“Citizens with North Korean backgrounds”? What gives?
On Feb. 21, Korea's Presidential Committee for National Cohesion established a special commission on "trends among citizens with a North Korean background" to develop...
Some thoughts on Kim Jong Un’s outdated “20×10 regional development policy”
Kim Jong Un recently admitted that his country's regional economy is in a "pitiful state." He confessed that "our party and state are facing...
N. Korea’s bizarre propaganda slogan: “Love the future”
There was a time when it was possible to take pictures of North Korea by crossing the Yalu and Tumen rivers. After the border...
Reflections on Jimmy Carter’s attempts to bring peace to the Korean Peninsula
This is the year of the "Blue Dragon." What are your wishes for the New Year? I wish for the peaceful reunification of Korea,...
A trip to the North Korean embassy in Mongolia
I traveled again to Mongolia on a work trip, a fortnight after my previous visit in the second week of June. Despite returning here...
Exploring Mongolia for traces of North Korean laborers
A week ago, I went on a trip to Mongolia. The country was more vibrant than ever, as if the pandemic was already well...
We should be outraged
A deplorable deed. Outrage that grips me no matter how much I wail. The agony of having my guts ripped out and my bones...
Observing changes in North Korea’s slogans from across the border
In early November, I went to a Unification Observatory in Ganghwa (Ganghwa Peace Observatory) and one in Gimpo (Aegibong Observatory). At a single glance,...
Checking up on North Korean workers stranded in Russia
In late September, I traveled to Vladivostok for around ten days to check how the lives of North Korean workers in the country have...
Unification minister should focus on North Korean human rights
In 2019, North Korea released a collection of short stories called “Blessed Future.” The book features 17 short stories, all of which praise Kim...
