DPRK-Miscellaneous articles20

Domestic DPRK
2020
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SEPTEMBER 2020

Parade Practice in Full Swing in Pyongyang
BY: MARTYN WILLIAMS AND PETER MAKOWSKY SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 Recent commercial satellite imagery of Pyongyang, taken at 2:06 PM (KST) on Sunday afternoon, revealed more than 40 vehicles on the roads of the Mirim Parade Training Ground leading to the replica of Kim Il Sung Square. North Korea does not publicly confirm its military parades in advance, but the preparations can usually be seen via satellite imagery two to six months prior. The recent training strongly suggests a large military parade is planned for the 75th anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea on October 10. [WPK] [Anniversary]
North Korea’s Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site: Evidence of Typhoon Damage
BY: PETER MAKOWSKY, FRANK PABIAN AND JACK LIU SEPTEMBER 24, 2020 Recent commercial satellite imagery of North Korea’s Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site revealed significant storm damage to the road that runs the entirety of the complex area. Flood waters have washed out several sections of the roadway, limiting access to the site. However, the few remaining buildings on site (post-May 2018 demolition of the Main Administration Support Area) appear to have been spared. While the flood waters have receded, imagery from September 17 revealed that the streambeds, which originate in the surrounding mountains and join near the portals area, before continuing through the valley toward the town of Punggye-ri, have been severely scoured, significantly widening their paths. This has destroyed bridges and several sections of the roadway, which run parallel to these streams. [Punggye-ri] [Typhoon]
Sinpo South Shipyard Braced for Stormy Weather
BY: PETER MAKOWSKY AND JACK LIU SEPTEMBER 4, 2020SATELLITE IMAGERY New commercial satellite imagery of North Korea’s Sinpo South Shipyard reveals the area is braced for more storms on the heels of Typhoon Maysak. Figure 1. Overview of Sinpo South Shipyard area. Image Pleiades © CNES 2020, Distribution Airbus DS. For media options, please contact thirtyeightnorth@gmail.com. On imagery from September 4, an unusually high number of vessels are at anchor within the strait separating Mayang-do (Mayang Island) from the mainland city of Sinpo. Normally an assortment of 30 to 40 commercial and military vessels can be found within the protected anchorage area, but on this date, well over 100 vessels are observed. [Typhoon][Sinpo] [SLBM]
Preparations Continue at the Mirim Parade Training Ground
BY: MARTYN WILLIAMS, JENNY TOWN AND PETER MAKOWSKY SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 Commercial satellite imagery indicates training continues at North Korea’s Mirim Parade Training Ground for a military parade likely to be held next month to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea. Additionally, despite having recently constructed a permanent heavy equipment storage compound on site, multiple temporary structures have been erected around the garages that are large enough to house transporter-erector-launchers (TELs) for the North’s largest missiles. Parade Training As seen in previous weeks, troops continue to practice formations along the parade training route around the replica of Kim Il Sung Square. Figure 1. Troops marching in formation around the training r
Sinpo South Shipyard: After the Storms
BY: PETER MAKOWSKY AND JACK LIU SEPTEMBER 15, 2020SATELLITE IMAGERY Commercial satellite imagery of North Korea’s Sinpo South Shipyard from September 15 indicates heavy activity has taken place over the past week since the typhoons have passed, including the repositioning of the SINPO-class submarine and the repositioning or departure of the submersible test barge. [SLBM]
Sinpo South Shipyard: Submersible Test Barge Visible at the Boat Basin
BY: PETER MAKOWSKY AND JACK LIU SEPTEMBER 18, 2020 Commercial satellite imagery from September 18 confirms the presence of the submersible test barge at North Korea’s Sinpo South Shipyard. Post-typhoon imagery taken between September 10 and 15 revealed a significant movement of vessels within the secure boat basin, including repositioning of the SINPO-class submarine and the apparent disappearance of the submersible test barge. Since the test barge had been used in the past to facilitate previous submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) tests, there was speculation that its departure from the boat basin indicated that North Korea was about to conduct an at-sea missile test. [Missile test] [SLBM]
Rehearsals Underway at the Mirim Parade Training Ground
BY: MARTYN WILLIAMS SEPTEMBER 1, 2020 Recent commercial satellite imagery of the Mirim Parade Training Ground indicates that rehearsals have begun for an upcoming military parade, likely to be held next month. Two images from August 31, taken just 30 minutes apart,[1] show hundreds of vehicles parked in the northwest parking lots adjacent to the parade grounds, and thousands of troops in formations near or in the area that replicates Kim Il Sung Square. [WPK]

