Martyn Williams
@martynw.bsky.social
North Korea-focused journalist/researcher at www.38North.org and NorthKoreaTech. Senior Fellow, Stimson Center. On air as KJ6SDF. UK to US via Japan.
Here's some video I shot of people working the fields in Rimhan-ri, North Korea, on Sunday afternoon.
September 21, 2025 at 9:06 AM
Here's some video I shot of people working the fields in Rimhan-ri, North Korea, on Sunday afternoon.
Kim Jong Un was second-to-last to be greeted by Xi, one ahead of Putin. Kim and Putin would have been next to each other as they waited in the receiving line. The two took the prime positions either side of Xi and his wife in the group photo shortly after.
September 3, 2025 at 12:44 AM
Kim Jong Un was second-to-last to be greeted by Xi, one ahead of Putin. Kim and Putin would have been next to each other as they waited in the receiving line. The two took the prime positions either side of Xi and his wife in the group photo shortly after.
Just In: Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin appear to share a discussion alongside Xi Jinping as they enter the viewing area for China's Victory Day parade. Kim and Putin were at the head of the group of foreign leaders.
September 3, 2025 at 12:41 AM
Just In: Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin appear to share a discussion alongside Xi Jinping as they enter the viewing area for China's Victory Day parade. Kim and Putin were at the head of the group of foreign leaders.
Just In: Kim Jong Un arrives to attend China's Victory Day commemorations. He was one of a string of foreign dignitaries that arrived Wednesday morning ahead of a military parade.
September 3, 2025 at 12:29 AM
Just In: Kim Jong Un arrives to attend China's Victory Day commemorations. He was one of a string of foreign dignitaries that arrived Wednesday morning ahead of a military parade.
For the first time, North Korean state TV has shown its soldiers battling inside Ukraine. This came the same day it televised a ceremony where Kim Jong Un honored over 100 soldiers who were killed in the fighting.
August 22, 2025 at 2:35 PM
For the first time, North Korean state TV has shown its soldiers battling inside Ukraine. This came the same day it televised a ceremony where Kim Jong Un honored over 100 soldiers who were killed in the fighting.
Kim Jong Un visited his new destroyer (the one that didn't fall over) in Nampho on Monday. Unfortunately, North Korean state media blurred out the good bits. We still haven't seen this ship move away from the dock since it was pushed there by tug shortly after launch in late April.
August 20, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Kim Jong Un visited his new destroyer (the one that didn't fall over) in Nampho on Monday. Unfortunately, North Korean state media blurred out the good bits. We still haven't seen this ship move away from the dock since it was pushed there by tug shortly after launch in late April.
The same panels that had anti-Elon posters are now immortalizing the throwing of sandwiches. I'm presuming a reference to the guy who threw his Subway sandwich at a CBP agent.
August 18, 2025 at 2:44 PM
The same panels that had anti-Elon posters are now immortalizing the throwing of sandwiches. I'm presuming a reference to the guy who threw his Subway sandwich at a CBP agent.
80 years ago today, the BBC Light Programme launched entertainment and music on 200kHz longwave (now used by Radio 4 on 198kHz). It lasted until 1967 when it Radio 1 and Radio 2 began. Here's Radio Times announcing the program and the first day's schedule. (more: genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/page/aa8883a...)
July 29, 2025 at 7:55 PM
80 years ago today, the BBC Light Programme launched entertainment and music on 200kHz longwave (now used by Radio 4 on 198kHz). It lasted until 1967 when it Radio 1 and Radio 2 began. Here's Radio Times announcing the program and the first day's schedule. (more: genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/page/aa8883a...)
Russia's Nordwind inaugurated its new, monthly flight from Moscow to Pyongyang overnight. The Boeing 777-200ER appears to be parked at Pyongyang Sunan Airport and will return on Tuesday, according to the schedule. Japan's Kyodo News has video of the aircraft arrival: www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGxF...
July 28, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Russia's Nordwind inaugurated its new, monthly flight from Moscow to Pyongyang overnight. The Boeing 777-200ER appears to be parked at Pyongyang Sunan Airport and will return on Tuesday, according to the schedule. Japan's Kyodo News has video of the aircraft arrival: www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGxF...
Lots of action on North Korean TV this evening as it repeats the 2024 blockbuster, "72시간" (72 Hours). The movie was released in early 2024 and first shown on KCTV in January. It tells the historically inaccurate tale of how the South started the Korean war.
July 25, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Lots of action on North Korean TV this evening as it repeats the 2024 blockbuster, "72시간" (72 Hours). The movie was released in early 2024 and first shown on KCTV in January. It tells the historically inaccurate tale of how the South started the Korean war.
Reception is a bit scratchy here, but here's King Charles delivering a message to British scientists in the Antarctic over shortwave today on the 70th annual BBC Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast. There are better ways to do this these days, but the tradition continues.
June 21, 2025 at 9:52 PM
Reception is a bit scratchy here, but here's King Charles delivering a message to British scientists in the Antarctic over shortwave today on the 70th annual BBC Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast. There are better ways to do this these days, but the tradition continues.
And there it is. The first photos of the Kang Kon at its (re)launching ceremony at Rajin Shipyard yesterday, and a very chipper looking Kim Jong Un. You can bet that wasn't the look on his face a few weeks ago when it fell into the water in Chongjin. On its face, the turn around has been impressive.
