North Korea has been extremely repressive for a very long time. But over the last several years, the crackdowns have gotten worse. New reporting from The Economist shows how the regime is clamping down on South Korean cultural influences, strengthening its border to prevent escape, and sharply curtailing what were already limited free markets. My interview guest, Patrick Foulis, calls this the “North Koreafication of North Korea,” and it comes after a period of relative easing.
Patrick Foulis is the foreign editor of The Economist. We kick off by discussing the various ways in which these crackdowns are happening before having a longer conversation about why Kim Jong Un’s North Korea is tightening repression — much of which has to do with its changing relationships with Russia, China, and even the United States.
The conversation is well timed because we discuss at length President Trump’s ever-changing relationship with Kim Jong Un, whom he may meet in the coming days.
This episode is freely available wherever you get your podcasts, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts. And as always, you can support my work with your paid subscription.
