Call for Papers
3rd International Conference – DPRK Cities Research Group
The Withering Panopticon? Evidence from Everyday Life in North Korean Cities

Dear colleagues and friends,

We sincerely invite scholars worldwide and from all disciplines working on – or seeking to apply their research to – North Korea to the DPRK Cities Research Group’s 3rd International Conference at the Soongsil Institute for Peace and Unification.

Join us in exploring how marketization, decentralization, localization, and the expanded use of digital technology are reshaping everyday life – and state power – across North Korean cities. We invite contributions to examine whether North Korea’s panopticon-style surveillance and control mechanisms are in decline.

Date: November 20, 2025 (Thursday)
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Organizers: DPRK Cities Research Group, Soongsil Institute for Peace and Unification, Soongsil University
Sponsors: Friedrich Naumann Foundation, National Research Foundation of Korea

Submission Deadlines
● Abstract + short bio (max 500 words): May 31, 2025
● Full paper (max 8000 words): October 23, 2025

Languages: English & Korean (simultaneous interpretation provided)
Accommodations: Discounted lodging (Nov 19–21) + lunch on the 20th
Inquiries & Submissions: ssucrg@ssu.ac.kr

We are looking forward to your submissions,

Frank Moehring
(On behalf of the DPRK Cities Research Group)