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Analysis

Leading experts analyze recent events and affairs involving North Korea

What to make of North Korea’s massive Eighth Party Congress reveal
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What to make of North Korea’s massive Eighth Party Congress reveal

Pyongyang announced key foreign policy, military and economic goals that tell us a lot about the future

What to make of North Korea’s massive Eighth Party Congress reveal
Chad O'Carroll
Chad O'Carroll January 9, 2021
North Korea’s threatening message to the US is a covert nudge for negotiations

North Korea’s threatening message to the US is a covert nudge for negotiations

The DPRK said it will continue developing nuclear strike capabilities, but it still left the door open for diplomacy

North Korea’s threatening message to the US is a covert nudge for negotiations
Jeongmin Kim
Jeongmin Kim January 9, 2021
Expert roundup: What North Korea’s Eighth Party Congress says about the future

Expert roundup: What North Korea’s Eighth Party Congress says about the future

Analysts weigh in on North Korea’s relationship with Seoul and Washington, plus the DPRK’s economic outlook in 2021

Expert roundup: What North Korea’s Eighth Party Congress says about the future
Min Chao Choy
Min Chao Choy January 9, 2021
Full list: Who’s sitting next to Kim Jong Un at the Eighth Party Congress?
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Full list: Who’s sitting next to Kim Jong Un at the Eighth Party Congress?

Seating arrangements tell a greater story about North Korean political ranks and where key figures are headed

Full list: Who’s sitting next to Kim Jong Un at the Eighth Party Congress?
Jeongmin Kim
Jeongmin Kim January 8, 2021
Mystery man: Kim Hyong Sik’s rise to head of the DPRK’s new judicial department
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Mystery man: Kim Hyong Sik’s rise to head of the DPRK’s new judicial department

The unknown official’s promotion and creation of new department suggest more emphasis on rule by law in North Korea

Mystery man: Kim Hyong Sik’s rise to head of the DPRK’s new judicial department
Martin Weiser
Martin Weiser January 8, 2021
How Biden’s foreign policy and defense picks could affect North Korea

How Biden’s foreign policy and defense picks could affect North Korea

Biden recently picked Wendy Sherman, Kathleen Hicks, Victoria Nuland and Colin Kahl to join his team

How Biden’s foreign policy and defense picks could affect North Korea
David Volodzko
David Volodzko January 7, 2021
Why North Korea paradoxically does and does not want to boost its economy
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Why North Korea paradoxically does and does not want to boost its economy

Many carrots have been dangled in front of the DPRK, but leaders don’t want economic growth to ruin their political sway

Why North Korea paradoxically does and does not want to boost its economy
Thomas Schäfer
Thomas Schäfer January 6, 2021
North Korea and China upgraded nearly all border trade crossings in 2020
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North Korea and China upgraded nearly all border trade crossings in 2020

In a likely push for trade, Pyongyang and Beijing poured resources into roads and other projects for a post-COVID-19 era

North Korea and China upgraded nearly all border trade crossings in 2020
Colin Zwirko
Colin Zwirko January 6, 2021
China-DPRK trade was on the rise, but plunged in 2020 over COVID-19
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China-DPRK trade was on the rise, but plunged in 2020 over COVID-19

North Korea leaned into unsustainable trade deficits with China, and then COVID-19 disrupted it all

China-DPRK trade was on the rise, but plunged in 2020 over COVID-19
Min Chao Choy
Min Chao Choy January 5, 2021
Report: The rise in North Korea-China relations and what it means for 2021
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Report: The rise in North Korea-China relations and what it means for 2021

While COVID-19 has halted most exchange, indicators suggest momentum between two allies will continue after virus passes

Report: The rise in North Korea-China relations and what it means for 2021
Chad O'Carroll
Chad O'Carroll January 4, 2021