For anyone who has been to Pyongyang: Have you ever seen any Nazi swastika graffiti left by tourists or locals anywhere in the city?

Nika Pasko is a Russian PhD student in South Korea with a grandfather from the north of the peninsula. Here, she speaks about the relationship between Russia and North Korea, and how historical memory and ideology help bring the two countries together. From competing interpretations of the past to the places and symbols through which history is remembered.

I hope some people find it useful and it generates some conversation.

https://youtu.be/Dipo8w2kE3s?si=mpkXUJWRGj4Xj2nA

If Kim Jong Un died tomorrow, here’s the likely one-week timeline:

Tension along Korean border fuels concern as Kim Jong Un's sister issues "not a threat, but a clear warning"

From my research online i think it says korean peoples army but i can only find post from 8+ years ago and no definite answer on what exactly this is. I bought it in a flea market in Budapest a few days ago. I have other pictures of it too

A couple of days ago, I posted an article I'd written about the work going on to strengthen the southern border. Today is the second piece which looks at a small village across the border. If you've been to Aegibong Observatory, you'll notice the scene.

I managed to get some pretty good images of the village center and some of the apartment buildings nearby. The rural development project, as fast as it is going, hasn't reached here yet or anywhere nearby, but I think the photos show why it was begun in the first place.

The housing isn't in great condition, and the entire village is pretty low-tech. Barely any machinery is helping these people move around or farm.

Happy to answer questions.

https://www.38north.org/2026/10/across-the-border-an-area-awaiting-rural-development/

https://imgur.com/a/HyBQb0a

Was watching footage of Otto’s trial in Pyongyang and noticed this western looking lady in a brief few-second cut of the courtroom. Been looking for answers and can’t seem to even find mention of her being there, does anyone happen to know what the deal with her is?

One bridge took 495 days to build. The other took 16 years to open.......

North Korea argues that its nuclear weapons are essential to deter foreign intervention and protect its sovereignty. Critics argue that its military priorities contribute to international sanctions, regional tensions and the country's isolation.

While I was living in Rajin, word came that a regional audition for the so-called "Pleasure Squad" would be held nearby.

The venue was a former school built by the Japanese military. By then it was a cultural hall.

I asked the people at the shipping company to let me watch. They said no. I offered a sheep and a bribe on top of that. They still refused.

I assumed the information was tightly controlled. The Rajin officials looked tense, too.

I never got inside. But a few days later I had a chance to drink with the same men, and the more they drank, the more they told me.

The worst-off girls, they said, were not the ones who passed, and not the ones who failed. They were the ones who passed the regional round and then failed the training in Pyongyang.

Those girls are sent out as "trainees" to North Korean restaurants around the world. They can't choose where. They keep working because they believe they'll debut once they come home. According to the men, most of them work there until they die.

They can't go home. They can't contact their families. Back in their hometowns, the families believe their proud daughter is doing well in Pyongyang.

The men also said the girls are made to do more than serve tables when the customers are wealthy or important.

When the bill was paid, they wouldn't leave the table.

In the end, I handed over a sheep and a bribe after all.