Paula Hancocks - International correspondent
Paula Hancocks
International correspondent
Paula Hancocks is an award-winning international correspondent for CNN based in the network's Abu Dhabi bureau.
Latest
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‘Born together, and killed together’: Families suffer through daily air strikes in Gaza
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Sep 26, 2024
As attention shifts to the rapidly escalating situation along the Israeli-Lebanese border, families in Gaza are still living through the fear and terror of daily air strikes. CNN’s Paula Hancocks reports.
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Gazans search for loved ones buried deep in rubble after Israeli airstrikes
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Sep 17, 2024
CNN’s Paula Hancocks reports on families in Nuseirat, Gaza, as they search for loved ones buried beneath rubble after Israeli airstrikes.
Children are dying of starvation in their parents’ arms as famine spreads through Gaza
Jun 26, 2024
Younis lays disorientated on a green mattress in Nasser Hospital, in southern Gaza. His long brown eyelashes rest delicately on his pale sunken face, as he drifts in and out of sleep.
‘This is the blood of my son’: While Israel hailed rescue of four hostages, Palestinians recall the horrors
Jun 26, 2024
On the day that Israel rescued four hostages, its forces allegedly attacked a Palestinian family’s home in Nuseirat camp, central Gaza, and killed a child.
Israel’s plan for ‘tactical pause’ for aid raises questions and deepens rifts. Here’s what we know
Jun 17, 2024
The Israel Defense Force (IDF) announced a “tactical pause” of military activities along a road in southern Gaza that has been designated for humanitarian aid deliveries every day for 11 hours.
Badly burned and no escape: Girl, 9, among thousands of critical patients stuck in Gaza
Jun 17, 2024
Hanan Aqel and her sister had one shekel each in their hands, a gift from their grandfather to go and buy sweets.
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Child critically injured during an airstrike can’t get out of Gaza to get treatment
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Jun 14, 2024
CNN’s Paula Hancocks reports on several children who are badly injured or chronically sick and cannot be evacuated for medical treatment outside of Gaza because the vital Rafah crossing has been closed since early May.
Israeli hostage faced ‘punishments’ during eight months in Hamas captivity, family says
Jun 12, 2024
The family of one of the hostages rescued in an Israeli operation at the weekend has said that he experienced psychological abuse at the hands of his Hamas captors during the eight months that he was held in Gaza.
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Missing flight MH370 lawsuit heard in China
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Nov 28, 2023
A Chinese court has started hearing claims for compensation for families of MH370 passengers. CNN’s Paula Hancocks has more.
Opponents vow ‘beginning of the end’ for Myanmar’s junta as resistance launches nationwide offensive
Nov 28, 2023
Almost three years on from its bloody coup, Myanmar’s military junta is facing the biggest threat to its hold on power as it fights wars on multiple fronts across the Southeast Asian nation.
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UN school sheltering displaced people in Gaza hit by ‘horrifying’ blast
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Nov 19, 2023
Many women and children were among those killed when a blast rocked a United Nations school in northern Gaza, in what a top UN official described as a “horrifying” incident. CNN’s Paula Hancocks reports.
Why teachers in South Korea are scared of their pupils – and their parents
Oct 28, 2023
When fighting broke out in Kang Hyeon-joo’s elementary school classroom, her heart would beat so fast she could not breathe and her vision would blur.
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Here’s why tens of thousands of teachers are protesting in South Korea
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Oct 27, 2023
Tens of thousands of teachers have been protesting in South Korea in recent months to call for more protection from students and parents due to excessive school stress. CNN’s Paula Hancocks reports.
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China’s view on deepening Russia-North Korea ties
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Sep 15, 2023
Paula Hancocks reports on China’s perspective on Kim Jong Un’s trip to eastern Russia.
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North Korea reopens after Covid
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Sep 1, 2023
After three years of Covid restrictions, North Koreans living overseas can finally return home. But will tourists be able to follow them?
‘We can do it too’: Meet Blackswan, the K-pop group with no Korean members
Aug 25, 2023
Cheers ring out as the four women take to the stage and launch into a synchronized dance routine in front of giant speakers blasting music.
