Category Archive: North Korea

Oct 01

What is North Korea building now?

Categories:

North Korea, Nuclear, War

October 1, 2010

ISIS, the Institute for Science and International Security published a report regarding new construction at the site of Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center in North Pyongan, North Korea. The site is notable for producing weapons grade fissile material for nuclear bombs, and under the agreement of the now stalled Six Party Talks, where the nuclear cooling tower was famously demolished in June of 2008. Recent satellite imagery reveals large scale excavation at the site, as well as two new buildings, though it is too early to say what the DPRK is constructing at the site. Recent threats to resume and even ramp up production of nuclear weaponry lead some to speculate that the North has backpedaled on it’s 6PT committments and is working hard to weaponize itself with nuclear arms.

Source: ISIS

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/449

Sep 30

Kim Jong-Unveiled

Categories:

Kim Jong-Il, Kim Jong-Un, North Korea, Succession

September 30, 2010

KCNA has released an image of newly promoted Vice Marshall Ri Yong Ho, alongside North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il and to his left, a man believed to be heir-apparent and also freshly promoted Kim Jong-Un. If this is confirmed to be Jong-Un, this is the first adult image of the future leader to be published outside of the DPRK. The round faced 27 year old very much resembles his father, former North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung. See below for the full image:

Photo courtesy of AFP PHOTO / KCNA.

UPDATE: New photos from KCNA TV screengrabs have appeared that are a little less grainy:

Video courtesy of the BBC:

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/436

Sep 28

Kim Jong-Un promoted once more

Categories:

Kim Jong-Il, Kim Jong-Un, North Korea, Succession

September 28, 2010

After being appointed a four star General of the Korean People’s Army just yesterday, Kim Jong-Un has once again been pointed a high level post within the North Korean government. His new title is vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, shared also with newly promoted Ri Yang Ho, former Chief of the Korean People’s Army General Staff. This signals yet another side-by-side rise to power of the young 27 year old Jong-Un with a more experienced elder in the same rank at his side. This seems to clearly display Kim Jong-Un’s likelihood for succession of the North Korean leadership, as key posts are being filled by Kim Jong-Il to support his youngest son. One can only assume that the younger Kim’s sudden rise to power will thrust him into the limelight, though as of yet it is undetermined if either Kim has been in attendance of the Worker’s Party conference going on right now.

Source: Yonhap News

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/432

Sep 27

Kim Jong-Un named General, succession rumours abound

Categories:

Kim Jong-Il, Kim Jong-Un, North Korea, Succession

September 27, 2010

In what seems an apparent move for the eventual leadership succession of North Korea, Kim Jong-Un has been appointed general. This news arrives just hours after the news that it has been formally announced that he would be a participating delegate of the Korean Worker’s Party conference set to kick off tomorrow. Kim Kyong-hui, 64 year old sister to Jong-Il, has also been appointed the rank of General, and is seen as a key backer of the 27 year old son of Kim Jong-Il. Kim Jong-Un is rarely mentioned to the outside world, so it is likely this will spur much more speculation.

Source: Reuters

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/428

Sep 27

The costs of doing business with North Korea

Categories:

Economy, North Korea

September 27, 2010

Here’s an interesting story of James Perri, an Australian business man who is responsible for the 3G mobile cellphone network in the North Korean capital. Perri’s dilemma was finding a provider who would was neutral to North Korea, so he looked to the Egypt based “Orascom” for the contract. Orascom is also known as the group working to refurbish the Ryugyong “Hotel of Doom”. Orascom signed a $400 000 000 USD contract with the North for a 75% stake in state run Koryolink. Pyongyang’s 3G coverage kicked off in December 2008, strange for a nation with little mobile phone distribution and constant electricity problems.

Source: ARN via @LiberateLaura on Twitter.

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/423

Sep 23

Top DPRK nuclear officials appointed higher positions

Categories:

Kim Jong-Il, Kim Jong-Un, North Korea, Nuclear, Succession

September 23, 2010

Kang Sok Ju, a powerful man who has helped engineer North Korea’s nuclear programme for almost 20 years, was promoted to vice premier in North Korea. Kang worked out details of the 1994 “Agreed Framework” in which the US commited to delivering light water reactors to North Korea in exchange for denuclearization. Kim Kye Gwan takes over Kang’s old post, vice foreign minister, while Ri Yong Ho was also promoted to vice foreign minister. Ri and Kim have been prominent diplomats in the six party talks regarding North Korea’s nuclear disarmament. These promotions of course come ahead of the Worker’s Party conference on September 28th, where key players are speculated to be moved into high ranking positions, possibly to enforce loyalty in the regime and pave the way for a future succession by heir-apparent son of Kim Jong-Il, Kim Jong-Un.

