During one of the most delicate periods for international relations, the United States sent Bob Hope to China with the ultimate wingman. Together, the two icons would play an unexpected role in bridging a massive cultural divide.

On Very Special Episodes, we tell one amazing story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday. Subscribe to VSE wherever you get your podcasts.

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Very Special Thanks to our translator, Yixio Ren!

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Dylan Heuer
Produced by Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Chris Childs
Mixing and Mastering by Baheed Frazier
Story Editor is Aaron Edwards
Additional Editing by Mary Dooe
Research and Fact-Checking by Dylan Heuer, Aaron Edwards, and Austin Thompson
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English

You can email the show at veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com.

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North Korean spies recruit two unwitting women to kill Kim Jong-nam, going through elaborate means to avoid detection. But the ensuing calamity triggers a daring rescue — one that could, someday, change the face of North Korea.

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When Kim Jong-nam meets a mysterious American, were his brother's henchmen hiding in the shadows? How North Korea’s poisonous relationship with the United States contributed to Kim Jong-nam’s death — in more ways than one.

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Plunge into the murky underworld of North Korea's dirty financial dealings, and you'll realize: Kim Jong-nam was not in exile. Inside the prince's secret get-rich scheme—and the mob-like motivations that made him ... a target.

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After a spontaneous encounter, the scoop of a lifetime falls into the lap of a Japanese journalist. The surprising friendship that follows reveals much more than just Kim Jong-nam's thoughts on succession. But did his big mouth get him in big trouble?

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In a regime where image means everything, Kim Jong-nam's trip to Disneyland was a PR disaster. But is that why he was skipped over as successor? A deep dive into the country's history suggests that Kim Jong-nam and his family might have actually been punished for doing ... the unthinkable. 

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In the cutthroat world of Pyongyang’s palaces, a pair of manipulative mothers drives two generations of Kims to claw for their father’s affection, sparking a ruthless succession race. Plus, the embarrassing mistake that may have cost Kim Jong-nam the crown—and his life.

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In North Korea, the Kim leaders are literal legends. But Kim Jong-nam’s youth was no fairytale: He’d be trapped in a gilded cage, hidden from the world. We explore the myths and machinations that shaped one of the craziest childhoods in modern history—and how it sparked a showdown between two warring families.

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