This page includes:

• Hyundai activities in DPRK which include tourism
• ROK tourism which has implications for DPRK
• Aspects of N-S relations (such as the October 2001 military talks) which relate principally to tourism
• Sports events (eg World Cup; Asian Games; Olympics)

• The Two Koreas and the Politics of Global Sport
  Brian Bridges, Lingnan University
  In ordinary circumstances, one could be forgiven for assuming that sport unites rather than divides people. But, as this first in-depth study of inter-Korean sporting life and competition over more than six decades clearly demonstrates, sport has in fact been held hostage to the ups and downs of inter-Korean political relations. The two Koreas have devoted considerable resources to developing sporting systems and securing sporting achievement globally, with important ramifications for both national pride and inter-Korean rivalry. And while the author accepts that sport and politics are close allies wherever one travels in the world, it remains the case that for the two Koreas sport plays a more significant central role in the context of the vicissitudes of the relationship across the 38th parallel and has considerable repercussions on sporting ambitions and development for both countries. This book has wide inter-disciplinary relevance in the context of Korean studies in particular and East Asian politics and international relations in general – with special reference to the phenomenon of ‘two-state rivalry’ as was or still is the case for Germany, Yemen, Vietnam and China/Taiwan. Those pursuing sports studies in an international context will also find this volume invaluable.
• Suwon Have N.Korean Striker in Crosshairs
  Jong Tae-se, one of highest-profile athletes to emerge from North Korea, is still on the wish list of K-League outfit Suwon Samsung Bluewings. The striker currently plays for Koln in Germany’s second-tier league, but he has only appeared in four of the team's 17 games this season. Suwon and Koln have yet to narrow their differences in negotiations over an acceptable transfer fee, but Jong is expected to sell far more tickets -- and see considerably more playing time -- at Suwon given his experience and skills. Jong is well known for crying before a game between North Korea and Brazil during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa upon hearing the reclusive regime’s national anthem played, despite the fact that he was born in Japan to South Korean parents. His abilities on the field are undeniable, however, as he practically single-handedly willed North Korea into the last World Cup.
• Tourist Killing Was S.Korean 'Plot,' Pyongyang Claims
  North Korea on Saturday claimed the July 2008 shooting death of South Korean tourist by the North's troops in the Mt. Kumgang resort was the "product of a deliberate scheme" from Seoul. The North Korean agency in charge of now-suspended package tours to Mt. Kumgang said the shooting death was "highly suspicious." North Korea has claimed that the tourist, Park Wang-ja, strayed 1 km into an off-limits military area on July 11, 2008. Told by a North Korean soldier to stop, she instead fled and the soldier fired. [Kumgangsan]

• Newly released document contradicts Seoul’s claim on Mt. Kumkang tourism
  Posted on : Nov.27,2012 13:42 KST DUP lawmaker: North Korea provided written guarantee of tourists' safety at Mt. Kumkang By Kim Kyu-won, staff reporter North Korea provided a written guarantee for the safety of tourists at Mt. Kumkang during 2010 working level talks with the South Korean government. The draft of the inter-Korean working level agreement to resume tourism at Mt. Kumgang and Kaesong, disclosed on Nov. 26 by Democratic United Party lawmaker Hong Ik-pyo. This contradicts Seoul’s claims that it could not reopen the tourism venture because no such guarantee had been received. The draft was provided by Pyongyang during its February 2010 working level talks with the South Korean government in Kaesong. In it, it pledged to “fully guarantee all necessary amenities for tourism and the physical safety of tourists.” The draft was made by North Korea and delivered to the South Korean delegation. To date, the South Korean government has maintained that it cannot restart tourist trips to Mt. Kumgang because North Korea did not provide any written guarantee of visitors‘ safety during the talks. [Lee Myung-bak] [Sanctions] [Disinformation]
• Residents suffering from NK tourism ban to receive provincial assistance
  Posted on : Nov.16,2012 14:41 KST Kumgang Mt.- off limits! An observation post near Kumgang Mountain in North Korea. Since the May 24 measures were enacted in 2010, South Korean tourists have been prohibited from visiting the mountain. Tourists now must content themselves with looking at the mountain from the observation post. (by Lee Sang-yeop) Gangwon province to provide assistance after economy suffered due to 2010 tourism ban By Park Soo-hyuk, Gangwon correspondent Gangwon Provincial Council is pushing support measures for residents suffering damages as the halt to tourism at North Korea’s Mt. Kumgang resort wears on. Park Hyo-dong, a council member from Goseong County, said on Nov. 16 that he was surveying residents and the provincial leadership in advance of proposing an ordinance to support those hurt by the suspension. The ordinance would be the first provincial-level attempt to provide administrative and financial assistance to residents suffering under the measure. [Sanctions]
• North Korean minders endure Chinese invasion
  By Yvonne Su PYONGYANG, North Korea - Although the North Korean government is known for being paranoid about foreign visitors, it has recently adopted a softer attitude toward Chinese tourists on the issue. The totalitarian regime has also been modernizing its infrastructure to lure Chinese visitors, as was noted by senior North Korean tourism department official Hong Yin-chel at an economic, trade, culture and tourism promotion event hosted jointly with China in October. Chinese visitors have proven one of North Korea's best sources of foreign currency to help offset losses after United Nations sanctions from 2009 shut down opportunities for the country to earn hard cash from the weapons business and the drugs trade. Some 60,000 to 70,000 Chinese tourists visited last year, up from an estimated 40,000 visitors in 2010. [Media][Canard]
• Kempinski to Operate World’s Tallest Hotel in North Korea
  By Sangwon Yoon - Nov 1, 2012 6:29 PM GMT+1300. . The world’s tallest hotel will open next year in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang as the impoverished totalitarian regime burdened by international sanctions seeks foreign currency through a boost in tourism. Talk about North Korea usually centers around how the regime starves its people, whether it has the bomb, and if Kim Jong-un is in charge. Photographer: Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images The 105-storey Ryugyong Hotel towers above others in Pyongyang, North Korea on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011. Photographer: Greg Baker/AP Photo . The 105-story, pyramid-shaped Ryugyong Hotel, whose foundations were poured almost three decades ago, will open partially in July or August, Kempinski AG Chief Executive Officer Reto Wittwer said today at a forum in Seoul. The German luxury-hotel manager will be the first western hospitality company to operate in North Korea, he said.
