The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted in 2015 as the immediate successor to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), aiming to concentrate international efforts on the most pressing global issues. With all member states of the United Nations formally adopting the
goals, each state is also given the opportunity for Voluntary National Review (VNR) to provide an update on the process of achieving each of the 17 SDGs. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (hereafter DPRK or North Korea) were scheduled to present their VNR at the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) in 2020, but postponed until July 2021 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As North Korea’s first VNR, the review will provide a much-needed look into how one of the world’s most reclusive nations is making progress toward achieving the SDGs.