Mission

Located at the University of Vienna, the European Centre for North Korean Studies (ECNK) is a platform for scholars and researchers to pursue multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and comparative research on North Korea. 

We endeavor to help interested colleagues from within and outside Europe to accomplish the following goals:

  • Define and develop North Korean Studies as a field through research and collaboration.
  • Work with current and potential stakeholders.
  • Find, discuss, and improve data, sources, and methods.
  • Further institutionalize the field of North Korean studies. 

The ECNK will support these objectives through the following actions:

  • Hosting individual researchers or research groups who have acquired funding, or intend to do so, and need an institution through which to pursue their research projects on North Korea.
  • Building and supporting a network of researchers from the field of North Korean Studies or among those whose research involves a substantive focus on North Korea through non-resident fellowships and a Ph.D. Network.
  • Connecting European and non-European colleagues by hosting joint events, such as conferences and workshops.
  • Hosting North Korea-related databases.

To learn more about the motivation behind the ECNK and who we are, read our Background statement. You can submit a plan for collaboration at the Join Us page. 


 Most Recent Announcements

15.07.2025
 

[Workshop] ECNK Online Workshop 2025 - Ethical Issues in North Korean Studies

The European Centre for North Korean Studies (ECNK) invites its fellows to participate in the second ECNK Workshop on July 15 and 16, focusing on...

25.04.2025
 

You are cordially invited to the following event on Apil 25, 2025, co-hosted by the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies and the Centre for...

24.04.2025
 

Join the International Institute of Korean Studies at the University of Central Lancashire on April 24, 2025.

22.04.2025
 

[Article] The New North Korea: How Geopolitical Advantages and Growing Middle Class Prosperity Challenge the Next South Korean President

On 38 North, Prof. Rüdiger Frank explores the evolving dynamics of North Korea's geopolitical stance and internal developments, and how these pose...

22.04.2025
 

Join Session 4 of the webinar series on April 22, 2025.

15.04.2025
 

Join us for a guest lecture on May 5, 2025, with Jennifer Deibert, DPRK Program Director at the American Friends Service Commitee.