Pyunghwa Park and Uri Kidron examine how the varied willingness of states facing a regional nuclearizing rival to absorb the costs of war as a counterproliferation strategy has played into North Korea's nuclear advancements versus Iran's restraints. www.38north.org/2026/06/why-...

Meet our new cohort of emerging fellows. Welcome to them all!

While the outcomes of the Xi-Kim summit may seem a bit underwhelming, flashy outcomes weren't necessarily the point of this diplomatic showing for either Kim or Xi. Check out these short takes from myself and some of my talented colleagues from 38 North and the Stimson Center.

ICYMI: France 24's The Debate on North Korea, China, and Russia @csis.org @victordcha.bsky.social joined @france24.com's The Debate alongside Claudia Astarita, @jennytown.bsky.social, and Philippe Le Corre. Moderated by @francoisf24.bsky.social. Watch it here:

🎥 REPLAY AVAILABLE In this timely conversation, I sit down with Jenny Town @jennytown.bsky.social, one of the world's foremost North Korea experts, to explore Pyongyang's evolving role in international affairs and its growing significance in a changing global order www.youtube.com/live/PZLOMkM...

North Korea's Sinpo-B class (Gorae-class) ballistic missile submarine appears to have been moved to the dry dock at the Sinpo South Shipyard, likely for maintenance; while the cargo vessel is now fully inside the construction hall. Analysis by @jennytown.bsky.social . www.38north.org/2026/04/quic...

중동 전쟁에 '물가급등' 우려…여행·식품·중기 예의주시

Middle East oil shipping costs surge to all-time high as US-Iran conflict intensifies reut.rs/4bkdDF1

There’s obviously a lot going on right now but this is not the time to fall asleep on North Korea. They have proven themselves a useful military partner as the big powers have become more prone to use of force. There is opportunity for NK in that equation. Worth examining their evolving calculus.

The US is carrying out strikes on Iran, two US officials tell CNN. Follow live updates: https://cnn.it/4rFzzQF

Israel's operation against Iran was coordinated with US, Israeli official says reut.rs/4qVoObP

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...

China has been restrained to the announcement re: South Korea's pursuit of a nuclear-powered subs. LEU vs. HEU fueled reactors and building good relations with Lee factor into that approach. But given the implications of where US-ROK relations are headed, can this restraint last?

🚨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.

The optics couldn't be better for Kim Jong Un at his first time attending a multilateral event. Front and center with Xi and Putin, with South Korea trailing far in background.

At meeting rich in symbolism, Ishiba and South Korea\'s Lee agree to steadily build ties www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08...

For the first time, North Korean state TV has shown its soldiers battling inside Ukraine. This came the same day it televised a ceremony where Kim Jong Un honored over 100 soldiers who were killed in the fighting.

@MiddleEastEye: Iranian media has published a video of Iran's Fordow nuclear site which had reportedly been targeted in US air strikes. According to US president Donald Trump, three nuclear facilities, Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz were "completely obliterated". https://t.co/OJzHmebjfq

🧵 🔹 June 17, 15:00-16:00 (CEST): Korea Strategic Talks Webinar VII www.isdp.eu/event/korea-... Featuring Bruce Klingner, @heritagefdn.bsky.social ‪, and @jennytown.bsky.social , Stimson Center

APT43 activity with multiple European embassies being spoofed and likely targeted. Rapport building themes and lures center around DPRK Human Rights and reactions to DPRKs official stance on NK troops in Russia cc @jennytown.bsky.social @elias.foxhold.net @garyfreasbysm.bsky.social

President Trump said he is appointing Jeanine Pirro — a Fox News host whose misstatements about the 2020 election were cited in two defamation lawsuits against the network — as the interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia.

The U.S. is invoking North Korea on a daily basis now…

Because who knows what else is going to happen in South Korean politics, here’s the order of succession for a presidential vacancy. The PM resigned to run for president and #2 resigned to avoid impeachment, so #3 (education minister) is the acting president as of today.