Source: The Washington Post

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/420

Sep 23

Happy Chuseok, Korea!

Categories:

North Korea, South Korea

September 23, 2010

The 22nd to the 25th is the Korean “Thanksgiving” harvest holiday known as Chuseok. DailyNK reports that this is one of the few holidays North Koreans are able to celebrate without any sort of political worship. Typically a feast (very expensive by North Korean standards, often costing as much as a month’s salary) of harvest foods are consumed and the graves of deceased family members are visited and honoured. Perhaps someday separated familes from the South and North can celebrate a Chuseok feast together in the future.

Source: DailyNK

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/417

Sep 21

Worker’s Party conference to kick off September 28th

Categories:

Kim Jong-Il, Kim Jong-Un, North Korea, Succession

September 21, 2010

North Korea has finally put the speculation (some of it, anyways) to rest. The Conference of the Worker’s Party of Korea will officially launch next Tuesday, September 28th. KCNA, the state-run news outlet for North Korea announced the date yesterday. It is largely speculated that this meeting will move certain high ranking officials into positions of power, and possibly give a seat to Kim Jong-Un, Kim Jong-Il’s youngest son. Such a move would position Kim Jong-Un as a likely replacement for North Korea’s leadership. Kim Jong-Il’s health has been questionable lately, and it would make sense to start grooming the 27 year old Jong-Un for a dual leadership similar to Kim Jong-Il and his father Kim Il-Sung back in the 80s and early 90s. The meeting was previously believed to begin on September 9th, and then September 15th. Media outlets have been buzzing with rumours that recent flood disasters in the North, Kim Jong-Il’s health, lack of public image regarding Kim Jr Jr, or Chinese dissuasion have been responsible for the conference delays.

Source: KCNA

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/412

Sep 17

North Korea and the “Y1C” problem.

Categories:

Economy, North Korea, Offbeat

September 17, 2010

Remember the Y2K problem of the 1990s? Though a laughable issue, and probably of no serious consequence, North Korea is facing a similar crisis. The “Juche” calendar begun on April 15th, 1912, the birthdate of Kim Il-Sung. The current Gregorian year, 2010, is represented as Juche 99 on their calendar. Any North Korean computer systems (of which there are few) programmed using the Juche calendar will suffer the problem of a 2-digit year rolling over to “00” when the year becomes Juche 100. The Juche calendar, used often in state-run publications and news outlets, is often used alongside the Gregorian year (such as “September 17th 2010 – Juche 99”), so it’s improbably that this will be a big problem. But hey, with North Korea, you never can tell.

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/408

Sep 17

US reiterates: “We will not accept North Korea as a nuclear weapons power”

Categories:

North Korea, South Korea, War

September 17, 2010

As North Korea backpedals on its aggravation of tensions on the Korea peninsula, the United States remain firm in their handling of the isolationist nation. The torpedo attack on the Cheonan has been described as an “act of war”, and repeated illicit arms deals between Iran and Myanmar have further fueled distrust in North Korea’s commitments to 6 party talks for denuclearization. “The United States has underscored numerous times that North Korea can only achieve the security and international respect it seeks by ceasing its provocative behavior, improving its relations with its neighbors, complying with international law, and taking irreversible steps toward fulfilling its denuclearization commitments under the September 2005 Joint Statement” states Kurt Campbell, assistant secretary of state for East Asian affairs. Recent nuclear tests and rocket launches further undermine such talks, and has given the US grave doubts regarding the productivity of resuming denuclearization discussion with the DPRK.

Presently, it is unlikely North Korea possesses the capability to launch a nuclear strike. They have enough fissile material to aid in the production of several nuclear bombs, but it is believed that they do not properly have the technology to launch a nuclear capable missile. However, cooperation with other states wishing for nuclear arms such as Iran and Burma may hasten their nuclear launch capability.

Source: Yonhap News

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/398

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