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Chad O'Carroll

@chadocl.bsky.social

Founder of NK News/NK Pro and Korea Risk Group. From London, based in Seoul. Drum and bass music aficionado.

2,727 Followers  |  139 Following  |  2,528 Posts  |  Joined: 22.08.2023  |  1.6914

Latest posts by chadocl.bsky.social on Bluesky

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South Korea’s Vietnam strategy risks backlash without stronger accountability South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary To Lam adopted a joint statement in Seoul on Monday, pledging to deepen their comprehensive strategic partnership. But the summit’s real value rests on whether both governments can convert the meeting’s symbolism to manage potential friction in the relationship. Both governments continue to frame […] The post South Korea’s Vietnam strategy risks backlash without stronger accountability appeared first on Korea Pro.
11.08.2025 10:18 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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Mobile payments surpass cash in popularity in North Korean capital: Report Digital mobile payments are surpassing cash in popularity in Pyongyang thanks to greater acceptance among merchants and new support infrastructure, a pro-North Korea newspaper has reported, a development that one expert said could point to greater state control over the money supply. According to the Choson Sinbo based in Japan, it has become “difficult” to […]
11.08.2025 09:16 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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North Korea slams ‘provocative’ US-ROK summer drills, warning of ‘counteraction’ North Korea slammed the U.S. and South Korea as “military warmongers” over plans to carry out large-scale summertime drills this month, threatening counteraction if the annual exercises overstep “the boundary line.” In a press statement released by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Monday, DPRK defense minister No Kwang Chol said the upcoming […]
11.08.2025 08:28 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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Role of US forces in ROK must evolve beyond focus on North Korea, commander says The top U.S. military commander in South Korea has stressed that American troops’ role on the Korean Peninsula will have to evolve beyond their focus on “nuclear-armed adversary” North Korea, the latest sign that Washington may shift its approach to prioritize China and other regional threats. During a wide-ranging press briefing on Friday, U.S. Forces […]
11.08.2025 08:15 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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Belarus leader denies he initially knew of North Korean troop dispatch to Russia Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has denied that he initially knew about North Korea’s troop deployment to Russia, nine months after dismissing reports of the DPRK’s role in the Ukraine war as “rubbish” and accusing the West and Kyiv of “seizing on” the issue to get NATO to fight against Moscow. Speaking to a TIME journalist, […]
11.08.2025 08:11 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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North Korea begins dismantling border loudspeakers, days after the South North Korea has begun dismantling some of its propaganda loudspeakers near the inter-Korean border, according to Seoul, days after South Korea’s recent removal of its own loudspeakers used in psychological warfare.  “On the morning of Saturday, Aug. 9, signs were detected that North Korea had started dismantling loudspeakers in some forward areas,” Joint Chiefs of […]
11.08.2025 07:05 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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How North Korea’s anti-leaflet law plays up threats of biological warfare South Korea’s new President Lee Jae-myung has targeted activist leafleting into North Korea since taking office, seeking to curb the activity on the grounds that it aggravates inter-Korean tensions and endangers border residents. But this crackdown is only the latest chapter in a long-running controversy over leafletting, one that has also seen the DPRK embrace […] The post How North Korea’s anti-leaflet law plays up threats of biological warfare appeared first on NK PRO.
11.08.2025 06:47 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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South Korea extends review of Google’s mapping data export amid US trade tension South Korea announced on Friday that it will delay a decision on Google’s request to export the country’s high-precision national base map, extending the review period by 60 days. Google first applied on Feb. 18 to transfer the detailed mapping data abroad, but in May the government’s overseas data transfer panel granted a first extension, […] The post South Korea extends review of Google’s mapping data export amid US trade tension appeared first on Korea Pro.
10.08.2025 23:08 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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North Korea expanded loudspeaker system as South finishes dismantling its own North Korea has recently increased its loudspeaker setup along the inter-Korean border, although no propaganda broadcasts have been aired, South Korea’s defense ministry confirmed to NK News, in contrast to Seoul’s efforts to reduce tensions by halting broadcasts and removing its own systems.  In response to a media report claiming the North had increased its […]
08.08.2025 08:27 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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South Korean public backs tariff deal, but support could be ephemeral A Realmeter survey conducted days after the July 31 U.S.-ROK tariff deal shows that nearly two-thirds of South Koreans support the agreement, reflecting the Lee Jae-myung administration’s success in presenting the outcome as a national win.  However, the favorable sentiment masks deeper structural risks, including vague and unenforceable terms, asymmetrical power dynamics and the potential […] The post South Korean public backs tariff deal, but support could be ephemeral appeared first on Korea Pro.