• 105-story North Korean hotel might open next year, more than 20 years after construction began
  (David Guttenfelder, File/ Associated Press ) - FILE - In this April 1, 2012 file photo, the sun is reflected from the top of the 105-story Ryugyong Hotel, which remains under construction, in Pyongyang, North Korea. International hotel operator Kempinski AG said Thursday, Nov. 1, 2012 it will manage the pyramid-shaped hotel that is expected to open next year with shops, offices, ball rooms and restaurants and 150 rooms. Nov 02, 2012 01:18 AM EDT AP SEOUL, South Korea — The 105-story, pyramid-shaped hotel that has stood over North Korea’s capital city like a mountain for more than 20 years just might be on the verge of opening for the first time. Pyongyang’s Ryugyong Hotel will “partially, probably” open in the middle of next year, Reto Wittwer, CEO of international hotel operator Kempinski AG, said Thursday at a forum in Seoul. Kempinski will manage the hotel, which Wittwer said will open with shops, offices, ballrooms, restaurants and 150 rooms. The enormous hotel has been a source of fascination and ridicule for the outside world and an oversized embarrassment for North Korea’s authoritarian regime. North Korea began building the Ryugyong in the 1980s but stopped when funding ran out in the 1990s. Exterior construction resumed in 2009. Various reports in recent years said the hotel was preparing to finally open. In September, a Beijing-based tour agency was allowed to peek inside and released pictures of the bare concrete lobby. Wittwer said he first saw a picture of the hotel many years ago and thought then that it could eventually make a lot of money. He said Cairo-based Orascom Telecom is funding the construction. The firm launched a mobile network in North Korea in 2008. [Orascom]
• NK footballer Jong Tae-se shows interest in S. Korean teams: officials
  North Korean football striker Jong Tae-se has contacted at least two 2012-11-02 14:49 first-division South Korean professional clubs with an interest to play here next year, officials said Friday. Jong, through his agent, has reached out to Suwon Samsung Bluewings and Ulsan Hyundai Tigers in the K-League, the teams' officials said.

• Koryo Tours Special Report - We've been up the Ryugyong!
  On Sept 23rd Koryo Tours' staff were taken to the top of the enigmatic and oddly iconic 105 storey Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang - we were the first foreigners allowed to take pictures there and are able to print a handful of shots of the ground floor and the open air viewing platform more than 300 metres up.
• Chinese tourists to Mt. Kumgang
  Posted on : Oct.4,2012 13:29 KST Chinese tourists arrive at Pyongyang’s Sunan airport on Oct. 3 before touring Mt. Kumgang. After the May 24 Measures, enacted in 2010, South Korean tourists have been prevented from visiting North Korea, leading the country to work on attracting Chinese tourists who travel from Dalian, Liaoning province. (KCNA/Yonhap News)
• 2012 Expedition of Mountains of the Baekdu Daegan in North Korea
  Roger Shepherd
  In the wet months of June and July, I spent six weeks with the Pyongyang members of Korea-New Zealand Friendship Society travelling around the northern provinces of Yanggangdo, Hamgyeongbukdo, and Hamgyeongnamdo. Our purpose was to attain photographic images of a selection of mountains on the Baekdu Daegan. The Baekdu Daegan is the main mountain spine of the Korean Peninsula that stretches for about 1700km from Korea’s holy Paektusan Mountain to Hallasan Mountain in southern Korea. I am producing a photographic journal that will highlight this sacred mountain chain – the first time the two Koreas will feature in a book connected by mountain, of which the Korean people have a huge common reverence for.

• N. Korea’s first Paralympian didn’t know how to swim months ago, but scrambled to qualify
  (Alastair Grant/ Associated Press ) - In this Monday, Aug., 27, 2012 photo, North Korea’s only competitor Rim Ju Song, sits in his wheelchair during the team’s welcoming ceremony at the London 2012 Paralympic games in London. Rim Ju Song, who actually lives in Beijing and lost an arm and leg in a construction accident, became his country’s only hope. The problem: He couldn’t really swim. The first training session was a disaster. He sank “like a rock,” recalled Kim Sung Chol of the North Korean Paralympic Committee. Nevertheless, he soon learned the crawl stroke and in May, Rim and his coaches boarded a plane for Berlin and his first international competition. CAPTION FULLSCREEN Text Size Print E-mail Reprints By Associated Press, Wednesday, August 29, 4:26 AMAP PYONGYANG, North Korea — North Korea’s first and only Paralympian is a swimmer who doesn’t live in North Korea and, until a few months ago, didn’t know how to swim. But he’s an inspiration in a country where disabled people are just beginning to get the support they need to shine as athletes. Long accused by rights activists of shunting its disabled residents off to isolated detention camps, North Korea gained provisional membership in the International Paralympic Committee earlier this year. “Healthy or disabled, if you have the will to succeed, there is no obstacle in your way,” said Li Pun Hui, a former table tennis star who has become her country’s leading advocate for disabled athletes.
• Table Tennis: Sarah gets shot at North Korean spin
  By Michael Burgess 5:30 AM Sunday Aug 19, 2012 Sarah Her-Lee has been given an unique opportunity. Photo / Supplied Among the realms of improbable phrases in our world, being able to say "I've had a North Korean at my table" must be right up there. However, New Zealand table tennis player Sarah Her-Lee will soon be able to say it. Currently ranked fourth in the country, Her-Lee has received a special invitation to ply her trade in the world's most mysterious nation, in the Pyongyang International Invitation Tournament, a biannual event held in the North Korean capital since 1981. Her-Lee will play on a composite team, alongside players from Norway and Denmark and against teams from China, Russia, Mongolia, Japan, Iran - and the hosts.
• North Korea's first Paralympian inspires the disabled
  Published August 28, 2012 Associated Press July 13, 2012: In this photo, disabled North Korean table tennis players rest during practice at the Taedonggong Cultural Center for the Disabled in Pyongyang, North Korea. (AP) PYONGYANG, North Korea – North Korea, long accused by rights activists of shunting its disabled residents off to isolated detention camps, will take part for the first time this year in the Paralympics, which open Wednesday in London. The country's sole competitor is a 16-year-old swimmer whose training only began in April. Yet his participation offers inspiration to others involved in North Korea's nascent disabled sports programs, said Li Pun Hui, a former table tennis star who has become her country's leading advocate for disabled athletes.
• North Korea’s Olympic athletes get heroes’ welcome at home after best finish since Barcelona
  By Associated Press, Updated: Thursday, August 16, 3:35 PMAP PYONGYANG, North Korea — Thousands of North Koreans have turned out with cheers and banners to welcome their country’s Olympic medalists home from London. North Korean athletes won four golds and two bronzes to finish 20th in the medals standing. It was the country’s best performance since the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. The Olympians waved bouquets from a bus as they paraded through Pyongyang on Thursday before laying the flowers at the statues of late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. North Korean athletes routinely credit the country’s leaders for strong performances. Sports are hugely popular in North Korea, and its Olympic medalists are treated like heroes. Mun Un Ju told The Associated Press she followed the Summer Games avidly on TV and came with her family to wish the winners well.
• North Korea did poorly in wrestling, boxing
  In the London Summer Olympics, North Korean athletes fared well in weighlifting and judo, but did poorly in other events, including wrestling and boxing. Yang Kyeong-il won the bronze medal in men’s 55kg freestyle wrestling. Previously, North Korea held its ground in wrestling, boxing and gymnastics as well as weightlifting events which do not rely on up-to-date equipment, according to South Korean athletic officials participating in the London Games. However, North Korea won the largest number of gold medals in the London Games since the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. It took three golds in weightlifting and one gold in judo plus two bronzes. [Olympics2012]
• Pyongyang to Host International Frisbee Tournament
  As the Summer Olympics come to a close in London, another sports match up gets underway on the other side of the globe. The game is Ultimate, it is a mix of American style football and basketball using a frisbee. The host is Pyongyang. It is the second time that the North Korean capital has held what is being called a peace tournament, but the event has drawn criticism.
