Opening the first US news bureau in North Korea – NKNews Podcast Ep. 216

North Korea News Podcast

This January marks 10 years since the Associated Press became the first U.S. news agency to establish a bureau in Pyongyang. The opening gave the organization a unique vantage point from which to report on notoriously secretive North Korea, but also raised questions about how operating in the country might influence coverage. As the AP’s Korean Peninsula bureau chief at the time, Jean Lee spearheaded efforts to open the Pyongyang bureau, and this week she joins the podcast to discuss the work that went into it and her numerous reporting trips to North Korea. Along the way, she shares her views on the advantages of having a more regular reporting presence in the country, addresses questions about pulling punches due to security concerns and responds to a report that the AP agreed to distribute DPRK state media articles. Jean H. Lee is an award-winning writer, commentator and expert on North Korea currently serving as co-host of The Lazarus Heist podcast for the BBC World Service and as a senior fellow with the Wilson Center think tank. You can follow her on Twitter @newsjean. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.