Science Editing

Original Articles

Scientific research trends of North Korea from 1976 to 2024: a Scopus-based bibliometric study: Dae Un Hong, Eunbin An, Junhyoung Kim, Jihoo Lim; Sci Ed. 2025;12(2):167-174. Published online August 7, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.6087/kcse.381

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Purpose
This study presents a bibliometric analysis of research articles authored by North Korean researchers and indexed in Scopus between 1976 and 2024. By incorporating recent data, it updates previous findings and examines how developments such as COVID-19 border closures have affected domestic research activity and international collaboration.
Methods
Data were collected on June 15, 2025, using refined Scopus search parameters that addressed earlier limitations and improved the identification of records lacking country information. After data cleaning, the final dataset comprised 1,344 domestic articles and 1,210 internationally co-authored articles. These were analyzed by publication volume and institutional affiliation.
Results
The study compares trends before and after 2020, distinguishing between domestic and international research. It evaluates North Korea’s internal research capacity based on the number of contributing domestic authors and explores interinstitutional collaboration within the country. Major international partners were identified by analyzing co-author affiliations, with emphasis on China’s leading role. Additionally, network analysis was conducted to identify key countries involved in international collaboration and to visualize the centrality of cooperative institutions.
Conclusion
The findings reveal a marked increase in domestic publications in recent years, suggesting a shift toward greater self-reliance in response to external constraints such as the COVID-19 pandemic and international sanctions. The results also indicate steady enhancement of North Korea’s internal research capacity. Despite global isolation, international collaboration has remained relatively stable, partially sustained by long-standing partnerships with Chinese institutions. Based on these trends, continued growth in domestic research output and international engagement is anticipated.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Nuclear science in North Korea: a case study of the Journal of Kim Il-Sung university, 1982–2024
Dae Un Hong
Scientometrics.2026;[Epub] CrossRef

Bibliographic and content analysis of physics papers from North Korea indexed in the Scopus from 2005 to 2018: Kihong Kim, Yeonok Chung; Sci Ed. 2019;6(1):35-40. Published online February 20, 2019; DOI: https://doi.org/10.6087/kcse.153

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183 Download
9 Web of Science
7 Crossref

Abstract PDF Supplementary Material

Purpose
It aimed at assessing the current status of physics research in North Korea through a bibliographic and content analysis of the physics papers from North Korea indexed in the Scopus from 2005 to 2018.
Methods
The Scopus was searched on January 18, 2019 by using the search option ‘Affiliation city’ with “Pyongyang OR Chongjin OR Hamhung OR Sariwon OR Wonsan OR Kimchaek” as the city name and 171 physics papers from North Korea written in English were identified. By performing supplementary searches based on the author names and the references, 46 papers belonging to physics were added and the total of 217 papers were identified. They were classified by publication year, co-authors’ country, institution, subfield, journal and author. Representative North Korean physicists and the active subfields of physics were identified.
Results
The number of physics papers from North Korea has been growing rapidly in the recent years. Physics research activities in North Korea were extremely centralized in its capital, Pyongyang, where all major research institutions were located. Major research areas included condensed matter physics, optics and high energy physics and the large majority of papers were theoretical ones. From a bibliographic and content analysis, sixteen representative or notable physicists in North Korea were identified.
Conclusion
It appears that the North Korean government is actively encouraging researchers to publish more papers in international journals. There is a strong growth potential in physics research in North Korea. In order to achieve balanced development in physics, it is an important task to build competitive experimental groups.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Nuclear science in North Korea: a case study of the Journal of Kim Il-Sung university, 1982–2024
Dae Un Hong
Scientometrics.2026;[Epub] CrossRef
Scientific research trends of North Korea from 1976 to 2024: a Scopus-based bibliometric study
Dae Un Hong, Eunbin An, Junhyoung Kim, Jihoo Lim
Science Editing.2025; 12(2): 167. CrossRef
Co-authorship network analysis of North Korean chemistry researchers based on issues of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering published from 2008 to 2022: a bibliometric study
Eunmi Park, Ho-Yeol Yoon
Science Editing.2024; 11(1): 38. CrossRef
Mapping the development of North Korea's domestic nuclear research networks
Philip Baxter, Justin V. Hastings, Philseo Kim, Man‐Sung Yim
Review of Policy Research.2022; 39(2): 219. CrossRef
Document Network and Conceptual and Social Structures of Clinical Endoscopy from 2015 to July 2021 Based on the Web of Science Core Collection: A Bibliometric Study
Sun Huh
Clinical Endoscopy.2021; 54(5): 641. CrossRef
Bibliographic and content analysis of articles on education from Vietnam indexed in Scopus from 2009 to 2018
Cuong Huu Nguyen, Loc Thi My Nguyen, Trung Tran, Tien-Trung Nguyen
Science Editing.2020; 7(1): 45. CrossRef
A critical examination of international research conducted by North Korean authors: Increasing trends of collaborative research between China and North Korea
Eungi Kim, Eun Sil Kim
Scientometrics.2020; 124(1): 429. CrossRef