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AUGUST 2020

Kim Jong-un Flies into Rage over 'Shoddy' Hospital Construction
By Kim Myong-song July 21, 2020 13:19 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has flown into a rage over the shoddy construction of a hospital that is one of his pet projects and fired all those responsible. Kim was visiting the construction site of a general hospital in Pyongyang that the regime aims to complete for the 75th anniversary of the Workers Party on Oct. 10. [Pyongyang General Hospital] [Sanctions effect]

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JULY 2020

N. Korea moves to merge education colleges nationwide
The schools are reportedly moving to forcibly retire elderly professors who have not met certain evaluation criteria By Lee Sang Yong -2020.07.17 4:00pm North Korea has begun merging education colleges throughout the country as part of an effort to reduce education-related expenditures, Daily NK has learned. The country’s Education Committee (an agency under the Cabinet that manages education-related administrative matters) had conducted a month-long review of staff and student skills at education colleges nationwide at the beginning of the year. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reportedly saw the results of this review and ordered the schools to merge to reduce expenditures. [Education] [Consolidation][Demographics]
On the occasion of July 4th North-South Joint Declaration
Dear friends, Warm greetings from Pyongyang! July 4th marks the 48th anniversary of adoption of the July 4th North-South Joint Statement in which the north and south of Korea reached a joint agreement for the first time in the history of national division on the Korean Peninsula. Publication of the July 4th north-south joint statement served as a historic event in which the north and south affirmed their common aspiration and will for national reunification and demonstrated, home and abroad, strong will of the entire Korean people to achieve the cause of national reunification peacefully on the principle of independence with their concerted efforts. The July 4th Joint Statement clarified three principles of independence, peaceful reunification, thus providing a fundamental guarantee for Korean reunification. [SK NK relations]
Wonsan-Kalma Airfield Activity: Probable Completion of Fighter Aircraft Exercise
BY: PETER MAKOWSKY AND MARTYN WILLIAMS JUNE 23, 2020 Recent commercial satellite imagery of the dual-use Wonsan-Kalma International Airport captured the probable conclusion of a fighter aircraft flight exercise. Imagery from June 22, 2020, shows an unusually large number of MiG-21, MiG-15 and MiG-17 aircraft, where only a handful are normally parked in view. [Airforce]