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This K-pop band has no Korean members. Hear why they think they will break through
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Aug 25, 2023
A K-pop band without any Korean members? Meet Blackswan, a K-pop band whose members come from four countries - the US, Brazil, Senegal and India. CNN’s Paula Hancocks sat down with the group.
South Korean shoppers hoard salt and seafood ahead of Japan’s release of treated radioactive water
Jul 10, 2023
In many supermarkets across South Korea, one item has conspicuously vanished from shelves: salt.
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Hear why these South Koreans are worried about Japan’s Fukushima wastewater release plan
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Jul 10, 2023
The IAEA has given Japan the green light to release treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean. CNN’s Paula Hancocks reports that has fishermen in South Korea worried.
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Fight for LGBTQ Rights in South Korea
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Jun 30, 2023
Rights advocates are pushing for anti-discrimination legislation following controversy over Seoul’s annual pride parade. CNN’s Paula Hancocks reports.
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See BTS superfans’ ‘pilgrimage’ to Seoul
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Jun 13, 2023
June 13 marks the 10th anniversary of BTS’ debut. Fans from all over the world are arriving in Seoul to celebrate the occasion and thousands will even follow in the footsteps of BTS, carrying out a so-called “pilgrimage.” CNN’s Paula Hancocks looks back on a remarkably successful decade for the band.
BTS 10 years on: Superfans make pilgrimage to Seoul to celebrate the K-pop band that conquered the globe
Jun 13, 2023
BTS has racked up more than 20 Guinness World Records, won several global awards, championed Asian representation in the global music industry and paved the way for other K-pop acts to follow in their footsteps.
‘I wondered what I’d done wrong in life,’ says man next to passenger who opened plane door on flight
Jun 9, 2023
If you think you always get the bad seat when taking a flight, then spare a thought for Lee Yoon-jun. He was sat next to the man accused of opening the emergency door on an Air Asiana flight last month – while the plane was still in the air.
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Man sitting next to passenger who opened door mid-flight speaks out
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Jun 9, 2023
An Asiana passenger allegedly opened the emergency exit door a couple of minutes before the airplane was about to land in South Korea. CNN’s Paula Hancocks speaks to a fellow passenger next to the door about the distressing experience. See the moment the door opened here.
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Passenger opens plane’s emergency door midair
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May 27, 2023
A passenger on an Asiana Airlines jet opened an emergency door as the plane was coming in to land in Daegu, South Korea. Video shows wind whipping through the plane’s cabin as terrified passengers gripped their armrests. CNN’s Paula Hancocks reports.
‘The water took them.’ Myanmar residents describe horror of Cyclone Mocha
May 21, 2023
Concerns are high for thousands of vulnerable people after coastal areas in Rakhine state bore the brunt of Cyclone Mocha, one of the strongest storms to ever hit Myanmar.
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They were persecuted by their own country. Now, a cyclone has left them displaced
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May 18, 2023
Myanmar’s military junta is holding up humanitarian access to some communities after Cyclone Mocha devastated the livelihoods of millions of people, including the stateless and displaced Rohingya minority group. CNN’s Paula Hancocks has more.
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Hear from supporters of winning party in Thailand’s election
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May 16, 2023
Thai voters delivered a powerful message to the country’s military-backed government after the progressive Move Forward Party, which gained a huge following among young Thais for its reformist platform, won the most seats and the largest share of the popular vote. CNN’s Paula Hancocks reports.
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See why Thailand’s ex-coup leader is showing a softer side ahead of election
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May 15, 2023
The May 14th general election in Thailand is a pivotal moment in the history of its democracy. CNN’s Paula Hancocks has more.
Louis Vuitton stages its first major show in South Korea
May 1, 2023
Luxury giant Louis Vuitton further demonstrated South Korea’s status as a fashion force by transforming Seoul’s Jamsugyo Bridge into a striking outdoor runway on a chilly Saturday evening.