• North Korea slams Australian paper for calling it “Naughty Korea” in Olympics medal tally
  By Associated Press, Updated: Wednesday, August 8, 11:15 AMAP PYONGYANG, North Korea — North Korea has criticized an Australian newspaper that called the country “Naughty Korea” when listing London Olympics medal standings. The Melbourne commuter daily mX last week also described South Korea as “Nice Korea.” Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency accused mX on Tuesday of a “bullying act” that insults the spirit of the Olympics. [Media]
• North Korea taken over Mt. Kumgang property, says Hyundai Asan executive
  Posted on : Aug.7,2012 14:56 KST By Kim Kyu-won, staff reporter North Korea is using South Korean property in the Mt. Kumgang tourism area that was confiscated after the tourism venture was halted following the shooting death of a tourist. A Hyundai Asan executive who visited the area on July 3 for a ninth anniversary memorial for Hyundai Group chairman Chung Mong-hun said on August 6 that the duty-free shop in the east Onjonggak hall was being used as a souvenir shop, while a buffet restaurant in the west hall was serving as a duty-free shop. Chung was son of Chung Ju-yung, the group’s founder. He was also brother of New Frontier Party presidential hopeful Chung Mong-joon. [Kumgangsan]
• South Korea defeats North Korea in politically charged showdown in table tennis at Olympics
  By Associated Press, Updated: Saturday, August 4, 6:46 PMAP LONDON — In one of the most politically charged showdowns of the Olympics, South Korea defeated North Korea in men’s table tennis Saturday. The tense match was closer than expected, with second-seeded South Korea winning the team competition 3-1 to reach the quarterfinals. The two countries, still technically at war, were playing a game that has often tried to bring them together. South Korea’s Ryu Seung-min, the 2004 Olympic champion, defeated North Korean Kim Hyok Bong in the fourth match to seal the victory. Late last year the two played as a team in Qatar in an exhibition match to promote world peace. “But on the court we are at war — table tennis war,” Ryu said.
• Hyundai Asan officials visit N. Korean resort
  By Kim Young-jin Officials from Hyundai Asan, the organizer of the stalled inter- Korean tourism project, crossed into North Korea Friday to observe the anniversary of the death of late Hyundai Group Chairman Chung Mong-hun. The 14 officials, led by President Chang Kyung-chak, entered in the morning through the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) office near the East Sea and traveled to the Mt. Geumgang resort to hold a brief ceremony for Chung. Hyundai Asan, the group’s arm for inter-Korean projects, has held memorial services for the late chairman there every year since he jumped to his death from the company’s Seoul headquarters in 2003. The staunch proponent of business cooperation between the Korea’s requested his ashes be scattered at Mt. Geumgang. The delegation, which did not include Hyundai Chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun, the widow of the late chairman, was expected to inspect the firm’s assets at the resort, which it developed as a reconciliation project but were halted after a deadly 2008 shooting incident. Tours to the mountain once brought South Koreans to facilities developed under an exclusive deal between the North and Hyundai Asan. But Seoul pulled out after a tourist was shot dead for crossing a boundary into a military area. Pyongyang, frustrated over the loss of a cash cow, said last year it would legally dispose of the facilities and would establish a zone for international tours.
• Korea Plagued by Controversial Rulings at London Games
  Korea faced its third highly controversial ruling in the 2012 London Olympics on Monday, just four days after the global sporting event opened. It started with Park Tae-hwan's dubious disqualification in preliminary heats in the men's 400-m freestyle on Friday. The decision was subsequently overturned on appeal from the Korean delegation but still meant an anxious wait for the swimmer. Park ended up winning silver, unable to defend his Olympic title. Then in the men's -66 kg judo on Saturday the referee and two judges on the mat declared Cho Jun-ho the winner in the quarterfinals but were soon summoned by Juan Carlos Barcos, the chief director of referees, and Cho was pushed down to repechage on reviewing the video. And on Monday, fencer Shin A-lam failed to advance to the final in the women's individual epee semifinal due to a timekeeping glitch.
• West being petty over Ye’s amazing speed
  Global Times | 2012-8-1 0:35:03 By Global Times Young Chinese swimming star Ye Shiwen set a new world record in the women's 400m individual medley, scooping a gold medal in the London Games. Her achievement, however, was met with suspicion and derision from Western commentators. During one interview, a reporter directly confronted her with a comment that Chinese athletes are robots trained to win medals. Challenging a young girl with unfriendly language is not something a journalist should be proud of. It is also unfair to Ye. The doubts over Ye's breathtaking speed are understandable. Chinese swimmers have been tainted with doping scandals in the past, but Ye passed the doping tests conducted by the World Anti-Doping Agency. British Olympic Association Chairman Lord Moynihan Tuesday called for an end to the speculation and for the doubters to recognize Ye's talent.
• Local People Delightful at DPRK Successes in Olympiad
  Pyongyang, July 30 (KCNA) -- The news that DPRK athletes bagged two gold and one bronze medals in two days after the start of the London Olympic Games has delighted local people. Kwon In Guk, a coach of the Jangsan Sports Team, told KCNA: "A Korean proverb says that a good beginning makes a good ending. DPRK athletes made a good start as they won two gold medals in 24 hours in the Olympiad.
• Olympics raise questions over NK athletes
  By Kim Young-jin North Korea has drawn attention this week with its surprising success at the London Olympics but also curiosity over the lives of the athletes from the secretive country. The victories, including the latest by weightlifters Kim Un-guk and Om Yun-chol, have given the regime a public relations boost as the competitors, as would be expected, attributed their success to the country’s ruling family helmed by Kim Jong-un. ``The secret is nothing but the support and encouragement from our supreme leader chairman Kim Jong-un, because he expects so much from all our athletes, and he expects the highest performance from all our athletes. That's the secret,'' the Associated Press quoted Kim as saying following his gold medal effort in the 62-kilogram category.
• Wambach scores, US women’s soccer team beats North Korea 1-0 to finish 1st in Olympic group
  MANCHESTER, England — In an iconic venue against a mysterious opponent, the U.S. women’s Olympic soccer team did the familiar: Abby Wambach scored the decisive goal in a victory, and the players found a funky way to celebrate. Wambach netted for the 141st time in international play, and the Americans finished atop their group Tuesday with a 1-0 win over North Korea in the first women’s soccer game at Old Trafford in 23 years.
• Tour operator says North Korea will allow South Koreans to visit troubled joint resort
  By Associated Press, Updated: Tuesday, July 31, 10:39 AMAP SEOUL, South Korea — A South Korean tour operator says North Korea will allow a group of southern businessmen to visit a troubled joint resort in the North despite continuing friction between the countries. The Hyundai Asan tour operator said Tuesday that about 10 officials will travel Friday to the North’s Diamond Mountain for an annual ceremony commemorating the death of former Asan chairman Chung Mong-hun. The company says North Korea approved the trip last week. South Korea suspended tours to the mountain in 2008 after a North Korean soldier shot and killed a South Korean tourist.

