Shows
Ask me about North KoreaEpisode 50 – Why does this podcast have to come to an end? (at least, for now)All things have to come to an end, and it applies to this podcast in its current format too. Thank you for staying tuned for more than 50 episodes! In this last episode I talk about why it has to end and what my future plans are. Spoiler: Once I have more time, I will do my best to rebrand, reformat, and continue this podcast in mid-2022. To use a famous platitude - I am not saying “goodbye”, I am just saying “see you later!”2021-09-1904 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 49 – What is the role of military in North Korea?In this episode, I would like to talk about the Korean People’s Army or KPA – the military of North Korea, which is also the armed wing of the ruling party. Specifically, today we will look at the current structure, role, and significance of the North Korean army.2021-09-1210 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 48 – Why are the North Korean-Japanese relations as bad as it can get?Today’s episode talks about the complicated historical framework of the North Korean-Japanese relations – including the two biggest conflict points that both countries have had. In that light, I also discuss their contemporary problems including history interpretation and mutual negative perception.2021-09-0514 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 47 – How to release North Korean music covers? (Interview with Justin Martell)Today’s episode is unusually musical. Our guest today is Justin Martell, an American producer, and a co-founder of Ship to Shore PhonoCo record label. Justin Martell in 2017 also founded YPT’s partner, Pioneer Media, offering production services across a wide variety of unique locations from Asia to Eastern Europe. He has worked extensively in the horror movie genre and has written the foremost authoritative book Tiny Tim. Today's interview with him will focus on an album, which has been recently released by Ship to Shore PhonoCo. The album is called "Take On Us! Pyongyang Gold Stars" and was a prod...2021-08-2936 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 46 – What does North Korea export to the outside world?This episode will not be very analytical, but the topic that I will cover provides some important context for the previous episodes and your understanding of the North Korean socio-economic system and its place in the global trade streams. Today I will talk a bit more about North Korean exports – what the country focuses on in its production and external trade.2021-08-2210 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 45 – What happens if Kim Jong-un dies?The notorious leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un, has disappeared several times from the public eye in the course of 2020 and 2021, with both experts and media watchers wondering whether the North Korean leader is suffering from some sort of systemic health issue that could potentially be fatal. But what actually happens if Kim Jong-un dies? What will the immediate political ramifications look like? Let’s think about it together.2021-08-1512 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 44 – Why will North Korea remain under quarantine for longer than just 2021?Even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, North Korea had a reputation as one of the most if not the most isolated societies on Earth. It was as if North Korea was already living under the conditions of a permanent COVID-19 lockdown. Indeed, it was hard to imagine that the hermit nation could get any more reclusive than it had already been. Yet with COVID-19 raging all over the world, North Korea seems to be rolling down the path of new unprecedented levels of isolationism. So, in this episode, I’ll answer the question: Why will North Korea remain under quarantine fo...2021-08-0808 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 43 – How does North Korea make money illegally?Quite some time ago I’ve received a couple of suggestions to cover the question of how North Korea earns money illicitly. Since this is a massive topic, it took me a while to figure out what kind of episode I want to make while answering the question. Hence, today, I will try to respond to this question by focusing on the main areas of North Korean criminal activities that earn cash for the regime – ranging from drug trade to counterfeiting. Apart from that, I’ll touch upon the organizational structure of that system and mention other types of illegal activi...2021-08-0115 minAsk me about North KoreaThe Podcast’s Participation in Annual Podcast Awards: Your Vote is Needed!Hello everyone! So, I am coming to you today with another announcement/request. As some of you might have seen, I have recently registered for the annual Podcast Awards competition in the category 'News & Politics'. I would be very grateful, if you could use 2 minutes of your time and support my podcast with your vote as a listener. Your help would mean a lot! You can find the instructions here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vRtwZPDn0I3yXeAMFL9IB73wiRVHoCKbbT-0KeS29a1nFRZj5raBj9QOUr30qSXk1rV4egUJuAu5rYa/pub2021-07-2701 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 42 — What is it like to be an organizer of tours to North Korea?Today’s podcast episode is an interview with an organizer of North Korea tours. Nicolas Platt is a travel guide, who works with the Young Pioneers’ Tours, one of the most renown DPRK tour organizers internationally. The YPT website describes Nic as a “North Korea wunderkind and tour guide par extraordinaire. Whilst he’s not touring you may usually find him at a North Korean restaurant in China, studying Korean or travelling unique parts of the