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Grief and shock as K-pop star Moon Bin, member of boy band Astro, dies age 25
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Apr 21, 2023
Global fans reacted with shock and grief over the death of 25-year-old K-pop star Moon Bin, a member of the popular boy band Astro. CNN’s Paula Hancocks reports.
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See Marines storm beach in US-South Korea amphibious assault drill
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Mar 29, 2023
Thousands of South Korean and US troops have been conducting large-scale joint military exercises, including offensive action drills. Meanwhile, North Korean state media claimed the country had simulated a tactical nuclear missile launch. CNN’s Paula Hancocks has an exclusive look.
US and South Korea send thousands of troops and 23-ton vehicles to practice beach assault
Mar 29, 2023
North Korea has been building up a ballistic missile arsenal on the stated premise that it needs to deter an attack on it by United States and South Korean forces.
North Korea’s food shortage is about to take a deadly turn for the worse, experts say
Mar 4, 2023
Concerns about North Korea’s chronic food shortages are growing, with multiple sources suggesting this week that deaths due to starvation are likely.
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Hear why North Korea watchers believe the nation’s in crisis with Kim’s latest meeting
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Mar 3, 2023
Alarm bells are ringing regarding North Korea’s food situation as Kim Jong Un convened a meeting to transform the country’s farming capabilities this week. South Korean officials believe there have been deaths due to starvation and experts point to an ever-worsening situation. Paula Hancocks reports.
After 4 months stuck in a South Korean airport this Russian is still not free. But his alternative is far worse
Mar 3, 2023
After spending close to five months stuck inside an airport in South Korea, Dmitry is finally able to breathe fresh air. But he is yet to taste freedom – and his real wait may have only just begun.
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He fled Russia to avoid being sent to Ukraine. Then he got stranded at the Seoul airport
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Mar 2, 2023
One Russian who fled to South Korea to avoid conscription left the Incheon airport in Seoul for an immigration facility, after months of being stranded at the airport and seeking asylum status. He speaks with CNN’s Paula Hancocks about his life living at the airport.
Exclusive: North Korea a ‘clear and present danger,’ says South Korean Foreign Minister
Feb 23, 2023
North Korea is a “clear and present danger,” the foreign minister of South Korea has told CNN in an exclusive interview.
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South Korea FM: ‘We have to maintain peace and stability on Korean peninsula’
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Feb 23, 2023
CNN international correspondent Paula Hancocks sits down with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin in an exclusive interview.
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North Korea’s parade shows off missiles and Kim Jong Un’s potential successor. See what it looked like
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Feb 10, 2023
In a recent military parade, Kim Jong Un unveiled new intercontinental ballistic missiles and a potential heir to his rule made an appearance. CNN’s Paula Hancocks reports.
From China to Japan, deadly cold is gripping East Asia. Experts say it’s the ‘new norm’
Jan 26, 2023
A deadly cold snap that is gripping East Asia has killed at least four people in Japan after subzero temperatures and heavy snow brought travel chaos during the Lunar New Year holiday, with climate experts warning that such extreme weather events had become the “new norm.”
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See what’s it like in China’s ‘North Pole’ during record-setting winter
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Jan 26, 2023
A wave of extreme cold has spread through northeast Asia, with parts of Japan and South Korea seeing heavy snow and record-breaking subzero temperatures during the Lunar New Year holiday. CNN’s Paula Hancocks has more.
Why are South Koreans losing faith in America’s nuclear umbrella?
Jan 22, 2023
They have them, so we need them.
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Why South Korea wants its own nukes despite US protection
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Jan 20, 2023
An increasing number of South Korean conservatives think their country should also have nuclear weapons despite being protected by the US nuclear umbrella. CNN’s Paula Hancocks reports on how this idea has gone from fringe to the mainstream.
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She watched a baby girl die after drinking salt water as she was stranded at sea for a month
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Jan 4, 2023
CNN’s Paula Hancocks speaks to a Rohingya refugee who made the treacherous journey to flee the overcrowded refugee camps in southern Bangladesh.
‘I thought I would die on that boat’: Mother recalls the horror of month adrift at sea
Jan 4, 2023
What was supposed to be a 7-day journey to Indonesia turned into a month-long ordeal at sea for around 200 Rohingya refugees, forced to live on only rainwater and just three days’ worth of food.
