Oct 05

North Korea accidentally admits to KAL858 terrorism

Categories:

Kim Jong-Il, North Korea, War

October 5, 2010

DailyNK has an interesting article of an admission of guilt by a North Korean foreign official to a South Korean official a few years back.

KAL 858 was a passenger flight en route from Baghdad to Seoul, which was sabotaged by time bombs left by two North Korean agents who left in a stopover in Abu Dhabi. The agents were caught and swallowed cyanide pills, but one survived and later admitted to the bombing, claiming the order was sent from Kim Jong-Il himself. Naturally North Korea has denied the incident, despite overwhelming evidence (see also: the sinking of the Cheonan) to the contrary.

During the Six Party Talks, Ri Gun, vice foreign minister at the time, stated “We have not committed any terrorist acts since the KAL incident”. When the official urged Ri to have DPRK formally apologize for the incident in order to be removed from the list of countries supporting terrorism, Ri clammed up as if he had blurted out the wrong thing.

Source: DailyNK

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/466

Oct 05

Did Kim Jong-Un get plastic surgery?

Categories:

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

October 5, 2010

Let me get this right out: I don’t think so. The Telegraph is speculating that Kim Jong-Un received plastic surgery in order to look more like the late Great Leader Kim Il-Sung, in order to inspire confidence in the North Korean people who have grown tired of Jong-Il’s mismanagement. The article goes on to state that he never resembled Il-Sung as a child, but I have only heard reports (and personally agree) that he looked just like Il-Sung as a youth (of course resembling the senior Kim as a child of the same age). I’ll buy that they fattened Jong-Un up to look more like him, but I think plastic surgery is a little over the top for succession speculation mongering. But who knows, this is North Korea we’re talking about after all.

Does he not resemble Kim Il-Sung in this popular “2nd most up-to-date” photo when he was around 17-18 year old?
Source: The Telegraph

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/461

Oct 04

Massive parade planned in honour of Kim Jong-Un

Categories:

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

October 4, 2010

Following last week’s coming out party for heir-apparent Kim Jong-Un, a massive military parade is being planned for October 10, the 65th anniversary of the Korean Worker’s Party founding. A large scale military exercise is also planned for around the same time, and leader Kim Jong-Il is expected to be in attendance to watch.

Source: Yahoo! News via AFP

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/459

Oct 04

Flowchart of Worker’s Party Leadership

Categories:

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

October 4, 2010

The Korea Times has a nice hiearchy chart displaying how the leadership of North Korea breaks down, including positions recently appointed during the Worker’s Party conference last week. Check out the link below.

Source: The Korea Times

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/457

Oct 01

Further evidence of Kim Jong-Il’s deteriorating health?

Categories:

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

October 1, 2010

With the Korean Worker’s Party conference over, questions loom over the meteoric rise of Kim Jong-Un for the possible succession of North Korean leadership. Is the path to succession being intentionally sped up due to the ailing health of it’s leader, Kim Jong-Il? Recent images from the conference show a large mole on the right side of the Dear Leader’s face, a possible indication that his health is an imminent concern. Will cancer take Kim Jong-Il as it devastated his father Kim Il-Sung, who died of a heart attack but not without an enormous growth on the back of his neck?

Source: Yonhap News

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/453

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

Kim Jong-Un schoolmate recalls a quiet Youth Captain

Categories:

Kim Jong-Il, Kim Jong-Un, Succession

September 27, 2010

A former classmate of Kim Jong-Un, when the youngest son of Kim Jong-Il was schooling in Bern, Switzerland. The article describes a shy, quiet boy who bonded with the interviewee over their frustration with learning German. Of interesting note, Kim once told him that his father was “the leader of North Korea”, which was met with dismissal. Jong-Un, known under the alias “Pak-Un” while in Bern, had a love for American basketball. He was unremarkable to his peers, who seldom spoke about his homeland, and often had an embassy official show up for meetings that required parental attendance. He also played North Korean music fairly often, even listening to the DPRK national anthem on many occasions.

Source: Telegraph

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/425

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