08.08.2025 08:24 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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Several mysterious planes touch down in Pyongyang, one confirmed Russian A Russian air force passenger jet briefly touched down in the North Korean capital on Friday, according to aviation data, after two cargo plane-sized aircraft of unknown foreign origin appeared at the Pyongyang airport on Thursday. The flights come amid ongoing secretive DPRK-Russia cooperation over the war against Ukraine, and after the two sides belatedly […] The post Several mysterious planes touch down in Pyongyang, one confirmed Russian appeared first on NK PRO.
08.08.2025 07:41 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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North Korea deploys AI-powered Python malware to target crypto and tech workers North Korean state-sponsored cybercriminals have harnessed artificial intelligence (AI) tools to develop an upgraded Python malware variant targeting technology, finance and cryptocurrency industry workers through elaborate fake job interview schemes, according to a new cybersecurity report. In a blog post published on Wednesday by cloud-based malware analysis service ANY.RUN, threat intelligence analyst Mauro Eldritch assessed […] The post North Korea deploys AI-powered Python malware to target crypto and tech workers appeared first on NK PRO.
08.08.2025 07:20 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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Russian firm tees off new tour to North Korea’s only 18-hole golf course A Russian tour firm is offering travelers the chance to play a round of golf at North Korea’s only 18-hole course — a secluded lakeside venue steeped in myth and usually reserved for elites, diplomats and occasional tourists. The $1,360 tour, set to run from Sept. 10-15, includes golfing at the Pyongyang Golf Course as […]
08.08.2025 06:39 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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North Korea marks space law anniversary with vow to train more space law experts This Friday marks the third anniversary of the DRPK’s amendment to its Space Development Law. State media published an interview with a Kim Il Sung University department dean who pledged to educate more space law experts “to more thoroughly defend the nation’s legitimate rights.” However, the specific changes made in 2022 remain unclear, as neither […] The post North Korea marks space law anniversary with vow to train more space law experts appeared first on NK PRO.
08.08.2025 05:23 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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Pyongyang may reopen talks if Washington accepts nuke reality: Ex-US official North Korea may be signaling a willingness to reopen talks with the United States — but only if Washington recognizes it as a permanent nuclear weapons state — according to former U.S. Deputy to the U.S. Representative to the United Nations Ned Price, who cited recent remarks from Kim Yo Jong as a notable shift […]
08.08.2025 05:00 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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Seoul cracks down on firms as inflation risks rise and UFS drills shift — Ep. 92 In this episode of The Korea Pro Podcast, Jeongmin and John dive into President Lee Jae-myung’s escalating confrontation with major firms after a series of deadly workplace accidents, with POSCO and SPC under fresh scrutiny. They examine what the government’s shift toward aggressive administrative penalties means for business. The hosts also break down why inflation […] The post Seoul cracks down on firms as inflation risks rise and UFS drills shift — Ep. 92 appeared first on Korea Pro.
08.08.2025 04:07 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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Digital memory project rewrites Korean War remembrance on forgotten battlefield A quiet stretch of hills and river crossings near Paju has become the site of a new kind of Korean War memorial: one that blends physical markers with digital infrastructure. On July 25, just ahead of Armistice Day, the British Korean War Memorial Committee (BKWMC), a volunteer-led group of Britons living in Korea, launched the […] The post Digital memory project rewrites Korean War remembrance on forgotten battlefield appeared first on Korea Pro.
08.08.2025 03:22 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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South Korea’s fragile rebound leans on chips and temporary consumption aid South Korea’s state-run economic think tank on Thursday flagged persistent weakness in construction investment and a potential slowdown in exports, even as consumption indicators showed modest improvement. In its August economic trends report, the Korea Development Institute (KDI) noted that production growth remains sluggish, largely due to a sustained slump in the construction sector, but […] The post South Korea’s fragile rebound leans on chips and temporary consumption aid appeared first on Korea Pro.
07.08.2025 23:06 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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South Korea’s new era of corporate punishment begins with POSCO crackdown South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s push to impose sweeping sanctions on POSCO E&C, one of the country’s largest companies, after a series of fatal workplace accidents signals a new era of corporate liability and an unmistakable message to corporate executives that failing to guarantee worker safety may now carry significant legal and commercial risks. The […] The post South Korea’s new era of corporate punishment begins with POSCO crackdown appeared first on Korea Pro.
