North Korea International Documentation Project

The North Korea International Documentation Project (NKIDP) has obtained and published documents on the history of North Korea from archives in the former Soviet Union, China, (East) Germany, Romania, Albania, Mongolia, Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, the United States, and South Korea.^[3]

NKIDP believes that the efforts of contemporary scholars and policymakers are too often hampered by a distinct lack of knowledge about the North Korean leadership and political system.^[4] With no history of diplomatic relations with Pyongyang and severely limited access to the country’s elite, it is difficult for Western policymakers, journalists, and academics to understand the forces and intentions behind North Korea's enigmatic actions.^[4]

In cooperation with the University of North Korean Studies (Seoul) and an international network of researchers, the NKIDP provides access to both original and translated archival documents on the DPRK, publishes an NKIDP Working Paper series, regularly contributes to the Cold War International History Project (CWIHP) Bulletin series, and holds frequent conferences and workshops at the Wilson Center^[5] as well as throughout East Asia.

The NKIDP is supported by the Korea Foundation and other donors.

• Official website
• NKIDP's Modern Korean History Portal
• NKIDP's Inter-Korean Relations Database
• "北, 중국 믿지 않아"<美전문가> – Article features on Yonhap news highlighting the NKIDP coordinator James Person
• “80년대말 南인사, 동독거쳐 비밀訪北” 확인 – Article on Donga Daily featuring NKIDP documents obtained from E. Germany's STASI archive