• N.Korea Wins 1st Olympic Gold
  North Korea's An Kum-ae celebrates her gold medal victory during the awards ceremony for the women's -52kg judo competition at the London Olympics on Sunday. North Korea won its first gold medal in the 2012 London Olympics in the women's -52 kg judo on Sunday. An Kum-ae beat Cuba's Yanet Bermony Acost after a close match that stretched into overtime. An was a silver medalist in 2008 Beijing Olympics. This is the first time in 16 years that a North Korean judoka has won an Olympic gold since Kye Sun-hui, now coaching the national team, in 1996. North Korean weightlifters added two more medals to their country's count. Ryang Chun-hwa won bronze in the women's -48 kg category and Om Yun-chol gold in the men's -56 kg with a new Olympic record. With two golds and one bronze, North Korea currently sits sixth overall in the medal count.
• North Korea Has More Medals Than Great Britain. What’s the Secret to the DPRK’s Success?
  By June Thomas Posted Monday, July 30, 2012, at 6:10 PM ET After three full days of competition, the Olympics medal table holds a few surprises. After early successes in fencing and archery, Italy sits in the fourth spot with eight medals overall. Olympic host Great Britain, meanwhile, is tied for 10th with just one silver and two bronze. One of the countries that’s ahead of the Brits is, amazingly, North Korea. The DPRK has already won gold three times (tied for the third-largest haul behind China and the United States) and has four total medals—three in weightlifting and one in judo—tied for 8th overall. How on earth could athletes from a nation of starving slaves perform so well? According to one of the gold-medal winners, the credit goes to North Korea’s recently departed dear leader. When Om Yun-chol won in the 56-kilogram weightlifting category on Sunday, having lifted three times his body weight and equaled the world record in the clean and jerk, he told the Olympic News Service, "I believe the great Kim Jong-il looked over me." [Media][Olympics2012]
• North Korean Gives the Games a Dramatic Lift
  By MARK MCDONALD Om Yun-chol lifted three times his body weight —which only four other lifters have ever done — in winning a gold medal in London. HONG KONG — The North Korean team at the Olympics is small, just 56 athletes in all. But the hermetically sealed Stalinist state — which seems perpetually on the brink of famine while threatening to turn South Korea into a sea of fire — is no lightweight when it comes to Olympic drama. A diminutive and relatively unknown North Korean weightlifter, Om Yun-chol, 20, won a gold medal on Sunday with an effort almost never accomplished in his sport: lifting three times his body weight. Only four other lifters are known to have done this. Mr. Om is ranked 11th in the world in his weight class, and the BBC weightlifting commentator Colin Bryce called his feat “unheard of” and “bizarre to say the least.” [Media] [Cliche] [Olympics2012]
• N.Korea Enjoys Unexpected Romp at London Games
  North Korea has been sensational in the first few days of the 2012 London Olympics. Athletes from the reclusive country picked up two gold medals in men's weightlifting and women's judo on the second day of the Olympics on Sunday, placing the country sixth in the medal table. North Korean Judoka An Kum-ae beat Cuba's Yanet Bermoy Acosta and won North Korea its first gold in the women's -52 kg category. Weightlifter Om Yun-chol lifted 125 kg in snatch and 168 kg in clean and jerk to win with a total of 293 kg in the men's -57 kg class. Weightlifter Kim Un-guk in the men's -62 kg class added another gold medal on Monday, placing North Korea fourth place in the medal count. [Media] [Olympics2012]
• North Korea stuns China in men’s weightlifting, with Kim grabbing country’s 2nd gold
  By Associated Press, Published: July 30AP LONDON — The showdown between North Korea and China in the men’s weightlifting competition hasn’t turned out as expected — North Korea is winning. And in a big way. Kim Un Guk of North Korea outclassed Chinese rival Zhang Jie in the men’s 62-kilogram category Monday to grab his country’s second weightlifting gold in London, and obliterating Zhang’s world record in the process. [Media] [Olympics2012]
• North Korea beats Colombia 2-0 in women’s Olympic match delayed over flag dispute
  (Chris Clark/ Associated Press ) - The North Korean, center, and Colombian women’s soccer team walk out on to the field before their group B match, prior to the start of the London 2012 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 25, 2012, at Hampden Park Stadium in Glasgow. CAPTION FULLSCREEN Text Size Print E-mail Reprints By Associated Press, Published: July 25AP GLASGOW, Scotland — North Korea beat Colombia 2-0 Wednesday in an Olympic women’s football match that was delayed for more than an hour after the North Koreans refused to come onto the field because of a flag dispute. The South Korean flag was mistakenly displayed on a jumbo screen at Hampden Park instead of North Korea’s, prompting the team to stay inside. When the match finally got under way, the North Koreans pressed from the start and had several chances before going ahead in the 39th minute.
• Olympics video producer blamed for foul-up that saw North Korea women's football team being pictured with South's flag leading to diplomatic row
  London-based video producer 'at fault' for yesterday's blunder Official 'has since offered to resign' after technical gaffe North Koreans walked off the pitch for around an hour Sides were then announced again and correct flag shown on big screen Coach said he would take up the matter with the Games organisers The Olympic North Korean flag blunder which sparked a diplomatic row has been blamed on a video producer in London, it was reported today. North Korea's women footballers walked off in protest before their match with Colombia yesterday when the flag of bitter rivals South Korea was mistakenly shown on the big screen in Scotland's Hampden Park.
• N.Korean Athletes Move into Olympic Village
  North Korean athletes formally moved into of the London Olympic athletes' village on Wednesday morning. About 30 North Korean athletes in dark-blue jackets and gray trousers or skirts entered the village alongside athletes from China, Kenya, Samoa, and Surinam. The male North Koreans wore red ties and the women white and red scarves. A total of 56 North Korean athletes compete in 10 disciplines in the London Games. Meanwhile, the international press noted that the North Koreans behaved much as they had done under previous leader Kim Jong-il, with no signs of a new spirit of openness. Only the coach and manager of the North Korean women's football team showed up at a press conference on Monday, with no players in sight. No North Korean athlete was seen outside their hotel the following day, AP reported. On Monday, four North Korean officials who came out to welcome the athletes at Heathrow Airport in London blocked them from shaking hands with volunteers and said "No!" to all questions from reporters, Chinese media reported. [Agency]
• London 2012: North Korea's game delayed amid row over South's flag
  • Hampden Park screen displays wrong country's emblem • Games organisers apologise for flag blunder Ewan Murray at Hampden Park guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 25 July 2012 21.06 BST North Korea's Olympic women's football team refuse to play the game against Colombia after South Korea's flag is mistakenly displayed Link to this video London 2012 organisers suffered major embarrassment on the opening day of sporting action after North Korea initially refused to play their women's football match against Colombia. The North Koreans left the pitch in protest shortly before the end of their scheduled warmup in Glasgow last night amid scenes of high farce as the South Korean flag was shown on the Hampden Park big screens alongside the North Korean team lineup. Kick-off was due at 7.45pm but the aggrieved players did not restart their warmup until just before 8.30pm, after the flag was replaced with the correct one on the scoreboards following extensive negotiations behind the scenes. The match eventually kicked off at 8.50pm. The incident will cause huge discomfort to Games organisers. Hundreds of thousands of tickets for the men's and women's football tournaments were unsold, with a particular lack of interest in matches in Glasgow. An attendance of 15,000 was given for USA's win over France yesterday at Hampden Park – more than double that number of free tickets had been distributed. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games issued an immediate apology to the North Korea team: "Today ahead of the women's football match at Hampden the South Korean flag was shown on a big screen instead of the flag of North Korea," a Locog statement read. "Clearly that is a mistake. We will apologise to the team and the national Olympic committee and steps will be taken to ensure no repeat" a Locog statement said.
