32 of its 84 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Pyongyang accounted for 28 of North Korea's 32 stories about harm, carried by 47 outlets.
25 Sep to 24 Oct: 33 in every 100 of its stories were about people being harmed — about one and a half times the world's share (19).
What stood out
The news pointed at North Korea on 10 of the 30 days held.
Most on Tuesday 20 October 2026: 32 of its 84 stories (38%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%.
Compared with
the world's news over the same days; "usual" is its own 30 days before.
How it moved
North Korea: stories about people being harmed, out of every 100 of its stories
Dashed line: the world. Shaded: its normal range over these days. Blue dots: its biggest days.
North KoreaThe world
Key events
the events its news covered most, newest on the rightSeptember 2026
28 Sep
Pyongyangattacks & violence
7 stories, 8 outlets
30 Sep
Pyongyangattacks & violence
13 stories, 11 outlets
October 2026
2 Oct
Pyongyangattacks & violence
7 stories, 7 outlets
6 Oct
Pyongyangattacks & violence
7 stories, 15 outlets
12 Oct
Pyongyangdeaths, cause not given
17 stories, 33 outlets
13 Oct
Pyongyangprotests & strikes
5 stories, 5 outlets
15 Oct
Pyongyangattacks & violence
5 stories, 7 outlets
20 Oct
Pyongyangdisease & outbreaks
28 stories, 47 outlets
22 Oct
Pyongyangattacks & violence
7 stories, 10 outlets
23 Oct
Pyongyangattacks & violence
11 stories, 16 outlets
Scroll sideways for earlier events. Key events are the most covered, not necessarily the most harmful: attacks, accidents and disasters, displacement, protests and outbreaks, ranked by the share of the day's outlets that reported them and how clearly they were about one thing, so every year competes fairly.
Its biggest days
when the news pointed at North Korea most18 of its 36 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Pyongyang accounted for 17 of North Korea's 18 stories about harm, carried by 33 outlets.
12 of its 21 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (8 stories).
20 of its 37 stories (54%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (13 stories).
20 of its 40 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 14%. Reports of people injured ran at about 7 times the usual rate (13 stories).
11 of its 30 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. Reports of people injured ran at about 8 times the usual rate (7 stories).
4 more days the news pointed at North Korea
8 of its 27 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories).
5 of its 28 stories (18%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. 3 of Pyongyang's 5 stories were about protests or strikes.
8 of its 19 stories (42%) were about people being harmed, usually 18%. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (6 stories).
7 of its 19 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%.
In detail
against the world's news, same daysPeople and attention
a tenththe world's rateten times
About 26 million people live in North Korea. Over these days its news carried 9.4 stories about people being harmed for every million people — about a third of the world's rate (36 per million).
How much of the world's attention reached it for its size: coverage per person, not harm per person. Population is approximate (about 2023).
Parts of life
Share of its stories about people being harmed, by part of life.
Conflict & violence32%77 stories
Health28%68 stories
Deaths & injuries, cause not given15%36 stories
Rights & justice13%32 stories
Disasters & accidents6%15 stories
Displacement3%8 stories
Food & livelihood2%5 stories
Shelter & services1%2 stories
Where it happened
North Korea (bright) and its neighbours. Dots: its key events in these days, coloured by kind. Click a dot for its stories.
Harm reported
Stories, not people: a story counts once however many people it reports.
Stories reporting people injured124 Stories reporting people killed27 Stories reporting arrests26 Stories reporting people affected15Harsh or warm words
harshwarm
Its stories' words were harsher than the world's.
Filled dot: North Korea. Ring: the world. Measured over 241 stories.
Feelings
Angera little angrier than the world's
Against its own usual: about as usual
Griefa little more grief-stricken than the world's
Against its own usual: about one and a half times usual
Fearmuch less fearful than the world's
Against its own usual: about two-thirds of usual
Warmthless warm than the world's
Against its own usual: a little less than usual
a quarterlike the worldfour times
Dot: North Korea in these days. Line: the world. Dashed ring: North Korea's own usual (the 30 days before).
Its neighbours, same days
Russia33 in 100 of its 15,087 stories were about people being harmed · mostly conflict & violence
North Korea33 in 100
of its 733 stories were about people being harmed · mostly conflict & violence
South Korea21 in 100
of its 6,225 stories were about people being harmed · mostly conflict & violence
China12 in 100
of its 29,510 stories were about people being harmed · mostly health
Countries that share a border on the map (the nearest ones for an island). A country with few stories ranks lower.
Diseases and disasters named far more than usual
illness20 Oct23 of its stories that day, about three times its usualCounted where the stories mention most, so a storm abroad can land under a country only mentioned. Opens that day.