Twitter and Cocoa Puffs: The surprising life of a student at North Korea’s top university

[An Australian student is now the most prominent tweeter inside the North Korean capital]( Feb. 26, 2019 For young North Koreans, there are few achievements more prestigious than attending Kim Il-sung University — the alma mater of Kim Jong-un and many of his top apparatchiks. Inside the nation’s most elite school, students often wear crisp black blazers, some adorned with red lapel badges exalting the Kim dynasty. But there’s also a cohort of roughly 50 students who are not subjects of the regime. Among them: Alek Sigley, a 29-year-old Australian who speaks fluent Korean. His master's thesis will be on romance in North Korean literature. In years past, he’d probably just be toiling away at his studies in obscurity. But Pyongyang is becoming a world of smartphones — and Sigley is now [the most prominent tweeter inside the North Korean capital.]( Also, US President Donald Trump has arrived in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi for his second summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un[on dismantling Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program.]( And Oliver Stuenkel, a professor of international relations at the Vargas Foundation in Brazil, has been closely following the situation in Venezuela. He talks to The World about what's next for the Latin American country,[including the possibility of an American military intervention there.]( — Anna Pratt, The Scan editor [No Images? Click here.]( [Twitter and cocoa puffs: The surprising life of a student at North Korea’s top university]( [Twitter and cocoa puffs: The surprising life of a student at North Korea’s top university]( Alek Sigley, 29, studies at Kim Il-sung University — the alma mater of Kim Jong-un. He opened a Twitter account just a few months ago and it's become a rare keyhole through which to view a fast-changing Pyongyang, North Korea. [Twitter and cocoa puffs: The surprising life of a student at North Korea’s top university]( [Twitter and cocoa puffs: The surprising life of a student at North Korea’s top university]( Alek Sigley, 29, studies at Kim Il-sung University — the alma mater of Kim Jong-un. He opened a Twitter account just a few months ago and it's become a rare keyhole through which to view a fast-changing Pyongyang, North Korea. [North Korea could be the big winner from a formal peace agreement with the South]( [North Korea could be the big winner from a formal peace agreement with the South]( As President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un arrive in Hanoi for a second summit, there is a chance that there could be a formal declaration of the end of the Korean War. But that kind of announcement would give North Korea leverage over South Korea, argues a Tufts professor. [North Korea could be the big winner from a formal peace agreement with the South]( [North Korea could be the big winner from a formal peace agreement with the South]( As President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un arrive in Hanoi for a second summit, there is a chance that there could be a formal declaration of the end of the Korean War. But that kind of announcement would give North Korea leverage over South Korea, argues a Tufts professor. [What's the best (and worst) possible outcome for Venezuela?]( [What's the best (and worst) possible outcome for Venezuela?]( Currently, there's a standoff about whether or not international aid should enter the country. The World speaks with Oliver Stuenkel, a professor of international relations at the Vargas Foundation in Brazil who's been closely following the situation in Venezuela, about what's next for the Latin American country, including the possibility of an American military intervention there. [What's the best (and worst) possible outcome for Venezuela?]( [What's the best (and worst) possible outcome for Venezuela?]( Currently, there's a standoff about whether or not international aid should enter the country. The World speaks with Oliver Stuenkel, a professor of international relations at the Vargas Foundation in Brazil who's been closely following the situation in Venezuela, about what's next for the Latin American country, including the possibility of an American military intervention there. [How to step away from the screen]( [How to step away from the screen]( A computer science professor at Georgetown University says people should be more thoughtful about how they use technology. Cal Newport says users should delete random apps and rebuild their digital lives from scratch 'with real intention.' [India launches airstrike inside Pakistan; Islamabad denies militant camp hit]( [India launches airstrike inside Pakistan; Islamabad denies militant camp hit]( India said its warplanes struck a militant training camp inside Pakistan on Tuesday, raising risk of conflict between the nuclear armed neighbors. Hey, Scan reader… PRI takes a global approach to the news of the day. We help you understand how what happens around the world matters in Washington and in your neighborhood. Today more than ever, we need conversations, perspectives and diverse voices. [Donate Today >]( Enjoying The Scan? Forward it to a friend! And if you’re not getting it daily, it’s easy to subscribe. [Sign up here](. We also love feedback, so please [tell us how we’re doing](. Today’s newsletter was written by Anna Pratt. Find her on Twitter: [@annapratt](. 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