In mid-November 2023, Daily NK posted a banner ad on our website that said, “We want to hear from North Koreans living overseas.” A number of North Korean workers who saw the banner emailed us directly about the despicable behavior of a state security officer in Russia. Specifically, the officer was accused of demanding money … Read more
Following its run of missile tests last year, North Korea continues its nuclear and conventional military provocations targeting South Korea and the United States at an unprecedented level. Some experts believe that the current situation on the Korean Peninsula is more dangerous than at any time since the Korean War. At the ninth plenary meeting … Read more
On February 21, the U.S. Department of Justice indicted Japanese Yakuza leader Takeshi Ebisawa on charges of international trafficking of nuclear materials from Myanmar beginning in early 2020. Ebisawa had already been in U.S. custody since April 2022, after he was charged in New York City for illegal arms trading and narcotrafficking. The recent indictment … Read more
As the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East grind on, another conflict brews miles away in East Asia. Wrapping up 2023, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered his military to “thoroughly annihilate” South Korea and the United States if provoked. The saber-rattling continued as Pyongyang fired some 350 artillery shells into a disputed … Read more
On February 15, Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, showed positive signals regarding a summit meeting between Kim Jong Un and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio. “I think there would be no reason not to appreciate his recent speech as a positive one, if it was prompted by … Read more
Story highlights North Korea claims to have successfully put a satellite into orbit Rocket launched one month after hydrogen bomb test TheStarsHub — While North Korea claims that its space program is entirely peaceful, many analysts and foreign government officials worry that it is designed to mask testing of inter-continental ballistic missiles (ICBM). Other countries … Read more
Story highlights NEW: Two objects have been detected in Earth’s orbit following the launch It is widely believed to be a cover for a missile test Emergency U.N. Security Council meeting to convene Seoul, South Korea TheStarsHub — North Korea has successfully launched a satellite into space, its state-run TV said, an action immediately condemned … Read more
TheStarsHub — Aggressive rhetoric on the Korean Peninsula continues to ratchet up. US Vice President Mike Pence reiterated this week that the “era of strategic patience” was over, days after Pyongyang attempted another missile launch and analysts warned a sixth nuclear test could be imminent. Through all the rhetoric and saber-rattling however, it can be … Read more
On August 17 of last year, I attended a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) session devoted to discussing human rights in North Korea – the first such meeting since 2017. As a representative of civil society, I testified about the human rights situation in North Korea. The majority of participating countries, excluding China and Russia, … Read more
North Korea’s leadership recently announced a new regional development policy entitled the “regional development 20×10 policy,” which refers to a plan to build manufacturing facilities in 20 cities and counties every year over the next 10 years. The policy can be seen as an official acknowledgement of the severe disparity in living conditions between Pyongyang, … Read more