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Chad O'Carroll

@chadocl

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

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Posts 22.08.2023
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Latest posts by Chad O'Carroll @chadocl

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UN envoy proposes new system for monitoring North Korean human rights The U.N. special envoy for North Korean human rights has proposed almost 50 indicators to track Pyongyang’s compliance with its human rights commitments, calling for greater efforts to hold the country accountable for violations. In an advance, unedited copy of her report to the U.N. Human Rights Council’s ongoing 61st session, special rapporteur Elizabeth Salmón […]
06.03.2026 10:14 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Russian, North Korean firms building plastics factory in Vladivostok A Russian company has joined forces with a North Korean partner to build a plastics manufacturing plant in Vladivostok, despite U.N. sanctions that prohibit joint ventures with DPRK entities. The Moscow-based Golden Autumn Agroholding is in charge of the factory’s construction in the Far East city, according to the social media account of Vladimir Sokolov, […]
06.03.2026 10:14 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Seoul seeks to build blockchain-based ‘peace trade system’ with North Korea Seoul has announced a new plan to establish a blockchain-based “peace trade system” that would allow North Korea to export minerals under international oversight, despite Pyongyang’s rejection of all inter-Korean dialogue at its recent Ninth Party Congress. The proposal is part of a “Korean Peninsula Peace Package” that the Unification Ministry released on Friday, laying […]
06.03.2026 10:14 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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North Korean doctors illegally working at clinics in Russia and Kyrgyzstan North Korean practitioners of traditional medicine are working at clinics in Russia and Central Asia, an NK News investigation has found, in what appear to be rare examples of the DPRK exporting skilled labor in violation of U.N. sanctions. In one case, a hospital in Moscow openly advertised the services of a DPRK physician, releasing […]
06.03.2026 08:20 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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South Korea’s June elections will test Lee’s governing power nationwide South Korea’s upcoming June local elections will test whether President Lee Jae Myung can convert his political strength into durable governing power across the country’s regional administrations. Voters will choose mayors and governors in all 17 metropolitan and provincial jurisdictions on June 3 in the first nationwide electoral contest since Lee took office. The vote […] The post South Korea’s June elections will test Lee’s governing power nationwide appeared first on Korea Pro.
06.03.2026 07:11 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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North Korean and Russian cyber actors are teaming up. So must allies. Editor’s note: The following article is an opinion piece by Pia Hüsch and Joseph Jarnecki of the Royal United Services Institute, based on their research paper entitled “Strengthening UK–South Korea Cyber Security Cooperation.” Views expressed in opinion articles are exclusively the author’s own and do not represent those of NK News. Emerging evidence of cooperation […]
06.03.2026 06:26 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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North Korea goes into overdrive to promote Party Congress plans the recently concluded Ninth Party Congress this week, depicting the entire country as mobilizing behind the Workers’ Party of Korea to implement its plans. Reports on workers, soldiers and party organizations pledging their support for the congress’ decisions filled the pages of official outlets daily, while leader Kim Jong Un’s inspections of a concrete factory […] The post North Korea goes into overdrive to promote Party Congress plans appeared first on NK PRO.
06.03.2026 06:14 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Iran escalation, Seoul’s response and Google map’s breakthrough — Ep. 122 On this week’s episode, the team unpacks how the sudden escalation in the Middle East is reverberating in Seoul. They break down the U.S. and Israel’s strikes on Iran and the ensuing missile and drone attacks across the Gulf, then turn to the immediate questions for South Korea: energy security, shipping risk and market volatility […] The post Iran escalation, Seoul’s response and Google map’s breakthrough — Ep. 122 appeared first on Korea Pro.
06.03.2026 03:24 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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South Korea weighs fuel price sanctions as Middle East crisis rattles markets President Lee Jae Myung said the government is preparing measures to stabilize financial markets and safeguard energy supply as the U.S.-Israel campaign against Iran heightens global economic uncertainty. Speaking at an extraordinary Cabinet meeting on Thursday, Lee warned that volatility in global markets and disruptions to energy trade could quickly affect South Korea’s economy, which […] The post South Korea weighs fuel price sanctions as Middle East crisis rattles markets appeared first on Korea Pro.
