Author Archive

The Plot Thickens: Documenting the DPRK-Xiyang Spat

By | September 06, 2012

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

By | August 30, 2012

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

By | August 30, 2012

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

By | August 28, 2012

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

By | August 26, 2012

What does the Chinese-North Korean relationship look like from the industrial hub of Shenyang? SinoNK’s correspondent tenders conclusions.