Editor’s note: NK Pro will go live the moment the Oct. 10 parade broadcast begins, providing real-time commentary and analysis. Register here for access. North Korea is expected to stage a large-scale nighttime military parade late Friday to mark the 80th anniversary of the ruling party’s foundation, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) has assessed. […]

In this episode of The Korea Pro Podcast, Jeongmin, John and Joon Ha examine how global policy shifts are closing South Korea’s room for neutrality. They begin with China’s Orders 61 and 62, sweeping export-control measures that extend Beijing’s authority to overseas manufacturers and leave South Korean firms trapped between competing U.S. and Chinese trade […] The post China’s rare earth curb, Japan’s new leader and Europe’s steel tariffs — Ep. 101 appeared first on Korea Pro.

North Korea held its first mass games propaganda performance in five years on Thursday, where leader Kim Jong Un delivered a speech to promote the benefits of totalitarianism for hundreds of foreign visitors, including China’s premier and the leaders of Vietnam and Russia’s ruling parties. According to state media on Friday, Kim told foreign guests […]

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met China’s premier and the heads of Russia’s and Vietnam’s ruling parties on Thursday, amid large-scale celebrations for the Workers Party of Korea’s 80th anniversary in Pyongyang. At a mass games performance kicking off festivities, Kim enthusiastically greeted Chinese Premier Li Qiang, United Russia Chairperson Dmitry Medvedev and Communist […]

South Korea’s government said Thursday it has restored nearly one-quarter of the 709 digital systems crippled by last month’s lithium-battery fire at the National Information Resources Service (NIRS) data center in Daejeon. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said engineers have completed data recovery for the center’s integrated operations management platform, known as nTOPS, […] The post South Korea restores one-quarter of systems after government data-hub fire appeared first on Korea Pro.

This is a developing news story. Please check back for updates. Fireworks could be heard in the North Korean capital on Thursday night amid expectations for an imminent military parade, sources in Pyongyang told NK News. The sources said loud sounds began around 6 p.m. local time, likely as part of celebrations marking the 80th […]

Editor’s note: NK Pro will go live the moment the Oct. 10 parade broadcast begins, providing real-time commentary and analysis. Register here for access. North Korea appears set to hold a large-scale parade to mark the 80th founding anniversary of the ruling party on Friday, serving up a spectacle of military might in front of […] The post What to expect from North Korea’s imminent Oct. 10 military parade appeared first on NK PRO.

China’s latest export control orders have eliminated South Korea’s room for neutrality between competing legal systems. The country’s Ministry of Commerce issued Orders 61 and 62 on Thursday, imposing export licenses on foreign re-exports of products containing Chinese rare earth materials and on all related technologies, extending Beijing’s authority to overseas manufacturers and technical data. […] The post China’s rare earth controls collide with US tariffs, stranding South Korea appeared first on Korea Pro.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived in North Korea on Thursday to join 80th anniversary celebrations of the DPRK’s ruling party, which are expected to include a large-scale military parade through the capital. In a two-sentence report, China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency stated that Li is visiting North Korea at the invitation of the Workers’ Party […]

The U.N. aviation watchdog has condemned North Korea and Russia for “recurring” GPS jamming incidents endangering civilian air traffic on the Korean Peninsula and in Europe. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Assembly backed its Council’s June decision that Pyongyang and Moscow’s interference with the Global Navigation Satellite System constitutes “infractions of the 1944 Convention […]

This week, Chandana Seshadri joins the podcast to discuss her RUSI Journal article, “How DPRK IT Workers Exploit Identity Management Vulnerabilities,” which documents how North Korean workers slip through remote-hiring systems to earn hard currency and open doors for bigger cyber operations.  The researcher highlights the case of Christina Chapman — a U.S. citizen who […]

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delivered a speech on the importance of government officials obeying his orders and avoiding corruption during a visit to the Party Founding Museum in Pyongyang on Thursday, according to state media, vowing to “transform” the country within the next 10 years. The visit comes as North Korea is preparing […]

