James Fretwell | NK News
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June 13, 2025Jun 13, 2025

About the author

James Fretwell

James Fretwell

James Fretwell is a PhD student focusing on Korean and Chinese history at the University of Melbourne. He was an analyst at NK News, and he has often discussed the two Koreas in interviews on the BBC, ABC News Australia, Deutsche Welle and elsewhere.

More articles by 'James Fretwell'

Mad about THAAD: South Korea-China dispute over US missile interceptor returns
KOREA PRO

Mad about THAAD: South Korea-China dispute over US missile interceptor returns

Seoul again finds itself caught between Beijing and Washington as it looks for defenses against North Korean threats

Mad about THAAD: South Korea-China dispute over US missile interceptor returns
James Fretwell
James Fretwell July 28, 2022
New Netflix drama paints dismal picture of road to Korean unification

New Netflix drama paints dismal picture of road to Korean unification

In ‘Money Heist: Korea,’ economic integration and North Korean migration to South only lead to crime and exploitation

New Netflix drama paints dismal picture of road to Korean unification
James Fretwell
James Fretwell July 21, 2022
How Ukraine’s breakaway republics could fund North Korean nukes
NK PRO

How Ukraine’s breakaway republics could fund North Korean nukes

Proposed bilateral cooperation would violate sanctions and shows Russian support for UN resolutions is waning fast

How Ukraine’s breakaway republics could fund North Korean nukes
James Fretwell
James Fretwell July 20, 2022
Yoon’s rapprochement with Japan could soon be over before it even started
KOREA PRO

Yoon’s rapprochement with Japan could soon be over before it even started

South Korea’s consultative group to resolve WWII forced labor case is struggling as upcoming court ruling approaches

Yoon’s rapprochement with Japan could soon be over before it even started
James Fretwell
James Fretwell July 14, 2022
Anti-North Korea balloons could spark the peninsula’s next military crisis
NK PRO

Anti-North Korea balloons could spark the peninsula’s next military crisis

Pyongyang has set stage for retaliatory action by blaming balloons for spreading COVID, posing a dilemma for Seoul

Anti-North Korea balloons could spark the peninsula’s next military crisis
James Fretwell
James Fretwell July 11, 2022
Moon’s legacy limits Yoon’s options for information warfare against North Korea
NK PRO

Moon’s legacy limits Yoon’s options for information warfare against North Korea

Conservatives have often ramped up anti-regime propaganda when in power but may have trouble doing so this time

Moon’s legacy limits Yoon’s options for information warfare against North Korea
James Fretwell
James Fretwell July 4, 2022
South Korea walks tightrope between Europe and Asia at first NATO summit
KOREA PRO

South Korea walks tightrope between Europe and Asia at first NATO summit

While Yoon Suk-yeol promoted trade with European nations, progress in relations with Japan failed to deliver on hype

South Korea walks tightrope between Europe and Asia at first NATO summit
James Fretwell
James Fretwell July 4, 2022
To attract the crème de la crème, South Korea floats immigration shakeup
KOREA PRO

To attract the crème de la crème, South Korea floats immigration shakeup

Yoon administration faces uphill battle to reverse demographic trends and change public perceptions about foreigners

To attract the crème de la crème, South Korea floats immigration shakeup
James Fretwell
James Fretwell June 20, 2022
Arming Kyiv: Ukraine gives South Korea a chance to prove it’s a world player
KOREA PRO

Arming Kyiv: Ukraine gives South Korea a chance to prove it’s a world player

Provision of military aid would bolster international opposition to unwarranted aggression, both in Europe and Asia

Arming Kyiv: Ukraine gives South Korea a chance to prove it’s a world player
James Fretwell
James Fretwell June 9, 2022
What a ‘swift and forceful’ US response to a North Korean nuke test could be
NK PRO

What a ‘swift and forceful’ US response to a North Korean nuke test could be

Washington could consider everything from boosting missile defenses to information campaigns

What a ‘swift and forceful’ US response to a North Korean nuke test could be
James Fretwell
James Fretwell June 8, 2022
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