38 North
@38north.org
Informed analysis of events in and around the DPRK. A publication of the Stimson Center. Innovative Ideas Changing the World.
The omission of DPRK from the US NSS comes as Pyongyang has proven itself a capable military partner to Russia. Hans Horan discusses how might other countries assess DPRK's potential in this capacity, especially those targeted in shifting US foreign policy. www.38north.org/2026/01/asse...
January 23, 2026 at 8:15 PM
The omission of DPRK from the US NSS comes as Pyongyang has proven itself a capable military partner to Russia. Hans Horan discusses how might other countries assess DPRK's potential in this capacity, especially those targeted in shifting US foreign policy. www.38north.org/2026/01/asse...
The omission of DPRK denuclearization from the US NSS may have intended to leave room for US-DPRK negotiations, but seems to have conveyed the burden of deterrence is shifting to regional allies. Sangsoo Lee discusses the impact of this perceived shift. www.38north.org/2026/01/the-...
The Impact of the US National Security Strategy’s Blind Spot on North Korea - 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea
By shifting deterrence to its allies, Washington is unintentionally accelerating an arms race ...
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January 21, 2026 at 11:45 PM
The omission of DPRK denuclearization from the US NSS may have intended to leave room for US-DPRK negotiations, but seems to have conveyed the burden of deterrence is shifting to regional allies. Sangsoo Lee discusses the impact of this perceived shift. www.38north.org/2026/01/the-...
The latest edition of "North Korea Briefing" is now available on 38 North, providing insights and analysis on key developments in DPRK's internal affairs from October 1 to December 31, 2025, across politics, leadership, economy, WMD and foreign policy.
www.38north.org/nk-briefing/...
www.38north.org/nk-briefing/...
North Korea Briefing: Vol. 3, Winter 2025 - 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea
This is the second edition of North Korea Briefing, a quarterly report analyzing North Korea’s ...
www.38north.org
January 15, 2026 at 7:25 PM
The latest edition of "North Korea Briefing" is now available on 38 North, providing insights and analysis on key developments in DPRK's internal affairs from October 1 to December 31, 2025, across politics, leadership, economy, WMD and foreign policy.
www.38north.org/nk-briefing/...
www.38north.org/nk-briefing/...
Traditional methods to evaluate North Korea's economic performance and responses to external shocks (such as sanctions) underestimate the impact of its extreme extractive model. Chan Yong Bang suggests why a new evaluative framework is needed. www.38north.org/2026/01/how-...
How North Korea’s Extractive System Adapts to External Shocks - 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea
Understanding how North Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea or DPRK) adapts to ...
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January 15, 2026 at 6:54 PM
Traditional methods to evaluate North Korea's economic performance and responses to external shocks (such as sanctions) underestimate the impact of its extreme extractive model. Chan Yong Bang suggests why a new evaluative framework is needed. www.38north.org/2026/01/how-...
All four of North Korea's state run television channels are now, for the first time, available via satellite. This demonstrates further Russian-DPRK cooperation in the communications sector. @martynw.bsky.social discusses the expanded coverage area. www.38north.org/articles/aff...
North Korea Expands Satellite Distribution of Domestic TV Channels - 38 North
All four of North Korea’s state-run domestic TV channels are being distributed by ...
www.38north.org
January 15, 2026 at 6:50 PM
All four of North Korea's state run television channels are now, for the first time, available via satellite. This demonstrates further Russian-DPRK cooperation in the communications sector. @martynw.bsky.social discusses the expanded coverage area. www.38north.org/articles/aff...
North Korea's turn toward cybercrime and cryptocurrency theft may have started as a sanctions evasion strategy, but its successes have essentially created a de-facto sovereign wealth fund. Perry Choi outlines this evolution and the policy implications. www.38north.org/2026/01/from...
From Digital Kleptocracy to Rogue Crypto-Superpower - 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea
How North Korea turned cybercrime and cryptocurrency theft into a strategic arsenal—and why the ...
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January 9, 2026 at 2:35 PM
North Korea's turn toward cybercrime and cryptocurrency theft may have started as a sanctions evasion strategy, but its successes have essentially created a de-facto sovereign wealth fund. Perry Choi outlines this evolution and the policy implications. www.38north.org/2026/01/from...
North Korea issued an early statement about US interventions in Venezuela, although only to external audiences and without much detail about the nature of the operations. 38 North's Rachel Minyoung Lee discusses potential motivations for this approach: www.38north.org/2026/01/nort...