• London 2012: North Korea's game delayed amid row over South's flag
  • Hampden Park screen displays wrong country's emblem • Games organisers apologise for flag blunder Ewan Murray at Hampden Park guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 25 July 2012 21.06 BST North Korea's Olympic women's football team refuse to play the game against Colombia after South Korea's flag is mistakenly displayed Link to this video London 2012 organisers suffered major embarrassment on the opening day of sporting action after North Korea initially refused to play their women's football match against Colombia. The North Koreans left the pitch in protest shortly before the end of their scheduled warmup in Glasgow last night amid scenes of high farce as the South Korean flag was shown on the Hampden Park big screens alongside the North Korean team lineup. Kick-off was due at 7.45pm but the aggrieved players did not restart their warmup until just before 8.30pm, after the flag was replaced with the correct one on the scoreboards following extensive negotiations behind the scenes. The match eventually kicked off at 8.50pm. The incident will cause huge discomfort to Games organisers. Hundreds of thousands of tickets for the men's and women's football tournaments were unsold, with a particular lack of interest in matches in Glasgow. An attendance of 15,000 was given for USA's win over France yesterday at Hampden Park – more than double that number of free tickets had been distributed. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games issued an immediate apology to the North Korea team: "Today ahead of the women's football match at Hampden the South Korean flag was shown on a big screen instead of the flag of North Korea," a Locog statement read. "Clearly that is a mistake. We will apologise to the team and the national Olympic committee and steps will be taken to ensure no repeat" a Locog statement said.
• South Korea to face North Korea in opening round of men’s team table tennis
  By Associated Press, Published: July 25AP LONDON — North Korea will face South Korea in the opening round of the Olympic men’s team table tennis competition. The two archrivals were drawn Wednesday to face each other on Aug. 3. South Korea is one of the top countries in the world in table tennis behind dominant China.
• North Korea’s IOC member wants London organizers to take steps to avoid flag mistakes
  Chris Clark/Associated Press - CORRECTS GROUP MATCH TO G INSTEAD OF B- The North Korean women’s soccer team sing their nation anthem before the group G match between Colombia and North Korea, prior to the start of the London 2012 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 25, 2012, at Hampden Park Stadium in Glasgow. Text Size Print E-mail Reprints By Associated Press, Updated: Thursday, July 26, 1:39 PMAP LONDON — North Korea’s IOC member wants Olympic organizers to take steps to ensure there are no more mix-ups of national flags — especially at the medal ceremonies. Chang Ung expressed his disappointment Thursday after the South Korean flag was mistakenly displayed on the giant screen before the women’s soccer game between North Korea and Colombia in Glasgow, Scotland, on Wednesday night. The North Koreans refused to take the field for about an hour before the match went ahead. London organizers apologized. “This should not have happened,” Chang told The Associated Press. “I am really surprised how ... the London Olympic team, the protocol people, didn’t invite someone from the team to check if it is your flag.” Chang proposed that Olympic protocol officials meet with team leaders before each medal ceremony to check that the correct flags and anthems are being used.
• SPECIAL FILM-THEMED TOUR - 2012 PYONGYANG INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
  There are still spaces on the Film Festival Tour which takes place from September 18th to 25th. Be there for the most glitzy event in the DPRK, see the stars of Chollywood on the red carpet and get behind-the-scenes access to some of the biggest events. Events confirmed so far for this tour include: tickets to the opening ceremony of the film festival the world premiere of Comrade Kim Goes Flying - the first ever coproduction of a romantic comedy between the DPRK and the west made by Koryo Tours' own Nick Bonner and Belgian producer Anja Daelemans. Meet the directors and stars of the film screening of a DPRK film with introduction from the director and one of the actors a drinks reception with other film festival delegates an introduction to the DPRK film industry by a Korean film specialist watching a DPRK film orchestra and meeting music composer tour of the Film Studios opportunities to see some of the other films being screened at the festival - Korean and foreign
• KBS Chief to Visit N.Korea
  KBS President Kim In-kyu will visit North Korea on Tuesday as the chief of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union. Unification Ministry deputy spokeswoman Park Soo-jin said Monday Kim's application to visit North Korea was approved. The ABU chief will be in Pyongyang from Tuesday to Thursday to discuss whether to give North Korea the right to broadcast the London Olympics there, and whether North Korean delegation will attend the ABU assembly in Seoul. A source said while Kim's visit is ostensibly about the broadcasting rights for the London Olympics, Kim may be delivering a special message from President Lee Myung-bak. Kim was Lee's secretary for media relations during his presidential election campaign. [UNUS]
• KBS president to bring the Olympics to North Korean TV screens
  Posted on : Jul.24,2012 13:08 KST Visit by broadcasting exec is first by a major South Korean figure since Kim Jong-il’s death By Kim Kyu-won, staff reporter KBS president Kim In-kyu is visiting Pyongyang on July 24 as chairman of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU). Unification Ministry deputy spokesperson Park Su-jin said Monday that Kim’s visit to North Korea had been officially approved. Kim is visiting Pyongyang from July 24 to 26 to discuss broadcasting rights for the London Olympics with officials at the Korean Central Broadcast Committee, an ABU member company. Also to be discussed is North Korea’s attendance at the general ABU meeting in Seoul and other matters, Park said. The network chief will be accompanied by three ABU officials. Kim’s visit is the first to North Korea by a major South Korean figure since a private delegation of mourners traveled there in December after the death of Kim Jong-il. During his visit, North Korea is expected to discuss the issue of North Korean broadcasting for the London Games, which begin Friday. The country has around fifty athletes competing in eleven events, including women’s soccer, marathon, table tennis, judo, wrestling, weightlifting, shooting, archery, and women’s boxing. But it does not have broadcasting rights for the Games, which means it must enlist the aid of South Korea’s top three broadcasters - KBS, MBC, and SBS - which hold rights for the Peninsula. Those networks recently reached an agreement with the North to provide broadcasting rights, with authority delegated to ABU. Barring any major differences of opinion, North Koreans should be able to view the games following Kim’s visit. [UNUS]
• Across the border and into the North
  Gareth Johnson, managing director and founder of Young Pioneer Tours, poses in front of the airport in Pyongyang. / Courtesy of Albert Kim British explorer organizes tours to communist country By Agnes Yu Meet Gareth Johnson. He’s been to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) a.k.a. North Korea, 31 times and if you’d like, he can take you there. Tourist travel to North Korea is only possible as part of a guided tour and that’s what Johnson does ? organizes group or individual tours. As the managing director and founder of Young Pioneer Tours which currently ranks the second largest agency taking people into the North, Johnson has so far organized over 200 tours and arranged for some 1500 people to visit the isolated regime just across the 38th parallel.
