Oct 13

North Korea appeals ban of gymnast with multiple reported birthdates

Categories:

Athletics, North Korea

October 13, 2010

The DPRK is appealing a ban of the North Korean gymnast team for participating in world championship’s due to inconsistencies in the reported age of Hong Su Jong. The controversy lies with her reported aged for the Athens 2004 Olympics having her birth year registered as 1985, while other sources cite her birth year as 1989, which would have made her ineligible for the Olympics (she would have been 15 when Olympic rules state athletes must be 16 or older). Though many outlets report her being the older sister of 2008 Olympic gold medalist Hong Su Jong, it is believed that they are in fact twins, both sharing a birthdate of March 9th, 2009 (both pictured above, on the left and the right respectively). It is a requirement for all gymnasts at international meets to carry a license proving their age. The International Gymnastics Federation’s appeal tribunal will rule within the next 5 days.

Source: Yahoo! News via AP

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/503

Oct 12

Now with 50% more ugly, the new KCNA website

Categories:

North Korea, Propaganda

October 12, 2010

The KCNA state-run website is preparing to switch to its own .kp top-level domain soon, but you can already visit the website. Though they have thankfully caught up with 1998 with the removal of HTML frames, it is still quite gaudy even by North Korean standards!

Since last week’s massive military parade and the inviting of foreign journalists, North Korea has started actively using and promoting the .kp TLD for sites based out of North Korea.

Source: KCNA and Wikipedia

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/499

Oct 12

Kim Jong-Nam denounces third generation hereditary succession

Categories:

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

October 12, 2010

Kim Jong-Nam, oldest son of Kim Jong-Il has decried the hereditary succession process underway in North Korea. Jong-Nam was once considered the prime candidate for a leadership handoff, but fell out of favour with his father after he snuck off to Japan under a fake passport (allegedly to visit Tokyo Disneyland). Quote: “Personally, I am opposed to the hereditary transfer to a third generation of the family… for my part, I am prepared to help my younger brother whenever necessary while I stay abroad.” Jong-Nam expresses hope that the younger Jong-Un can make the lives of the North Korean people better. He also states he has no regrets regarding the succession plan: “I wasn’t interested in it and I don’t care.” Jong-Nam currently lives a live of relative luxury with a family of his own in Macau.

Source: Yahoo! News via AP.

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/494

Oct 11

Massive military parade held for North Korean leaders

Categories:

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

October 11, 2010

In a huge publicity campaign for the newly annointed heir to the North Korean dynasty, a massive military parade was held in Kim Il-Sung Square in front of dozens of foreign journalists. (See: Louisa Lim’s and Melissa Chan’s Twitter feeds for liveblogging of two journalists suddenly invited to Pyongyang with many others to cover the events. The journalists were offered internet access at their hotel, and often neglected to follow many around the premises, contrary to past procedures as a visitor to the DPRK. Favourite tweet: “melissakchan: Asked one North Korean when he first heard of Kim Jong-un. He said about a year ago.”

Video of the parade including views of a weak (and mole-faced) Kim Jong-Il and heir Kim Jong-Un here:

Source: Images from AP and Reuters respectively, video from NOS.nl

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/490

Oct 11

Highest ranking North Korean defector, contributor to DailyNK, Hwang Jang-Yop dies at 87

Categories:

Defection, North Korea, South Korea

October 11, 2010

Hwang Jang-Yop, a high level member of the North Korean government during the Kim Il-Sung era who helped develop the Juche ideology with Kim Il-Sung and famously defected to South Korea in 1997, died on October 10th. DailyNK has a nice special on Hwang and his lessons about North Korea (see the “Related Articles” from this page). The death is being ruled as not suspicious, but an autopsy will be performed. Great information on the life of Hwang Jang-Yop can be found on his Wikipedia page.

Source: Daily NK

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/487

Oct 09

North Korea opens up to foreign journalists prior to massive parade

Categories:

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

October 9, 2010

Quite suddenly, many journalists were offered visas to enter the reclusive country, presumably to report on the upcoming military parade described as being “Kim Jong-Un’s Coming Out Party”. The young General was also seen with his father at the Arirang Mass Games. Follow Louisa Lim’s Twitter page as she is one of the journalist allowed into the country. Apparently, the airport staff weren’t prepared for the sudden deluge of foreign journalists. One minder of the group described their visit as “unprecedented”. Louisa has previously been to Pyongyang around this time last year.

Source: NPR

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/484

Oct 08

Kim Jong-Un confirmed as next North Korean leader by official

Categories:

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

October 8, 2010

Yang Hyong-Sop, vice president of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly, referred to Jong-Un as the “Young General” in a TV interview recently. “Our people take pride in the fact that they are blessed with great leaders from generation to generation,” Yang said. “Our people are honored to serve the great President Kim Il Sung and the great leader Kim Jong Il,” he added. “Now we also have the honor of serving young Gen. Kim Jong Un.” Things seem on the fast-forward now as yesterday’s speculations become today’s confirmations regarding the succession of North Korean leadership.

Source: NPR

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/480

Oct 06

KPA Journal No.1 Vol.9 released

Categories:

Economy, Military, North Korea, War

October 6, 2010

The always intriguing North Korean Economy Watch blog has linked the latest issue in Joseph Bermudaz‘ KPA Journal. These journals which come in PDF format detail the North’s military assets, biographies of its commanders, strategies, and more. Very interesting material and I encourage you to read them all. Click the link below to download all 9 issues published so far.

Source: North Korea Economy Watch

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/478

Oct 06

North Korean ship threatened by pirates near Scotland

Categories:

North Korea

October 6, 2010

The Merchant Vessel Mi Rae, of North Korean origin released a distress call which was responded to by the HMS Montrose. The Montrose sent a helicopter to the scene, where the alleged pirates were witnessed throwing a grenade launcher overboard. The pirates were eventually released, and the incident ended peacefully.

Source: STV

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/473

Oct 05

Father and son attend military drills together; NK capable of jamming GPS

Categories:

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

October 5, 2010

KCNA reports that both leader and son participated in watching the North Korean military drills. Kim Jong-Un has suddenly been quite prominent in North Korean media lately, and it is widely accepted that he is being groomed to succeed his father Jong-Il as the leader of the North Korea dynasty. Kim Jong-Un received key posts that effectively label him 2nd-in-command at a rare Korean Worker’s Party conference last week, while secrecy still shrouds his life prior to these promotions. Events such as this viewing of drills are similar to the father-son behaviour of Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il, travelling and leading together. Will there be shared leadership in the future while Jong-Il survives?

In related events, the South Korean defense minister reported to parliament that during the US-SK war game exercises in late August, their GPS reception was intermittenly jammed and interfered with by North Korea. The jamming equipment is alleged to be Russian in origin, and can operate on signals within 100km, which may pose a serious concern for South Korea military, who are dependent on guided weapons that utilize the technology. It is also believed that North Korea is also trying to export the technology to the Middle East.

Source: Yahoo! News via AFP / Yahoo! News via Reuters

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/470

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