world”.2021-07-2719 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 41 – What is North Korea’s diplomatic standing in the developing world?Back in the Cold War days, North Korea was one of the key players in the non-aligned movement or the so-called Third World. Pyongyang used to position itself as a leader of the opposition to international imperialism and even tried to project its juche ideology on other countries. However, now the country is largely seen as an international pariah sponging off the remaining economic and political ties it has with the developing nations. Why did the situation change so dramatically? I am going to talk about that in today’s episode.2021-07-1814 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 40 – What are North Korean cartoons?North Korean animation is not really renowned world-wide, but you might have seen some of its products without even realizing it. Indeed, its quality can be surprisingly good! For example, North Korean animators drew some of the scenes in “The Lion King”, one of Disney’s biggest bestsellers. On the other hand, it is also responsible for producing extremely funny, cringy or violent series too. If you are curious about North Korea’s cultural exploits in this area, make sure to check out this episode.2021-07-1110 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 39 – Did COVID-19 reach Pyongyang: What is North Korea’s ‘grave coronavirus incident’?It was quite a sudden bit of news when Kim Jong-un, speaking at a high-level Party meeting at the end of June of 2021, warned of “grave consequences” as a result of senior officials neglecting the country’s COVID-19 prevention measures. This statement caused a lot of interest and controversy in the international mass-media with North Korea experts divided on what sort of event could have happened. Was it really that North Korea detected its first COVID-19 case? Was there a breach of quarantine measures? Or was it something completely different?2021-07-0409 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 38 – Why did the Workers’ Party of Korea change its rulebook and why does it matter?Today I am discussing one of the most important recent political developments in North Korea. Specifically, I will talk about the revisions to the rules of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK). They were made public and resurfaced on the professional DPRK watchdog websites only a couple of weeks ago, despite the fact that officially the WPK Congress, which is the highest decision-making body in North Korea, revised those rules in January. So, what do these revisions mean for North Korea?2021-06-2712 minAsk me about North KoreaSeason 2 Finale – Podcast Updates, Book Lottery, and June HiatusToday I am coming to you with some updates on the podcast, several messages, and a book lottery announcement.2021-05-3003 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 37 – Why did Joe Biden and Moon Jae-in meet and what does it mean for North Korea?Today I would like to do some news coverage from the past week. If some of you have been following the news on North Korea, South Korea, or the United States, you most likely know that a major meeting between the US President Joe Biden and South Korean President Moon Jae-in took place on May 21. Why did they meet in the first place, why does it matter, and will it change anything in the relations of both countries with North Korea?2021-05-2914 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 36 – What are the challenges and joys of studying North Korea?After having produced quite a number of podcast episodes, I wanted to reflect a little bit exactly on the subject of my exploits – North Korean studies. Thus, in this episode, I will be doing what I do best – complaining. Specifically, I would like to tell you about all the issues that North Korea watchers like me have to face in their research. Perhaps if any of you ever get interested in this field or choose to conduct their own projects, you might find my ramblings somewhat useful.2021-05-2312 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 35 – What is the history of football in the North Korea?There are not that many things that both North and South Korea have in common. Yet football is one of them. Given the love of the game in both countries, football can also be a powerful diplomatic tool in inter-Korean relations as well as a gate for North Koreans to the outside world. In today’s episode, I will talk about the history and peculiarities of contemporary North Korean football at the request of one of my listeners, Carl Stewart from Northumberland.2021-05-2212 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 34 – How bad is the human rights situation in the DPRK and how did it get there?While the human rights problem in North Korea is rather well-documented and well-studied, in this episode I wanted to provide you with a quick introduction on the topic; suggest some follow-up readings; and, most importantly, reflect on how the situation became so bad in the first place. After all, the human rights situation in that country is a good reminder for all of us about why North Korea is not something funny.2021-05-1618 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 33 – What is the geopolitical dimension of the Russia-North Korea relations?Moscow is often seen, similar to Beijing, as one of the key allies of the North Korean regime. Yet politics and history of the Russia-North Korea relations have vacillated from strategic importance to complete indifference – and the pendulum would swing back and forth every other decade. The Korean Peninsula, which lies as the Eastern-most border with Russia, has remained in the focus of Russia's and USSR’s geopolitical attention throughout the twentieth century. Korea, on the other hand, even before its division, saw Russia as an important counterbalance to other geopolitical giants such as Japan or China.