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What will K-pop look like in the new year?
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Jan 2, 2023
The new year will see the K-pop sensation BTS taking a break, leaving many to wonder what’s next in the world of K-pop. CNN’s Paula Hancocks talks to experts about what K-pop will be like in 2023.
Minutes to death: Itaewon Halloween selfies help families piece together tragedy that killed 158
Dec 18, 2022
“She’s smiling, look at her smile, her face.” Oh Il-seok looks lovingly at a photograph of his daughter taken in the last hours of her life. As he takes off his glasses to wipe his eyes, his wife whispers, “Ji-min is my friend, she is my best friend.”
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Family of Itaewon crowd crush victim speaks out
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Dec 16, 2022
CNN’s Paula Hancocks speaks to the bereaved family of Oh Ji-min, a victim of the Itaewon disaster in Seoul in October that saw 158 lives lost.
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BTS member Jin releases photo before starting mandatory military service
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Dec 13, 2022
K-pop supergroup BTS entered a new era as Jin, its oldest member, began his mandatory military service amid tight security at an army training center in South Korea. CNN’s Paula Hancocks reports.
About
Paula Hancocks is an award-winning international correspondent for CNN based in the network’s Abu Dhabi bureau.
Prior to this, Hancocks based in Seoul and responsible for covering major stories on the Korean peninsula and the surrounding region.
Hancocks has led the network’s coverage of the Korean peninsula for more than ten years, including North Korea’s nuclear and missile tests, the Pyeongchang Olympics charm offensive and the subsequent Trump-Kim and inter-Korean summits. She also led CNN’s coverage of the death of former leader Kim Jong Il, the rise of new leader Kim Jong Un and the plight of American citizens detained in the country.
Hancocks has consistently secured exclusive access for her work: she interviewed a former North Korean ambassador who defected to Seoul, reported on North Korea’s assassination weapons and covered the story of nine young defectors who were sent back to North Korea.
South of the border, Hancocks has covered Seoul’s dealings with its neighbor, capturing the emotions of family reunions between the two Koreas in a special documentary called ‘The Long Goodbye’, as well as Presidential elections and an impeachment.
Hancocks has also covered some of the biggest stories in Asia in recent years, including the military coup in Myanmar, the devastating impact of the pandemic across Asia, and in 2020 she gained exclusive access to the most high-ranking U.S. diplomat to visit Taiwan in forty years at a time of increased tension with China.
Prior to taking up her position in Seoul, Hancocks was based in Jerusalem and reported on the 2008 Gaza war, smuggling tunnels and rocket factories in Gaza and the deadly confrontation aboard an aid ship bound for Gaza. On a daily basis, she covered the political intricacies of a never-ending peace effort and the anger and frustrations on both sides of the conflict.
Previously, she served as an international correspondent at CNN’s London bureau, reporting on a wide range of stories including the 2005 London bombings, the aftermath of the Iraq war and bombings in Istanbul.
Throughout her career, Hancocks has been recognized multiple times for her reporting. She was part of a CNN Special Report called ‘Witness to the Pandemic’, which was nominated for a 2021 Emmy Award for Outstanding News Special. She was at the centre of CNN’s coverage of the Hong Kong pro-democracy protests in 2019, for which the team won the Breaking News award at the Royal Television Society TV Journalism Awards. Hancocks was also the first international journalist to report live from Tacloban in the Philippines after devastating Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. CNN’s reporting was subsequently recognized by the Royal Television Society, winning the Best International News Coverage award. Her work covering the sinking of the Sewol Ferry in South Korea was honored with a New York Festival award. She also covered the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict in 2006, for which the team won the Ed Murrow award, and she was part of the team honored with a DuPont-Columbia Award for their reporting from Sri Lanka on the devastating impact of the 2004 tsunami.
Hancocks joined CNN in 1997 as a production assistant. Prior to joining CNN she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in French and Italian from the University of Durham and a postgraduate degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Wales, Cardiff.
