38 North

38 North is an online platform that focuses on providing insights and analysis regarding North Korea. Its name is derived from the 38th parallel north, a line that runs through the Korean peninsula and historically separated North and South Korea before the Korean War. Originally part of the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University's Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, the site is now operated by the Stimson Center. It is overseen by Joel S. Wit, a former official from the U.S. Department of State, along with Managing Editor Jenny Town. The platform features contributions from several notable experts, including nuclear scientist Sigfried Hecker, Jean H. Lee, who was the former Associated Press Bureau Chief in Pyongyang, cybersecurity specialist James Andrew Lewis, and Martyn Williams, the founder of North Korea Tech.

International

English

Online/Digital

Outlet metrics

Domain Authority

Ranking

Global

#308668

United States

#206566

News and Media

#6640

Traffic sources

Monthly visitors

Articles

Quick Take: Progress on New Rail Spur at Sohae Satellite Launching Station

1 week ago | 38north.org | Martyn Williams

Commercial satellite imagery of North Korea’s Sohae Satellite Launching Station shows construction of the new railway spur is advancing while nearby, workers chip away at a large hillside near the east tunnel entrance. The railway spur will allow trains, presumably carrying rocket stages, to enter the site and head towards a new assembly building that has been under construction. Soil is being added to the rail bed for support.
Quick Take: Buildings Take Shape at New Chinese Crossing

1 week ago | 38north.org | Martyn Williams

A large construction project, expected to be the centerpiece of a new international trade crossing with China, is beginning to take shape. Commercial satellite imagery shows the footprints of several buildings have appeared at the site, which is at the eastern end of a large, as-yet unused bridge that connects the two countries. The site is expected to be a customs and immigration center to handle freight and passengers crossing the New Yalu River Bridge.
Coal Exports from Rason at Highest Levels in Years

1 week ago | 38north.org | Martyn Williams

Exports of coal from North Korea’s major coal ports are at levels not seen in several years. Commercial satellite imagery shows large amounts of coal at the international port in Rason, centered around one pier operated by Russia’s Rason Transnational Container Transportation JVC (RasonConTrans). However, it is unclear if the coal is of North Korean origin or is being transshipped from Russia.
The 20x10 Initiative Brings Factories at the Cost of Agricultural Land

1 week ago | 38north.org | Martyn Williams |Iliana Ragnone

The regional industry push under the banner of the 20×10 regional development plan seeks to foster sustainable manufacturing by building new light industrial hubs in 20 cities and counties every year for ten years. The plan began in 2024 and that year, installed factories for food, clothing and daily goods in 20 communities across the country. While the project is nationally driven from Pyongyang, it appears the state has not gone for a one-size-fits-all approach.
Quick Take: After the Party

2 weeks ago | 38north.org | Martyn Williams

North Korea’s new naval destroyer was dedicated by Kim Jong Un last week, but it appears more work is necessary before it can truly take to the seas. Commercial satellite imagery shows the ship being nudged back towards the drydock just days after the ceremony. The use of tugboats to move the ship into place and back again could indicate the lack of a functioning propulsion system. Construction on the vessel began in May 2024 and has moved at a fast pace.
Quick Take: Further Demolition at Mt. Kumgang Tourist Area

3 weeks ago | 38north.org | Martyn Williams

The slow demolition of infrastructure at the Mt. Kumgang Tourist Area continues. Commercial satellite imagery shows many of the South Korean-owned buildings have been demolished, with few remaining. On imagery from April 21, demolition of the main club and spa building at the Ananti Golf Resort and Spa (Diamond Mountain Golf Resort and Spa) has been fully razed, but the family reunion center remains standing.
Wonsan-Kalma Beach Resort Progresses Towards Completion

1 month ago | 38north.org | Martyn Williams

Kim Jong Un’s latest deadline to open the Wonsan-Kalma Beach Resort “by May” is just a few weeks away. Commercial satellite imagery indicates construction projects at the resort are rapidly approaching completion. Originally scheduled to open in 2019 but delayed largely due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the new target was set in July last year when Kim conducted a field guidance trip to the resort.
Nampho Port: Newest Naval Combatant Likely Left the Hall

1 month ago | 38north.org | Peter Makowsky |Jack J. Liu |Iliana Ragnone |Martyn Williams

Commercial satellite imagery of Nampho Port indicates North Korea’s newest warship has likely left the construction hall and is positioned inside a floating drydock berthed at the newly refurbished quay. It has been less than a year since the first observable signs of construction were seen at Nampho, the west coast command headquarters for North Korea’s navy and the country’s largest commercial port.
Kim Jong Un is Watching Trump’s Ukraine Diplomacy With Interest

1 month ago | 38north.org | Daniel DePetris

From March 23 to 25, US officials facilitated indirect negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in an attempt to cement a short-term ceasefire in a war that crossed its four-year mark in February. The latest round of shuttle diplomacy occurred two weeks after Washington and Kyiv agreed to a 30-day truce on land, air and sea.
The 20x10 Project Begins: Songchon and Yonthan

1 month ago | 38north.org | Martyn Williams |Iliana Ragnone

Less than a month after North Korean state media conveyed Kim Jong Un’s ambitious 20×10 regional development plan, residents of Yonthan, North Hwanghae province—one of the first construction sites—were visited by then-Premier Kim Tok Hun to survey initial progress. Despite the importance of the plan, the premier’s visit received relatively muted coverage in state media—it was featured on the bottom of the front page Rodong Sinmun and ignored by state television.