Stories about North Korea from December, 2010
North Korea's State-run TV Broadcasted its First Western-made Film
North Korea's state-run television broadcasted its first Western-made film, a heavily edited “Bend It Like Beckham”. The British soccer film contains North Korea's taboo topics, like interracial relationships, homosexuality and religion. British Embassy in Seoul tweeted it is ‘the first western live-action film ever aired in North Korea, arranged by...
South Korea Defined North Korea as ‘Enemy’ in Defense White Paper
South Korea Defense ministry has decided to label North Korea as its “enemy” from its newest defense white paper, reflecting the intensified military tension between two Koreas. Some of South Korean twitterers, such as @sohjiroll[ko] considered the decision as appropriate, but worried it may not be a smart move.
Korea: Preferential Treatment to Kim Il-Sung Univ. Graduates
Giving preferential treatment to prestigious school graduates is South Korea's chronic disease. @Heoyeonism tweeted a North Korean defector's comment that North Korean defectors who went Kim Il-Sung University, one of the top universities in N.Korea is more likely to get a job in South than other defectors.
South Korea: Anti-War Protests in Seoul
As tensions in Korean peninsula intensified by yesterday's military drills, protesters in Seoul went out to the streets to demonstrate various anti-war performances, with slogans like ‘Peace to Korean peninsula’ and ‘Halt the vicious cycle of violence’, Catholic magazine ‘Here now’ posted photos of protests.
2010 Chinese blogosphere: Peace and conflict
The top stories among Chinese communities in Northeast Asia in 2010 can be summarized in two words: Peace and Conflict.
South/North Korea: Tensions Escalate in Midst of Live-Fire Drills
South Korean military exercises were underway today near the disputed waters with North Korea, who threatened Seoul to strike back, raising more tensions in the Korean peninsula. The Korean people, who have had one of the toughest days in recent weeks after the Yeonpyeong incident that killed four South Koreans, sighed with relief as the day came to a close without any conflict breaking out.
South/North Korea: A Review of 2010 in Keywords
From Cheonan incident in March to the latest North Korean attack on Yeonpyeong island, Global Voices took a look back at the year’s hottest keywords that have been widely circulated over Korean internet venues.
China: WikiLeaks, North Korea and Internet freedom
Diplomatic cables leaked by WikiLeaks raise the possibility, among other things, of reunification on the Korean peninsula. The US government's response to the cables, meanwhile, raises questions over online freedoms; asks one netizen: "if information that threatens America gets blocked, then what about information that threatens China's security? Why shouldn't China block that too?"
North Korea: Undercover Citizen Journalists Unveil Darker Side
United Kingdom's The Telegraph has released footage taken secretly by undercover citizen journalists in North Korea who are trying to show an image of their country which is greatly different from the idyllic one the nation has been trying to promote.
Japan: Confusion and speculations on the North Korean incident
The latest attack by North Korea on South Korea has put Japan on the alert. Is it the beginning of a war? Will it be Japan's turn next time? Or is it just a ‘beat-up' created by both conservative and alarmist media alike? People in Japan are alarmed but don't know what to think.
South Korea: Spa mogul reaches out to Yeonpyeong Refugees
After an artillery attack by North Korea on a populated South Korean island which killed four people and turned the island into a ghost town, offers of help for the desperate islanders have come pouring in. About 800 refugees are staying in one of finest spa facilities, thanks to the generosity of its owner.
Russia: North Korean Construction Workers
At Desolation Travel, Jane Keeler writes about North Koreans in Russia.
Singapore: Wikileaks and the “flabby old chap” comment
Apparently, Singapore’s former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew thinks North Korea leader Kim Jong-il is a “flabby old chap who prances around stadiums seeking adulation.” This was revealed through the uploaded documents on Wikileaks. What are the reactions of Singapore bloggers?
Russia: Online Reactions to Korean Skirmish
People in Russia's eastern-most region Primorsky Krai followed the news of an exchange of fire between North Korea and South Korea on November 23 with special concern over the possibility of war.
WikiLeaks in Korea: Diplomatic Niceties Lost Regarding North Korean Issues
A WikiLeaks’ page reveals South Korea's former Vice Foreign Minister bad-mouthing Chinese nuclear envoy in front of U.S. Ambassador as someone who “knows nothing about North Korea, nothing about nonproliferation and is hard to communicate with because he doesn’t speak English.”
