Category Archive: South Korea

Feb 20

Is DPRK preparing for a 3rd nuclear test?

Categories:

China, Military, North Korea, Nuclear, South Korea, USA, War

February 20, 2011

New digging activity at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site in northeast North Korea seems to indicate that another possible test of a nuclear detonation may occur within months. Several tunnels are being excavated in the same area where previous tests in 2006 and 2009 occurred. Activity at this site was reported in October of last year as well.

North Korea is also nearing completion of a more sophisticated intercontinental ballistic missile launch facility. The new facility, in North Pyongan province, is alleged to be far superior in utility to its predecessor Musudan-ri. Capabilities include an underground fueling facility, and rail-track missile loading system for fast deployment of missiles without satellite surveillance from its opponents. Also unlike the eastern launch site, a US/SK airstrike on the facility would likely cause Chinese outrage, as the facility is just 70km from the North Korea/Chinese border.

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates has stated that the North Koreans could have long range ICBM capability within 5 years, which could theoretically mean a nuclear missile could be sent as far away at the United States. A third nuclear test could be just the provocation North Korea is seeking in order to bring about a resumption to Six Party Talks, and resume food and material aid that a starving and economically sanctioned North Korean population desperately needs in this particularly harsh winter.

For more information about the new missile facility, check out Global Security’s highly detailed summary.

Source: The Chosun Ilbo / Yonhap

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/779

Feb 16

Kim Jong-Il’s 69th birthday bash

Categories:

Defection, Kim Jong-Il, Kim Jong-Un, North Korea, Propaganda, South Korea, Succession

February 16, 2011

February 16th marks Kim Jong-Il’s 69th birthday, a national holiday for North Korea. Lavish events are planned and underway for the entire week, including synchronized swimming performances, film airings, lantern hangings and parades. Traditionally on the birthdays of the Dear Leader and his father Kim Il-Sung, gift bags are given out to citizens that often comprise of candies, trinkets and foodstuffs. However, reports indicate that some provinces did not receive gifts this year, likely due to food and money shortages and a particularly harsh winter. North Koreans not receiving gifts are therefore often indifferent towards the holiday.

In South Korea, activists had a present for Kim Jong-Il too: 100,000 anti-regime leaflets launched from balloons that will float into the North and spread information criticizing the North Korean regime and the 3rd generation succession process. Citizens are generally not allowed to read the pamphlets attached to these balloons, and are required by law to turn them over to authorities as well as report anyone else who finds or reads one.

One North Korean citizen made the extremely daring move to defect to South Korea on the same date. The man avoided guards and walked across the heavily defended demilitarized zone, walking 4 kilometres across a minefield. He was seized by South Korean border guards and interrogated; I’ll post more about this if more details are provided in the future. Most regard walking through the DMZ to be a death sentence, with millions of mines deployed all over. The traditional defection route is to cross the much less guarded Chinese border to the north, and get to South Korea through alternative means.

Here’s a video of the synchronized swimming for KJI’s birthday bash from North Korea’s official Youtube page. The song is “Footsteps”, an anthem idolizing future leader Kim Jong-Un.

Source: DailyNK / Guardian

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/777

Feb 09

Military talks between Koreas break down

Categories:

Diplomacy, Military, North Korea, South Korea, War

February 9, 2011

Moon Sang-gyun, Ri Sun Gyun

The second day of preliminary talks broke down between North and South Korean officials at the border village of Panmunjom. The talks were designed to set the time and agenda for future higher level military discussions. However, as has happened in the past, North Korea walked out of the discussions when the South demanded an apology for the sinking of the Cheonan warship last March, and the artillery shelling of Yeonpyeong Island in November. When confronted with the demand, the North instead suggested agenda items for future talks in which the two military incidents would be discussed. South Korea viewed this as a strategy from the DPRK to postpone the apologies; a consistent precondition for a return to talks.

Where does that leave things? Agreements were made for the Red Cross organizations in either state to meet to plan more reunions of families seperated by the 1950-1953 Korean War, but talks between the two militaries have seemingly collapsed. One can only wonder what tactics an increasingly desperate North Korea might employ in order to resume vital food aid to the impoverished state.

