The 13 Best North Korea Podcasts (2026)

NK News runs one of the most respected English-language outlets covering the DPRK, and their weekly podcast is the audio extension of that reporting muscle. Host Jacco Zwetsloot brings on a rotating cast of analysts, former diplomats, journalists with Pyongyang datelines, and researchers who spend their careers parsing satellite imagery and state media broadcasts. Episodes typically run 45 to 55 minutes and split between two formats: roundtable discussions where NK News staffers break down the week’s developments, and longer one-on-one interviews that go deep on a single topic like cryptocurrency laundering operations, diplomatic back-channels, or the latest missile test implications.

With over 300 episodes and a 4.8-star rating from 215 reviewers, the show has built a loyal following among Korea watchers, policy students, and anyone who wants reporting that goes beyond the sensational headlines. Jacco keeps conversations grounded and specific. He pushes back when guests generalize, and he is not afraid to flag when information is uncertain or sourced from defector testimony that may be unreliable. The show does sit behind a partial paywall -- you get clips for free, but full episodes require an NK News subscription. That model frustrates some listeners, but it also means the journalism stays funded and the guest quality stays high. If you want to actually understand what is happening inside the most opaque country on Earth rather than just skim headlines about it, this is the podcast that working analysts listen to on their Monday commute.

Victor Cha literally wrote the book called The Impossible State about North Korea, and he now hosts the CSIS podcast of the same name. Cha served on the National Security Council under George W. Bush and was once the U.S. pick for ambassador to South Korea, so his Rolodex is stacked with people who have sat across the table from North Korean negotiators. Episodes run about 35 to 48 minutes and bring in former intelligence officials, State Department veterans, South Korean policy experts, and academics who have spent decades tracking the Kim regime.

The format is straightforward -- Cha frames the topic, introduces his guest, and then has a focused conversation. There is no dramatic music or storytelling gimmicks. This is a policy discussion, and it wears that identity proudly. The show works best when it tackles specific questions: what does North Korea’s latest missile technology actually mean for deterrence, how does the China-DPRK relationship shift when Beijing has its own economic pressures, or what leverage does Washington actually have left after decades of failed negotiations. With 150 episodes and a 4.5-star rating across 89 reviews, it has been running consistently since 2018. Some listeners flag an occasional Washington-centric tilt in perspective, which is fair -- this is a Beltway think tank production. But if you want the perspective of people who have actually shaped North Korea policy rather than just commented on it, this is hard to beat.

This BBC World Service production started as a deep investigation into North Korea’s state-sponsored hacking operations and became one of the most gripping podcast series about the DPRK ever made. Hosted by cybercrime journalist Geoff White and veteran Korea correspondent Jean Lee, the first two seasons trace the Lazarus Group -- Pyongyang’s elite hacking unit -- from the Sony Pictures attack through the Bangladesh Bank heist attempt to the biggest cryptocurrency theft in history. The show later expanded under the umbrella title Cyber Hack, with a third season covering Russian cybercrime, but the North Korea seasons are what earned its reputation.

The storytelling is cinematic. BBC sound design wraps around interviews with former FBI agents, cryptocurrency investigators, and sources who were inside the rooms when these attacks unfolded. Each episode runs 30 to 68 minutes across about 35 total episodes, and the pacing is tight enough that you might find yourself sitting in a parked car to finish one. The central argument -- that North Korea has turned hacking into a revenue stream worth billions, funding its nuclear program with stolen crypto -- is laid out with the kind of evidence that actually changed how governments approach DPRK sanctions. The show holds a 4.7-star rating from nearly 1,600 reviewers. It is a completely different angle on North Korea than the usual geopolitical analysis, and it will permanently change how you think about the regime’s survival strategy.

Jed Lea-Henry has built something unusual here -- a long-form academic interview show that manages to be genuinely engaging rather than stuffy. Over 123 episodes, he has sat down with scholars, journalists, and professionals who specialize in both North and South Korea, and the conversations consistently go places you would not expect. One episode covers North Korean literature and what fiction reveals about the regime’s internal contradictions. Another digs into the Cold War history of the Korean peninsula through recently declassified documents. A third explores what Chinese-North Korean trade networks actually look like at the ground level.

The format is a straight interview, usually lasting 45 minutes to an hour, and Jed does his homework. He reads his guests’ books, references their published papers, and asks follow-up questions that show genuine preparation. The show earned a 4.3-star rating from listeners who tend to be Korea studies students, expats living in Seoul, and policy researchers. It ran actively from 2018 to 2022, so the back catalog is the real treasure here -- those episodes on inter-Korean relations, the North Korean economy, and regional security dynamics remain relevant because the underlying dynamics have not changed much. Think of it as a graduate seminar you can listen to on a jog, hosted by someone who genuinely loves the subject and knows how to draw out his guests.

