Korea, North

For the first time since the end of the Cold War, North Korea has embraced relations with Russia as a key component of its foreign policy and domestic development. However,…

Relations between Russia and North Korea are growing closer. Pyongyang has been publically supportive of Russia’s war in Ukraine and is reported to have supplied Moscow with millions of artillery…

KEI is pleased to hold a program on Economic Security and U.S.-China Competition: The View From North Korea. One country is conspicuously missing from existing discussions about the dilemmas and…

The recent war in Ukraine, Russia’s overtures towards North Korea, and North Korea’s emergence from the COVID-19 pandemic all signal a sea-change for the DPRK’s place in the international system.…

Financial issues plagued North Korea in 2024 with Kim Jong Un’s singular success, halting the hyperinflation and currency debasement, suddenly coming unraveled in mid-year. After a decade of price and currency stability, the value of the North Korean won suddenly fell by about two-thirds between July and December. By year’s end, 27,000 won was needed…

Introduction China and North Korea have had ties for seventy-five years, forming a bond in Northeast Asia not long after both communist-led states were established in the aftermath of World War II. Although the relationship remains stable to some extent, it has also weathered perennial strains and an enduring mutual distrust. Many analysts say that…

Update on October 23, 2024: Since this article was published, US authorities have also said North Korean soldiers are in Russia. The evidence of a deepening military axis between North Korea and Russia has been mounting in recent days, causing alarm from Kyiv to Seoul. In the latest development, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS)…

North Korea’s won has fallen in half against the US dollar since July for unclear reasons. An internal North Korean document collected by Daily NK blames perverse psychology for the trouble and warns that the won must be protected from further devaluation, suggesting high-level concerns of destabilizing inflation and a potential new banking crisis. The…

Please join KEI for a discussion on North Korea’s potential incorporation of AI into its cyber arsenal.