Source: Yonhap News

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/774

Feb 07

Site Updates & This past week in brief

Categories:

Diplomacy, Economy, Kim Jong-Il, Military, North Korea, Propaganda, South Korea

February 7, 2011

Sorry, I’ve been busy and mulling about some prospects for the future of this site… but after a bit of a blog re-branding, here is a brief wrap-up of last week’s news:

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Fishing boat holding 31 North Koreans arrives at Yeonpyeong Island:

Details remain thin on this story but are expected to emerge shortly: 11 men and 20 women from North Korea have arrived on the shores of Yeonpyeong Island, the infamous border island that North Korea artillery-shelled last November. Early reports indicated that the 31 North Koreans wished to defect have since been dismissed; they have not yet expressed any desire to defect to South Korea. There are no children aboard, and are believed to have originated from the port city of Nampo. South Korea’s Joint Chief of Staff announced that intelligence officials will announce further details after further examination of the situation.

Source: Yonhap News

—-

February 8th Preliminary Discussions between North & South at Panmunjom:

Military officials on either Korean army will meet on the 8th at the border city of Panmunjom to coordinate a time and agenda for higher level military talks in the near future. South Korean president Lee Myung-Bak has even said he would consider meeting between with Kim Jong-Il directly, a move softening of South Korea’s typical-as-of-late hardline stance to negotiations with the DPRK.

Source: Reuters

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Defectors Send Back $10,000,000 Per Year:

There are over 20,000 North Korean defectors living in South Korea right now, and many of them transfer money back to their families in the impoverished North. Allegedly, families of North Koreans that defect are not punished as severely as they used to be (ie. marched off to prison camps), and are able to live comfortably off the money sent from families in the South. Is this the regime’s way of bringing in more foreign currency that will inevitably end up in their hands, or is enforcement, of what was once a severely punishable crime, too corrupted or lazy?

Source: The Chosun Ilbo

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Kim Jong Il’s 70th (69th) birthday is coming up on February 16th:

A national holiday in North Korea, and a milestone birthday at that (though technically 69 in Korean terms, where they often start off at “Age 1”). We’ll keep you posted on events surrounding any celebrations / hand-outs, if there are to be any in this cash-and-food-strapped year for the DPRK.

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Offbeat:

This weird device which is supposed to heal your body from physical fatigue through music and by “giving external stimulus to the meridian points of a body”. Does it alleviate the troublesome side effects of hunger?

Source: KCNA

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Enjoy the new site with less vanity (ReasonableMan.net was a vanity domain I’ve held for many years and decided to finally put to use with this blog… OpeningUpNorthKorea.com seems more appropriate after several months of operation.) I will get to the Book Reviews section shortly.

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/771

Jan 24

Talks to soon resume between North and South Korea

Categories:

China, Military, North Korea, Nuclear, South Korea, USA, War

January 24, 2011

panmunjom

After several months of declining a return to the negotiation table, South Korea has warmed up to resuming conditional talks with North Korea. The announcement, from the South’s Unification Ministry, comes shortly after a much publicized meeting between US President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao, in which Obama warned Jintao that a larger American military presence may be required in South Korea if China was unable to reign in the belligerent North Korea.

The talks will mark the end of a 2 year hardline stance taken by South Korea’s Lee Myung-Bak and the Obama administration to enforce strict economic sanctions, deprive the North of essential foreign food aid and refusals to return to Six Party Talks which North Korea originally walked out on in April 2009. Initial talks between high level military officials on either side will determine the path forward for future discussions and the possible resumption of the 6PT and the denuclearization of North Korea.

My own opinion is that this is a rotten idea. This follows North Korea’s tried and true pattern of creating an emergency through increased provocation, taking international condemnation, rattling the nuclear weapon saber and then returning to talks and aid resumption in exchange for a short duration of “good behaviour”.

Source: Reuters

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/758

Jan 24

Public executions in North over South Korean leaflets

Categories:

China, Defection, Kim Jong-Il, Kim Jong-Un, North Korea, Propaganda, South Korea, Succession

January 24, 2011

Leaflet dropping via balloons released from South Korea to float into residential areas of the North have been commonplace for years in North Korea. The leaflets are often released by human rights groups from Seoul and contain details of the more comfortable lifestyle of South Koreans, truths about North Korea’s leadership, and sometimes money and shortwave radios. North Korean authorities dispatch teams to collect and destroy many of these leaflets, and encourage people who have found them to turn them in without reading them, and report anyone who is seen reading them. Often the punishment for being caught will be time spent in a “re-education” camp, or a lighter sentence may be imposed if bribes are accepted.

In a clear example to North Koreans that reading these leaflets or pocketing their contents is unacceptable, officials in Sariwon in North Hwanghae Province gathered 500 people to witness the execution of a 45 year old woman accused of reading the pamphlets and a high ranking soldier for pocketing money from a balloon. The families of both executions were then sent to labour camps.

