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

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.

26.01.2026
 

[Article] Assessing the Impact of the US’ New Foreign Policy Approach on North Korea’s Arms Trafficking Activity

At 38 North, Hans Horan examines the US’ new “America First” foreign policy posture and implications for North Korea.

20.01.2026
 

Join us for a discussion on January 20 with Joel S. Wit, Distinguished Fellow at the Henry L. Stimson Center and former director of 38North.

12.01.2026
 

[Analysis] China's Quiet Retreat From North Korean Denuclearization

By Jinwan Park, a nonresident fellow at the European Centre for North Korean Studies and co-founder of the U.S.-ROK-Japan Trilateral Next-Gen Study...

16.12.2025
 

[Article] Succession at the Crossroads: Scenarios for North Korea’s Future

At 38 North, Hans Horan addresses current debates about leadership succession in North Korea and what we can learn from past examples.

02.12.2025
 

[Article] Recognizing Separation, Creating Peace: Rethinking ROK Constitutional Assumptions

In a 38 North article, Dan Gudgeon writes about the interplay and constraints of building sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula.