Defector Issues
Information related to North Korean defector issues
Ask a North Korean: Why a DPRK laborer in Russia decided to defect
A recent defector writes about growing disillusioned during 90s famine and how pandemic pushed him to make a break
Interview: How a North Korean defector’s daring escape led him to ROK politics
Park Choong-kwon went from studying missiles in DPRK to working at Hyundai Steel and advising the South’s ruling party
North Korea has executed citizens for violating COVID rules: Report
Defector testimony appears to be first evidence of executions since DPRK stipulated death penalty for serious violations
Predicting 2024: Why Kim Jong Un will meet Xi and Putin, but keep borders shut
In second of two-part series, NK Pro forecasts North Korean labor exports, tourism restart, rejection of aid and more
Predicting 2024: Why the writing is on the wall for an inter-Korean border clash
In first of two-part series, NK Pro forecasts the biggest North Korea developments in the year ahead
Ask A North Korean: Do North Koreans celebrate Western holidays?
A defector writes about her memories of festivities in the DPRK and her first experience of Valentine’s Day
Timeline: From North Korea’s ICBM launch to major year-end party plenum
NK Pro timeline charts the key events from Dec. 1 to Dec. 31
North Korea in December 2023: A month in review and what’s ahead
An analytical look at the main developments from December 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023
Ask a North Korean: Do North Koreans get tattoos?
Ink is common among older generations, but usually as a way to show loyalty rather than as a form of self-expression
From bad to worse: Charting the breakdown of inter-Korean ties in 2023
NK News recaps developments set to spill into next year, from unanswered hotlines and border risks to North Korean nukes