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Is Beijing Bound to Defend North Korea during War?

According to historian Chen Jian, the Sino-DPRK treaty does not obligate China to support North Korea if Pyongyang were to attack the US.
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Kim Il Sung and Zhou Enlai mark the signing of the 1961 Sino-DPRK Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance
Modern Korean History

“We do not want to overthrow him”: Beijing, Moscow, and Kim Il Sung, 1956

North Korean leader Kim Il Sung alongside Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai, 1958

NKIDP Visited by North-South Korean Students

2017 Korea Foundation Junior Scholar Presentations

2017 KF Junior Scholars' Presentation

Apply to the Asia-Pacific Nuclear History Institute

Left, Right, and Rhee

Syngman Rhee (left) greets US General Douglas MacArthur at Kimpo Air Force Base.

Mythbuster: Beijing’s Relationship with Pyongyang

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The North Korea International Documentation Project (NKIDP) serves as an informational clearinghouse on North Korea for both the scholarly and policymaking communities by widely disseminating newly declassified documents on the DPRK from its former communist allies as well as other resources that provide valuable insight into the actions and nature of the North Korean state. It is part of the Wilson Center's History and Public Policy Program. // Read more

Primary Sources on North Korean History

Critical Oral History

Modern Korean History Portal
The Modern Korean History Portal is a learning and a research tool for students, educators, and professional historians interested in the history of the Korean Peninsula
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Database on Inter-Korean Relations
Using fresh and policy-relevant historical data, the Database on Inter-Korean Relations informs and supports current and future efforts to reunify peacefully the Korean Peninsula and achieve reconciliation in post-unification Korea.
Explore the Database

Publication Series

  • Working Papers

    The NKIDP Working Paper Series is designed to provide a speedy outlet for historians who have gained access to newly-available archives and sources and would like to share their results.

  • e-Dossiers

    The NKIDP e-Dossier Series is designed to highlight new and important additions to the NKIDP Digital Archive by pairing key documents with insightful analysis by renowned historians from NKIDP's global network of scholars.

  • Document Readers

    The NKIDP Document Reader Series provides speedy access to samplings of translated documents in the Project's massive collection of declassified materials on the inner-workings and foreign relations of North Korea from the archives of Pyongyang's former communist allies.

  • Critical Oral History Conference Series

    Launched in 2008, the multi-year Critical Oral History Conference (COHC) Series is designed to fill the gaps in the available documentary record and add greater nuance to even well-understood events.

  • Briefing Books

    NKIDP Briefing Books are compilations of documents from U.S., South Korea, North Korean, Chinese, and former communist bloc archives and are assembled for Critical Oral History Conferences.

Experts & Staff

Christian F. Ostermann
Director, History and Public Policy Program; Cold War International History Project; North Korea Documentation Project; Nuclear Proliferation International History Project
Charles Kraus
Program Lead, History and Public Policy Program
Kayla Orta
Program Assistant
Jean H. Lee
Global Fellow
Jin Park
Global Fellow
Soojin Park
Public Policy Fellow
Yoonjeong You
Korea Foundation Junior Scholar
Ui Seon Kang
Korea Foundation Junior Scholar
Heajin Kim
Korea Foundation Junior Scholar