Martin Weiser

#NorthKorea historian, translator, freelance researcher, creator of #DPRK Legislation Database

[Martin Weiser @NKResearcher]

My writings on #NorthKorea so far on media, elites, parties and reform/changes
https://t.co/w6yy7RI60k
https://t.co/1D5KADA9c6
https://t.co/mKoTcXUbGD
https://t.co/RI27CagWX2
https://t.co/6GAQ2UbFoz
https://t.co/5sQeVa3vuE
https://t.co/Q81lNTjm0I
https://t.co/5O7hcd2Udk

[Sally | 莎莉🍒 @JustCherry__]

🇰🇵 Found an interesting app on a DPRK phone. It’s the official reference app for the DPRK Socialist Constitution

Reading through it. Can confirm that education in the DPRK is indeed free, including university education. Scholarships are also provided.

[Jack Greenberg (그린버그 잭) @jackwgreenberg]

The TRC announced today that it has secured a 2,055 page file from the Nat'l Intelligence Service with the names of 26,330 people who were executed during the Korean War. It was compiled by the KCIA in 1978 based on records from local police stations & other gov't organizations.

[Chris Carothers @ChrisCarothers]

Very disappointed to see that @AramHur's latest paper in @koreaobserver has six completely fabricated citations.

Academic integrity matters, people.

A short 🧵

[Martin Weiser @NKResearcher]

As a scholar of #NorthKorea's political institutions, I might be too strict here, but Kyonghyang's comic artists for Song Du Yul's column keeps getting the #NorthKorean flag wrong. No white stripes, blue stripes way to thick.

[Martin Weiser @NKResearcher]

Their response: Because she'd been vice director of propaganda dept. in the party, it's widely understood by political experts, BBC & other news media, that she'd been promoted to head of propaganda department. [We] called [her] "propaganda minister" for ease of understanding

[Martin Weiser @NKResearcher]

I also have doubts, including about that "the party promoted Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un's powerful sister, to the role of propaganda minister". Reason No. 1: there is no 'propaganda ministry'. No other reasons needed, I assume... @therealjakekwon @solidarity_kr

[Martin Weiser @NKResearcher]

Voting for the national parliament in #NorthKorea is very slow this time. As of 12:00 only 38% had cast their vote, in 2019 already at 72% (regional) and 56% (national elections) by then.

[Martin Weiser @NKResearcher]

Same series apparently on the shelves elsewhere.

[Martin Weiser @NKResearcher]

#NorthKoreans at Pyongyang Foreign Languages University looking at Sue Grafton's novel "L" Is for Lawless and likely many other English novels. Shown yesterday on KCTV evening news. We already knew they use Disney movies for language training.

[Martin Weiser @NKResearcher]

#NorthKorea's constitution has such a clause for elections which can be called earlier, later if required. This time they probably wanted to convene parliament before the important Apr 15 birth anniversary of Kim Il Sung - a time period used for most constitutional changes.

[Martin Weiser @NKResearcher]

#NorthKorea announced on Mar. 3 they will have national elections on Mar. 15. 12 days after announcement, not 60 as required by 2023 election law. I assumed they might have changed the law, but yesterday an official on KCTV stressed elections were held according to 2023 law...

[Martin Weiser @NKResearcher]

Only explanation I have is that SPA Standing Committee issued an interpretation of the law. One known example was defining the exact size of tree that falls under environmental protection clauses. Maybe this time they decided preparations can be shortened if "necessary".

[Martin Weiser @NKResearcher]

#NorthKoreans at Pyongyang Foreign Languages University looking at Sue Grafton's novel "L" Is for Lawless and likely many other English novels. Shown yesterday on KCTV evening news. We already knew they use Disney movies for language training.

[Raphael Rashid @koryodynasty]

북한인권단체: "이 보고서는 엠바고입니다. 3월 5일까지 보도하면 안돼요."

조선일보: "보도할건데..?"

북한인권단체: "하지마세요. 엠바고예요."

조선일보: 그냥 보도함. "단독"으로

클릭수 갑질...

https://t.co/BjckljtNbm

[Martin Weiser @NKResearcher]

That's BBC joining a short list of German not-so-smart journalists claiming the same about a decade ago. Because they don't fathom that there inter-Korean language differences like 부 being used for South Korean ministries and, at the same time, for party departments in the North

[Martin Weiser @NKResearcher]

I also have doubts, including about that "the party promoted Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un's powerful sister, to the role of propaganda minister". Reason No. 1: there is no 'propaganda ministry'. No other reasons needed, I assume... @therealjakekwon @solidarity_kr

[Jake Kwon @therealjakekwon]

My latest:
Kim Ju Ae, the 13 year old daughter of Kim Jong Un was chosen to be North Korea’s next leader according to Seoul. But some experts have doubts.
With @solidarity_kr

https://t.co/42LIxGO0M5

[Martin Weiser @NKResearcher]

When I asked them why they released such a faulty database, they claimed it all came from somewhere else - and did not want to point fingers. Really shows the amount of attention they devote to details & North Korean materials in general.

[Martin Weiser @NKResearcher]

The South Korean government is operating a single public database on #NorthKorean law, https://t.co/QisnCrbIOk. After the intelligence service published the Law on Rejecting Reactionary Culture & Ideology in Oct 2024, it took them until July 2025 to add it to the database.

[Martin Weiser @NKResearcher]

Alleged function to compare older laws not working, claims 2024 versions of laws it does not have. Long words cut up for search & any article mentioning fragments shows up in the result. They did'nt even organize results by law, several articles of same law get scattered all over

[Martin Weiser @NKResearcher]

South Korean government @uni_kr took more than a decade to launch a full text search for North Korean laws. Faulty, insufficient and incomplete, but still much better then offering just hundreds of text files which users have to open and check themselves. https://t.co/Ykxgf2FzQY

[Martin Weiser @NKResearcher]

The South Korean government is operating a single public database on #NorthKorean law, https://t.co/QisnCrbIOk. After the intelligence service published the Law on Rejecting Reactionary Culture & Ideology in Oct 2024, it took them until July 2025 to add it to the database.

[Martin Weiser @NKResearcher]

The South Korean government is operating a single public database on #NorthKorean law, https://t.co/QisnCrbIOk. After the intelligence service published the Law on Rejecting Reactionary Culture & Ideology in Oct 2024, it took them until July 2025 to add it to the database.

[Martin Weiser @NKResearcher]

They even messed up the title and it cannot be found under its full name. They saved it as Law on Rejecting Reactionary Culture Ideology Culture (반동문화사상문화배격법). They cannot get the easiest things right ...