05.03.2026 23:35 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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China’s repatriation of North Koreans may be crimes against humanity: Report China’s forced repatriations of North Korean defectors could amount to crimes against humanity under international law, according to a new report that documented cases of abuse, including forced abortions and physical beatings. In its report released Thursday, the Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB) states that Chinese security officials’ actions targeting a group […]
05.03.2026 10:31 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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US and Russia clash over North Korean nukes at UN forum The United States and Russia clashed over North Korea’s nuclear program at a major international forum this week, with Moscow defending its ally’s nuclear arsenal and demanding the U.N. watchdog stop releasing “speculative” reports on its enrichment activities. The head of the U.S. mission in Vienna condemned the DPRK’s nuclear program as unlawful and called […]
05.03.2026 08:37 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Iran war exposes structural risks in South Korea’s global trade model The U.S.-Israel campaign against Iran has exposed a structural vulnerability in South Korea’s economic model after geopolitical shocks in the Persian Gulf triggered circuit breakers and derivatives sidecars on Korean equity markets this week. The Korea Exchange suspended trading on both the KOSPI and KOSDAQ markets after the benchmark index plunged more than 8% amid […] The post Iran war exposes structural risks in South Korea’s global trade model appeared first on Korea Pro.
05.03.2026 08:25 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Lee Jae Myung dismisses talk of strikes on North Korea like those on Iran South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has dismissed speculation that U.S.-style military strikes similar to Iran could be directed at North Korea, warning that such rhetoric risks destabilizing the Korean Peninsula and urging officials to focus on maintaining peace. Lee made the remarks during a special Cabinet meeting on Thursday focused on the administration’s response […]
05.03.2026 06:43 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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North Korean education officials visit Chinese school furniture factory A North Korean delegation visited a Chinese factory producing classroom desks and chairs, highlighting Pyongyang’s interest in modernizing schools through potential imports of Chinese supplies. A short video posted on Chinese social media platform Douyin on March 3 showed North Korean Ministry of Education officials touring a factory owned by the Hebei Comnenir Furniture Sales […]
05.03.2026 04:49 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Korea stocks halt as KOSPI plunge triggers circuit breakers amid Iran shock South Korean stocks tumbled again on Wednesday, triggering a temporary trading halt after the benchmark KOSPI index fell more than 8% amid escalating concerns over the economic fallout from the Middle East conflict. The Korea Exchange (KRX) activated circuit breakers on both the KOSPI and the tech-heavy KOSDAQ markets, suspending trading for 20 minutes after […] The post Korea stocks halt as KOSPI plunge triggers circuit breakers amid Iran shock appeared first on Korea Pro.
04.03.2026 23:52 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
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Kim Jong Un oversees cruise missile test from new warship ahead of deployment This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw cruise missile launches from the Choe Hyon destroyer on the west coast on Wednesday, according to state media, as part of testing before the warship’s commissioning. He also attended sniper drills the previous day, the Rodong Sinmun reported on Thursday. […]
04.03.2026 22:10 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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North Korea, Russian nukes are ‘primary existential threat’ to US: Pentagon North Korean and Russian nuclear weapons constitute the “primary existential threat” facing the U.S., Undersecretary of Defense Elbridge Colby told lawmakers on Tuesday, defending the Trump administration’s push for Seoul to take the lead in conventional defense planning against Pyongyang. Colby made the remarks during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the 2026 National […]
04.03.2026 08:52 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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North Korea to hold elections for rubber-stamp parliament after two-year delay North Korea will hold elections for its rubber-stamp parliament this month after a nearly two-year delay, in what appears to be rapid preparations for endorsing new plans laid out at the Ninth Party Congress. State media on Wednesday released two decrees from the Standing Committee of the Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA), which set the date […]
04.03.2026 08:52 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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How Kim Yo Jong’s secretive new job helps her brother solidify control The promotion of the North Korean leader’s sister Kim Yo Jong has put her in charge of a highly secretive party organ that plays a central role in overseeing the implementation of state policies, as well as in governing the flow of information to and from the leader. In other words, to get to Kim […]
04.03.2026 08:52 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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UN announces 8 new sanctions exemptions for humanitarian aid to North Korea The U.N. announced eight new sanctions exemptions to support humanitarian assistance bound for North Korea, in the first wave of approvals since the U.S. reversed course on blocking aid last month. On Tuesday, the website of the U.N. Security Council’s 1718 Committee overseeing DPRK sanctions was updated to reflect the new exemptions awarded to multiple […]
04.03.2026 06:01 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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South Korea’s nuclear power revival faces execution capacity limits South Korea’s renewed commitment to nuclear expansion under the 11th Basic Plan for Long-term Electricity Supply and Demand faces binding execution constraints across siting, industrial supply chains, waste management and regulatory oversight. On Jan. 26, Environment Minister Kim Sung-whan reaffirmed that construction of new nuclear power plants would proceed as planned, following policy forums and […] The post South Korea’s nuclear power revival faces execution capacity limits appeared first on Korea Pro.