June 12, 2025 at 10:01 PM
And there it is. The first photos of the Kang Kon at its (re)launching ceremony at Rajin Shipyard yesterday, and a very chipper looking Kim Jong Un. You can bet that wasn't the look on his face a few weeks ago when it fell into the water in Chongjin. On its face, the turn around has been impressive.
Maxar has published a photo of the launching ceremony for the North Korean warship. Obviously fewer in the audience than the one we published, so maybe an earlier image. (image: @maxar) www.38north.org/2025/06/quic...
June 12, 2025 at 8:54 PM
Maxar has published a photo of the launching ceremony for the North Korean warship. Obviously fewer in the audience than the one we published, so maybe an earlier image. (image: @maxar) www.38north.org/2025/06/quic...
Exit poll for the South Korean election is in and as expected, Lee Jae-myung is forecast to win with a handy lead over his main opponent, Kim Moon-soo
June 3, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Exit poll for the South Korean election is in and as expected, Lee Jae-myung is forecast to win with a handy lead over his main opponent, Kim Moon-soo
These appeared on boards around a construction site near my office in Washington DC in the last few days. There had been anti-Elon ads here before, but they were mostly torn down. These are still fresh.
May 27, 2025 at 12:22 PM
These appeared on boards around a construction site near my office in Washington DC in the last few days. There had been anti-Elon ads here before, but they were mostly torn down. These are still fresh.
The KCNA news story carries no images, so we'll be awaiting satellite coverage to see the current situation. Kim is not happy though and some people will likely be severely punished.
May 22, 2025 at 2:52 AM
The KCNA news story carries no images, so we'll be awaiting satellite coverage to see the current situation. Kim is not happy though and some people will likely be severely punished.
North Korea launched its newest warship in Chongjin and apparently, it did not go well. With Kim Jong Un looking on, this happened:
May 22, 2025 at 2:52 AM
North Korea launched its newest warship in Chongjin and apparently, it did not go well. With Kim Jong Un looking on, this happened:
North Korea has tested some of the weapons systems on its new destroyer, with Kim Jong Un watching on. The ship is now back at dock and it appears the propulsion system might need more work. www.38north.org/2025/04/quic...
April 30, 2025 at 9:59 AM
North Korea has tested some of the weapons systems on its new destroyer, with Kim Jong Un watching on. The ship is now back at dock and it appears the propulsion system might need more work. www.38north.org/2025/04/quic...
Pyongyang looking very much like Seoul in this image on the front page of the latest DPR Korea magazine. Surely intentional to underline all the new construction in the city in the last few years.
April 9, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Pyongyang looking very much like Seoul in this image on the front page of the latest DPR Korea magazine. Surely intentional to underline all the new construction in the city in the last few years.
Kim Jong Un also looked at new drones including this monster. This appears to be the one described as "a new-type strategic reconnaissance drone with the detective ability capable of tracking and monitoring different strategic targets and enemy troops' activities on the ground and the sea."
March 27, 2025 at 12:51 AM
Kim Jong Un also looked at new drones including this monster. This appears to be the one described as "a new-type strategic reconnaissance drone with the detective ability capable of tracking and monitoring different strategic targets and enemy troops' activities on the ground and the sea."
We finally get close-up photos of the converted IL-76 we published satellite photos of earlier this month. It's been observed moving around Pyongyang airport in the last few days and now we see it at the Unmanned Aeronautical Technology Complex.
March 27, 2025 at 12:51 AM
We finally get close-up photos of the converted IL-76 we published satellite photos of earlier this month. It's been observed moving around Pyongyang airport in the last few days and now we see it at the Unmanned Aeronautical Technology Complex.
Radio Free Asia remains on the air at present, still broadcasting news and information to North Korea, but VOA's Korean service is silenced. Here is RFA signing on moments ago, as heard via a radio in South Korea. It puts a really strong signal into the Korean peninsula on shortwave.
March 18, 2025 at 12:17 PM
Radio Free Asia remains on the air at present, still broadcasting news and information to North Korea, but VOA's Korean service is silenced. Here is RFA signing on moments ago, as heard via a radio in South Korea. It puts a really strong signal into the Korean peninsula on shortwave.
I've been watching content uploaded by Russian tourists to North Korea. Here's the price if Wi-Fi in Pyongyang's Yanggakdo Hotel in September: $1.70 per 10 minutes, so about $10 per hour (and yes, they charge in foreign currency).
February 11, 2025 at 9:52 PM
I've been watching content uploaded by Russian tourists to North Korea. Here's the price if Wi-Fi in Pyongyang's Yanggakdo Hotel in September: $1.70 per 10 minutes, so about $10 per hour (and yes, they charge in foreign currency).
North Korean TV has been showing a bit of its own technical set up when covering new factory openings recently. This recent sequence reveals it appears to be using a $2,200 triple-lens DJI Mavic 3 Pro drone system for the increasingly frequent aerial shots it uses.
February 5, 2025 at 3:31 PM
North Korean TV has been showing a bit of its own technical set up when covering new factory openings recently. This recent sequence reveals it appears to be using a $2,200 triple-lens DJI Mavic 3 Pro drone system for the increasingly frequent aerial shots it uses.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying two Maxar Legion imaging satellites over DC moments ago. Nice to see these launch, we use Maxar images to monitor North Korea.
February 4, 2025 at 11:28 PM
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying two Maxar Legion imaging satellites over DC moments ago. Nice to see these launch, we use Maxar images to monitor North Korea.