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Korean Studies

Primary Sources: Online

  • North Korea International Documentation Project ( NKIDP) 
    Developed by Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Disseminates newly declassified documents on the DPRK from its former communist allies as well as other resources that provide valuable insight into the actions and nature of the North Korean state.
  • Conversations with Kim Il Sung
    This collection of primary source documents assembles a record of Kim Il Sung's conversations with foreign allies and other outsiders from 1949 through 1986, providing insights into DPRK foreign policy and domestic politics from North Korea's highest leader. (Image, NARA, RG 242, SA 2006, Item 6/38.)
  • China-North Korea Relations
    This collection of documents probes the relationship between China and North Korea from the 1940s through the 1980s. While often described as being "as close as lips to teeth," this collection highlights instances of both cooperation and mistrust between China and North Korea.
  • North Korean Public Diplomacy
    Throughout the 1970s, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) waged an intensive diplomatic campaign to attract new supporters abroad, including in the United States, and participate in the international community. Pyongyang launched public diplomacy campaigns in approximately fifty countries and funded some 200 “friendship” organizations abroad. Through “people-to-people diplomacy,” North Korea hoped to improve its standing in the international community and foster support for its positions in the United Nations General Assembly.  (Image: A delegation of the American-Korean Friendship and Information Center visits the Chollima Cultural Center in Pyongyang with Kang Ryang-uk.)
     

  • North Korean Nuclear History
    This is a collection of documents about North Korea's nuclear program. Drawn from the archives of North Korea's former communist allies, the collection highlights that North Korea's nuclear ambitions began as early as the 1950s.

Rodong Sinmun 1945-1999

Rodong (Nodong) Sinmun 1945-1999 (로동신문 or 노동신문), the official newspaper of North Korea, includes the news articles from 1945 through 1999 published by the Central Committee of the Worker’s Party in North Korea.

Provides access to PDF version of individual issues (Duke ID/PW required) 
***Access to and use of Rodong Sinmun is restricted to authorized users who are currently associated with Duke University.

Subjects: Asian Studies