Click Here Reading North Korea
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Feb 17, 2026 Jeffrey Lewis, arms control expert who directs the East Asia Nonproliferation Program, walks through digital detective work on North Korea. He discusses analyzing satellite imagery, decoding staged launch videos, and using forensics like shadow analysis. Short, vivid stories show how open-source sleuthing teases apart propaganda from reality.
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Satellite Views Beat State Censorship
- Open-source satellite imagery lets researchers observe closed regimes from above where cameras are controlled.
- Moderate-resolution imagery provides daily global coverage and high-res images let you zoom in once something looks interesting.
Production Quality Masks Technical Failure
- Propaganda videos can be highly produced yet misleading about technical success.
- Visual theatrics (slow motion, music, leader shots) don't guarantee the weapon worked as claimed.
Propaganda Lies Signal Regime Priorities
- Lies in propaganda reveal what a regime wants others to believe and hide.
- Catching those lies shows what matters to the regime and what it's trying to conceal.