North enforces crackdown during rice-planting season… Forced labor for offenders
Amid the height of the rice-planting season, an intensive crackdown is reportedly underway. Part of the regime’s broader effort to maintain social order, the season...
The state takes over smuggling, violating sanctions and threatening livelihoods
The widespread smuggling which has long been a means of livelihood for many ordinary citizens has been replaced by what is known inside North Korea...
Families of soldiers killed in Russia compensated with 30 days’ worth of groceries
Government authorities are providing a month’s worth of groceries to the families of soldiers killed in combat in Russia in its war with Ukraine, according...
Who digs through the garbage?
When I lived in North Korea, which was until recently, anything related to South Korea was completely taboo. All we knew was that it was...
Successor or homegrown fashion icon? Why Is North Korea showcasing Kim Ju-ae?
When Kim Ju-ae stepped into the public eye for the first time, holding her father’s hand, she was instantly thrust into the global spotlight. The...
Why North Koreans love the US dollar
Of course, no one hates money. But with North Koreans, there is an attitude to money that is rather unusual. Despite being steeped in intense...
North Korea and China introduce AI-based surveillance at border, share information about unusual activity
North Korea and China have introduced advanced AI alert systems along their respective border areas. While China completed its installation some time ago, North Korea...
The anti-Americanism and pro-North Korea tendencies of South Korea’s Candlelight Action protest movement
After President Yoon Seok-yeol took office in May 2022, there was immediately a rebirth of the so-called candlelight protests which had targeted and led to...
The oppressed youth of North Korea
What does the word “youth” mean to us? Does it represent the most passionate period in the cycle of life? Or perhaps the most fun...
Troops baffled by ‘Drill-through-the-Earth’ propaganda push
Soldiers mobilized to rebuild housing in areas impacted by floods are being urged to adopt a “drill-through-the-earth mentality” as part of a propaganda devotion drive...
Profile of the Pro-North Korea movement in the United States
Editorial Note: The following article gives an overview of the character of the pro-North Korea movement in the U.S. It provides a portrait of the...
Women and young people targeted for “anti-socialist” fashion
Each year, as summer approaches, the regime turns its control up a notch and launches ideological campaigns about fashion and personal grooming. This year, true...
A prisoner is set free from a camp of no return… Does this signal a shift in policy?
The release of a woman from a “total control zone” labor camp, where prisoners are normally held until they die, has set her neighborhood buzzing...