Nov 23

DPRK fires artillery shells at South, killing 1 and injuring 13

Categories:

Kim Jong-Il, Kim Jong-Un, Military, North Korea, Propaganda, South Korea, USA, War

November 23, 2010

yangbeyon map

A salvo of 50 artillery shells were fired at Yeongpyong, island village in South Korea that is uncomfortably close to North Korea on the East. The shells killed 1 marine and injured 13 others, and shots were quickly returned by the South. The South Korean military is at is highest alert. More shots were exchanged on either side sporadically for about an hour. 10 houses were set ablaze as a result of the North’s shelling.

State run news North Korean news outlet KCNA is reporting that the South Korea fired first, which is most certainly a farce. Later in their report they also claimed that these types of attacks will continue if South Korea does not stop violating maritime borders. (Thanks W7VOA via Twitter, for the live updates).

The attacks come mere days after the discovery that North Korea has ramped up efforts for nuclear weapons proliferations by starting construction of a light water nuclear reactor. This is habitual of North Korea to provoke the South and the USA during times of increased tensions as a method to return to 6 Party Talks. 6 Party Talks (China, SK, NK, Japan, USA and Russia) historically have ended up benefitting the North in the form of food and construction aid, while they give basically nothing up in return. This type of attack will likely be used to bolster support for incumbent leader Kim Jong-Un by strengthening his grip on the “military first” policies created by his father.

BBC has some photos of the destruction for your perusal. This is the biggest land based provocation from the DPRK in quite some time, however Yeonpyeong has been the site of naval battles between the divided countries in 1999 and 2002, due to the close proximity of the Northern Limit Line.

Source: Yahoo! News via AFP / BBC News

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/630

Nov 18

Hankyoreh documentary questions Cheonan investigation

Categories:

Military, North Korea, South Korea, USA, War

November 18, 2010

cheonan_simThe Hankyoreh, a South Korean independent newspaper, has released a documentary questioning the evidence surrounding the March 26 2010 sinking of the Cheonan warship. The South Korean led international investigation team implicated a North Korean submarine torpedo attack, and the North has vehemently denied the allegation, often causing a breakdown in discussions on other inter-Korean issues.

The documentary, which is about half an hour long, raises some interesting concerns over the investigation into the sinking. Questions over the size and energy of the water column created by the blast, bent propellers and fishing line that seem to indicate the ship might have run aground, eye witness testimonies claiming the incident happened much closer to shore than reported, conflicting Russian reports, and inconsistent timestamps on CCTV footage aboard the warship all raise the issue that the investigation should be reopened and studied from more angles than a North Korean torpedo attack. The video does not openly allege that North Korea did not sink the ship, nor does it claim a grand conspiracy theory between SK and US governments. Rather, an appeal is made to initiate a new, independent and transparent investigation into the tragedy.

You can watch the entire documentary in 720p via HaniTV on Youtube.

Source: The Hankyoreh

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/627

Nov 17

A joint SK/NK bid for the 2022 FIFA World Cup?

Categories:

Athletics, Economy, North Korea, Reunification, South Korea

November 17, 2010

According to the DailyNK: South Korea, who previously hosted the FIFA World Cup in 2002, is bidding to host the 2022 games. The South has modern facility, world class telecommunications infrastructure, terrific transit systems, so how could they lose? Well, in what appears to be a symbolic gesture towards one day reunifying the peninsula, the South has also put forth in their bid that they would like some of the games hosted in North Korea. This may put a damper on FIFA’s ranking of the country to host again, as North Korea is notoriously frustrating to deal with when it comes to joint projects between the two countries. In 1988, Seoul attempted the same tactic to host the Summer Olympics, but North Korea’s demands were deemed too unreasonable, and the North and several other communist countries joined together in a boycott of the games.

Source: DailyNK

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/624

Nov 17

Kim Jong-Un purging “lazy” officials

Categories:

Defection, Kim Jong-Un, Military, North Korea, Succession

November 17, 2010

jong_un_cool_parka

Flexing his newfound power muscles, Kim Jong-Un has allegedly been purging lax officials from the military, according to a North Korean defectors’ group. Sources from the North have reported that officials who have been turning a blind eye to defections and smuggling have been cracked down upon by the heir-apparent to the North Korea dynasty. A total of 15 “heavyweight” officials have been purged thus far. If true, the move can be seen as a sign that the younger Kim will use fear as a tactic to gain loyalty from officials in order to secure a smooth transition to power in the future.

