North Korea News Podcast by NK News

Dr. Ria Roy, a scholar of modern Korea and East Asian history, joins the podcast to discuss the differences in language between the two Koreas, including contrasts in linguistic and ideological correctness. She examines the Soviet Union’s influence on the Korean language in the DPRK and the importance of conveying information with the right tone. She also explores the use of profanity on North Korean state TV and why announcers often refer to specific groups of people in bespoke ways — whether using a motherly tone when discussing children or pausing before the name of leaders. Roy is a Kleinheinz Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and the author of the article “The Sacred Text and the Language of the Leader: ‘Cultured Language’ and the Rhetorical Turn in North Korea.” About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insights from our very own journalists.

This week, NK News Senior Analytic Correspondent Colin Zwirko delves into the large-scale conference marking the 80th anniversary of the Socialist Patriotic Youth League, attended by Kim Jong Un.  He then turns to signals surrounding the timing of the upcoming Ninth Party Congress, as well as expectations for announcements on long-term economic planning, weapons development and broader strategic priorities, potentially including inter-Korean relations. Finally, Zwiro discusses new satellite imagery showing the demolition and reconstruction of a prison facility in Sariwon, the latest in a series of detention sites undergoing similar changes since 2023. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insights from our very own journalists.

North Korea is closely watching the situation in Venezuela after the U.S. captured President Nicolás Maduro, shaking up one of Pyongyang’s few political friendships in the Western Hemisphere. In this episode, Gabriela Bernal and Camilo Aguirre Torrini delve into what happened in Venezuela, how North Korea has reacted in state media and what lessons Kim Jong Un may be drawing. The guests discuss why the DPRK-Venezuela relationship has been more symbolic than substantial, how sanctions and a shared anti-American ideology have shaped ties and what the future could look like if Caracas shifts further under U.S. influence. Dr. Gabriela Bernal is a North Korea analyst and non-resident fellow at the European Centre for North Korean Studies who writes on Pyongyang’s external relations and information strategy. She recently wrote an analysis for NK Pro titled “Where North Korea-Venezuela ties stand after Nicolás Maduro’s downfall.” Dr. Camilo Aguirre Torrini is a researcher whose work traces DPRK-Latin America ties and sanctions-era politics. He previously wrote a piece for 38 North titled “Can Venezuela and the DPRK Wipe the Slate Clean and Make a Fresh Start?” About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

This week, NK News correspondent Joon Ha Park joins the podcast to discuss North Korea’s new allegations that Seoul sent unmanned aerial vehicles to surveil military and other sensitive sites in Sept. 2025 and Jan. 2026. He explains the specifics of Pyongyang’s claims and the photos it released of the alleged drones, as well as South Korea’s swift denial of involvement. He also digs into Kim Yo Jong’s threat to send “civilian” drones into ROK airspace and North Korea’s history of following through on her bellicose statement. The discussion then turns to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s recent summit with President Xi Jinping of China, where the two leaders agreed to work toward restarting talks with the DPRK but made no mention of denuclearization. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insights from our very own journalists.

This week’s podcast features a panel discussion with NK News journalists on what to expect from North Korea in the year ahead, taking stock of what they got right about 2025 and making new predictions for 2026. The panelists discuss why DPRK leader Kim Jong Un doubled down on military development last year but didn’t end up meeting U.S. President Donald Trump. They then explain why Pyongyang will continue to bet on Russia ties in the new year but will still hedge by returning to talks with Washington. The discussion also covers the possibility that North Korea will push for nuclear energy in 2026, as well as black-swan events like missile launch disasters and information security breaches that could cause major disruptions to Pyongyang’s plans. This episode features the following members of the NK News team: Chad O’Carroll — CEO of Korea Risk Group Jeongmin Kim — Executive Director at Korea Risk Group Colin Zwirko — Senior Analytic Correspondent Shreyas Reddy — Lead Correspondent Anton Sokolin — Data Correspondent About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insights from our very own journalists.

This week’s podcast starts by discussing the U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro over the weekend and its implications for North Korea and its leader. NK News correspondent Shreyas Reddy then speaks about Pyongyang’s condemnation of the U.S. attack on its longtime ally, accusing Washington of attempting to exercise dominion over the world. He also explains why North Korea will be closely watching the U.S.’s next steps, as well as why Kim Jong Un may not be sweating a similar operation against him thanks to his ace in the hole — nuclear weapons. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insights from our very own journalists.

