North Korea's war in Europe

The Slow Newscast · 2025-04-22

38:38

North Korean troops are in combat, likely for the first time since the Korean war in the 1950s. Not in Korea, but in Europe. Because last summer Ukraine launched a surprise offensive in Kursk, Russia. Since then, Russia have retaken most of the land taken. To do so, Russia looked towards North Korea.

This is the story of Kursk...and how North Korea came to play a potentially key role in the war.

Reporter: Claudia Williams

Producer: Matt Russell

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Artwork: Lola Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett and Ceri Thomas

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The Slow Newscast

The Slow Newscast from The Observer takes the news slowly. We investigate, and every week we focus on stories that really matter in the UK and around the world. From wars in Ukraine and Gaza through to true crime and injustice and real life mysteries, The Slow Newscast team is devoted to narrative investigations covering some of the biggest topics of the day.

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