Features
Long-form reporting on timeless issues and human interest stories by NK News journalists and contributors.
Billions from bullion: The hidden history of North Korea’s gold sales in the UK
Decades before turning to crypto, the DPRK raked in billions for its coffers through a far more conventional source
Postage propaganda: The pro-Soviet stamps North Korea wants the world to forget
State media has scrubbed mention of 1950 stamps with Soviet flag, recasting liberation as only Kim Il Sung’s achievement
Legacy of Hiroshima: Why support for North Korean ‘pipokja’ remains out of reach
Isolation, politics and history have left DPRK victims of Hiroshima’s bombing without vital medical aid others received
From ☕ to ☔: How North Korea put its stamp on the global emoji keyboard
Multiple DPRK pictograms have entered Unicode’s character set, but not all the socialist regime’s proposals made the cut
Leaflet liberation: How scraps of paper stirred a North Korean soldier to defect
Ryu Seong-hyeon risked death to cross DMZ, crediting his political awakening to info campaigns that Seoul seeks to stop
How North Korea hijacked America’s national pastime to take a swing at the US
Popular during Japanese rule, baseball fell out of favor in the DPRK but has occasionally served its propaganda goals
How North Korea’s Wonsan Kalma mega-resort wowed its first Russian guests
In interview, tourist who joined first package trip reports sumptuous meals, endless beaches and eerily good service
What China’s DeepSeek AI reveals about Beijing’s red lines on North Korea
AI censored its own answer on Chinese sanctions evasion — but not its biting critique of North Korea’s nuclear path
Female superstars: How North Korean propaganda portrays women in sports
Three decades of media depict increasing agency for female athletes, who still must ultimately sacrifice for the state
The improbable tale of the Russian tiger hunters recruited to kill Kim Il Sung
The Yankovsky family fled the Russian Revolution only to get wrapped up in the rise of the North Korean state
