Bolton Book and NK Blow UP

Commentary
In this episode, Sue Mi Terry and Victor Cha discuss the DPRK's attack on the Inter-Korean Liaison Office, as well as revelations in John Bolton's book about President Trump's negotiations with North Korea. .. On July 16, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed an indictment charging Sue Mi…

Kim Zeroes in on Fertilizer Production: The Latest Activity at the Hungnam Liquid Nutrient Fertilizer Factory

Economics
, by and The latest undertaking at the Hungnam Fertilizer Complex, one of North Korea’s oldest and largest chemical complexes, is the construction of a small “liquid nutrient fertilizer factory.” The construction and future operation of this new liquid nutrient fertilizer factory is a further manifestation of the continuing efforts under Kim Jong-un to increase agricultural production by expanding and diversifying domestic fertilizer production capabilities.

Pyongsan Uranium Concentrate Plant (Nam-chon Chemical Complex)

Nuclear Weapons
, by and The Pyongsan Uranium Concentrate Plant (38.318369 N, 126.432360 E) is located in Pyongsan-gun (평산군, Pyongsan County), Hwangbuk-do (황북, North Hwanghae Province), approximately 45 kilometers from the DMZ and 96 kilometers northwest of Seoul—the capital of South Korea. Since approximately 1990 it has occupied an critical role in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (North Korea) nuclear research and weapons programs as the sole known provider of uranium oxide (yellowcake) to these programs for fuel fabrication or enrichment.

Bonus Episode: Living History with Ambassador Robert King

Commentary
This bonus episode comes from CSIS’s Beyond Parallel Living History video series. We invite Robert King, former special envoy for North Korea human rights issues, to share his experience leading efforts to advance human rights and humanitarian conditions in North Korea. Ambassador King served as special envoy for North Korea human rights issues at the U.S. Department of State from 2009 – 2017.

Living History with Ambassador Robert R. King: My Trip to North Korea

Foreign Affairs, Human Rights
In this episode, Ambassador King shares how he became the first (and only) U.S. Special Envoy for North Korean human rights issues under the Obama administration. He recalls how he used his unique position to coordinate efforts with U.S. and foreign government agencies, as well as with non-governmental organizations, to advance North Korea’s human rights. In this interview, Ambassador King also recounts his experiences going to North Korea to intercede in U.S.-North Korean affairs and shares one of his most memorable experiences as special envoy.

Kim Jong-un Re-emerges

Commentary, Foreign Affairs
, by After having gone missing for twenty days, Kim Jong-un reappeared on May 1, 2020 at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at a new fertilizer production facility in Sunchon. What fueled much speculation about Kim’s ill-health, and rumors of his death, for the past three weeks was the fact that he has missed several important public events, including his grandfather’s birthday commemoration on April 15th, which was highly unusual and unprecedented for Kim.

Kim Jong Un Alive and so is North Korea’s Missile Program

Commentary
In this episode, Victor Cha and Joseph Bermudez discuss the reappearance of Kim Jong Un and the breaking news surrounding satellite images CSIS released this week of a previously undisclosed North Korean missile facility... In this episode, Victor Cha and Joseph Bermudez discuss the reappearance of Kim Jong Un…

Making Solid Tracks: North Korea-China Railroad Crossing at Manpo-Jian

Infrastructure & Energy
Photo credit: Matt Acevedo's Flickr photo stream. Railroad Near Krome at Sunrise. https://www.flickr.com/photos/130441601@N08/16428347166/in/photostream/
, by and Widely considered as a midterm referendum on President Moon, the April electoral victory will breathe new life into his administration’s heretofore stalled diplomatic efforts with North Korea, a key pillar of which is inter-Korean railway cooperation. In the context of South Korea's renewed efforts in inter-Korean railway cooperation, Beyond Parallel reviews the railway connections of the Korean peninsula.