Secret State of North Korea

FRONTLINE shines a light on the hidden world of the North Korean people, revealing how ordinary citizens are resisting one of the world’s most oppressive regimes.

Topics

Support Provided By Learn more

Features

Could there be a North Korean “Spring”?

January 14, 2014

What was Kim Jong-un Like as a Boy?

January 14, 2014

Five Ways North Koreans Are Defying the Regime

January 13, 2014

Featured Documentaries

Related

SKOREA-NKOREA-CHINA-ASEAN-SANCTIONS

What It's Like To Defect From North Korea

“I was very scared, but I thought it's better to die than live like an insect,” a North Korean defector, "Lee," told FRONTLINE.

August 1, 2019

00003515pc01-clean_v2

Who Planned the Assassination of Kim Jong-un’s Half Brother?

The murder of Kim Jong-nam shocked the world. As his assailants go on trial, FRONTLINE explores whether his half brother -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un -- ordered the hit.

October 2, 2017

kids looking at screen

Was the Sony Cyberattack North Korea's Strike Back at Western Media?

North Korea's government considers Western films a threat because they undercut Kim Jong-un's efforts to limit his citizens' exposure to the outside world.

December 2, 2014

wastrel

UN: North Korea Commits "Unspeakable Atrocities"

The North Korean government uses torture, abuse and other crimes to crush dissent and maintain control of its people.

February 17, 2014

kim

Inside Kim Jong-un's Military Shake-Up
What happened to top North Korean officials before and after a leadership purge. January 16, 2014

defiant woman

Is There Hope for Resistance in North Korea? Live Chat 1pm ET Wed. 1/15

Join a live chat on “Secret State of North Korea” with producer James Jones, North Korea expert Sue Mi Terry from Columbia University, and guest questioner Aaron Schachter from PRI's The World. You can leave a question now.

January 14, 2014

military

Could there be a North Korean “Spring”?
Outside information is forcing the Hermit Kingdom to open up. What will happen next? January 14, 2014

<a href=Sue Mi Terry" />

Sue Mi Terry: North Korea Is a "Mystery" Under Kim Jong-un

Intelligence officials know even less about North Korea's new ruler than they did about his enigmatic father, says a former analyst for the CIA.

January 14, 2014

Victor Cha

Victor Cha: Why Kim Jong-un Faces the "Dictator's Dilemma"

North Korea must open up to survive, but doing so risks the collapse of the regime, says the former Director for Asian Affairs at the National Security Council.

January 14, 2014

Jeong Kwang-il, defector

Using "Skyfall" to Fight Back Against Kim Jong-un

Jeong Kwang-il, a former political prisoner in North Korea, now smuggles Western entertainment back into the country he fled.

January 14, 2014

young kim

What was Kim Jong-un Like as a Boy?
Rare interviews with those who knew the young leader before he came to power. January 14, 2014

NK-gameshow

Five Ways North Koreans Are Defying the Regime
Some resist from outside, and others from within. They say it’s worth the risk. January 13, 2014

STREAM NOW

Germany's Enemy Within

July 30, 2024 // 53m FRONTLINE investigates the rise of far-right extremism in Germany and the fight against it.
Get Our Newsletter
Follow Frontline

FRONTLINE Journalism Fund

Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation

Koo and Patricia Yuen

Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Additional funding is provided by the Abrams Foundation; Park Foundation; the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; and the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund with major support from Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation, and additional support from Koo and Patricia Yuen.

FRONTLINE is a registered trademark of WGBH Educational Foundation. Web Site Copyright ©1995-2024 WGBH Educational Foundation. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.

FRONTLINE Newsletter

We Answer To No One But You

You'll receive access to exclusive information and early alerts about our documentaries and investigations.