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More articles by 'Andrei Lankov'
No, you’re the puppet: why North Korea isn’t a Chinese satellite
The ruling Kim family has kept their Beijing benefactors close, but far enough as not to invite unwanted interference
May 14, 2020
Why Kim Jong Un likely won’t be naming a successor anytime soon
Despite his manifest health issues, the North Korean leader likely knows that doing so could provoke a power struggle
May 10, 2020
Why reports of Kim Jong Un’s untimely death turned out to be greatly exaggerated
Something may have happened to the North Korean leader, but the media has failed to learn from past mistakes
May 2, 2020
Why North Korea’s leadership has little to fear from an outbreak of COVID-19
The coronavirus epidemic, even if it gets out of control, would not constitute a major threat to the regime stability
April 9, 2020
Destination Pyongyang: the Yodo hijacking incident, 50 years on
Much remains unknown about this bizarre tale of Cold War intrigue, misguided radicalism, and North Korean opportunism
April 7, 2020
Why, for many North Korean defectors in the South, life is getting better
Refugees are optimistic and earning more money, according to recent statistics, despite their difficult circumstances
April 1, 2020
Why North Korea’s healthcare sector is better equipped than many believe
The DPRK is able to strictly enforce quarantine measures and has a large number of doctors in the population
March 19, 2020
In fight against COVID-19, North Korea gambles its long-term economic stability
Pyongyang's draconian response to the coronavirus outbreak stands to do much more damage than the virus ever could
March 13, 2020
How North Korean laborers rediscovered capitalism in the 1990s
Following the collapse of the public distribution system, North Koreans began to sell their labor in order to survive
March 2, 2020
Family matters: what to make of the unusual reappearance of Kim Kyong Hui
The re-emergence of the DPRK leader's aunt shows the Kim bloodline still holds privileges — for some
February 24, 2020
