April 27, 2024

About the author

Oliver Jia

Oliver Jia is a Kyoto-based graduate student currently pursuing his PhD in international relations at Ritsumeikan University and a regular contributor to NK News. He previously worked as Social Media Editor for Korea Risk Group. His research focuses on Japan-DPRK relations and comparative foreign policy. Follow him on Twitter.

More articles by 'Oliver Jia'

How a US veteran became a POW in North Korea 60 years after the Korean War

How a US veteran became a POW in North Korea 60 years after the Korean War

Merrill Newman’s ill-fated trip to the DPRK would reveal the ways in which for Pyongyang, the conflict never ended

How a US veteran became a POW in North Korea 60 years after the Korean War
Oliver Jia
Oliver Jia October 28, 2022
The Flower Girl: How a North Korean propaganda film achieved international fame

The Flower Girl: How a North Korean propaganda film achieved international fame

Kim Jong Il’s operatic passion project remains a nostalgic classic in China and elsewhere, 50 years after its release

The Flower Girl: How a North Korean propaganda film achieved international fame
Oliver Jia
Oliver Jia September 20, 2022
Filming the unfilmable: Director explores cost of Koreas’ ideological struggle

Filming the unfilmable: Director explores cost of Koreas’ ideological struggle

In ‘Soup and Ideology,’ Yang Yong-hi documents her mother’s fading memory of Jeju massacre and tragedy of division

Filming the unfilmable: Director explores cost of Koreas’ ideological struggle
Oliver Jia
Oliver Jia August 3, 2022
One country, one system: How North Korea-Hong Kong ties pivot around China

One country, one system: How North Korea-Hong Kong ties pivot around China

Hong Kong-based entities continue to be key nodes in Kim Jong Un’s sanctions-busting and money laundering schemes

One country, one system: How North Korea-Hong Kong ties pivot around China
Oliver Jia
Oliver Jia May 4, 2022
When North Korea and China hosted an Olympics for prisoners of war

When North Korea and China hosted an Olympics for prisoners of war

The bizarre episode during the Korean War was an attempt to brainwash captured soldiers into believing in communism

When North Korea and China hosted an Olympics for prisoners of war
Oliver Jia
Oliver Jia February 18, 2022
In the world of video games, North Korea is almost always the baddie

In the world of video games, North Korea is almost always the baddie

Depictions of the DPRK in games have evolved over the years, but few seriously deal with geopolitical issues

In the world of video games, North Korea is almost always the baddie
Oliver Jia
Oliver Jia February 2, 2022
Gift guide: The best books for North Korea watchers this holiday season

Gift guide: The best books for North Korea watchers this holiday season

New titles released in 2021 shed light on all things DPRK, from everyday life to little-known history

Gift guide: The best books for North Korea watchers this holiday season
Oliver Jia
Oliver Jia December 9, 2021
Book review: ‘Outsiders: Memories of Migration to and from North Korea’

Book review: ‘Outsiders: Memories of Migration to and from North Korea’

Markus Bell writes a sobering reflection on the tens of thousands of Koreans that voluntarily left Japan for North Korea

Book review: ‘Outsiders: Memories of Migration to and from North Korea’
Oliver Jia
Oliver Jia November 24, 2021
Super Mario in Pyongyang: North Korea’s burgeoning video game culture

Super Mario in Pyongyang: North Korea’s burgeoning video game culture

Smartphone use drives gaming's increasing popularity, but regime may see it as a new tool to promote Kim family ideology

Super Mario in Pyongyang: North Korea’s burgeoning video game culture
Oliver Jia
Oliver Jia October 28, 2021
As Japanese election approaches, Shinzo Abe’s legacy on North Korea looms large

As Japanese election approaches, Shinzo Abe’s legacy on North Korea looms large

Former prime minister championed abduction issue but oversaw deteriorating relations with Pyongyang and Seoul

As Japanese election approaches, Shinzo Abe’s legacy on North Korea looms large
Oliver Jia
Oliver Jia September 16, 2021