Jan 6th, 2010 · Barbara Demick's book Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea opens with a nighttime satellite image of northeast Asia that shows North Korea, which has little electricity, cloaked in darkness. She says the image conveys much about the way North Korea is perceived.
Jan 6th, 2010 · This week, Anne Tyler's new novel explores one man's rudderless existence, and Elizabeth Gilbert offers an older and wiser follow-up to Eat Pray Love. Also, a narrative of life in North Korea, and in Summertime, J.M. Coetzee offers a fictional biography of the author ... J.M. Coetzee.
Jan 1st, 2010 · Pessimists say the events of the past year in North Korea and Iran have seriously undermined international efforts to stem the spread of nuclear weapons. But seen through the prism of history, the state of nuclear proliferation may not be all that dire.
Dec 9th, 2009 · For the first time in more than a year, a senior U.S. diplomat is in North Korea. Special envoy Stephen Bosworth is trying to revive stalled nuclear talks with the isolated regime in Pyongyang. But there is no firm indication Pyongyang is ready to return to six-party talks.
Dec 7th, 2009 · Three Swedish entrepreneurs produced designer jeans in North Korea. The black jeans are available online. They were also supposed to be sold at a store in Stockholm, which later said it didn't want any part of the politics. The jeans also are not on shelves in North Korea, where jeans are forbidden.
Nov 26th, 2009 · Fear turns out be a very good thing for certain businesses. When North Korea or Iran mentions the word "nuclear," orders pour in to NukePills.com — a Web site that sells potassium iodide. The government also stockpiles this FDA-approved drug.
Nov 19th, 2009 · President Obama wraps up his trip to Asia with a stop in South Korea, where leader Lee Myung-bak joked that Obama had saved the best for last. The two men discussed a range of issues, including free trade and the ever-present nuclear threat from North Korea.
Nov 15th, 2009 · President Obama is in Shanghai Sunday on his first visit to China. The formal agenda includes trade relations, security issues, human rights and climate change. He's hoping to win China's help in efforts to stop nuclear programs in North Korea and Iran. The huge trade imbalance between the two countries is also likely to be a topic. Host Liane Hansen talks with NPR's Louisa Lim.