North Korea's Initial Reaction to US Operations in Venezuela - 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea
North Korea’s response to the January 3 US military operation in Venezuela and capture of ...
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January 6, 2026 at 9:51 PM
North Korea issued an early statement about US interventions in Venezuela, although only to external audiences and without much detail about the nature of the operations. 38 North's Rachel Minyoung Lee discusses potential motivations for this approach: www.38north.org/2026/01/nort...
While KCTV is North Korea's main TV channel, our Senior Fellow @martynw.bsky.social recently spent a weekend watching the "other" TV channels that North Koreans have access to: Mansudae TV, Sport TV and Ryongnamsan TV. This is what he learned: www.38north.org/2025/12/nort...
North Korea's Other TV: What You Don't See on KCTV - 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea
This article was written as part of NK TechLab, a project of 38 North that serves as a central ...
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December 18, 2025 at 3:00 PM
While KCTV is North Korea's main TV channel, our Senior Fellow @martynw.bsky.social recently spent a weekend watching the "other" TV channels that North Koreans have access to: Mansudae TV, Sport TV and Ryongnamsan TV. This is what he learned: www.38north.org/2025/12/nort...
Drones have become critical in modern warfare, a lesson Pyongyang has learned well. Thousands of DPRK workers are reportedly heading to the drone manufacturing hub: Alabuga SEZ. DailyNK's Rose Adams discusses the mutual Russia-DPRK benefits of this cooperation.
www.38north.org/2025/12/alab...
www.38north.org/2025/12/alab...
Alabuga: The Latest Destination for North Korea’s Drone Ambitions - 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea
There is a new front in North Korea’s contributions to Russia’s war with Ukraine. From soldiers ...
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December 18, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Drones have become critical in modern warfare, a lesson Pyongyang has learned well. Thousands of DPRK workers are reportedly heading to the drone manufacturing hub: Alabuga SEZ. DailyNK's Rose Adams discusses the mutual Russia-DPRK benefits of this cooperation.
www.38north.org/2025/12/alab...
www.38north.org/2025/12/alab...
Kim Ju Ae's growing public profile has stirred debate over whether we're seeing early signs of a succession process in North Korea, but there is reason to reserve judgement. @hcss.bsky.social' Hans Horan looks at past precedents and factors shaping future scenarios. www.38north.org/2025/12/succ...
Succession at the Crossroads: Scenarios for North Korea's Future - 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea
The growing public presence of Kim Jong Un’s daughter, Kim Ju Ae, combined with lingering ...
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December 18, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Kim Ju Ae's growing public profile has stirred debate over whether we're seeing early signs of a succession process in North Korea, but there is reason to reserve judgement. @hcss.bsky.social' Hans Horan looks at past precedents and factors shaping future scenarios. www.38north.org/2025/12/succ...
North Korea's Ninth Party Congress seems to be still weeks away based on remarks during the recent Party Plenary and the timeline of Eighth Party Congress planning. Rachel Minyoung Lee walks through what we know/don't know, and why the Congress is important. bit.ly/48ZXhiN
Tracking North Korea's Ninth Party Congress Preparations - 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea
North Korea’s recent year-end Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) plenary meeting offered a ...
bit.ly
December 15, 2025 at 10:26 PM
North Korea's Ninth Party Congress seems to be still weeks away based on remarks during the recent Party Plenary and the timeline of Eighth Party Congress planning. Rachel Minyoung Lee walks through what we know/don't know, and why the Congress is important. bit.ly/48ZXhiN
North Korea's military airfield modernization campaign continues with new construction observed at Uiju Airfield. Once used as a quarantine center, preparations are underway to extend the length of the runway. Analysis by @martyn_williams www.38north.org/2025/12/mili...
Military Airfield Modernization Expands to Uiju - 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea
North Korea appears to have begun a major modernization effort at Uiju Airfield. The scale of ...
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December 15, 2025 at 9:57 PM
North Korea's military airfield modernization campaign continues with new construction observed at Uiju Airfield. Once used as a quarantine center, preparations are underway to extend the length of the runway. Analysis by @martyn_williams www.38north.org/2025/12/mili...
The recent MSMT report on DPRK sanctions provided one of the most comprehensive overviews of the DPRK remote IT worker ecosystem, but failed to recognize this as a distinct economic activity. Chandana Seshadri discusses why this is a miscalculation. www.38north.org/2025/12/asse...
