Studying North Korea’s academic journals can provide valuable insights into the country’s thoughts about its own trajectory—what ideas are being explored, tested and supported. They may also shed light on debate among scientists and academics regarding the pros and cons of various policies and science and technology (S&T) initiatives. Unfortunately, many of these journals are published only in Korean and can be difficult to obtain outside of the country.
As part of ongoing research on North Korea’s S&T pursuits, 38 North’s Nonresident Fellow Stephen Mercado has created backgrounders for each of the 41 related journals characterizing what topics they cover and who publishes them. These profiles are based on digital copies of the journals accessed via Tokyo-based DPR Korea Media (Korean Press Media or KPM).
A running list of these backgrounders is available here on our Resources page.