Stories about North Korea from June, 2011
AP to Open News Bureau In North Korea
The Associated Press(AP) announced on June 29 that AP signed agreements with North Korea’s state news agency, KCNA, to open a news bureau in Pyongyang, North Korea. Read net users’ reactions to the news in the BoingBoing blog.
North Korea's Fragility in the Face of the Rainy Season
Open Radio for North Korea, a Seoul-based radio station founded and runs by North Korean defectors, reported that North Korean citizens have been mobilized to bolster constructions as rainy season begins. Poorly constructed embankments and dams often flooded during heavy downpour.
A Syrian Solution for North Korea
Libyan and Syrian cases are significant to North Korea's possible change by exhibiting how quickly ruthless totalitarian regimes can become unstable in the face of resistance, wrote Joshua from the One Free Korea.
Cannibalism In North Korea, Smuggled Documents Reveal
GI Korea from the ROK Drop blog commented on local news report claiming that they have obtained smuggled documents confirming cannibalism in North Korea. Acts of cannibalism have long been reported by North Korean defectors, especially during the mass famine in the mid-90′s.
Korea: Blogger Touring Tense Border Area
Maggie Downs from the GirlVentures blog shared her experience in touring tense border area between the South and North Korea. Downs visited the demilitarized zone, Camp Bonifas, Panmunjom and the joint security area.
China’s Civilizing Influence in North Korea
Adam Cathcart from Sinologistical Violoncellist notes the changes in the rhetoric's of political slogan in Pyongyang and discusses influence China has on North Korea.
North Korea: Women Forced into Prostitution
A Seoul-based aid organization, Good Friends, released an English version of its weekly report. According to North Korean defectors’ testimonies, not a few North Korean women are forced into prostitution in order to make ends meet.
North Korea's Meth Export
Chinese authorities recently conducted a crackdown on drug in Chinese region bordering North Korea. Although it’s hard to trace the origin of methamphetamine, residents and experts believe that much of the meth consumed in the region is manufactured in North Korea. Robert Neff wrote about it in the Marmot's Hole...
South Korean Troops Shoot at Passenger Jet, No One Injured
South Korean troops shot at passenger jet on June 17 after mistaking it for a North Korean military aircraft near the border with North Korea. No one was hurt from the incident, but South Korean net users from public forum sites are demanding more thorough explanations [ko].
North Korea: Photos of Secret Spots
UK-based photographer Charlie Crane took photos of the sterile landscape of Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. Abby Wilcox from the Live Fast site posted the photos with explanation.
North Korea Threatens to Disclose Recordings of Talks with South
In an apparent act of blackmail, North Korea threatened South Korea on Thursday that they would release secret audio recordings from Inter-Korean talks reportedly held on May 9, 2011. The secret meeting, initiated by the South, was meant to lead to an agreement on talks for how to move forward after two deadly attacks on South Korea in 2010.
Korea: Defector's Commentary on Using Kim Jong-il's Portrait as Army Target
It was revealed in early June that South Korean military units have been using the pictures of Kim Jong-il, his youngest son, and his late father as targets during firing drills. Ask a Korean blog posted translation of Joo Sung-ha's commentary on the revelation. Mr. Joo is a North Korean...
North Korea: North Korean Netbook Appears to be Chinese
The North Korean netbook highlighted in its state television report appears to be made in China, Martyn Williams wrote about the controversial netbook in the North Korea Tech blog.
North Korea: The Food Aid Dilemma
In the Council on Foreign Relations site, Toni Johnson published an analysis on North Korea's food situation and the dilemma in sending food aid to the country.
North Korea Tweeting Back at South Korean Governor's Criticism
South Korean politician and Governor of Gyeonggi Province, Kim Moon-Soo harshly accused North Korea of the regime's 3rd generation succession and its reclusive policies in a conference in Beijing, China. North Korean Twitter @uriminzok fired back at Kim, calling his comment ‘a reckless remark’. South Korea's citizen/blogger news, Wiki Tree...