Recently, North Korean soldiers killed 5 and wounded 2 defectors, chasing them right across the Chinese border and shooting them on Chinese soil. The increased punishment for dissidence may be seen as a warning to those opposing the 3rd generation succession process, as son Kim Jong-Un slowly gets his feet wet under father Kim Jong-Il’s tutelage in Pyongyang.

Source: The Chosun Ilbo (2)

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/755

Jan 19

Time’s Up: DPRK extends economic growth plan to 2020.

Categories:

Economy, Kim Il-Sung, Kim Jong-Il, Kim Jong-Un, North Korea, Propaganda, South Korea, Tourism

January 19, 2011

DPRK2012

In 2007, North Korea made a pledge to its people: A Powerful and Prosperous Nation by 2012. The Stalinist state pledged a boosted economy and better lives for its people, through the usual Juche propaganda of self-reliance and more efficient processes such as the much hyped CNC. To downplay any real economical development in the last 4 years, North Korea has now announced a new broader vision: The “10-Year State Strategy Plan for Economic Development” headed by the “State General Bureau for Economic Development”. According to Korean Central News Agency:

This governmental body will handle all issues arising in implementing state strategy projects for economic development.

This step was taken at a time when miracles and innovations are being performed in the socialist economic construction everyday on the basis of a solid springboard laid for building a thriving socialist nation under the outstanding and tested Songun leadership of Kim Jong Il.

The above-said plan set a state strategic goal for economic development. It puts main emphasis on building infrastructure and developing agriculture and basic industries including electric power, coal, oil and metal industries and regional development. It, at the same time, helps lay a foundation for the country to emerge a thriving nation in 2012 and opens a bright prospect for the country to proudly rank itself among the advanced countries in 2020.

When the above-said strategy plan is fulfilled, the DPRK will emerge not only a full-fledged thriving nation but take a strategic position in Northeast Asia and international economic relations.

It seems likely that much of this “economic growth”, if any actually comes to fruition, will be partly attributed to nepotic leader-to-be Kim Jong-Un. The young successor, like his father Kim Jong-Il, but unlike grandfather Kim Il-Sung, has no real military background and no inputs into political ideology. Therefore, as with the succession from Kim Il-Sung to Kim Jong-Il, the propaganda machine will instead laud him as a “genius”, attributed to ideas and innovations to help boost the North Korean economy. However, the road ahead to a “Powerful and Prosperous”  DPRK will be hard fought for either leader as the US and South Korea maintain a hardline approach by enacting economic sanctions and refusing previously consistent foreign food/supply aid.

Source: The Chosun Ilbo / KCNA

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/754

Jan 18

Korea stricken with foot & mouth disease out break

Categories:

Economy, North Korea, South Korea

January 18, 2011

Both South and North Korea have been afflicted with foot & mouth disease, with South Korea reeling from the most serious outbreak in its history. Reports from South Korea’s Unification Ministry state the North Korea has also been affected with the disease. Foot & mouth disease is highly contagious among animals with hoof-feet, such as cows, pigs and goats—a valuable resource for the starving country. The disease causes large blisters on the feet and mouths of animals that can rupture and seriously harm the animal, sometimes resulting in death. In rare cases, the disease can spread to humans as well.

As South Korea (as well as Japan) systematically slaughters over 1 billion US dollars worth of livestock in order to quarantine the disease, a more frugal North Korea is containing some afflicted animals, but eating others. A similar crisis on the Korea peninsula occurred in 2007, and cooperation between the rival states helped stem the outbreak; however heightened tensions and South Korea’s hard line stance towards the North may hamper such cooperation in 2011.

Source: BBC News / Korea JoongAng Daily

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/751

Jan 13

Analysis: Escalated provocations from North Korea in 2011

Categories:

China, Diplomacy, Economy, Kim Jong-Un, Military, North Korea, Nuclear, South Korea, Succession, USA, War

January 13, 2011

Famed North Korea analyst Andrei Lankov has an interesting analysis of the events that unfolded on the Korean peninsula in 2010, and what this may lead to in the new year. In a nutshell: in response to a more hard line stance from the US and South Korea, North Korea has spent the last 3 years manufacturing hostility on the Korea peninsula. A ramped up nuclear programme complete with detonation tests, the sinking of the Cheonan in March 2010 and the artillery shelling of Yeonpyeong Island this past November are all major events aimed at getting the US/SK to warm up to a return to diplomatic discussions. These talks historically result in the North receiving food and construction supplies from their enemies – their primary survival strategy.