Today I will elab...2021-05-1518 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 32 – What is it like to travel to North Korea? (Part 2)Today we continue with discussing the impressions of the people, who travelled to North Korea back in the pre-COVID era. In this episode, Mr. Vitaly Konovalov, who went to the DPRK in 2009 for professional purposes, shares his experiences of staying in that reclusive authoritarian state and draws parallels between the North Korea of 2009 and Brezhnev’s Soviet Union.2021-05-0919 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 31 – Why is the number of North Korean refugees dwindling?People fleeing from North Korea are not a new phenomenon. Since the division of Korea after the end of the Korean War, citizens of the DPRK have fled from their country for not only political or ideological, but also economic and personal reasons. So, the area from which my question stems is quite well-studied – there have been hundreds of interviews, media reports, memoirs, and research articles written in this area. However, in this episode I would like to give you a quick introduction on the topic and, more importantly, explain why the numbers of people fleeing from North Korea has be...2021-05-0817 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 30 – What is it like to travel to North Korea? (Part 1)For quite some time I have been meaning to talk about how people travel to North Korea – not for diplomatic or political purposes, but just as ordinary tourists or business people. Even though I could have recorded a more or less standard episode in my attempt to answer that questions, I thought that perhaps there could be a more interesting way of telling you about this. So, after some pondering, I came to the conclusion that there is no better way of doing that than asking someone, who had actually visited the country. Hence, in this and in the next ep...2021-05-0248 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 29 – Who is Kim Yo-jong and what is her role in North Korea?Kim Yo-jong is another member of the Kim dynasty, who has recently been attracting a lot of attention on international social media platforms. Being Kim Jong-un’s sister, she is seen as one of the key members of the narrowest circle of top North Korean elites with many media speculating about her being Kim Jong-un’s potential successor. But how did she get to that position and what is her role in the North Korean authoritarian system?
You will find out in this episode!2021-05-0113 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 28 – Why are Sino-North Korean relations not as good as they seem?When browsing some Western media outlets, you might encounter a misplaced stereotype about North Korea being a Chinese puppet. Others argue that these two countries are very close allies, recalling how Mao Zedong called the relationship as close as ‘lips and teeth’. However, the reality is that Sino-North Korean relations have never been particularly easy or straightforward. They have been marred by complex twists and turns of history and even today the national interests of both nations remain at odds. Today we will together explore the history and current political intricacies of the Sino-North Korean relations.2021-04-2520 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 27 – What is daily life like in North Korea? (Part 5: Weddings)In North Korea, your wedding is not just your moment – but also a ritual demonstrating your filial piety both to your family and to the state. So how do North Korean weddings look like? How do families prepare for them? What are the main wedding traditions? Are they similar to the South Korean ones? I talk about these questions in today’s episode.2021-04-2412 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 26 – Why are foreigners fleeing from the North Korean COVID lockdown and why does it matter?Living in a lockdown is never easy, but it is especially hard when you are stuck as a foreign citizen in North Korea. The numbers of international expats, who live and work in North Korea usually as a part of some foreign missions or international humanitarian organizations, have never been high to begin with. With the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, their numbers have fallen drastically. In this episode, I am explaining how the situation looks for them right now and why this decrease in foreign residents living in the DPRK might have negative humanitarian consequences for the country’s ge...2021-04-1811 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 25 – Have there been any coup attempts in North Korea?Palace or military coups is something that you often witness in a variety of different autocracies – ranging from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe; from one-party authoritarian regimes to personalistic dictatorships. However, you probably have never heard about one happening in North Korea. Have there been any coup attempts in the DPRK? Were they successful? What does it mean in political terms? Today I will be talking about these questions at the request of one of the listeners!2021-04-1711 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 24 – What is daily life like in North Korea? (Part 4: Entertainment industry)Leisure is an essential part of humans’ daily lives – wherever we are, we try to carve out some free time for our hobbies ranging from watching TV-series to going on mountain climbing expeditions. After all, working all the time is physically and mentally impossible. Thus, even in the most authoritarian of countries, both the state and the people have to think about the questions of leisure. So today, I will be talking in broad terms about how the leisure and entertainment industry in the DPRK looks like today.2021-04-1112 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 23 – Who is Kim Jong-un and how is he shaping North Korea?Kim Jong-un is one of the most well-known leaders in contemporary world