07.08.2025 10:01 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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Tornado Cash founder convicted over crypto tool tied to North Korean hackers A U.S. court convicted the co-founder of a cryptocurrency mixer linked to North Korean cybercriminals for conspiring to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business on Wednesday, but failed to reach a verdict on charges of money laundering and sanctions evasion. In a press release, the Justice Department announced that the U.S. District Court for the Southern […]
07.08.2025 08:45 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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ROK-US to postpone some joint exercises amid heat and inter-Korean tensions South Korea and the United States will conduct their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) drill from Aug. 18 to 28, but will postpone about half of the planned field training exercises (FTXs) until September due to “extreme heat,” officials announced Thursday, amid questions over whether North Korean statements also influenced the adjustment. The 11-day exercise […]
07.08.2025 07:57 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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Maeng Hyo-shim: A North Korean family’s escape against all odds On this week’s episode, Maeng Hyo-shim, a young woman who fled North Korea in 2018, joins the podcast to share her experiences of state discrimination, systemic neglect and a violent attack against her disabled mother which led her family to escape the DPRK. Born in Hyesan in 2001, Maeng shares her memories of life growing […]
07.08.2025 05:48 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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North Korea replaces factory with cargo truck lot as China border trade expands North Korea and China have appeared to expand trade at the Hyesan-Changbai border crossing in the remote northeast, according to NK Pro analysis of satellite imagery showing a DPRK factory has been torn down and replaced with a new cargo truck processing lot.  Planet Labs imagery reveals that the Hyesan Textile Factory was demolished from […] The post North Korea replaces factory with cargo truck lot as China border trade expands appeared first on NK PRO.
07.08.2025 04:23 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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North Korean man crosses into South in second defection of the summer A North Korean man swam across the maritime border near South Korea’s Gyodong Island late last month, marking the second apparent defection under President Lee Jae-myung’s administration, according to Seoul’s defense ministry on Thursday. Seoul’s Ministry of National Defense told NK News it identified a North Korean individual around the neutral zone of the Han […]
07.08.2025 04:09 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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Russian entries to North Korea hit 14-year high as Moscow withholds DPRK data More Russians entered North Korea in the second quarter of 2025 than in any three-month period since 2011, according to official data, even as Russian authorities abruptly stopped disclosing the number of North Koreans entering Russia for the first time in 15 years. The second quarter saw 2,772 Russians entering North Korea, the highest quarterly […]
07.08.2025 03:47 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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South Korea names 41 businesses for failing gender equity compliance mandates South Korea’s Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) on Wednesday published the names of 41 companies that failed to comply with government-set gender diversity requirements aimed at improving the representation of women in hiring and managerial roles. The companies, which include public and private firms with 500 or more regular employees, were found to have […] The post South Korea names 41 businesses for failing gender equity compliance mandates appeared first on Korea Pro.
06.08.2025 23:08 — 👍 1    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0
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Legacy of Hiroshima: Why support for North Korean ‘pipokja’ remains out of reach On Aug. 6, 1945, the U.S. bomber Enola Gay dropped the first-ever atomic bomb on Hiroshima, instantly killing tens of thousands of people. Three days later, the U.S. dropped a second bomb on Nagasaki. The two aerial bombings — the only instances of nuclear weapons being used in an armed conflict — led to between […]
06.08.2025 09:17 — 👍 0    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0
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Moscow–Pyongyang flight hailed as milestone, but empty seats raise doubts While Russia and North Korea lauded the first direct flight between their capitals in decades as a symbol of growing ties late last month, conflicting coverage by Russian state media — some touting sold-out tickets and others revealing empty seats — has raised questions about who is really flying the route and why.    On July […]
06.08.2025 08:59 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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Ask A North Korean: What is the function of the state run daily Rodong Sinmun? “Ask a North Korean” is an NK News series featuring interviews with and columns by North Korean defectors, most of whom left the DPRK within the last few years. Readers may submit their questions for defectors by emailing ask@nknews.org and including their first name and city of residence. Today’s question asks about North Korea’s state-run […]
06.08.2025 08:42 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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North Korea clamps down as Chinese visitors misuse business visas: Sources Chinese nationals are sidestepping North Korea’s ban on most foreign tourism by applying for business delegation visas under false pretenses, informed sources told NK News, leading Pyongyang to tighten screening and slow approvals for legitimate visitors.  Amid North Korea’s ongoing ban on non-Russian tourists, Chinese nationals are resorting to misrepresenting their intentions in order to […]
06.08.2025 08:42 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

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