Rollerblading through Kim Il Sung Square – Ep. 258

North Korea News Podcast

At the turn of the century, the markets were betting big on North Korea. The last holdout of the Cold War seemed to be on its last legs, and South Korea secured its first-ever summit in Pyongyang. Businessman Charles Thirlwall was part of the explosion of interest, representing a French company that probed business operations in the DPRK and visiting Pyongyang across a series of trips in the late 1990s and early 2000s. This week, Thirwall joins the NK News podcast to discuss his experiences in a capital that he says was far more laid back about foreigners than today and why his firm in particular never got much going in the country. He also talks about life in Pyongyang during the Arduous March famine, what it was like working in a textile factory, swimming across the DPRK-China border and rollerblading through Kim Il Sung Square. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot (@JaccoZed) exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.