politics, who gets a lot of press – and a lot of very bad press. Despite that fact, very little is actually known about him as a person and, especially, about his early years of political career before becoming the leader of North Korea. While he is often seen by many Westerners as a rather comical figure due to his cartoonish appearance and body constitution, Kim Jong-un is actually one of the most cunning and Machiavellian politicians in East Asia. Kim Jong-un’s rule was transformative for North Korean soci...2021-04-1028 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 22 – Who was Kim Jong-il and how did he shape North Korea?Kim Jong-il, the second ruler of the DPRK, transformed North Korea in many ways – willingly or not. During the years of his rule, North Korea became a semi-capitalist isolated society in possession of nuclear weapons, a country that would not leave the front pages of international mass-media outlets. An incompetent leader but a talented diplomat, Kim Jong-il managed to pull his authoritarian regime through the period of economic crisis – all that despite the ominous predictions of imminent collapse coming from American and European political scientists. In today’s episode we look at the political biography of Kim Jong-il and at the le...2021-04-0426 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 21 – Who was Kim Il-sung and how did he shape North Korea?Kim Il-sung is, perhaps, a name that you do not hear all that much these days, if you are not a North Korea watcher. What you might hear way more often is the name of his grandson, Kim Jong-un, who is the current head of the North Korean state. However, it was Kim Il-sung, who shaped North Korea as we know it today – as the most controlled society in the world. It was Kim Il-sung, who plunged the Korean Peninsula into the bloodbath of the Korean War and cemented the division of Korea. It was Kim Il-sung, who created a pe...2021-04-0326 minAsk me about North KoreaSeason 1 – Hiatus Announcement (20.03-03.04)As season one is approaching an end, in this brief announcement I outline what episodes will be coming next after a break of two weeks. I also ask for your help with promoting the podcast online - do not worry, it won’t take too much effort :)2021-03-2002 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 20 – What is daily life like in North Korea? (Part 3: Organizational Life & Surveillance)One of the key pillars of the long-lasting North Korean authoritarianism is a highly complex system of mass-surveillance. Spying on your own citizens is something that is characteristic of many authoritarian regimes, but Pyongyang has certainly outperformed all of its undemocratic counterparts in this field. Some researchers even argue that the North Korean system has no equivalents in the world, while Amnesty International has christened the DPRK as ‘The Surveillance State’. Since using security and intelligence agents is a widespread practice in many authoritarian regimes, today I will talk about other more subtle surveillance mechanisms that are more specific to Nort...2021-03-1412 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 19 – Could North Korea really be an investment opportunity?North Korea has been rightfully regarded by many economists as one the most least likely places to attract foreign investors. Poor infrastructure, chaotic and very toxic politics, as well as a regime of harsh international sanctions do not necessarily contribute to the country’s economic image. Despite all that, there are still some adventurous capitalists, who end up pumping their resources into that country. But why? Find out in today’s episode! For more details visit - askmeaboutdprk.wordpress.com2021-03-1313 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 18 – Why is the North Korean regime so stable?North Korea is known to the world as one of the most authoritarian nations. Despite the regular predictions of collapse coming from Western political scientists, the Kim dynasty succeeded in creating a political system that outlived all communist regimes in Central and Eastern Europe; a system that survived one of the biggest famines in modern history; a system that continues to exist today despite literally the harshest possible economic sanctions regime in the world. Why is the North Korean regime so resilient and stable? I will talk about that in today’s episode. For more details visit - www.askmeaboutdprk.wo...2021-03-0719 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 17 – Is starvation still a problem in North Korea?One of the most commonly used cliches about North Korea is that it is a destitute, starving country, where people are literally dropping dead from hunger in the streets. In the late 1990s, the DPRK experienced a major economic shock, which brought about one of the worst famines in modern human history. But are North Koreans still starving today? Throughout the 2000s and 2010s the economic situation has steadily improved there, but the country is still facing challenges in this area. Today, I will talk about the lessons of the 1990s famine and the current food security situation in the...2021-03-0618 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 16 – What is daily life like in North Korea? (Part 2: Celebrations & Religion)One often wonders whether people lead their daily lives in the same manner even in the most totalitarian regime on earth. This series of episodes deals with various aspects of daily life in North Korea – ranging from individual interactions and work to education and cooking. This episode looks into such topics as traditions, celebrations, and religion. For more details visit - askmeaboutdprk.wordpress.com2021-02-2818 minAsk me about North KoreaBlitz Episode 3 – Bullet-Proof Trains, Revolutionary Badges, and Names of KoreaIn my blitz episodes, I combine different smaller questions that do not require as much elaboration as some broader topics that I normally discuss. Today I will be talking about why Korea has so many different names and why North Korean leaders are obsessed with travelling by train. And I will also unveil the mysterious meaning of the Kim-family-badges that so many North Koreans are wearing. For more details visit - askmeaboutdprk.wordpress.com2021-02-2713 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 15 – Why do some North Koreans struggle with their lives in the South?Many North Koreans embark on dangerous adventures to escape from their country – some of them flee for political reasons, but most for economic ones. Their motivation to move to South Korea is understandable – who would not want to live in a country that is thirty times richer than yours and offers greater political freedoms? North Koreans fleeing from the DPRK risk their lives for the sake of freedom and promise of prosperity. However, when they reach the South and settle down, many of them face integration difficulties and become disenfranchised. Why does it happen? I talk about this question in toda...2021-02-2120 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 14 – What is daily life like in North Korea? (Part 1: University, Work, Spending)One often wonders whether people lead their daily lives in the same manner even in the most totalitarian regime on earth. This series of episodes will be dealing with various aspects of daily life in North Korea – ranging from individual interactions and work to education and cooking. Today’s episode looks into university education, daily life at work, and some North Korean spending habits. For the full transcript of the episode, references, and follow-up readings please visit the podcast’s website – www.askmeaboutdprk.wordpress.com2021-02-2019 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 13 – Why is North Korea undergoing a major drug crisis?The North Korean government’s reputation has for a long time been marred by many illicit activities with drug trafficking being only one of those. The diplomats from Pyongyang were particularly notorious in the 1990s and early 2000s for misusing their diplomatic privileges to smuggle in drugs into other countries. But did you actually know that unrestricted drug consumption is a problem in North Korea itself even until this day? In fact, even though the DPRK is one of the most restrictive countries on Earth, it does not ban cannabis, while some of its citizens capitalize a lot on drug tr...2021-02-1413 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 12 – How could the European Union play a greater role in the Korean peace process?As the European Union is trying to geopolitically establish itself in East Asia, which has become the heart of the world’s rapid economic development in recent years, it faces numerous issues in its attempts to assert its strategic sovereignty. There are many challenges in the region – ranging from Chinese foreign policy to local territorial disputes. Yet there is hardly any better example of the EU’s inability to establish itself as a geopolitical actor than its strategy – or, perhaps, the lack thereof – on the Korean Peninsula. So, what is wrong about the EU’s approach and what could be done better...2021-02-1319 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 11 – Who are the Americans living in North Korea?The American diaspora is scattered all around the globe, but did you know that there are Americans, who also settled down in North Korea? The thought might seem ridiculous, considering how bad the hostilities between Washington and Pyongyang are. Yet there really are some Americans, who did end up there – either because they were forced to or on their own choice. In this episode I talk about some of their not-so-well-known stories. For the full transcript of the episode, references, and follow-up readings please visit the podcast’s website – www.askmeaboutdprk.wordpress.com2021-02-0713 minAsk me about North KoreaBlitz Episode 2 – Illegal Choco Pie Trade, Ice Hockey, and Kim Jong-un’s HaircutIn blitz episodes, I combine different smaller questions that do not require as much elaboration as some broad topics that I normally discuss – like nuclear weapons or economic development. Today I will be talking about how Choco Pies became a black market currency in North Korea; about the situation with ice hockey; and Kim Jong-un-style haircuts. For the full transcript of the episode, references, and follow-up readings please visit the podcast’s website –
www.askmeaboutdprk.wordpress.com2021-02-0612 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 10 – Is North Korean culture only a means of propaganda?North Koreans have pop-culture? You can’t be serious! Many Westerners see culture of the DPRK as a kitschy throwback to the Stalinist era and a mere tool of Pyongyang’s crazy propaganda. Is there more to North Korean culture than that? In today’s episode I will be talking about how culture and art are used in North Korea; what cultural developments has the country undergone in that last thirty years and what it looks like today. So if you are curious how Harry Potter and Mickey Mouse are spending their time in Pyongyang, tune in.2021-01-3119 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 9 – Why is corruption both a blessing and a curse for North Korea?While internationally corruption is always seen as a major problem that most governments and societies are desperately trying to combat, in North Korea it has become somewhat of a blessing in disguise. Why is that so? How has it become the foundation of North Korean capitalism and state-society interactions? What will its consequences be for the country in the long run? If you are curious, tune in!2021-01-3012 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 8 – Why is Korean reunification almost impossible?Korean reunification is officially proclaimed to be a major policy goal both in the North and the South. However, the country has remained divided for more than 70 years. Why? Do both parties really