July 2, 2019, by Victor Cha and Joseph Bermudez—
As the first sitting president in U.S. history to step into North Korea, Donald Trump’s action could be seen as a significant representation of the U.S. intention eventually to conclude a peace treaty... As the first sitting president in U.S. history to step into North Korea, Donald Trump’s…
June 20, 2019, by Joseph Bermudez and Victor Cha—
Satellite imagery of the No. 112 Factory (sometimes identified as the January 12th Factory) located in Kusong, North Pyongan suggests that North Korea is constructing a monument memorializing its first successful Hwasong-12 intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) launch on May 14, 2017.
July 18, 2019, by Joseph Bermudez—
Acquired almost two years after the image provided in Yongbyon Declassified Part III (February 11, 1966), this December 10, 1967 image of the Yongbyon Nuclear Research Center is one of the first acquired by the improved reconnaissance KH-4B. Among other improvements, the resolution of the newer KH-4B was 1.8 meters versus 2.7 meters of the earlier KH-4A allowing for considerably better image quality.
June 20, 2019, by Joseph Bermudez—
Acquired seven months after the image provided in Yongbyon Declassified Part II (August 23, 1965) this 2.7-meter resolution image covers the Yongbyon area on February 11, 1966. While the general area remains primarily engaged in agricultural activity typical of rural North Korea during the 1960s, significant construction activity is observed at the nascent Yongbyon Nuclear Research Center and adjacent village of Sang-dong.
May 29, 2019, by Robert King—
Kim Jong-un has inserted himself squarely into the U.S. presidential campaign. Ambassador Robert R. King discusses the implications of the recent article by the Korean Central News Agency criticizing former vice president Joe Biden. .. Kim Jong-un has inserted himself squarely into the U.S. presidential campaign with the publication of…
May 15, 2019, by Robert King—
Ambassador Robert R. King discusses the importance of continuing efforts to increase access to outside information for the North Korean people and the Kim Jong-un’s regime efforts to limit access to foreign news, information and culture... North Korea has the abysmal “distinction” of ranking absolutely last of the 180 countries ranked…
May 9, 2019, by Joseph Bermudez and Victor Cha—
Located 150 kilometers north of the DMZ, North Korea's Yusang-ni missile operating base is one of the more recently constructed Strategic Force missile operating bases. There has been almost no open source information about this base until this study.
April 30, 2019—
This Living History features an interview with Ambassador Kathleen Stephens who served as the United States Ambassador to the Republic of Korea from 2008 to 2011. In the second of this two-part interview series with Ambassador Stephens, she reflects on some key agreements and diplomatic achievements made between the U.S. and South Korea during her tenure as the top diplomat in Seoul.
April 30, 2019, by Robert King—
Ambassador Robert R. King discusses the implications of the recent article by the Washington Post that reported that the North Korean government insisted U.S. officials to sign a pledge to pay a $2 million medical bill treatment of Otto Warmbier... Anna Fifield from the Washington Post reported on April 25 that the North Korean government insisted U.S. officials…
April 18, 2019, by Joseph Bermudez and Victor Cha—
April 15 railcar movement observed in Airbus satellite imagery at North Korea's Yongbyon facility provides no further understanding concerning the presence of these specialized railcars other that their probable use for the movement of radioactive material.
