Nov 23
KPA Journal, the publication begun in January 2010 by DPRK military analyst and expert Joseph Bermudez, has found a permanent website to release his widely respected PDFs from. Prior to now, PDFs circulated about the internet through forums and web blogs, but now you can download the current issue as well as back issues from www.kpajournal.com.
Source: North Korea Leadership Watch
Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/636
Nov 23
A salvo of 50 artillery shells were fired at Yeongpyong, island village in South Korea that is uncomfortably close to North Korea on the East. The shells killed 1 marine and injured 13 others, and shots were quickly returned by the South. The South Korean military is at is highest alert. More shots were exchanged on either side sporadically for about an hour. 10 houses were set ablaze as a result of the North’s shelling.
State run news North Korean news outlet KCNA is reporting that the South Korea fired first, which is most certainly a farce. Later in their report they also claimed that these types of attacks will continue if South Korea does not stop violating maritime borders. (Thanks W7VOA via Twitter, for the live updates).
The attacks come mere days after the discovery that North Korea has ramped up efforts for nuclear weapons proliferations by starting construction of a light water nuclear reactor. This is habitual of North Korea to provoke the South and the USA during times of increased tensions as a method to return to 6 Party Talks. 6 Party Talks (China, SK, NK, Japan, USA and Russia) historically have ended up benefitting the North in the form of food and construction aid, while they give basically nothing up in return. This type of attack will likely be used to bolster support for incumbent leader Kim Jong-Un by strengthening his grip on the “military first” policies created by his father.
BBC has some photos of the destruction for your perusal. This is the biggest land based provocation from the DPRK in quite some time, however Yeonpyeong has been the site of naval battles between the divided countries in 1999 and 2002, due to the close proximity of the Northern Limit Line.
Source: Yahoo! News via AFP / BBC News
Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/630
Nov 18
The Hankyoreh, a South Korean independent newspaper, has released a documentary questioning the evidence surrounding the March 26 2010 sinking of the Cheonan warship. The South Korean led international investigation team implicated a North Korean submarine torpedo attack, and the North has vehemently denied the allegation, often causing a breakdown in discussions on other inter-Korean issues.
The documentary, which is about half an hour long, raises some interesting concerns over the investigation into the sinking. Questions over the size and energy of the water column created by the blast, bent propellers and fishing line that seem to indicate the ship might have run aground, eye witness testimonies claiming the incident happened much closer to shore than reported, conflicting Russian reports, and inconsistent timestamps on CCTV footage aboard the warship all raise the issue that the investigation should be reopened and studied from more angles than a North Korean torpedo attack. The video does not openly allege that North Korea did not sink the ship, nor does it claim a grand conspiracy theory between SK and US governments. Rather, an appeal is made to initiate a new, independent and transparent investigation into the tragedy.
You can watch the entire documentary in 720p via HaniTV on Youtube.
Source: The Hankyoreh
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Nov 09
South Korean president Lee Myung-bak has dropped the requirement that North Korea apologize for the torpedo attack that sank the Cheonan warship this past March, killing 47 sailors. The apology has frequently been cited as mandatory to the resumption of Six Party Talks between the divided Koreas, China, USA, Japan and Russia. North Korea has maintained a hard stance, denying responsibility despite damning evidence from an international panel reviewing the Cheonan wreckage. Many times the North Koreans have walked out on discussions after an apology was demanded, and the DPRK has even offered to help with their own investigation and offering evidence to prove their innocence. Myung-bak declined to comment on whether the apology was still a requirement, but an aide close to the president states that it was “not a precondition to resuming the talks.”
Source: The New York Times
Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/604
Nov 04
The Cheong Wa Dae, otherwise known as the Blue House, South Korea’s parallel to the USA’s White House, is apparently being data scraped by North Korean sources for information regarding the G20 summit beginning November 11th in Seoul. While nothing sensitive has yet been compromised, authorities are keeping a close eye on the attempts. Fears of North Korean provocation are mounting as the world’s eyes are on the South during the meeting of world leaders. No mention of actual security breaches are made, causing me to speculate that this is simply an incidence of North Korean sources accessing publicly accessible materials… a loose application of the “hacking” phrase commonly invoked by media organizations. UPDATE: I’m not concentrating enough today, apparently the home computers of Blue House officials have even been targeted by North Koreans. Employees are having their work computers replaced on bi-annual basis just to prevent longterm infiltration from North Korean data snoopers.
Source: The Chosun Ilbo
Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/588
Nov 04
As the G20 summit in Seoul prepares for a November 11th kick-off, heightened security and tensions exist on the Korea peninsula. As a result, South Korean authorities are being diligent in preventing North Korean provocations during the meeting of world leaders. A North Korean fishing boat trespassing across the Northern Limit Line was met with warning shots from the SK Navy, after which the boat returned to its own side without event. DailyNK has an interesting opinion piece on whether or not North Korea will act to disrupt the G20 meeting, which can be summarized in the following quote: “Experts say that Kim Jong Il thinks being ignored is politically worse than being punished, and this is why North Korea continues to provoke the outside world despite the fact that it does not appear to be a profitable course of action.”
Source: Korea JoongAng Daily and DailyNK
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Nov 02
In a statement likely to rile up conspiracy theorists, KCNA state-run media reports that it is ready to provide Seoul with a sample of its torpedos as proof that it did not sink the Cheonan in March of this year. The argument from the North is that their torpedoes are made from a steel alloy, whereas most torpedoes throughout the world are made from aluminum. The North described the multi-national investigative report on the cause of the sinking as the “most hideous conspiratorial farce in history”. Here is a link to the full report from KCNA (very long!).
Source: Yahoo! News via AFP / KCNA
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Nov 02
The three day tour in Mt. Kumgang, North Korea, where families separated by the 60 year old Korean War have finally been reunited, has come to an end. Families separated by the war were both jubilant and saddened to have missed out on entire lifetimes without one another. Elderly family members sang songs, cried, held one another and shared family histories during the joint South/North reunion project. Families were devastated to be torn apart once more as they returned to their respective countries, likely never to see one another again. Four Korean War POWs from the South, previously believed to have been killed in action, were reunited for their families, leading the SK government to consider the status of other soldiers believed dead or missing. Both countries agree that more reunions are necessary, however the North has demanded concessions in the form of food and supplies aid in exchange. 80 000 elderly South Koreans are still estimated to have family in the North, uncontacted since the 1950-1953 war
Source: Yahoo! News via AFP
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Oct 29
Soldiers from the North Korean side of the DMZ fired two shots at a South Korean guardpost on the other side of the border. South Korean soldiers responded with three machine gun shots. No injuries were reported. While not uncommon for gun skirmishes to break out along the heavily fortified demilitarized zone, this incident occurs just ahead of the G20 summit in Seoul, an event that has many keeping one eye on the DPRK’s behaviour. The incident occurred in Hwacheon, approximately 120km north-east of Seoul.
Source: Yahoo! News via AFP
Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/571
Oct 20
Data from the South Korean navy suggest that North Korean vessels have trespassed into South Korean waters over 50 times since the March 2010 sinking of the Cheonan corvette. The invasions were consistently 7-9 times each month between May and October. Over a 5 year period, North Korea has trespassed over 200 times over the Northern Limit Line, the line separating waters between North and South Korea. The North has never accepted the location of the NLL, and insists it be moved further south.
Source: Asian News Network
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