want to reunify? What do their neighbors think? In this episode I will be talking about Korean reunification and why it is going to be almost impossible to achieve.2021-01-2417 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 7 – What is it like to be gay in North Korea?Today we will be looking into a question that is not so often raised in discussions about North Korea – but it is, nonetheless, extremely important and interesting. What is it like – being gay in North Korea? While there is not much that we hear about the LGBTQ community in the DPRK, it does not mean that these people do not exist. In fact, their life can be very-very miserable, which is why discussing this question in the public field is so important. In this episode, I will briefly explain why being queer in North Korea is very hard (you can prob...2021-01-2308 minAsk me about North KoreaWhat do Republicans, DPRK, Multilateralism, and Nuclear Weapons have anything to do with each other?In this episode Prof. Dmitry Ivanovich Pobedash and I are talking about how the U.S. domestic politics can have a broader impact on not only all things North Korean, but the international security system and broad issues of denuclearization around the world. Prof. Dmitry Pobedash is an Associate Professor at the Ural Federal University in Yekaterinburg, Russia, where he teaches English and History of Russian-American Relations. Prof. Pobedash authored over 50 articles and monograph chapters on international relations that were published in Russian, English, and Ukrainian. He taught at universities in Serbia, Thailand, the Czech Republic, and in the USA.2021-01-1729 minAsk me about North KoreaBlitz Episode 1 — North Korean Elections, Internet, and Dog ExecutionsIn the blitz episodes, I combine different smaller questions that do not require as much elaboration as some broad topics that I normally discuss – like nuclear weapons or economic development. Today I am talking about why the DPRK conducts elections, what kind of Internet access North Koreans have, and whether Kim Jong-un really executed his uncle by sending a pack of angry Manchurian hounds to tear him apart. For the full transcript and references visit the website – www.askmeaboutdprk.wordpress.com2021-01-1610 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 6 – What is the meaning of the 8th Party Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea?At the beginning of 2021, Pyongyang went on with its plans to conduct the 8th Party Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The event has attracted a lot of attention from the international media as Kim Jong-un has buffed up his aggressive rhetoric against the United States. So, what is up with that Congress anyway? I am talking about it in this episode, briefly summarizing its outcomes. Brace yourself – you are about to discover the favorite game of Pyongyangologists called ‘Who is sitting next to Kim Jong-un in a Party Congress?’ For the full transcript and referenc...2021-01-1212 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 5 — Why does North Korea need nukes and why will it not give up on them?Let me guess what is one of the first things that come up to your mind when you hear about North Korea. Nuclear weapons, right? In this episode we will be looking at one of the most important reasons why North Korea ends up in the news so often – its nuclear weapons program. Why does North Korea need nuclear weapons? Why are people so concerned about it? Is North Korea really ready to denuclearize? Here I provide very short and clear responses to these questions. For the full transcript and references visit the website - https://askmeaboutdprk.wordpress.com2021-01-1020 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 4 — Why is North Korea not a communist country?Even today a lot of people and media outlets still believe that North Korea is some sort of communist haven of Stalinist dystopia. While it is a very authoritarian country, North Korea is definitely not communist as it has radically transformed in the 1990s and 2000s. In this episode, I explain how and why the country and its society changed so dramatically. For the full transcript and references visit the website - https://askmeaboutdprk.wordpress.com2021-01-0922 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 3 — Why is North Korea so poor?North Korea, unlike its Southern neighbor, is not particularly well-known for occupying first lines in various life quality indexes or demonstrating rapid paces of economic development. According to different estimates, the South is 30 to 50 times richer than the North. How come is that two parts of what used to be one country less than a century ago are now so different? Why is North Korea so poor and how did it come to that? I will talk about that in today’s episode. For the full transcript and references visit the website - https://askmeaboutdprk.wordpress.com2021-01-0315 minAsk me about North KoreaEpisode 2 — Does North Korea really have no COVID-19 cases?As of January 2021, North Korea maintains that it has not suffered from a single case of the COVID-19 – a claim that was met with a lot of skepticism from the international community. Is it really true? In this episode I will be talking about how Pyongyang dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic and whether we can trust what the DPRK says. For the full transcript and references visit the website - https://askmeaboutdprk.wordpress.com2021-01-0208 min
Ask me about North KoreaEpisode 1 — Why will 2021 likely cause another crisis on the Korean Peninsula?In this episode I talk about why 2021 will likely become another year that will bring North Korea back to the headlines of the international media. I explain why North Korea might choose to manufacture another crisis and why this is connected with the new president of the United States. For the full transcript and references visit the website - https://askmeaboutdprk.wordpress.com2021-01-0110 min