Washington Post: With coronavirus, North Korea’s isolation is a possible buffer but also a worry →

With coronavirus, North Korea’s isolation is a possible buffer but also a worry

By Simon Denyer 

March 4, 2020 at 12:36 a.m. EST

TOKYO — With the coronavirus, it may pay to be an isolated, paranoid loner.

As the epidemic grips China to the north and spreads quickly in South Korea on the other side of the demilitarized zone, North Korea’s separation from the global economy presents a rare advantage.

While the world frets about the coronavirus, North Korea’s nuclear weapons program has moved way down the global agenda. That could work in Kim’s favor, said Jean Lee at the Wilson Center. “The isolation buys him time to focus on his nuclear strategy as he watches political developments in the United States,” she said, before voicing a more hopeful thought.

“I’d like to see Kim accept goodwill offers of humanitarian assistance for the sake of his people,” she said. “That might also open up a window of diplomatic opportunity.”

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BBC: Art of Now North Korea →

One of the largest art studios in the world is to be found in a most unexpected location.
Created in 1959 to produce art that revered the totalitarian regime, North Korea's Mansudae Art Studio now employs over 5000 staff, making it one of the biggest art-production sites in the world.
The studio makes everything from small sketches to monumental statues and murals for public buildings. Its artists are said to be the only ones permitted to portray North Korea's ruling family.

But propaganda is not its only aim: the studio is also driven by profit. In recent years, monuments and sculptures made by Mansudae artists, have popped up in Africa, Southeast Asia and even Germany.

Contributors:
Teresa Song, collector of North Korean art
Jean Lee, Director, Hyundai Motor-Korea Foundation Center for Korean History and Public Policy
Nick Bonner, co-founder Koryo Tours
BG Muhn, Professor of painting at Georgetown University
Song Byeok, artist
Onejoon Che, filmmaker and visual artist, responsible for 'Mansudae Master Class' project.
Hamish MacDonald, Associate Fellow at RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute

Photo Credit: Koryo Tours

Producer: Sarah Shebbeare

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