Assessing the MSMT’s DPRK IT Worker Threat Report - 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea
Building on the growing body of work on the threat posed by North Korea’s (Democratic People’s ...
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December 15, 2025 at 9:47 PM
The recent MSMT report on DPRK sanctions provided one of the most comprehensive overviews of the DPRK remote IT worker ecosystem, but failed to recognize this as a distinct economic activity. Chandana Seshadri discusses why this is a miscalculation. www.38north.org/2025/12/asse...
The Lee administration is debating how it labels its NK policy, but should it be more concerned about building mutual understanding of core interests with Washington? 38 North Director @j3nnyt0wn discusses on Korea On Point.
koreaonpoint.org/articles/art...
koreaonpoint.org/articles/art...
Leaving Too Much to Chance
Key Takeaways:- President Lee’s E.N.D. policy repackages familiar progressive sequencing—exchange, normalization, then denuclearization—but does little to reflect how fundamentally North Ko
koreaonpoint.org
December 12, 2025 at 9:35 PM
The Lee administration is debating how it labels its NK policy, but should it be more concerned about building mutual understanding of core interests with Washington? 38 North Director @j3nnyt0wn discusses on Korea On Point.
koreaonpoint.org/articles/art...
koreaonpoint.org/articles/art...
As North Korea rejects negotiations about its nuclear program, key countries are slowly changing their public narratives about their North Korea strategies and goals. A quick look at where the narrative is heading by Rachel Minyoung Lee www.38north.org/2025/12/quic...
Quick Take: “Denuclearization” Omissions - 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea
In recent weeks, key stakeholder countries on the Korean Peninsula have omitted the term ...
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December 12, 2025 at 9:20 PM
As North Korea rejects negotiations about its nuclear program, key countries are slowly changing their public narratives about their North Korea strategies and goals. A quick look at where the narrative is heading by Rachel Minyoung Lee www.38north.org/2025/12/quic...
Russian media is playing an important role in socializing North Korea to Russian audiences as cooperation expands. This trend began as far back as 2017, using a narrative of shared resistance to sanctions, and has intensified since 2022, writes Nika Pasko.
www.38north.org/2025/12/the-...
www.38north.org/2025/12/the-...
The Most Sovereign Country: Recent Russian TV Coverage of North Korea - 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea
Since 2022, the image of North Korea and the tone of coverage among Russian TV channels have ...
www.38north.org
December 12, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Russian media is playing an important role in socializing North Korea to Russian audiences as cooperation expands. This trend began as far back as 2017, using a narrative of shared resistance to sanctions, and has intensified since 2022, writes Nika Pasko.
www.38north.org/2025/12/the-...
www.38north.org/2025/12/the-...
Koryo Medicine (traditional medicine) features prominently on North Korea's mobile medicine delivery app, providing low cost medicinal options for North Korean citizens. Analysis by Heeje Lee and Myung Sun Kim. www.38north.org/2025/12/kory...
Koryo Medicine in North Korea: Insights From a Pharmaceutical App Dataset - 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea
Two previous 38 North articles examined a large dataset obtained from North Korea containing an ...
www.38north.org
December 12, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Koryo Medicine (traditional medicine) features prominently on North Korea's mobile medicine delivery app, providing low cost medicinal options for North Korean citizens. Analysis by Heeje Lee and Myung Sun Kim. www.38north.org/2025/12/kory...
Lee Jae-myung's END policy toward North Korea mirrors past progressive approaches to reviving inter-Korean relations. But the rules of the game have fundamentally changed since the last diplomatic round. George Hutchinson examines Lee's prospects for success.
www.38north.org/2025/12/lee-...
www.38north.org/2025/12/lee-...
Lee Jae Myung's END Strategy: Path to Progress or Dead End? - 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea
Like South Korea’s progressive presidents before him, Lee Jae Myung is trying to reopen ...
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December 9, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Lee Jae-myung's END policy toward North Korea mirrors past progressive approaches to reviving inter-Korean relations. But the rules of the game have fundamentally changed since the last diplomatic round. George Hutchinson examines Lee's prospects for success.
www.38north.org/2025/12/lee-...
www.38north.org/2025/12/lee-...
North Korea is certainly following the diplomatic spat between China and Japan, but seems rather reluctant to offer support for Beijing's position than one would expect after recent China-North Korea warming, explains Rachel Minyoung Lee. www.38north.org/2025/12/nort...
North Korea’s Odd Reticence on China-Japan Tensions - 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea
North Korea has shown a muted response to the ongoing China-Japan diplomatic spat over Japanese ...