04.03.2026 04:52 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Why health insurance could be coming to North Korea North Korea appears to be preparing a major shift in how it funds health care, seeking to fix a broken system that has increasingly fallen outside state control. For most of the DPRK’s history, free medical care has been a basic promise of the communist state, with the government paying to build hospitals and provide […] The post Why health insurance could be coming to North Korea appeared first on NK PRO.
04.03.2026 02:58 👍 2 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
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South Korean stocks plunge as Iran shock tests policy guardrails South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI index fell more than 7% on Tuesday as investors reacted to escalating tensions in the Middle East and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil shipping route. International oil prices remained volatile, though gains moderated from earlier spikes, while the dollar strengthened on safe-haven demand. […] The post South Korean stocks plunge as Iran shock tests policy guardrails appeared first on Korea Pro.
03.03.2026 23:10 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Russia asked for North Korean POWs in prisoner exchange, lawmaker says Russia has repeatedly sought the repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war during prisoner exchanges with Ukraine, according to an ROK lawmaker, warning that they are in danger of forced repatriation. Kyiv has confirmed that Russia included the two POWs detained in Ukraine in lists of prisoners to be exchanged, Yu Yong-weon of the conservative […]
03.03.2026 10:04 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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North Korea reveals first-known Kim Jong Un sculpture, boosting personality cult North Korean state TV has revealed a new sculpture depicting Kim Jong Un at a groundbreaking ceremony, in what appears to be the first such artwork of the country’s current leader. “A statue of Chairman Kim Jong Un appeared this time on Korean Central Television (KCTV), and to our knowledge it was the first time […]
03.03.2026 10:04 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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North Korea in February 2026: A month in review and what’s ahead About the Month in Review Every month, NK Pro conducts an in-depth analytic review of news on the Korean Peninsula. This Month in Review covers the period of Feb. 1, 2026 to Feb. 28, 2026. In addition to an executive summary providing top-line findings, the following review includes detailed analysis on a wide range of […] The post North Korea in February 2026: A month in review and what’s ahead appeared first on NK PRO.
03.03.2026 09:52 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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New construction starts at North Korean shipyard, site of failed warship launch Large new construction recently began at North Korea’s Chongjin Shipyard, possibly signaling progress in Pyongyang’s efforts to build another destroyer-type warship at the site after a disastrous failed launch last year, according to NK Pro analysis of satellite imagery. Planet Labs imagery shows digging work started in late January to the south of the outdoor […] The post New construction starts at North Korean shipyard, site of failed warship launch appeared first on NK PRO.
03.03.2026 09:52 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Russian TV touts North Korean troops’ ‘selfless’ sacrifice after US strikes Iran Russian state TV aired footage of half-dressed North Korean soldiers practicing martial arts and glorifying suicide over capture in a segment on Sunday, praising the DPRK as the “only country” that has come to Russia’s aid. The segment ran during a two-hour show that largely focused on U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran, with an expert telling […]
03.03.2026 09:07 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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South Korea faces energy logistics shock from Iran escalation South Korea’s vulnerability in the current Middle East crisis lies in the disruption of Gulf energy logistics, which compresses monetary, fiscal and diplomatic flexibility. Since the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and subsequent retaliation across the Gulf, Seoul has activated daily interagency monitoring, reviewed strategic reserve deployments and assessed maritime routing risks. International oil […] The post South Korea faces energy logistics shock from Iran escalation appeared first on Korea Pro.
03.03.2026 08:55 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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China seizes 100 tons of frogs and scallops, possibly from North Korea A 100-ton shipment of scallops and frogs recently seized by China’s coast guard may have originated from North Korea, according to NK News analysis. The Chinese coast guard said it seized a ship carrying the Yezzo scallops and Dybowski’s frogs on Feb. 21. Twenty-seven suspects were detained and two trucks were seized in connection to […]
03.03.2026 04:22 👍 2 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0