However, this strategy didn’t work this time. The US is still not willing to negotiate, and the South has demonstrated that they can enact elaborate military exercises without reprisal from the DPRK (despite countless threats of war if they proceeded). As war would likely quickly devastate either side, North Korea has backed down from its threats, perhaps to execute a counter-offensive at a time of its own choosing. Relations with China remain stable, but aid from their only real ally may not be enough to boost the economy enough to bolster support for future president Kim Jong-Un. 2011 may be the year North Korea really pushes the envelope; a potential third nuclear test fire, development of intercontinental ballistic missiles, and border skirmishes are all possibilities to increase the stakes in a calculated (and perhaps desperate) attempt to get everyone back around the negotiation table.

Source: Asia Times Online

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/745

Jan 10

North Korea’s official response to weekend hacking

Categories:

North Korea, Offbeat, Propaganda, South Korea

January 10, 2011

The source on this is a little odd: A WordPress blog with almost entirely default settings containing a many quality articles. However, the author has taken the effort to translate North Korea’s official response to the hacking of its Uriminzokkiri Youtube and Twitter accounts, as well as a direct denial of service attack on the Urimizokkiri website. So kudos to @dwkim9156 for translating the text:

Between the night of the 8th to the morning of the 9th, “Uriminzokkiri” webpage has been temporarily closed due to the hacking of the illegal intruders. The said illegal intruders perpetrated the laws by posted pieces of writing that insults our systems and dignity and deleted our stored information. Prior to this event, these illegal intruders have launched a DDoS attack on “Uriminzokkiri” webpage in late December. Such perpetration against “Uriminzokkiri” website is a base, rash act of the heinous members for anti-reunification to stall the influence of “Uriminzokkiri,” and it is an unforgivable defiance and provocation to our website.

The members of Comedy Gallery in DCinside, a South Korean webpage, have claimed to be responsible, and manipulates the opinions to make it seem as if they “responded” to our DDoS attack on their website.
“Uriminzokkiri” is an internet media of the Republic that works to advocate the desire and inclination for the People’s reconciliation, unity, and reunification, and does not intrude or hack other websites, nor does it indulge in such childish plays.
What will we achieve by hacking with extreme-rightist, rash people in websites that people do not even know whether it exists or not. Their excuse is nothing but an attempt to justify their illegal intrusion. The problem is that this incident has been a deliberated provocation by the hostile subjects whose marrows are filled with the hatred towards our Republic and controlled by the extreme-rightist influence.
As known previously, the pro-American conservative party have blocked “Uriminzokkiri” and labeled it as “pro-North website” to stall our influence, and have threatened many people in the South against connecting to our website, making it a violation of “National Security laws.” However, the number of those outside and inside the fatherland who visit our website is increasing exponentially every day.
Nonetheless, the extreme-rightist conservative influence, who are filled with a rooted hostility and repulsion towards us have lured some rash subjects who would even jump into the water for few pennies to perform illegal hacking on our website to prevent our voice for justice from reaching out to the people inside and outside the fatherland.
International hacking is illegal and outlawed in every country and governments, and South Korea is not an exception. Even according to the South Korean current law, if one damages others politically and economically on the web through hacking, one must pay for the crime and receive severe punishments.

Again, this incident proves that the South Korean extreme-rightist conservative subjects are criminals who intrude international internet web without hesitation to perform illegal hacking acts.

During the last few years, the South Korean authorities have made unfounded accusations to us every time they suffered a cyber attack in order to mislead both domestic and international media. This incident shows that those cyber attacks have occurred within South Korea as well.

Although the rash subjects who counter the currents of the era of information try to stall the influence of “Uriminzokkiri,” they cannot stop our communications that are meant to achieve the People’s reconciliation, unity, and reunification.
Those who have performed the hacking should deeply consider the severe consequences that await them, and act rashly no more.
The South Korean authorities should thoroughly investigate this illegal, even anarchical hacking incident, and severely punish those involved in it.
All the People should not tolerate the rashness of the extreme-rightist conservative subjects who have performed illegal, even anarchical deeds on internet with the criminal goal of preventing the achievement of reconciliation and unity, and inspire wars between brothers.

No big surprises here, but it’s interesting that North Korea decries the attacks as “childish”, while also hypocritically chewing out the South Korean government for blocking pro-North sites in the first place (North Korea, of course, blocks all content outside its own internal network of websites).

Source: Hello, World

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/744

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