Yong Ja Hong, a PhD candidate studying North Korean society, culture and media at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, joins the podcast to discuss the history of sports in North Korea, even before the peninsula was separated by the 1950-53 Korean War. She recalls North Korean athletes who competed on the international stage, including a track star who was briefly reunited with her South Korean father, and sheds light on how modern sports made its way into the peninsula. Hong, an NK News contributor, also talks about how basketball’s popularity took off suddenly throughout the country during Kim Jong Il’s rule and how baseball never found solid footing amongst the people. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

This week, Korea Risk Group Executive Director Jeongmin Kim kicks off the podcast by discussing North Korea’s upcoming plans for New Year’s Day, including the possibility of a special message from leader Kim Jong Un. NK News’ Kim discusses how the DPRK leader has retreated from the tradition of delivering a dedicated New Year’s Day speech over the years, instead opting to publish personal letters to the people in the party daily or lay out his annual priorities in remarks at end-of-year party plenums. The discussion also covers North Korea’s unveiling of a purported 8,700-ton nuclear-powered submarine, which state media described on Christmas Day as a necessary deterrent against a nuclear submarine that the South plans to build. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insights from our very own journalists.

2025 was packed with news from the Korean Peninsula: new presidents assumed office in South Korea and the United States, North Korea expanded its cooperation with Russia and Pyongyang finally opened its long-awaited beach resort. In this special year-end episode, the NK News team joins the podcast to revisit their most compelling stories of the year.  NK News data correspondent Anton Sokolin, correspondents Joon Ha Park and Jooheon Kim, executive director Jeongmin Kim, founder Chad O’Carroll, lead correspondent Shreyas Reddy and senior analytic correspondent Colin Zwirko unpack their stories ranging from Russia’s radioactive delivery to North Korea to Pyongyang’s record-breaking crypto theft. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.

This week’s podcast starts by discussing the U.N. General Assembly’s adoption of a resolution condemning North Korea’s human rights abuses for the 21st consecutive year. NK News correspondent Jooheon Kim explains the implications of the resolution and Seoul’s support, before talking about messages to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung from the families of prisoners of war and abductees trapped in North Korea. Finally, the conversation turns to Hyundai Asan’s stated goal of working with North Korea to resume inter-Korean tourism projects, including the commissioning of a vessel to transport South Korean tourists to the North. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insights from our very own journalists.

Gabe Segoine, the founder of the first surfing program in North Korea and the Christian nongovernmental organization Love North Korea Ministries, joins the podcast to discuss his experience searching for waves off the isolated country’s coast and providing humanitarian aid for its people. He recalls his experience at the Chinese airport en route to North Korea, where customs authorities assumed his surfing wax was an explosive. He also discusses how authorities prevented him and his cohorts from openly discussing their faith, even inspecting their Bibles to ensure no pages were left in the country. Segoine has helped establish small humanitarian projects in North Korea and kicked off what he describes as “surfing diplomacy” in 2014. He has visited the country 19 times and is the author of “Surfing North Korea: And Other Stories from Inside.” About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.

This week’s podcast kicks off with the 2003 murder case of a North Korean man in St. Petersburg, previously known as the “criminal capital” of Russia, and the unanswered questions surrounding his brutal death at the hands of a neo-Nazi group. NK News data correspondent Anton Sokolin then discusses North Korea’s reaction to Russian Ambassador Alexander Matsegora’s sudden death in Pyongyang, including leader Kim Jong Un’s appearance at the diplomat’s memorial service. Finally, Sokolin talks about the monthslong deployment of North Korean soldiers to Russia’s Kursk region, where they were tasked with clearing explosives left by Ukrainian troops. The DPRK troops reportedly suffered nine fatalities during the deployment, with Kim heralding them for performing their duties with valor. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insights from our very own journalists.

Former Australian diplomat Jane Hardy joins this episode to discuss how Australia has engaged with North Korea over the past few decades, and what that experience reveals about diplomacy, deterrence and nuclear risk today.  Hardy, who spent over 30 years in the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, shares insights from her work on Korean Peninsula issues during the Sunshine Policy era, including Australia’s brief normalization with Pyongyang and her own visit to North Korea in 2001.  Jane Hardy is a former senior Australian diplomat who has served in seven long-term overseas missions, four at ambassador level. She also held numerous senior executive positions at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Canberra, during her 33-year career. Jane is now a senior fellow at the U.S. Studies Center, Sydney University advising the Women in the Alliance program.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.

This week’s episode opens with the news of the sudden death of Russia’s ambassador to North Korea, Alexander Matsegora, who died at 70 on Saturday following decades of diplomatic service on the Korean Peninsula. NK News founder Chad O’Carroll then discusses his recent appearance at a high-profile press conference with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, where his question about long-detained South Korean citizens in North Korea unexpectedly became a national story.  Finally, O’Carroll reflects on his trip to the Halifax International Security Forum in Canada. He describes conversations with Western officials, Ukrainians, and journalists, expressing frustration at what he sees as a persistent lack of understanding or urgency around North Korea’s role in supplying Russia during the war in Ukraine.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insights from our very own journalists.

