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 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/...

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'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...

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...

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

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...

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...

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-...

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-...

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

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...

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 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...

Amid allegations Russia has supplied North Korea with nuclear propulsion technology, @covertshores.bsky.social points to satellite imagery that may support these claims and discusses how this tech transfer could advance and accelerate Pyongyang's submarine program. www.38north.org/2025/11/russ...

North Korea's messaging in Russia and Belarus last week tells us more than strong relations, but a growing embrace of a Eurasian narrative, Rachel Minyoung Lee explains. www.38north.org/2025/11/nort...

North Korea continues to reveal new weapons systems, but the impact they have on the country's overall force capabilities is incremental at best. Vann Van Diepen discusses the latest developments. www.38north.org/2025/11/it-i...

If/when US-DPRK talks resume, there are looming questions about what "peace" on the Korean Peninsula actually looks like. General (ret.) Dan "Fig" Leaf offers some insights on the various considerations for ending the Korean War in a 38 North interview. www.38north.org/2025/10/endi...

Timing doesn't appear to be right for reviving US-DPRK diplomacy just yet, but thinking about new/modified approaches are still in order. NKDB's Unique Kim offers useful suggestions on how to move away from blanket bans on specific issues toward more agile options. www.38north.org/2025/10/beyo...

While North Korea's phishing and IT workers are studied closely, there is a critical cyber vulnerability for the US-ROK alliance that's not being talked about: HWP files. Perry Choi discusses how format hardening can address this operational vulnerability. bit.ly/3JpnKgE

Rachel Minyoung Lee catalogues key takeaways from the DPRK's coverage of the WPK 80th founding anniversary, and what it might imply of the country's outlook on its bilateral relationships.

Glyn Ford reviews Joel Wit's forthcoming book, Fallout: The Inside Story of America's Failure to Disarm North Korea.

"The DPRK IT worker threat is more than a fraud or sanctions evasion issue; it exposes systemic weaknesses in how identity is verified and managed across the global economy." Chandana Seshadri looks at DPRK IT worker typologies & identifies a path forward.

E-payments are becoming more popular in the DPRK due to the spread of smartphones, state pressures, and the app industry. @martynw.bsky.social analyzes the burgeoning industry.

TOMORROW‼️Join North Korean escapees Gyuri Kang & Hannah Oh, RFA's Rohit Mahajan, & the Stimson Center's Martyn Williams & Jenny Town for a discussion on information access and information freedom in the DPRK. In-person at the Stimson Center + online from 1-2:30 PM ET. www.stimson.org/event/inform...

🚨EVENT: Join us on Wed. Oct 8 from 1-2:30 PM ET for a deep dive into information access and information freedom in North Korea. Featuring Rohit Mahajan, @martynw.bsky.social, Hannah Oh & @jennytown.bsky.social.

Read the latest installment of Inspector O on 38 North.

Rachel Minyoung Lee analyzes DPRK state media's portrayal of Kim's visit to Beiing.

What did Kim Jong Un's visit to Beijing signal about the status of DPRK-China relations? Feng Zhang analyzes the event and both state media readouts.

This week on 38 North, David Hong discusses findings from the Korea Health Policy Project's webinar series on the DPRK's approach to public health and international engagement. bit.ly/4mSLAPV

Following the opening of Wonsan-Kalma Beach Resort, Rüdiger Frank explores DPRK's shift from foreign to domestic tourism, its similarity to tourism policies in other authoritarian states, and the move toward domestic consumption as an economic driver.

Commercial satellite imagery of Sohae Satellite Launching Station shows that more than two years after construction on its seaport began, the jetty now includes a docking slip for large vessels.

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov's visit to Wonsan marked a shift in the Russia-DPRK relationship, showcasing that the war in Ukraine is not the only driver of cooperation. @dcsneider.bsky.social discusses what else is at play.

Commercial satellite imagery shows activity at Wonsan Kalma Beach Resort following a high-level visit from Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov. Analysis by Martyn Williams, Peter Makowsky & Iliana Ragnone. bit.ly/3UlmdtO

In the final article in our 20x10 regional development policy series, Rachel Minyoung Lee analyzes the strategy behind the policy and how it is discussed in North Korean state media.

In a study based on 38 North's report on the DPRK's health app, Heeje Lee & Angie Sohn examine available disease-specific treatments, their costs, and the integration of Western and Koryo medicine.

Demolition of Mt. Kumgang Tourist Area continues, but not with any apparent urgency. Analysis by @martynw.bsky.social & @ilianaragnone.bsky.social

@thedailynk.bsky.social's Sang Yong Lee discusses how the DPRK's new car rental system reflects deeper tensions between state control and individual autonomy in North Korean society.

If reengaging with the DPRK, the US "should focus on building a more stable relationship through small, concrete steps: practical measures that reduce military tensions and manage hostile relations." Analysis by Shawn Rostker.