret organization managing Kim Jong Un’s slush fund
How rival political parties once challenged North Korea’s communist power
Christians and conservatives vied for power with leftists after independence, a history the Worker’s Party now ignores
Hyundai division eyes sending tourist ship to North Korea: source
The plan is contingent on Seoul-Pyongyang relations and their desire for cross-border projects
New Russian suspect arrested in 2003 neo-Nazi murder of North Korean man
With the 22nd anniversary approaching, one expert examines why Russia revisited Kim Hyon Ik’s murder
Late Russian ambassador to DPRK remembered as savvy diplomat, harbinger of war
Amb. Alexander Matsegora’s death on Saturday brought mixed reactions from the foreign policy community
How the UK fought to keep a North Korean shadow embassy out of London
Britain feared a DPRK push for IMO membership would give it a foothold to carry out smuggling and terrorism
With FIFA and Counter-Strike, a North Korean cafe levels up gaming for the elite
Photos of a glitzy new arcade reveal state-of-the-art PCs and US military-themed games, despite strict cultural controls
Kim Yong Nam was a rare survivor in the cutthroat world of North Korean politics
Longtime No. 2 official overcame a suspicious resume to win Kim family’s trust, surviving purges with diplomatic skill
