Aug 10

North Korea’s Official Youtube

Categories:

North Korea, Offbeat, Propaganda

August 10, 2010

Obviously meant for the outside world, North Korea has recently launched their official Youtube channel. The videos are mostly in Korean. The channel takes its name from the state-run online newspaper, Uriminzokkiri. The newspaper has not been offered in English since December of 2007. Urimizokkiri appears to mean “By our nation itself”, a fitting summary of their Juche ideology.

Another interesting Youtube channel belongs to “rodrigorojo1“. He has many videos hosted of Korean Central Television (KCTV) footage, and updates daily. This gives you a better experience for what North Korean citizens get to watch on television.

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/226

Aug 09

Breaking: North Korea firing artillery into west coast

Categories:

Military, North Korea, War

August 9, 2010

Details are sketchy at the moment, but it has been reported by the South’s Defense Ministry that North Korea has fired artillery shells into the sea. How much artillery, what they may have been firing at (if anything), and how close to disputed borders the firing occurred at has yet to be release.

Update: Yonhap News is reporting that 110 shells were fired, all on the North side of the Northern Limit Line of the Yellow Sea. It is still unclear whether they were firing at anything specific, or if this simply was a demonstration of force. The South’s Navy is on heightened alert.

Source: Associated Press via Google News / Yonhap News

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/222

Aug 09

More details on seized fishing vessel

Categories:

China, Military, North Korea, South Korea, War

August 9, 2010

A number of media outlets reported this weekend on the seizure of a North Korean fishing vessel. The North has been completely mum on the issue; appeals from Seoul for the safe return of the vessel and her crew have gone unanswered. The ship, the “Daeseung”, was crewed by 4 South Koreans and 3 Chinese civilians, so it will be interesting to see China’s reaction to this movie. The ship was believed to be in disputed waters, and the last communication with the boat was made at 4:45PM (Korea time), just a few hours after responding affirmatively to a SK Fisheries department asking “Are you now being towed by a North Korean patrol ship?”.

Source: DailyNK

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/221

Aug 08

Breaking: SK fishing boat seized by North

Categories:

Military, North Korea, South Korea, War

August 8, 2010

I have no details other than this, Associated Press has a tiny blurb about it and noone else seems to be carrying the story on this sleepy Sunday morning. Will post more when I see more. Full text: “Seoul says North Korea has seized South Korean fishing boat in waters off the eastern coast”.

This comes in the wake of a huge cabinet reshuffle in South Korea by president Lee Myung-Bak, and in the middle of South Korean naval exercises designed to intimidate and deter an ever-threatening North.

Source: @BreakingNews / Yonhap News (2)

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/214

Aug 06

Kim Jong-Un all but official…

Categories:

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

August 6, 2010

Vague references in the ongoing Arirang Mass Games, as well a report from Tokyo seem to indicate that the upcoming September delegates meeting will bring Kim Jong-Un to a high ranking position within the communist party. The 27 year old son of Kim Jong-Il will likely be taking on more of a leadership and policymaking role, and in September 2012 will probably be officially tapped as successor to North Korea’s leadership. And we still don’t have any good pics of him!

Source: Chosun Ilbo / Google News


Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/209

Aug 06

South Korea’s second day of naval exercises

Categories:

North Korea, South Korea, War

August 6, 2010

4500 troops, an amphibious landing ship, a destroyer and dozens of fighter jets are performing drills in a simulated battle to prepare against a maritime invasion from the North. This is the 2nd day of the 5 day exercise.

Source: Yonhap News

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/208

Aug 05

North Korean flooding: the next great famine?

Categories:

Economy, North Korea

August 5, 2010

New estimates state that over 5500 houses have been destroyed, as well as 15000 hectares of farm land. The rain is expected to last at two more days. Evacuations on the Chinese border province of Jilin have exceeded 800000.

Source: Voice of America

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/207

Aug 05

Religious participants executed

Categories:

North Korea

August 5, 2010

Three leaders of an underground Christian Church in South Pyongan province, North Korea were executed this past May, and 20 others were sent to prison camps. There’s really not much more to say other than that.

Source: DailyNK

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/206

Aug 04

North positions anti-aircraft missiles in response to South drills

Categories:

Military, North Korea, South Korea, War

August 4, 2010

SA-5As the South begins Thursday a 5 day naval exercise in the Yellow Sea, North Korea has responded by moving its SA-5 anti-air missiles towards the action. The North has previously threatened “strong physical retaliation” as a response to the drills, and the South has challenged back that any provocation will result in an immediate counter-attack. Is Korean War 2 about to break out on the peninsula?

Source: Chosun Ilbo / Google News

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/197

Aug 03

Sea of fire, nuclear destruction, retaliatory sacred war, etc, etc…

Categories:

Military, North Korea, Nuclear, Propaganda, South Korea, War

August 3, 2010

I don’t know if it’s even worth posting these, as the North threatens “all out war” on a seemingly daily basis since being directly accused for the sinking of the Cheonan this past March. The latest threats are in response to South Korean anti-submarine drills near the maritime border between the warring nations.

Source: Yonhap News

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/189

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