South Korean politics these days is dizzying. 4th President since Yoon's impeachment and with only a month until the snap presidential election, Lee Jae-myung still faces legal troubles, there's no clear PPP candidate yet and a possible third/coalition party seems more likely.

South Korea can finally move forward. Snap elections in 60 days. Should be an interesting (and intense) campaigning period.

BREAKING NEWS - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol REMOVED from office by the court's unanimous decision www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...

NEWS: President Yoon REMOVED - UNANIMOUS DECISION

Yoon’s impeachment was upheld!

WEBINAR: The ROK Constitutional Court will rule on Yoon’s impeachment on April 4. What are the implications of this ruling to domestic stability and regional geopolitics? Join us on April 9, 10 AM ET w/ Rachel Minyoung Lee, @frankjannuzi.bsky.social, Yun Sun & @jennytown.bsky.social

@CNN: Four Senate Republicans joined Democrats to rebuke President Trump over tariff policy. House GOP leaders are not expected to take up the measure.

'탄핵선고 D-1' 찬반집회 총력전…경찰, 을호비상 발령

South Korea 'at breaking point' ahead of tomorrow's ruling on President Yoon's impeachment. Latest:

james surowiecki has discovered where the completely fabricated trump tariff rate has come from for each country "...for every country, they just took our trade deficit with that country and divided it by the country's exports to us."

최상목 "과도한 시장변동성엔 가용한 모든 안정조치 즉각시행"

A first-of-its-kind Central Asian summit boosts regional connectivity and authoritarian domestic agendas.

New by me @foreignpolicy.com: I argue that despite the seeming normalcy of the US-Japan defense ministerial over the weekend, Tokyo shouldn't be under any illusions about the potential risks to the alliance. foreignpolicy.com/2025/04/01/j...

🚨Calling all young professionals interested in #NorthKorea & #NortheastAsia: 38 North is now accpeting applications for the second cohort of its Emerging Scholars Fellowship Program! Apply by April 14. More here:

It'll take you a while to work through all the wtf in this story. Once I got past the obvious topline madness, I was struck by a) the obvious effort to circumvent public records disclosure laws and b) the nakedly transactional approach to military operations. www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

Aside from the obvious, a staggering breach of national security protocols regarding the sharing of classified information, this Signal group episode offers a behind the scenes look at the basic transactional logic of US foreign policy under Trump.

Among the many consequences of this Atlantic story is confirmation that the contempt for Europe is, in fact, genuine and not for show.

Wow. 🤯

Ugh. Plane crashes, raging wildfires, and now this - a massive sinkhole in Seoul -- Korea has been having a rough time since the whole martial law fiasco. I wonder what the shaman take is on this string of turmoil? m-en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN2025...

Not sure this gives any indication of how Yoon's impeachment decision will go, but it does make appointing the 9th Constitutional Court justice highly unlikely. It also doesn't help project political stability as Korea awaits clarity on Yoon's fate. apnews.com/article/sout...

Top diplomats of S. Korea, Japan agree to continue exchanges amid improved ties | Yonhap News Agency en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN2025...

France and Canada will launch a new intelligence and security partnership after the meeting between Macron and Carney today, Reuters reports.

Wow. Didn’t expect this as the cause for the DOE designation of Korea to its “sensitive” list. en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN2025...

Google Confirms Play Store Deletion of North Korean Origin Apps www.forbes.com/sites/zakdof...

The US-European tariff conflict is jeopardizing transatlantic business worth $9.5 trillion annually, the American Chamber of Commerce to the EU warned reut.rs/4hiJhTl

South Korean president urged to promise to accept impeachment ruling - The Korea Times www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2...

Interesting details about the US Dept of Energy designation of South Korea as a “sensitive” country. While DoE says it will have little impact on practical cooperation, you have to wonder the potential spillover effects for the NCG (esp amid shifting political winds) en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN2025...