• Young Pioneer Tours
  Welcome to Young Pioneer Tours, the first company to offer budget tours to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Back in 2007 we were just like you; interested in seeing what one of the world’s most secluded countries had to offer, learning something about the country, and of course marking it off the list as having ‘BEEN VISITED’. Most people who visit the DPRK say that it was the best travel experience of their lives (for us it was), and our promise is to make this your reality. Since being formed we have taken hundreds of people to this most unique of places, both independently, and through our legendarily fun group tours, and as such not only have a great understanding of the country, but enjoy flawless relations with our partners in Pyongyang.
• IOC says S. Korea holds right to air London Olympics for NK
  South Korea's television network SBS has retained the right to air the upcoming London Olympic Games for the entire Korean Peninsula, according to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The privately owned terrestrial network has won the right from the IOC and agreed to broadcast the games along with two other public South Korean television networks KBS and MBC, said a SBS official handling the issue. He asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to speak to the media. An official of the Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, said the Korean broadcasters should decide whether to provide a video feed for North Korea. He also spoke on condition of anonymity, citing policy. [Legality] [UNUS]
• North Korea cycling Tour (includes MASS GAMES) August 2012 |
  We are pleased to announce that we have been able to extend the deadline for application for our North Korea cycling tour in August from July 11th to July 19th. The tour is run exclusively by Koryo tours We ran the first mountain biking tour of North Korea in 2011 and this year the trip involves cycling between several areas in the DPRK includes: * Riding from Pyongyang to the East Coast city of Nampo along the giant Youth-Hero highway. * A trip from the East Coast to the scenic Kuwol Mountains. * Spectacular internal charter flight to Mount Paekdu -
• Taiwan sees more solo mainland Chinese tourists
  More independent mainland China tourists are coming to Taiwan following the implementation of online application procedures by the NIA. (CNA) •Publication Date:06/29/2012 •Source: Taiwan Today •By Grace Kuo The number of individual mainland Chinese tourists applying to visit Taiwan has increased 60 percent since the ROC goverment policy was implemented one year ago, according to the National Immigration Agency June 28. In the last six months of 2011, the NIA said, a total of 38,616 mainland visitors applied to visit Taiwan, or an average of 284 visitors per day. In the first six months of 2012, by contrast, 64,918 visitors applied to visit, an average of 451 per day. [Straits]
• China launches cruise to N. Korean scenic resort
  SHENYANG (Yonhap) -- A cruise to North Korea's scenic mountain resort from China has officially been launched, Chinese media reported Saturday. According to the China News, some 100 Chinese tourists from the northeastern province of Jilin sailed along the North's east coast to visit Mount Kumgang on a four-day itinerary early Friday. After crossing the border to North Korea by land from the city of Hunchun in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, the tourists boarded a cruise ship in the North Korean city of Rason, the media said. "This holds significance as it is a first marine tourism route to visit the mountain from China," said an official of the Yanbian Chunwoo International Travel Agency, which has an exclusive right to run the route. "The tourists were satisfied with our program. We will send a group of visitors once a month," he added. The cruise tour illustrates a recent boom among Chinese to visit their communist neighbor. Currently, about 10 such programs are available, according to the report. Previously, North Korea had run only 3 to 5 courses for Chinese visitors.

• American basketballers in NK
  By Kim Young-jin A group of amateur American basketball players arrived in North Korea last week for the first such visit ever to the Stalinist state ? whose young leader is thought to be huge fan of the sport, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported. The group, organized by Luke Elie, who played in the South for an international school, arrived in the North on the Friday for a five-day trip, RFA said. They are coached by former UCLA assistant coach Greg Hayes, reports said. Elie has been quoted as saying he organized the trip after sensing a need for sports and cultural exchange with the North. The Dayton Daily News reported that Elie’s father, who lives in Dayton, was a school administrator in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Province and that Elie was the all-time leading scorer at an international school in Uijeongbu. The project draws interest as the North’s new leader Kim Jong-un is reportedly a huge basketball fan. Former classmates at Kim’s boarding school in Switzerland said he loved to play the game and had photos taken with professional players such as Kobe Bryant. They did not elaborate on where the photographs were taken. While South Korean citizens are barred from visiting the North under bilateral sanctions over Pyongyang’s provocations in 2010, U.S. and citizens of other countries are allowed in on tightly-monitored tours. Travel agents specializing in such trips say interest has picked up due to recent headline-grabbing developments there such as the death of the late leader Kim Jong-il last year. A growing number of tourists, including an estimated 2,000 Westerners, visit the North each year. Watchers say Pyongyang is pushing the industry as a source of cash to buoy its economy. [People to people]
• Visa Free Rason Tourism for Chinese Citizens
  Andray Abrahamian | Tuesday, May 29th, 2012 Chinese tourists will have visa free access to the border regions linking Yanbian Autonomous Region, Rason Special Economic Zone and Russia, according to a report originating with Jilin Radio that surfaced in South Korean media today. The report doesn’t give an date for implementation, but does state that the previous tourism agreement governing the border region (signed in 2010) will be streamlined. It still takes 10 days for a Chinese traveler to get permission to visit Rason. This process will drop to 2-3 days.
