Author Archive
The Plot Thickens: Documenting the DPRK-Xiyang Spat
North Korean media strikes back at a Chinese company, and the PRC state media wades into the fray. Adam Cathcart tries to translate us out of the quagmire.
Expedient Sell-Off or Prosperous Fundament? Scott Bruce on North Korea’s Mineral Economy
Scott Bruce, at The Diplomat, investigates the connection between North Korean economic reform and the country’s deep and possibly transformative mineral reserves.
Empty Beat: On the Relative Worth of North Korean Revolutionary Music Ensembles
The Moranbong Band’s meteoric ascent in North Korea has eclipsed ensembles associated with Kim Jong-il and cultural diplomacy with China. Analysis by Adam Cathcart.
The Importance of Confucian Values to Kim Jong Il’s System: Nicolas Levi on North Korean Ideology
Nicholas Levi, in a recent presentation in Seoul, makes the case that North Korea can be at least partially seen as the modern revival of the Choson Confucianism in terms of ideological phenomenon.
Reading North Korean “Reform” in Shenyang: Reportage
What does the Chinese-North Korean relationship look like from the industrial hub of Shenyang? SinoNK’s correspondent tenders conclusions.