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

24.06.2026
 

[Journal Article] North Korean Sport Diplomacy in the Olympic Movement Under the Kim Jong-un Regime

In this article, Jung Woo Lee critically examines the Kim Jong-un regime's sport diplomacy at the Olympic Games.

08.06.2026
 

[Interview] Xi bei Kim: So positionieren sich China und Nordkorea gegen den Westen (German)

In an interview with ZDF, Prof. Rüdiger Frank comments on this week's China-DPRK summit between Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang.

13.05.2026
 

[Journal Article] Fateful moments and narrative change during conflict: navigating ontological security for the Korean peace process

In his most recent academic publication, Dr. Dan Gudgeon theorizes on "fateful moments" in inter-Korean relations, demonstrating how narratives...

01.05.2026
 

[Article] Iran War Gives U.S.’s Rivals a Real-Time Look at Its Firepower

James JB Park was interviewed and quoted in WSJ world section, providing opinions with regards to North Korea's missile capabilities.

20.04.2026
 

[Guest Lecture] Humanitarian Aid for North Korea: Past Engagements, Present Challenges

Join us for a guest lecture April 20 with Katharina Zellweger, senior aid programme manager and director of KorAid Limited.

09.04.2026
 

[Call for Papers] SoKEN 2026 Conference at the University of Turku, Finland

Join us for the 9th Annual Conference of the Social Science Korean Studies Network in Europe on April 9 and 10, 2026.