Source: Yahoo! News via AFP

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/620

Nov 13

North Korea building light water nuclear reactor

Categories:

North Korea, Nuclear, USA

November 13, 2010

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In October it was revealed that satellite imagery at the Yongbyon Nuclear site showed recent activity and construction on the site of the cooling tower demolished in 2008. Kyodo News in Tokyo is reporting that Los Alamos former chief Siegfried Hecker confirmed that a light water reactor with an expected output of 25-30MW is being constructed at the site. As construction is still in early stages, it will be several years before the reactor is complete. Light water reactors are not suitable for proliferating nuclear weapons. In 1994, the Agreed Framework between the USA and North Korea stated that the DPRK be provided with two 1000MW light water reactors in exchange for peaceful nuclear disarmament, however the deal was scrapped in 2006 when it was determined that North Korea was not following through on its end.

Source: Yahoo! News via Reuters

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/616

Nov 12

North Korea behaves itself during G20 Summit in Seoul

Categories:

Economy, North Korea, South Korea, USA

November 12, 2010

Much to the relief of South Korean officials, North Korea has been quiet during the G20 economic meetings this week in Seoul. One unconfirmed report warns that North Korea has been planning to attach chemical weapons to balloons and parachutes across the border, however I have only seen this reported in UK press and there is no official word at present to back this story up.

US President Barack Obama solidified America’s stance on protecting the South from an attack on the North, and advised the hermit state that it would risk further isolation if it continued on its path of nuclear proliferation. Obama reiterated the South Korean stance that opening up North Korea’s economy and dismantling its nuclear programme would go a long way towards relations with the international community. In a Memorial Day speech, Obama also honoured the 37 000 American troops killed or MIA in the 1950-53 Korean War.

Source: The Independent

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/612

Nov 12

Kim Jong-Un allowing North Koreans to visit relatives in China

Categories:

China, Economy, Kim Jong-Un, North Korea, Tourism

November 12, 2010

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DailyNK is reporting that North Korea, under the suggestion of Kim Jong-Un, has begun to allow its citizens to visit families in China. The move is heavily being hammed up the propaganda machine to bolster support for the heir apparent. Visits to South Korean families, or the import/export of South Korean goods via China are strictly forbidden, and Chinese authorities are contacted to confirmed that the North Korean tourist has family in the country. It seems the process for applying to visit China has also been made more efficient; previous attempts would take 3 to 6 months and required bribery to keep the wheels greased – the new process allegedly takes only 15-20 days.

Source: DailyNK

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/611

Nov 09

Huge surge in mobile phone use in North Korea

Categories:

Economy, North Korea

November 9, 2010

Orascom, the Egypt based telecom group providing 3G cell service to North Korea (and also overseeing the refurbishing of the Ryugyong Hotel) reports a 63% in subscribers over the past 3 months. The change is largely due to services being provided outside Pyongyang. Koryolink, the service provider of the mobile network in which Orascom has a 75% stake, reported just over 300 000 customers as of the end of September. Approximately 75% of North Korea’s population is within coverage range of the service, with an expected 91% coverage by the end of this fiscal year. As always, the network is restricted to domestic usage with no linkages to the outside internet

Source: TechWorld

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/607

Nov 09

South Korea no longer fishing for apology over ship sinking

Categories:

North Korea, South Korea, War

November 9, 2010

South Korean president Lee Myung-bak has dropped the requirement that North Korea apologize for the torpedo attack that sank the Cheonan warship this past March, killing 47 sailors. The apology has frequently been cited as mandatory to the resumption of Six Party Talks between the divided Koreas, China, USA, Japan and Russia. North Korea has maintained a hard stance, denying responsibility despite damning evidence from an international panel reviewing the Cheonan wreckage. Many times the North Koreans have walked out on discussions after an apology was demanded, and the DPRK has even offered to help with their own investigation and offering evidence to prove their innocence. Myung-bak declined to comment on whether the apology was still a requirement, but an aide close to the president states that it was “not a precondition to resuming the talks.”

Source: The New York Times

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/604

Nov 09

Jo Myong-Rok, top North Korean official dead at 82

Categories:

Uncategorized

November 9, 2010

Jo Myong-Rok, Vice Marshal and #2 in the National Defense Commission under only Kim Jong-Il, died of heart complications at age 82. Jo was notable for being the highest ranking official to ever visit the United States, when he met with Bill Clinton and secretary of state Madeline Albright on an unprecedented “goodwill” mission in 2000. Kim Jong-Un, heir-apparent and rising star in North Korean politics, was listed second after his father on the Myong-Rok’s funeral committee, leading Yonhap News to speculate that the young General may inherit the key post.

Source: The Washington Post | Yonhap News

Permanent link to this article: http://www.openingupnorthkorea.com/archives/599

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