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

Sep 14

Final South Korean report on Cheonan sinking released

Categories:

North Korea, South Korea, War

September 14, 2010

South Korea officially announced their final report regarding the sinking of the Cheonan warship in April. They have once again indicated that evidence suggests overwhelmingly that a North Korean torpedo was the antagonist in the sinking. A shockwave caused by a torpedo explosion bent the hull of the ship in half, causing it to sink. The recovered rear portionm of the torpedo posess marks that indicate that the North manufactured and launched the torpedo, while deformed propellers on the Cheonan were explained by the immedia halt of the boat’s movement by the initial blast. If I find a full version of the report to share, I will post it here.

Source: CNN / DailyNK

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/391

Sep 14

Worker’s Party Conference delayed due to Kim Jong-Il’s health?

Categories:

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

September 14, 2010

Further speculation on the much anticipated, but still delayed 3rd convening of the Korean Worker’s Party, is blaming Kim Jong-Il’s ailing health for the delay of the meeting. It has also been speculated that we might not see or hear much about heir apparent son Kim Jong-Un, who has long been expected to step out of the shadows and be appointed a high ranking position within the party, to prepare for an eventual leadership succession. The conference was thought to begin as early as September 9th. North Korean state media has reported that KJI has been performing some of his famous “on-site inspections” in different places, which would contradict claims that his health is delaying the KWP meeting. More speculation runs rampant from Reuters, who claim the conference could begin as early as Wednesday.

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

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/389

Sep 14

Rice aid from the South

Categories:

Economy, North Korea, South Korea

September 14, 2010

Flood stricken North Korea is being offered from the South’s Red Cross, in the form of 5000 tons of rice and 10 000 tons of cement, as well as 3 000 000 instant noodle packs (mmm..). This is the first time the South has extended any type of aid towards its neighbour since President Lee Myung-Bak took office in 2008. Lee has taken a hard stance against North Korea as one of his administration’s policies, and this has arguably lead to increased (but now thawing) tensions on the peninsula.

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/387

Sep 12

Propaganda found in DPRK’s Red Star Linux OS

Categories:

North Korea, Offbeat

September 12, 2010

Here is a Japanese webpage describing the stock wallpapers that ship with North Korea’s very own Red Star Linux distribution. While there isn’t a whole lot of propaganda to be found on the surface of the OS, if you look to the default wallpapers you will fine many heavily photoshopped images of North Korean countryside with idyllic settings. Of interesting note are the many gas powered tractors tilling the farmland that have obviously been edited into the photo, and the anti-aircraft guns poised for readiness amidst a gentle snowfall.

Source: Slashdot Japan

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/384

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