Zoe Stephens has visited North Korea multiple times, and her podcast is built on a simple premise: talk to other people who have actually been there. Over 46 episodes, she brings on tour guides, filmmakers, UN workers, and repeat visitors who describe what daily interactions in the DPRK actually look and feel like -- the food, the hotels, the conversations with minders, the moments that surprised them. The show deliberately positions itself away from sensationalist coverage, trying to present North Korea as a real place inhabited by real people rather than just a geopolitical abstraction.

This approach makes it genuinely interesting and also somewhat controversial. Reviews are split between listeners who appreciate hearing ground-level perspectives that mainstream media rarely captures, and critics who argue that tourism-focused content risks normalizing a regime with documented human rights abuses. Zoe addresses this tension directly in several episodes, which shows intellectual honesty even if you disagree with her framing. Episodes run varying lengths and come out weekly. The show launched in 2022 and has a 3.9-star rating from 18 reviewers. The best episodes feature guests who can speak to specific, granular details -- what the Pyongyang Film Festival is actually like, how communication works when you are being supervised, what the train ride across the Chinese border feels like. It fills a niche that no other North Korea podcast covers.

Hosts Sug and Dan bring a warmth and even humor to a subject that most shows treat with unrelenting seriousness. The Demystified Zone is produced by Crossing Borders, a nonprofit that works with North Korean refugees in China and South Korea, so the hosts have direct connections to people who have actually escaped the regime. That proximity gives the podcast a human dimension that policy-focused shows often lack.

Episodes run anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes and cover a wide range. You will find deep analysis of how the bribery system works inside North Korea, what the defection process actually involves step by step, how North Korean cinema functions as propaganda, and what sanctions mean for ordinary citizens. They also do Hot Tea segments covering current events and documentary reviews where they break down films about the DPRK. The tone is conversational -- Sug and Dan clearly enjoy each other’s company, and they balance heavier topics with lighter moments without being disrespectful. With 49 episodes and a perfect 5.0-star rating from 11 reviewers, it is a small but dedicated community. The show updates biweekly. What sets it apart is the connection to defector stories through the Crossing Borders organization, which means guests sometimes include people who lived through what other podcasts only analyze from the outside.

This limited series from iHeartPodcasts tells the story of Kim Jong-nam, the eldest son of Kim Jong-il who was passed over for succession in favor of his younger half-brother Kim Jong-un -- and who was ultimately assassinated with a nerve agent in a Malaysian airport in 2017. Host Eden Lee traces the arc from palace privilege to exile to murder across 10 tightly produced episodes, each running 29 to 49 minutes.

The storytelling leans into the thriller aspects of the story, and honestly, it does not need to embellish much. The real events read like a spy novel: a prince raised in luxury who fell from favor after getting caught trying to visit Disneyland Tokyo on a fake passport, years of wandering between Macau casinos and European cities, and a hit carried out by two women who claimed they thought they were participating in a prank show. Eden Lee keeps the narrative moving while weaving in the broader context of how succession politics work inside the Kim dynasty. The show has a 4.8-star rating from 175 reviewers, and multiple listeners flag the research quality as a standout. It works both as a true crime story and as a window into how the North Korean ruling family actually operates behind the propaganda. Once you start, you will probably finish the whole series in a weekend.

Young Pioneer Tours made its name as one of the few companies organizing group trips into North Korea, and their podcast extends that adventurous, slightly irreverent brand into audio. Host Justin Martell and the YPT crew talk about their experiences leading tours to Pyongyang and beyond, alongside episodes covering other hard-to-reach destinations like Somaliland, Transnistria, and Papua New Guinea. With 25 episodes across 4 seasons, it is a compact listen.

The North Korea content is what makes this show unique in the podcast space. These are people who have been on the ground in the DPRK dozens of times, eaten in the restaurants, attended the Mass Games, visited the DMZ from the northern side, and navigated the elaborate minder system. Their observations are granular and specific -- the kind of details you simply cannot get from analysts working with satellite photos. Episodes feature interviews with journalists, fellow travelers, and people connected to the Pyongyang Film Festival. The show has a perfect 5.0-star rating from 8 reviewers, and the production quality is solid for a small independent outfit. The obvious caveat is that a tour company has commercial incentives around how it frames North Korea tourism, and the show does not always grapple with that tension. But for pure on-the-ground color about what it is actually like to visit the most isolated country in the world, nothing else comes close.

Narrated by actor Paul McGann (yes, the Eighth Doctor), Real Dictators is a production-heavy history podcast that dedicates multi-episode arcs to individual authoritarian leaders. The Kim dynasty episodes are the reason this show earns a spot on a North Korea list -- the series traces the rise of Kim Il-sung, the consolidation of power under Kim Jong-il, and the mechanisms that keep the regime functioning across generations. Each arc typically runs 3 to 10 episodes, drawing on eyewitness testimony and expert historian commentary.

