38 North
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38 North is a website devoted to analysis about North Korea. Its name refers to the 38th parallel north which passes through the Korean peninsula and which, until the Korean War, divided North and South Korea. Formerly a program of the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University's Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, it is now housed at the Stimson Center and is managed by former U.S. Department of State official Joel S. Wit and Managing Editor Jenny Town. Notable contributors include nuclear scientist Sigfried Hecker, former Associated Press Pyongyang Bureau Chief Jean H. Lee, cybersecurity expert James Andrew Lewis, and North Korea Tech founder Martyn Williams. Source
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| Scope | International |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Country | United States of America |
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Recent Articles
Search ArticlesCall for Applications: 38 North Emerging Scholars Fellowship Program 2026-2027
38 NORTH EMERGING SCHOLARS FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM 2026-2027 Application Open: April 13, 2025 Application Deadline: May 13, 2026 6:00 pm US Eastern Time 38 North is a program at the Henry L. Stimson Center, a nonpartisan policy and research organization focused on international security issues, based in Washington, DC. For more than 15 years, 38 North has been an authoritative source of policy and technical analysis regarding North Korea’s internal and external affairs.
Over Three Decades of North Korea Policy Divide: South Korea Should Give Bipartisanship a Chance
Foreign Affairs, South Korea This article was written and researched as part of the second cohort of 38 North’s Emerging Scholars Fellowship Program, under the mentorship of senior experts on North Korean affairs. The program and series were made possible through generous support by the Henry Luce Foundation. For more papers in this series, click here. South Korea’s approach toward North Korea has long been marked by a lack of policy coherence and durability.
Sinpho South Shipyard: Unusual Ship Repurposing Effort
Recent commercial satellite imagery indicates an ongoing effort to repurpose a coastal cargo ship at the Sinpho South Shipyard, where submarine construction and conversion activities have been the norm.
A New Rocket Motor Further Muddles North Korea’s Solid-Propellant ICBM Outlook
(Source: Korean Central News Agency) North Korea claims to have ground-tested a “newly upgraded” solid-propellant rocket motor about 20% more powerful than the new motor it revealed in September 2025. The source of the motor’s thrust increase is unclear, as is whether any Russian assistance was involved. Pyongyang associated the new motor with “strategic forces” but not a specific missile system; use as the first stage of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is most likely.
Drones and Operational Shift: North Korea’s Adaptation to a Changing Warfare Environment
This article was written and researched as part of the second cohort of 38 North’s Emerging Scholars Fellowship Program, under the mentorship of senior experts on North Korean affairs. The program and series were made possible through generous support by the Henry Luce Foundation. For more papers in this series, click here. (Source: Korean Central News Agency) The landscape of modern warfare contains only one constant variable: change.
Examining European Engagement With North Korea
(Source: Korean Central News Agency) This article was written and researched as part of the first cohort of 38 North’s Emerging Scholars Fellowship Program, under the mentorship of senior experts on North Korean affairs. The program and series were made possible through generous support by the Henry Luce Foundation. For more papers in this series, click here.
Maternal and Child Health in North Korea: A Strategic Channel for Humanitarian Engagement
This article was written and researched as part of the first cohort of 38 North’s Emerging Scholars Fellowship Program, under the mentorship of senior experts on North Korean affairs. The program and series were made possible through generous support by the Henry Luce Foundation. For more papers in this series, click here.
A Focus On “Cashing Out”: One Way to Combat DPRK’s Crypto Thefts
The sums hacked from crypto platforms by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) are huge: The former UN Panel Experts on DPRK (the Panel) noted in March 2024 that DPRK stole an estimated $3 billion in 58 cyberattacks between 2017 and 2023. Figure 1 suggests that DPRK was responsible for 61% of total crypto stolen worldwide in 2024 ($1.34 billion stolen) and 16% of hacking events (47 incidents).
New Eyes on North Korea: Emerging Scholar Perspectives
38 North’s 2025-2026 cohort of the Emerging Scholars Fellowship Program will discuss findings from their original research. Fellows will cover a range of policy-relevant topics related to North Korea such as alternative pathways to engagement, inter-Korean relations, adaptations to modern warfare, and evolving North Korean leadership and messaging. Moderators Jenny Town Presenters Miriam Ali Se Young Hwang Chan Mo Ku Haruka Chunhyang Satake
North Korea’s Pursuit of Medical Cooperation: Opportunities and Challenges
(Source: Korean Central News Agency) North Korea’s 20×10 Regional Development Policy, announced in January 2024 as state priority, has seen swift and consistent implementation to-date. Although it was originally designed to build local industrial bases across the country, it has evolved to include public services such as healthcare, particularly at the provincial level.