Stories about North Korea from April, 2011
North Korea: Rumors and Superstitions Surrounding Former US President Carter
Former US President Carter visited the North Korea to resolve the country's nuclear issues, but failed to meet North Korea's reclusive leader, Kim Jong-il. A North Korean insider report, Open Radio for North Korea wrote about superstitions surrounding Carter and how he gained “an inauspicious individual” status in the North.
Execution Tunnels in North Korea
There are strong claims that tunnels in North Korea have been adapted for mass-executions of political prisoners if the regime ever be threatened, according to local reports. Alec Macph shared links to North Korea's human rights violation cases in the Harry's Place blog .
North Korea: Three Films Denouncing Kim Jong-il Regime
Three films which give a rare glimpse inside the North Korea have been introduced during the North Korea Freedom Week, an annual event jointly held in Seoul and Washington hosting lectures and film screenings focusing human rights abuses in the North. Mike Paarlberg posted a detailed introduction to the films in...
North Korea: North Korean Defectors’ Remittances to Families in North
North Korean expert Andrei Lankov, wrote about the remittances from North Korean defectors on the East Asian Forum site. Despite their economic struggle in capitalistic South Korea, they send money to their starving families in the North, a basically illegal act according to both South and North Korean law.
North Korea: Starving People Welcome Big Forest Fires
A recent NASA satellite photo showed a number of forest fires in North Korea. Free North Korea Radio, an internet-based news media founded and runs by North Korean defectors, reported [ko] that starving North Koreans welcome the news since the fire will clear land for farming. (Read translation here)
North Korea: Biggest Magic Show Ever
North Korea staged its biggest magic show ever on April 18. It is believed to be a highlight in a week of festivities surrounding Kim Il Sung’s April 15 birthday, Robert Koehler commented about it in the Marmot’s Hole blog. The country's lavish spending on the show, rather than on...
Korea: A Collection of North Korean Post Stamps
South Korean blogger/journalist ID: Aroma of Desert introduced [ko] a collection of rare North Korean postage stamps.
North Korea: One American Has Been Detained
North Korea confirmed that it has detained an American man. The United States is urging North Korea to release the man on humanitarian grounds. North Korean Economy Watch blog summarized the latest detention cases.
North Korea: Delegation Visits Silicon Valley
A delegation of North Korean officials visited Silicon Valley in California to tour the Google headquarter and Stanford University, Martyn Williams from North Korea Tech Blog coalesced reports on their rare two-week trip to the United States.