· July, 2008

Stories about North Korea from July, 2008

Korea: Chopsticks… Rather Complicated…

  18 July 2008

Why does Korea use iron for chopsticks while other chopsticks countries use wooden materials? What is the history of the use of chopsticks? When do kids learn how to use it? Hyejin Kim answer these and other questions about this ancient eating utensil.

Korea: A South Korean Woman’s Death in North Korea

  16 July 2008

There is a way that South Koreans can officially and safely go to North Korea at present. It is a special tourist site that was opened for a special zone, Kumgangsan Tourist Region, in North Korea. Young people send their parents on this trip for ‘filial tourism for their parents.’...

Japan: Comment about abductions sparks harsh reactions

  8 July 2008

LDP member Koichi Kato has sparked harsh reactions from bloggers with a comment he made on July 7th. In the comment, Kato connected the stagnation of Japanese-Korea negotiations with the government decision in 2002 not to return 5 Japanese abductees to North Korea after they had been delivered to Japan by North Korea for what was expected to be a short time. The abductees were among a group of Japanese citizens kidnapped by North Korea in the late 1970s and early 1980s.