Network analysis of scientific collaboration in North Korea: Hyung Wook Choi, Ye Jin Choi, Soon Kim; Sci Ed. 2019;6(1):25-34. Published online February 20, 2019; DOI: https://doi.org/10.6087/kcse.152

9,858 View
195 Download
8 Web of Science
7 Crossref

Abstract PDF

Purpose
Although North Korea invests in scientific research, few selected research results are published to international journals. However, the latest peaceful political developments around North Korea have increased concerns about how they will support international scientific cooperation. This study aims to analyze the scientific collaboration and intellectual structure of North Korean researchers.
Methods
We conducted a co-word analysis with author keywords and author names using the Web of Science records for 1976–2018 to observe the changes in research trends in North Korea. The structure of the median centrality of words and the parallel nearest neighbor clustering methods were used to visualize the results.
Results
The analysis of 55 final keywords confirms that the corresponding network is composed of 17 sub-clusters under four areas. As a result of the investigation of 56 final author names, the corresponding network is composed of 15 sub-clusters under four areas.
Conclusion
As more accurate information is needed about collaboration partners to ensure successful cooperation, this analysis result can support getting an overview of North Korea’s research community and their research network.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Co-authorship network analysis of North Korean chemistry researchers based on issues of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering published from 2008 to 2022: a bibliometric study
Eunmi Park, Ho-Yeol Yoon
Science Editing.2024; 11(1): 38. CrossRef
Tracking North Korean economic transformation and trends in economic research
Justin V. Hastings, Haneol Lee
Asia and the Global Economy.2023; 3(1): 100050. CrossRef
Promotion to Top-Tier Journal and Development Strategy of the Annals of Laboratory Medicine for Strengthening its Leadership in the Medical Laboratory Technology Category: A Bibliometric Study
Sun Huh
Annals of Laboratory Medicine.2022; 42(3): 321. CrossRef
Mapping the development of North Korea's domestic nuclear research networks
Philip Baxter, Justin V. Hastings, Philseo Kim, Man‐Sung Yim
Review of Policy Research.2022; 39(2): 219. CrossRef
Document Network and Conceptual and Social Structures of Clinical Endoscopy from 2015 to July 2021 Based on the Web of Science Core Collection: A Bibliometric Study
Sun Huh
Clinical Endoscopy.2021; 54(5): 641. CrossRef
A critical examination of international research conducted by North Korean authors: Increasing trends of collaborative research between China and North Korea
Eungi Kim, Eun Sil Kim
Scientometrics.2020; 124(1): 429. CrossRef
Bibliometric analysis of research on the maize based on top papers during 2009-2019
Bao-Zhong Yuan, Jie Sun
COLLNET Journal of Scientometrics and Information Management.2020; 14(1): 75. CrossRef

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