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December 8, 2025 at 10:09 PM
North Korea is certainly following the diplomatic spat between China and Japan, but seems rather reluctant to offer support for Beijing's position than one would expect after recent China-North Korea warming, explains Rachel Minyoung Lee. www.38north.org/2025/12/nort...
While the US and South Korea seek to restart dialogue with North Korea, Europe's re-engagement has been slow. Given Pyongyang's growing cooperation with Russia, this trend seems unlikely to change any time soon, but risks Europe being sidelined in a future diplomatic process. bit.ly/4oAvCKT
Europe's Stalled North Korea Policy - 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea
US President Donald Trump is openly discussing the possibility of holding a new summit with ...
bit.ly
December 4, 2025 at 5:25 PM
While the US and South Korea seek to restart dialogue with North Korea, Europe's re-engagement has been slow. Given Pyongyang's growing cooperation with Russia, this trend seems unlikely to change any time soon, but risks Europe being sidelined in a future diplomatic process. bit.ly/4oAvCKT
As President Lee adjusts his North Korea policy, questions about Korean identity, unification and ROK constitutional claims are quickly rising to the surface. @dangudg.bsky.social examines the interplay of these factors in peacebuilding on the Korean Peninsula. bit.ly/4oxQUsK
Recognizing Separation, Creating Peace: Rethinking ROK Constitutional Assumptions - 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea
Lee Jae Myung’s government has vowed to pursue dialogue with Pyongyang. It has stated that it ...
bit.ly
December 2, 2025 at 10:21 PM
As President Lee adjusts his North Korea policy, questions about Korean identity, unification and ROK constitutional claims are quickly rising to the surface. @dangudg.bsky.social examines the interplay of these factors in peacebuilding on the Korean Peninsula. bit.ly/4oxQUsK
North Korea's efforts to modernize and expand its Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center have made significant progress in 2025, helping enable the country grow its nuclear material production for its weapons program. www.38north.org/2025/11/yong...
Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center: Modernization and Expansion in 2025 - 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea
Commercial satellite imagery of North Korea’s Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center from ...
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November 23, 2025 at 9:52 PM
North Korea's efforts to modernize and expand its Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center have made significant progress in 2025, helping enable the country grow its nuclear material production for its weapons program. www.38north.org/2025/11/yong...
North Korea is watching US escalation toward Venezuela, notes Rachel Minyoung Lee. This kind of "interference" echoes previous US regime change operations toward Iraq and Libya, reinforcing North Korea's conviction about its own nuclear deterrent. www.38north.org/2025/11/quic...
Quick Take: North Korea on US-Venezuela Tensions - 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea
How does North Korea view the Trump administration’s escalation of pressure on Venezuela’s ...
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November 21, 2025 at 9:17 PM
North Korea is watching US escalation toward Venezuela, notes Rachel Minyoung Lee. This kind of "interference" echoes previous US regime change operations toward Iraq and Libya, reinforcing North Korea's conviction about its own nuclear deterrent. www.38north.org/2025/11/quic...
Questions abound about how US-ROK cooperation will look on South Korea's pursuit of nuclear-powered subs and how China and other regional actors might respond. Yun Sun explains the mild reaction from Beijing so far, but with caveats. www.38north.org/2025/11/sout...
South Korean Nuclear-Powered Submarine Plan: Unpacking China’s Moderate Reaction - 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea
On October 29, President Trump announced that the United States will share nuclear propulsion ...
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November 19, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Questions abound about how US-ROK cooperation will look on South Korea's pursuit of nuclear-powered subs and how China and other regional actors might respond. Yun Sun explains the mild reaction from Beijing so far, but with caveats. www.38north.org/2025/11/sout...
South Korea's concept of deterrence may be cautiously shifting in potentially transformative ways. Perry Choi discusses two Korean-language-only volumes that reveal how Seoul is redefining deterrence and testing the limits of America’s nuclear assurances. www.38north.org/2025/11/seou...
Seoul’s Nuclear Script: South Korea’s Quiet Redefinition of Deterrence - 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea
Two Korean-language-only volumes reveal how Seoul is redefining deterrence and testing the ...
www.38north.org
November 14, 2025 at 5:13 PM
South Korea's concept of deterrence may be cautiously shifting in potentially transformative ways. Perry Choi discusses two Korean-language-only volumes that reveal how Seoul is redefining deterrence and testing the limits of America’s nuclear assurances. www.38north.org/2025/11/seou...