• 49 N. Korean athletes to compete in London Olympics
  North Korea will field 49 athletes in 11 sports in the upcoming Olympic Games in London, the country's official news agency reported Friday. Thirty-five female and 14 male athletes have so far qualified for the July 27 through Aug. 12 games in women's football, marathon, table tennis, wrestling and weight lifting, the (North) Korean Central News Agency said. The weight lifters and wrestlers are expected to achieve good results, the report said, adding that expectations are also high for women's football. North Korea won four golds in the 1992 Olympics, and two golds at each of the 1996 and 2008 Games. (Yonhap)

• Sour inter-Korean relations thwart athletes’ friendship
  South Korean government prevents gift between former unified Korea teammates By Kim Ryu-won, staff writer Korean Table Tennis Association executive director Hyun Jung-hwa attempted unsuccessfully a friendship ring to Lee Boon-hee, secretary-general of North Korea’s Korean Disabled Athletes Association, to celebrate the 21st anniversary of their unified Korean women’s team victory at the 1991 World Table Tennis Championships. Hyun and Lee were teammates on that championship team. Lee nonetheless said she had “received the ring with my heart.” [Buildup]
• Table tennis a casualty of inter-Korean tensions
  Former members of unified Korean team fail denied permission to meet in China » Lee Boon-hee (left) and Hyun Jeong-hwa at the 1991 World Table Tennis championships in Chiba, Japan. By Kim Kyu-won, staff writer An inter-Korean table tennis reunion, the first encounter in 19 years, has been scratched due to government objections. The South Korean cancelled just before the reunion of Hyun Jung-hwa and Lee Boon-hee, the unified Korean team who won the women’s team gold at the 1991 World Table Tennis Championships. The event was scheduled to coincide with the recent premiere of “Korea,” a film depicting the conflicts and emotions of the victory. Two table tennis stars from the two Koreas have not met since the 1993 World Championships. Lee Su-nam, president of Tower Pictures, which produced “Korea,” said Monday that Hyun, the current executive director of the Korean Table Tennis Association, had been scheduled to visit Lee Boon-hee, now the secretary-general of the Korea Disabled Athletes Association, on Tuesday in Beijing where she is training with disabled North Korean athletes. “Ms. Hyun decided not to go ahead with the meeting after the Unification Ministry, which had initially been positive, made a last-minute request to postpone it,” Lee Su-nam explained. Lee added that he planned to go himself to present Lee Boon-hee with the gold ring, hand-written letter, and video letter that Hyun had prepared as gifts. “If possible, I’d like to film a video letter with Ms. Lee and give it to Ms. Hyun,” he said. Lee Su-nam left for China on Monday afternoon. The gold ring sent to Lee Boon-hee by Hyun has their first names inscribed on the inside. Hyun also gave Lee one of her rings 21 years ago. As the letter’s contents, Hyun wrote, “I’d really like to meet you again. We should be able to. I look forward to meeting you soon. I’m going to try my best to see you.” The efforts to stage the encounter came in March, after Lee suggested it as a way of helping both inter-Korean relations and the film’s commercial performance. Hyun agreed to it. She had previously met with Unification Minister Yu Woo-ik in February to ask about staging an inter-Korean table tennis exchange and 21st anniversary effort for the unified team, and received a positive response. On Mar. 29, the Unification Ministry approved a North Korean contact request by Lee Su-nam to organize the reunion between Hyun and Lee Boon-hee. [Inter-Korean] [SK NK policy] [Buildup]

• N. Korea builds taekwondo center in Pyongyang
  North Korea completed construction on a taekwondo center in its capital city to better showcase the merits of the traditional martial art, a state-run newspaper said Saturday. The Rodong Shinmun, picked up in Seoul, said the center has been built in downtown Pyongyang. The center houses a training center, library, international conference hall, history museum and other amenities, with the roof of the tiled structure covering over 10,000 square meters. The paper said the center will highlight North Korea's central role in taekwondo and pay tribute to the ingeniousness and spirit imbued in the martial art. The new center will further contribute to the dignity and honor of taekwondo's birthplace. North Korea created the International Taekwondo Federation and holds international matches every year. The federation competes with South Korea's World Taekwondo Federation, which is headquartered in Seoul. (Yonhap)

• Koryo Tours April Update
  We have just been informed that we can accept more applications for the tours that we are running over April 15th, the 100th anniversary of the birth of North Korean eternal president Kim Il Sung(our partners define this period as being between April 7 -20). We have been given the deadline of February 28th to receive complete applications (online form and colour scan of passport and passport photo). Please note that based on current information no further applications will be possible after that date.
• New Travel Opportunity in North Korea! Rason-Chongjin Route
  Unique and exciting chance in travel to the most unique areas in the country - Let the adventure begin! Koryo Tours is proud to once again be the first and only company to offer an all-new tourism opportunity for anyone wanting to go and see some of the more remote parts of North Korea - allow us to explain;
  We have been running tours to the Rason Special Economic Area for several years now; this part of the DPRK is located in the far North on the Chinese and Russian border and offers a look at the least visited part of the world's most unique country - and the only place in North Korea where tourists can visit a local market, local bank, and many other unique spots. Lying to the south of Rason the major industrial centre of Chongjin and the stunning mountains of the Chilbosan range have long been among the most difficult parts of the DPRK to get to due to the need to charter a plane from Pyongyang to reach this area - here you can overnight in the only homestay in the country as well as seeing the highlights of the second largest city in the DPRK and some of the most stunning scenery in Asia.
• Number of Tourists to Mt. Baekdu Passes 1 Million
  The number of annual tourists visiting Mt. Baekdu on the far north of the Korean Peninsula passed the 1 million mark for the first time last year. China's Mt. Baedu management committee reported that a total of 1.4 million tourists visited the scenic mountain last year, up 60 percent from 2010. Consequently, tourism revenue for 2011 also jumped more than 75 percent from a year earlier to 370 million yuan, or roughly US$60 million. The committee cited the strong response to various festivities organized to promote the mountain resort and expanded air routes from Shanghai. [China NK]
• NK to kick off Arirang Festival in April
  North Korea will start its massive dance and gymnastics extravaganza in April to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il-sung, the nation's founder and new leader Kim Jong-un's grandfather, a U.S.-based travel agency said Sunday. According to New Tours Korea, the U.S.-based travel agency that specializes in guided tours to North Korea, the Arirang Mass Game will be held from April 10 to May 1 and from August 1 until Sept. 15
• North Korean super-sized hotel, tourism experiment may signal slight opening up to outsiders
  By Greg Linch The death of Kim Jong Il and ascension of his son Kim Jong Eun put a spotlight on secretive North Korea as it mourned its Dear Leader and welcomed another. The changes in the country highlighted something else: indications that the reclusive country may be becoming more open to outsiders. [Media] [Inversion]
• North Korea’s super-sized hotel is set to open — 23 years behind schedule
  By Chico Harlan, Updated: Friday, February 10, 12:30 AM SEOUL — North Korea’s Ryugyong Hotel ranks among the world’s most remarkable — and mockable — buildings. It’s taller than New York’s Chrysler Building and wider at its base than an average city block. Constructed almost entirely of concrete, it looks like a rocket ship, casting a jagged shadow over Pyongyang’s gray vistas. [Media] [FDI]

• The Baekdu Daegan in Korea: A Book Project by Roger Shepherd of HIKE KOREA
  A quest for the homogenous identity of Korea through Mountain
  Introduction: Roger Shepherd through HIKE KOREA plans to publish a high quality photographic essay book on the Baekdu Daegan Mountain System. The book will cover images and essays from both North and South Korea connecting the ???? from ??? to ??? or possibly ???. The essays will cover the background and history of the ???? and what it represents to the Korea people through history and culture. Its main theme is to try and identify the unique historical relationship that the Korean people (North and South) have with mountains.
• North Korea – DPRK What Next for The World's Most Isolated State?
  Political Tours, London
  We look at life inside North Korea as it comes to terms with the death of Kim Jung Il. The tour is led by the world renown Korea expert, Prof. Rudiger Frank.
  New Tour Dates: April 7-17th, 2012 Price: £2500.00 Single Supplement: £250
• New Zealander climbs every mountain to chart Baekdu-Daegan range in N.K.
