Jul 29
North Koreans are being encouraged by the government to deposit any money not currently in banks to be converted to the new currency, at a rate of 100:1. Citizens are reluctant, however, as skyrocketing prices for necessities such as rice make the benefits trivial at best.
Source: DailyNK
Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/117
Jul 29
Air Koryo has announced a new bi-weekly flight from Shanghai to Pyongyang. Perhaps nother route to promote tourism for the upcoming Arirang concerts in August?
Source: North Korean Economy Watch
Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/114
Jul 29
China has signed an agreement with North Korea to boost economic aid to the impoverished country, in exchange for a return to six party talks. This lends further evidence to the argument that if you want to injure Pyongyang, you need to start with China.
Source: Yahoo! News
Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/112
Jul 29
DPRK’s foreign minister is currently in Burma (Myanmar), reportedly in discussions with the junta in power there over joint military aid. Accusations from Norway claim Myanmar is currently developing it’s own nuclear weapons programme, with assistance from the North.
Source: Yahoo! News
Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/109
Jul 29
The UN Command led by the US will meet with NK for the 3rd time at the border village of Panmunjom to discuss a joint NK-UN investigation into the sinking of the Cheonan. The North has previously requested to investigate the Cheonan, by the UN Command has fired back demanding the North claim responsibility for the sinking.
Source: Voice of America
Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/106
Jul 28
Check out this article detailing the lengths that refugees in the US go to to take care of their families back home. Even sending just $1500 USD a year makes a person in NK quite wealthy. Money is typically funneled through South Korea accounts into Chinese accounts which then get sent to North Korea, often with a 20% overhead charge.
Source: Radio Free Asia c/o @LiberateLaura on Twitter
Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/101
Jul 28
More Jong-Un news from Open Radio: 10 million portraits are being prepared of Kim Jong Un, the 27 year old heir apparent to the North Korea throne. With these distributed, we’ll have one more picture of the new leader to add to the gallery of two.
Source: Open Radio for North Korea
Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/98
Jul 28
Open Radio for North Korea in Seoul is reporting that the Dear Leader is quietly transferring his personal wealth to his son, the inevitable successor to the North Korea leadership. Kim Jon-Un, age 27 is expected to be tapped as successor in an upcoming September meeting of delegates of top officials. I suspect we will be learning a lot more about the “Youth Captain” in the coming days and weeks.
Source: Google News via AFP
Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/94
Jul 28
Though nearly all fingers are firmly pointed at the North for the demise of the Cheonan and 46 of her crew, the long awaited report from a Russian investigation has been released. They determine that problems arose when a net became entangled with a propeller while the boat was in shallow waters. While moving to deeper waters, the boat touched a floating mine which then broke the hull in two. An interesting opposing viewpoint that is much more difficult to dismiss then some of the wilder conspiracy theories floating about.
Source(s): The Hankyoreh / (1) (2)
Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/92
Jul 28
While there are several documentaries and tales of Americans travelling to North Korea and getting nearly the same identical cookie cutter tour, you too can visit the DPRK for the annual Arirang Mass Games. Available in 3 – 8 day tours, Americans, Japanese, Australians and Russians are invited to fly in from Shenyang, China to attend the mass propaganda tour and witness the spectacular gymnastics and “card flipping” mosaic operated by 100,000 synchronized NK athletes. Notable is the doubled cost for American tourist visas.
Source: DailyNK
Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/88
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