The production values are noticeably higher than your average history podcast. Sound design, music, and McGann’s theatrical narration give it almost audiobook quality. With 156 episodes total, a 4.7-star rating from over 5,000 reviewers, and arcs covering everyone from Stalin to Bokassa to Castro, the show has serious range. The North Korea episodes specifically benefit from the format because the Kim dynasty story genuinely lends itself to dramatic storytelling -- the guerrilla mythology, the personality cult construction, the palace intrigue. Some purists may prefer a drier academic approach, and fair enough. But if you want to understand the founding myths and power structures of the DPRK told in a way that keeps you hooked, this is remarkably effective. Just know this is a broader dictators show, not exclusively North Korea focused.

Produced in cooperation with the East Asian Studies Center at The Ohio State University, Korea and the World takes a broad academic approach to both Koreas. Over 87 episodes running from 2014 to 2021, the show interviewed professors, professionals, and intellectuals living and working in South Korea on political, economic, and societal issues. The North Korea content sits alongside episodes about K-Pop fandom, South Korean demographics, and regional economic trends.

What makes this show valuable for North Korea listeners specifically is the academic rigor applied to DPRK topics. Episodes covering technology and cell phones inside North Korea, China’s role on the peninsula, and the economic realities of sanctions draw on published research rather than speculation. Each interview runs about 45 minutes to just over an hour -- long enough to get into substance, short enough to finish during a workout, as one reviewer noted. The show earned a 4.3-star rating from 15 reviewers who consistently praise the thoughtful questioning and diverse guest selection. It stopped publishing new episodes in 2021, so treat the catalog as a historical archive rather than a current events source. The back episodes on inter-Korean economic relations and Chinese influence remain some of the most substantive podcast conversations you will find on these subjects.

Ildar Daminov built this podcast around a simple and effective concept: take the most common questions people have about North Korea and answer them in short, focused episodes. Across 57 episodes and 3 seasons, the show tackled everything from how the military hierarchy works to what the COVID response looked like to how international trade operates under sanctions. Episodes range from quick 4-minute explainers to longer 36-minute deep conversations with guest experts and tour organizers.

The brevity is the selling point. Where other North Korea podcasts give you hour-long policy discussions, Ask Me About North Korea gives you a focused answer to a specific question and then stops. That makes it a great entry point for someone just starting to learn about the DPRK -- you can pick episodes based on what you are curious about rather than working through a chronological narrative. The show earned a 4.2-star rating from 38 reviewers who generally praise the research quality and accessible tone. It wrapped up in September 2021, so the information reflects that era rather than current developments. Some reviewers pushed back on source transparency, wanting more explicit citations. Fair criticism, but for a free podcast that efficiently breaks down complex topics about one of the hardest countries to report on, it delivers real value. Good for building baseline knowledge before moving to heavier shows.

Hosts Eugene and Paul created this podcast to give a platform to stories of family separation, and while the scope extends beyond Korea to include immigration, deportation, and displacement worldwide, the Korean War family separation episodes form the emotional core of the show. Over 53 episodes running from 2020 to 2023, they interviewed advocates, scholars, and people with lived experience of being torn apart from relatives by borders and conflicts.

The Korean-specific episodes hit especially hard. Families divided by the Korean War and the subsequent hardening of the border have spent over 70 years unable to see each other, and many of the older generation are dying without reunion. The show handles these stories with care, giving guests space to talk at length rather than rushing through emotional material. It also covers adjacent topics like North Korean refugees in South Korea, DACA family separations, and residential school trauma, creating a broader framework for understanding how political decisions fracture families. The show carries a perfect 5.0-star rating from 46 reviewers, which speaks to how much the audience connects with the content. Episodes are interview-based and run at a comfortable length. The show stopped updating in September 2023, but the stories it captured are timeless in the worst way -- these separations remain unresolved.

Six leftist U.S. military veterans -- Henri, Keagan, Jovanni, Shiloh, Monisha, and others -- host this biweekly podcast examining American foreign policy and military presence around the world. The show is not exclusively about North Korea, but the Korean Peninsula episodes benefit from an unusual perspective: these are people who served in the military that maintains tens of thousands of troops in South Korea, and they are now critically examining that presence.

With 179 episodes and a 4.8-star rating from 98 reviewers, FOH has built a substantial audience among listeners interested in anti-imperialist analysis of U.S. foreign policy. The Korea-relevant episodes explore the history of the U.S. military presence on the peninsula, the politics of joint military exercises with South Korea, and how the DPRK views American force posture from the other side. The hosts bring a mix of personal military experience and considerable reading, citing academic sources and declassified documents alongside their own observations from service. Episodes feature guest interviews as well as host-led discussions. The show carries a disclaimer that views are personal and do not represent the Department of Defense, which tells you something about how frank the conversations get. It fills a gap for listeners who want to understand the North Korea situation through the lens of American military policy critique rather than standard foreign policy establishment analysis.