  2012-01-03 20:36 A New Zealander’s quest to document the entire Baekdu-Daegan range is closer to completion after a recent trip through the hills of North Korea. Roger Shepherd, founder of HikeKorea.com and an honorary ambassador of travel for South Korea, explored the North’s portion of the Baekdu-Daegan from Oct. 15 to Nov. 1. He followed the range through the North Korean provinces of Gangwon, South Hamgyeong, South Pyeongan and North Pyeongan, accompanied by three members of the New Zealand-Korea Friendship Society. Along the way, they covered 2,300 kilometers of country roads, he said.
• North Korea Open to Tourists
  From Koryo Tours
  We have just been informed by our Korean partners that The DPRK (North Korea) will open to tourists from January 10th this year. Therefore we plan to run all our tours as planned.

• An American NGO ... in North Korea
  By Jeff Baron Dec 15 2012, 8:33 AM ET 8 The story of an Arizona rancher who moved to the most oppressive country on earth -- and is attempting to reconcile two countries that have been enemies for decades. The United States has boots on the ground in North Korea. Cowboy boots, size 10 Durangos, and they belong to Rob Springs, a Korean-speaking Arizona rancher. Springs and his cowboy boots made their 66th visit to North Korea in November 2012. They've spent nearly three years on the ground there since 1997, traveling to every part of the country. Springs is a private citizen, and his story doesn't deal with the issues high on our national security agenda -- how the U.S. government deals with North Korea's weapons and human rights. But it's an important story, because in critical respects it competes against the common narrative about North Korea that Americans -- including those who must deal with its nuclear and missile programs -- get almost daily from the media.
  [An excellent article and one well worth reading
  Tim Beal]
• Is life in North Korea really not that bad?
  Posted by Olga Khazan on November 2, 2012 at 3:02 pm North Korea is so insular that tales from defectors are some of the few glimpses the Western world gets. Books such as Blaine Harding’s “Escape from Camp 14” or Barbara Demick’s “Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea” are filled with former North Koreans’ accounts of innocent people toiling away in gulags, scrounging around train stations for food and living in complete darkness thanks to nationwide energy shortages. But Felix Abt, a Swiss businessman who lived in North Korea for years, says these and other widely read accounts of life in North Korea tell far from the whole story. In a recent opinion piece on GlobalPost, he makes the incredibly unusual argument that North Korea isn’t as destitute and oppressed as its escapees would have you believe. [Media] [Propaganda]
• North Korea's not as crazy as everyone says
  Commentary: Most of what we hear about the Hermit Kingdom comes from defectors, but there's a lot more to the country. Felix Abt November 1, 2012 00:20 NHA TRANG, Vietnam — A peculiar strand of literature on North Korea has been published in recent years, with the authors drawing heavily on interviews with defectors. Sure, North Korea has been a horrific place with famine and prison camps, but these books reveal a single slice of North Korean society. And it's dangerous that they're taken so frequently at face value when they remain unverifiable. The stories these authors tell are indeed heart-wrenching. Journalist Blaine Harding, formerly at the Washington Post, wrote a biography of Shin Dong Hyuk in the 2012 book "Escape from Camp 14." Shin was a famous defector born and raised into the brutal environment of a labor camp from where he later escaped. Unfortunately, there's a big flaw. The defector initially presented his story differently from what he later told to the author. Harden acknowledges in his book that the defector lied to him about his experiences, but decided to believe him anyway. For seven years, I made a living in the world's most closed off communist country as — of all careers there — a businessman. Now living a comfortable life as an entrepreneur in Vietnam, I have all sorts of stories to tell that contradict these tales. [EWA] [Defector] [Propaganda]
• Welcome to Lenin Disney: North Korea’s otherworldly tourism experience
  Posted by Max Fisher on October 16, 2012 at 10:05 am A British tourist finds empty halls and endless propaganda in Pyongyang. (Thomas Bailey) The surreality of visiting North Korea begins at customs. Officials in full military dress — and there are a lot of them, judging by this clandestine video shot by a Canadian tourist — announce that anyone carrying a cell phone must surrender it, to be returned on leaving. The experience gets weirder from there, based on the numerous travelogues and reports that have emerged since the country lifted many of its restrictions on American tourists in 2010. [Media]
• Hotel of Doom, Alcatraz of Fun: North Korea’s finest tourist stays
  Posted by Max Fisher on October 18, 2012 at 8:33 am The Ryugyong Hotel looms above Pyongyang. (AP/Greg Baker) Should you decide to join the small but growing contingent of Western tourists visiting North Korea every year, you will probably spend most of your time in Pyongyang, and that means staying in one of the few approved hotels. Like most things on the tightly-controlled, propaganda-heavy tours, lodging in North Korea is said to be a uniquely bizarre, but perhaps revealing, experience. Most tours, which are shepherded by government minders at all moments except while inside the hotel, put visitors up at the Yanggakdo. It’s enormous by North Korean standards, 47 stories, the top of which is a revolving restaurant. Like the thousand or so rooms, the restaurant is mostly empty, all of it an elaborate show of prosperity that doesn’t exist. The hotel is on an island in the Taedong River, which runs through the middle of the city. This allows guests a rare freedom of movement, as minders will allow guests to wander the island unguided. Although, as Lonely Planet‘s guidebook cautions, “don’t even think of crossing the bridge into the city.” This has earned it the nickname among guides, “Alcatraz of Fun.” [Media]
• A mission to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
  John Hearnshaw. Professor of Astronomy, University of Canterbury, Christchurch NZ
  A week in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea may not sound like everyone’s idea of a fun holiday destination. I just spent the first week of September in that country and absolutely enjoyed every minute of my time. The Koreans treated me like a celebrity rock star or visiting president, with a large black limousine and chauffeur assigned to me for a week, during which time doors to important people and places were opened to me and every effort was made to please and impress. As the first astronomer ever to visit DPR Korea from another country (except for some Chinese astronomers who went to Pyongyang over 10 years ago), and also one of the few foreign scientists of any type to go there, the Koreans certainly appreciated my visit.
• An Englishman in Pyongyang
  Global Times | 2012-7-27 19:10:06 By Feng Shu Michael Harrold currently works and resides in Beijing. Photo: An Saigang Sitting across a table from the affable, unassuming Briton, one would never guess that he'd spent seven years in a world that is still largely off limits to Western media. Almost 20 years after he left Pyongyang in 1994, Michael Harrold, the first Briton to work and live in North Korea, is still surprised that his life led him to this mysterious nation, which remains inaccessible to most people even today. After answering a bizarre job posting upon his graduation from Leeds University in the UK, Harrold, then 25 years old, found himself in Pyongyang in March of 1987 with a new job title: English language adviser. His main duty was to polish English translations of the collected works and speeches by North Korea's then president, Kim Il-sung, and his son and then heir, Kim Jong-il. [EWA]
• Report from Pyongyang
  Stewart Lone from the University of New South Wales, has been teaching English in Pyongyang. Here he ponders on the strange discrepancy between the image of the DPRK, life in Pyongyang, and the political system promulgated by our governments, media, and some writers –all ‘honourable men’ in Shakespeare’s phrase – and his experiences.
  He is working on a longer description of his time in Pyongyang.

No entries yet for 2012