north korea
Riz Khan

Behind North Korea’s closed doors

Riz discusses the country’s humanitarian and nuclear crisis.


Watch part two 

Seven years after it was placed on the “axis of evil” by George Bush, the former US president, North Korea is once again asserting itself.

On Wednesday the government in Pyongyang threatened to start enriching uranium.

Over the past few months it has wrangled over nuclear disarmament talks, claiming to have launched a satellite into orbit and seized two female US reporters.

On this show we take a look at the worsening humanitarian conditions in the secretive nation and the plight of North Korean refugees.

Riz Khan speaks with Alejandro Cao de Benos, the president of the Korean Friendship Association, and an advocate of North Korea since 1990. He is currently an honorary special delegate of North Korea’s committee for cultural relations with foreign countries.


Also joining the programme Scott Snyder, Director of the Center for U.S.-Korea Policy at The Asia Foundation and author of China’s Rise and the Two Koreas.

This episode of the Riz Khan show aired on Thursday, April 30, 2009.