This week, Dr. Joëlle Hivonnet joins the podcast to discuss her four-year tenure as the EU’s deputy head in Seoul from 2016, a tumultuous era in inter-Korean relations defined by both tensions and diplomacy. Hivonnet talks about how U.S. President Donald Trump's threats against North Korea transformed into summit talks between leader Kim Jong Un, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Trump, and how those developments ushered in a period of optimism for the EU. She also challenges the notion that Europe has a limited role in the peninsula’s affairs, particularly after North Korea’s direct involvement in the war in Ukraine. The EU’s agenda is being “totally dominated” by the Ukraine-Russia war, and North Korea’s deployment of troops and munitions in support of Moscow’s invasion is clear evidence that issues involving the DPRK now relate to the 27-member state organization, she said. Hivonnet, now retired, worked in EU postings for over 30 years, including in Geneva and Kathmandu. Prior to working for the EU, she was a senior lecturer at the University of Northumbria in England.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.

This week, NK News senior analytic correspondent Colin Zwirko joins the podcast to discuss recent developments along the inter-Korean border, as well North Korea’s latest event showcasing new air force weaponry. He begins by sharing what satellite imagery shows about the DPRK’s construction projects within the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone, some of which appear to cross the Military Demarcation Line, the actual border between the two Koreas. The discussion then turns to Kangwon Province, where leader Kim Jong Un appears to be planning to build a new dam that would flood part of the North Korean side of the DMZ. Whether the project is being actively developed is unclear, though it could have serious implications for South Korea. Lastly, Zwirko gives an overview of the recent 80th anniversary of the regime’s air force celebration, where it showed off a new drone and other military assets that mimic American weaponry. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insights from our very own journalists.

This week, Lonnie Edge of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies joins the podcast to discuss North Korea’s strategies for portraying itself as a legitimate government both inside and outside its borders. According to Edge, the Kim regime has become adept at changing its narrative or policies to address crises or changes in circumstances, such as building new apartments or bolstering rhetoric against the U.S. during economic downturns. The expert also discusses why progressive South Korean presidents typically reach out to North Korea first when attempting to build inter-Korean relations, explaining that taking this sort of diplomatic initiative without guarantees is rare and reflects how many Koreans view themselves as one people. Edge is an assistant professor in the Graduate School of Interpretation and Translation at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. He holds a Ph.D. in international relations and has been the managing editor of North Korean Review for over a decade. His work spans inter-Korean relations, contemporary Korea and identity politics. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.

This week, NK News correspondent Joon Ha Park joins the podcast to recap a week’s worth of news from Seoul and Pyongyang, starting with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s comments about potentially scaling back joint military exercises with the U.S. to support diplomacy with North Korea. He talks about how previous progressive governments, such as the Moon Jae-in administration, downsized the joint drills in an effort to persuade the DPRK to come to the negotiating table. Park also explains Seoul’s proposal for inter-Korean military talks on restoring land markers around the Military Demarcation Line, the border dividing the peninsula, to prevent an accidental clash. Seoul has accused North Korean troops of frequently crossing into the South, prompting it to fire warning shots. Finally, Park tracks North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s recent public appearances, including the inauguration of the first “modern” hospital outside of Pyongyang, and a visit to the Ministry of State Security’s headquarters. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insights from our very own journalists.

Dr. Elizabeth Campbell, a visiting scholar at Korea University’s Research Institute of Korean Studies, joins the podcast to discuss all things North Korean film — from former leader Kim Jong Il’s love of foreign cinema to what is arguably the country’s most famous movie, “The Flower Girl.” She sheds light on the second Kim leader’s reported involvement in the creation of domestic films, including the procurement of a train for a scene, and his frustration with North Korea’s inability to produce Hollywood-type cinema. These films play an integral role in North Korean society, and Campbell discusses how the Kim dynasty has used them to portray itself to citizens and the rest of the world. Campbell holds a Ph.D. in North Korean studies from Korea University. Her work examines North Korea propaganda, media and culture, including personality cults and representations of North Koreans.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.

This week, NK News Data Correspondent Anton Sokolin joins the podcast to discuss Russian participation in North Korea’s fall trade fair and the latest in the two sides’ military cooperation over the war in Ukraine. He talks about how over a dozen Russian commercial firms hawked their electronics and foods in Pyongyang last month, as well as about Moscow’s announcement that DPRK military engineers have started work in Kursk to clear “hundreds of different types of explosive devices” left by Ukrainian troops. He also explains why the Russian communist party recently awarded North Korean leader Kim Jong Un the “Lenin Prize,” tracing the history and significance of the little known award. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insights from our very own journalists.