In the music video for their first single, the five members of the K-pop boy band 1VERSE show off their dance moves in a grassy field to a soundtrack of slick synth-pop, riffing on the title “Multiverse” while singing about how every version of a person is worthy of love. But while the new group […]

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev arrived in North Korea for party foundation festivities early Thursday morning, heading a large delegation including the Kursk governor, prominent party leaders and pop singer Shaman. Medvedev, who also leads the ruling United Russia party and serves as deputy chairman of the National Security Council, is expected to attend a […]

“Ask a North Korean” is an NK News series featuring interviews with and columns by North Korean defectors, most of whom left the DPRK within the last few years. Readers may submit their questions for defectors by emailing [email protected] and including their first name and city of residence. Today’s question asks about what it was […]

The European Commission on Wednesday proposed new permanent measures to protect its steel industry from global overcapacity, replacing the safeguard system due to expire in June 2026. The plan limits duty-free steel import quotas to 18.3 million tons a year — a 47% cut from 2024 levels — and doubles out-of-quota tariffs to 50%. It […] The post Europe joins Trump in steel tariff surge, raising new risks for South Korea appeared first on Korea Pro.

For the fourth time in five years, North Korea has opened a major defense expo showcasing the country’s latest weapons innovations, offering a cornucopia of details about the accelerating rate of military developments. The “Military Hardware Exhibition Defence Development-2025” follows similar events in 2021, 2023 and 2024, and their frequency is largely in lockstep with […] The post Why North Korea’s stunning arms exhibition may not be all its cracked up to be appeared first on NK PRO.

North Korean cybercriminals have stolen over $2 billion in cryptocurrency so far this year, dwarfing their previous largest annual haul with three months still to go, according to a British blockchain analysis firm. Fueled by the record-breaking theft of $1.46 billion from Dubai-based cryptocurrency exchange Bybit in February, DPRK threat groups have more than tripled […]

South Korean military capabilities aimed at countering North Korea can also contribute to deterring China, a high-ranking Pentagon official has told Congress, recommending that U.S. defense strategy focus on Beijing. The statement by U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for East Asia John Noh, who is nominated to serve as assistant secretary for Indo-Pacific security […]

South Korea’s rapid rise as a global arms exporter is colliding with Europe’s protectionist turn and strategic mistrust and questions over its stance on Ukraine, exposing the political limits of a success built on speed and price rather than trust. After two years of extraordinary expansion fueled by the war in Ukraine, Seoul is discovering […] The post South Korea’s arms export boom faces hard political limits in Europe appeared first on Korea Pro.

Join us for a livestream of the official broadcast, with real-time commentary from NK PRO specialists and invited experts. Think of it like watching a major sporting event — but instead of play-by-pla...

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held talks with his Laotian counterpart Thongloun Sisoulith in Pyongyang on Tuesday, according to DPRK state media, where the two promised to keep “boosting mutual cooperation.” The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Wednesday that Kim interpreted Thongloun’s visit, his first as president, as “an expression of the full […]

South Korea will head to the men’s FIFA World Cup for an Asian-record 12th time next year, but while they contend for soccer glory, North Korean players will have to follow the world’s most-watched sporting event from home after an abject qualifying campaign. With its elimination from contention for the fourth consecutive World Cup, the […]

South Korea’s finance ministry said Monday that consumer inflation remained stable near the Bank of Korea’s 2% target in September, as food price pressures eased following the Chuseok holiday. The consumer price index rose 2.1% from a year earlier, unchanged from August, while prices for agricultural, livestock and fisheries products increased 1.9%, down sharply from […] The post South Korea says inflation stable amid scrutiny of Lee’s cash voucher plan appeared first on Korea Pro.

NK News’ Senior Analytic Correspondent Colin Zwirko unpacks the key developments ahead of North Korea’s Oct. 10 military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea. He begins by discussing Pyongyang’s latest weapons exhibition, where state media previewed an unmanned surface vehicle — a type of naval drone — and explains that […]