North Korea News Podcast by NK News

In this special year-end episode, the NK News podcast revisits the most compelling North Korea stories of the year, as told by the reporters who covered them.

NK News journalists discuss everything from the DPRK’s Olympic glory and inter-Korean border construction to South Korea’s late-night martial law, while sharing firsthand experiences reporting their favorite features and investigations.

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.

The Ukrainian military claims it seized fake identification documents of North Korean soldiers killed in action in Kursk, the latest evidence that DPRK troops disguised as Russian soldiers are supporting Moscow’s war effort.

NK News Deputy Managing Editor Alannah Hill joins the podcast to discuss the latest news about DPRK troops in the region, as well as Moscow’s disclosure that North Korea joined Russia’s largest military drills in decades as an observer for the first time.

She also talks about the evacuation of North Korean diplomats and their families from the DPRK Embassy in Damascus following the fall of the Assad regime and potential opportunities to garner insight into Pyongyang’s cooperation with Syria.

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, Hanna Song of the Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB) returns to the podcast to discuss the NGO’s latest white paper documenting a huge surge in regime crackdowns on outside information, as well as how NKDB's researchers gather credible data.

She shares her perspective on the controversy over the all-male speaker lineup for the Global Korean Forum earlier this year and the importance of including women and defectors. She also talks about innovative approaches to raising public awareness about DPRK human rights and ensuring that North Korean voices are not forgotten. 

Hanna Song is the executive director of NKDB. She previously appeared on episode 209.

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.

In recent days, Kyiv has reported that a “significant number” of North Korean soldiers have participated in assaults on Ukrainian forces, allegedly suffering heavy losses as Russia uses them in more prominent combat roles.

Data Correspondent Anton Sokolin joins the podcast to discuss what we know about Pyongyang’s military cooperation with Moscow and what to make of stories spreading on social media about DPRK troops.

He also talks about how the fallout from South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s imposition of martial law on Dec. 3 has cast uncertainty over Ukraine’s efforts to secure military aid from Seoul, as well as the resumption of a passenger rail service between North Korea and Russia after a five-year hiatus. 

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, long-time North Korea aid worker Kathi Zellweger joins the podcast to discuss her more than two decades of work to help the people of the DPRK, especially children with hearing disabilities. 

She talks about her last trip to the country in 2019 before North Korea shut its borders to prevent the spread of the COVID-19. She also shares how she first got involved in humanitarian work, her hopes for humanitarian and development assistance in the DPRK and a new book she is working on with previous podcast guest Mike Chinoy, who appeared on episode 213.

Kathi Zellweger has worked to help the people of North Korea for over 25 years with Caritas Internationalis, a confederation of 162 national Catholic relief, development and social service organizations. She was based in Pyongyang for five years (2006-2011) as North Korea country director for the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and then with her own organization KorAid Limited, which is based in Hong Kong and focuses on helping people with disabilities. 

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 Lead Correspondent Jeongmin Kim sits down in the studio to discuss the latest events on the peninsula since South Korea President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law on Dec. 3. 

She explains the confusion over who is in charge of defending the country against North Korean attack after Yoon ceded his authority, growing calls for the president’s impeachment over allegations of treason and reports the South Korean military put special forces units on alert for a “serious situation regarding North Korea” hours before Yoon declared martial law.

She also talks about how Pyongyang has yet to publicly react or mobilize any “unusual” response to the ongoing political turmoil south of the border. 

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.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol made the unprecedented decision to impose martial law on Tuesday, plunging the country into political chaos and leading the parliament to take action to force him to rescind the order just hours later.

In a special joint episode, members of the NK News and Korea Pro teams dissect the dramatic and unexpected turn of events, from why Yoon justified martial law as necessary to combat “pro-North Korea elements” to the standoff between lawmakers and security forces at the National Assembly.

Korea Pro Editorial Director Jeongmin Kim shares her insights from reporting on the ground, while Editor John Lee and junior news reporter Joon Ha Park outline how South Korea’s political parties reacted to Yoon’s declaration and how Pyongyang could seek to exploit the situation.

The episode also explores the immediate fallout of Yoon’s decision, including mass Cabinet resignations and likely impeachment proceedings.

About the podcasts: 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.

The Korea Pro Podcast is a weekly 15-minute conversation hosted by Editorial Director Jeongmin Kim and Editor John Lee diving deep into the most pressing stories shaping South Korea — and dissecting the most complicated ones for professionals monitoring ROK politics, diplomacy, culture, society and technology. Uploaded every Friday.

North Korea launched more balloons filled with trash across the border last week, just days after the leader’s sister denounced another round of alleged anti-regime leafleting. 

NK News Seoul Correspondent Ifang Bremer joins the podcast to discuss the latest launches and how local governments in South Korea are clamping down on activist leafleting due to fears of DPRK retaliation.

He also talks about what he’s observed during recent reporting trips to the inter-Korean border, and details an NK News investigation that identified at least three television channels broadcasting content into the DPRK. 

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.

On this week’s episode, retired Major General Urs Gerber joins the podcast to discuss the current state of inter-Korean relations and what has changed since he served as head of the Swiss Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC) in Panmunjom a decade ago.

He also talks about the changing role of the NNSC since its formation following the end of the Korean War and the most memorable incident from his time at the inter-Korean border. 

Urs Gerber is a retired major general of the Swiss Army. He is also a historian and has worked in strategic intelligence. From Feb. 2012 to Aug. 2017, he served as head of the Swiss Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission in Panmunjom.

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.

Kim Jong Un blasted U.S. support for Ukraine at a major army conference this week, despite ongoing military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow. 

NK News Junior Correspondent Joon Ha Park joins the podcast to discuss the Fourth Conference of Korean People’s Army Battalion Commanders and Political Instructors held in Pyongyang earlier this month, as well as reports that North Korea has received air defense systems and anti-aircraft missiles from Russia in return for dispatching troops to support Moscow’s invasion of 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 insight from our very own journalists.