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JUNE 2020

Unusual Object Remains at the Sinpo South Shipyard, Possible Midget Submarine
Jack Liu and Peter Makowsky June 19, 2020 Recent commercial satellite imagery of North Korea’s Sinpo South Shipyard indicates no notable activity at the construction halls, despite rumors that North Korea may be close to launching a new submarine. The unusual object that was present on the quay of the secure boat basin on May 27 remains in the same place. While it is unclear what this object is, a recent article by H I Sutton suggests it may be a new type of midget submarine or unmanned underwater vehicle. North Korea uses midget submarines to conduct infiltration and reconnaissance missions, and as Sutton’s article notes, its known models are old, so a new model would not be out of character as the North works to advance its submarine capabilities. Imagery has shown that a midget submarine had been secured alongside the submersible test barge for a period of six months—from December 2019 to May 2020. The submarine was approximately 15 meters long. From late May, the midget submarine was no longer secured to the submersible test barge. Instead, an unusual linear object was present on the quay, which measured approximately 16 meters in length. If this linear object is a midget submarine or a shipping container with the submarine within, it may mean that in-water testing has been completed and adjustments are being made to it. [Sinpo] [Midget submarine]
Progress Made on Mirim Parade Training Ground: Paving of Roads and Interior Areas
BY: MARTYN WILLIAMS, PETER MAKOWSKY AND JENNY TOWN JUNE 8, 2020 New commercial satellite imagery indicates construction work at the Mirim Parade Training Ground in Pyongyang is focused on building five large buildings and a new access road. In just over a month, five probable garages or storable buildings have been erected that appear capable of storing a considerable amount of military equipment. Paving of the interior areas of the complex is underway along with the paving of what appears to be parade assembly roads on the facility’s north side. Additionally, a new access road has been built connecting Mirim to Taehak Street, which is suitable for large vehicles with a wide turning radius that will facilitate easy transfer into the city.
N.Korean Regime Hints at Straits of Pyongyang Elite
By Kim Myong-song June 09, 2020 13:46 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called a session of the Politburo to discuss "handling the pressing issue of how to guarantee Pyongyang residents' livelihood" and "developing the self-reliant economy" and "improving people's living standards," the official Rodong Sinmun reported Monday. It was Kim's first public appearance in about two weeks since he chaired a meeting of the Workers Party's Central Military Commission. The main issues were ensuring a stable supply of food, electricity and fuel, the daily added. The provision of basic necessities has become a serious problem even in Pyongyang, where the North Korean elite live, as a result of international sanctions and border closures due to the coronavirus epidemic. The capital is naturally the regime's top priority since it relies on the party and military elite to prop it up. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks at a Politburo session on Sunday, in this photo from the North's official Rodong Sinmun daily. The regime has supplied food for Pyongyang residents even when provincial regions suffered from shortages, according to one defector here. In a recent report, Fitch Solutions, a subsidiary of global ratings firm Fitch, predicted that the North's economy will shrink six percent this year due to sanctions and the epidemic, the steepest in 23 years since the famine of the 1990s. [Economy] [Sanctions effect] [Coronavirus] [Wishful thinking]
N.Korean Media Warn Against Corrupting Foreign Arts
By Kim Myong-song May 27, 2020 11:24 North Korean state media on Tuesday warned its people against the corrupting influence of foreign movies and western songs. The official Rodong Sinmun, in a tirade worthy of deepest Stalinist times, in an editorial warned that "invisible enemies" are more threatening than visible ones and condemned the poison of bourgeois culture. "Imitating even a single movie or song without a critical sense for entertainment will tarnish our national culture and cause the rotten bourgeois culture to spread," it thundered. The aim seems to be to stiffen North Koreans' ideological spine and support of their leader amid growing economic hardship caused by international sanctions and the border lockdown due to the coronavirus epidemic. [Culture]
Kim Jong-il Promotes Nuclear Officials
By Roh Suk-jo, Kim Myong-song May 25, 2020 09:45 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in a meeting of Workers Party bigwigs discussed "new policies to further strengthen deterrence for a nuclear war and placing strategic weapons on high alert," state media reported Sunday. He also promoted several nuclear officials to senior posts. The North seems poised for further nuclear provocations following a lull due to the coronavirus epidemic. Experts here believe it may launch a new 3,000-ton submarine capable of firing nuclear missiles and test a submarine-launched ballistic missile. Kim was shown on state TV in front of a large screen and making a presentation to top military brass. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un makes a presentation at a Workers Party's meeting, in this photo from the North's official Rodong Sinmun dailiy on Sunday. He promoted some 69 military officers including Ri Pyong-chol and Pak Jong-chol. Both were heavily involved in the nuclear and missile programs. Ri was spotted constantly shadowing Kim during major weapons tests. Pak was the only high-ranking military official to be promoted to vice marshal. The promotions appear aimed at consolidating Kim's grip on the unruly military, which had metastasized into a state within the state under his father Kim Jong-il's rule. Former ambassador to Russia Wie Sung-lac said, "North Korea could resort to an armed provocation to increase its bargaining power ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November." Kim has been making on-site visits to artillery units to stress the need for greater firepower, and the latest promotions appear to reflect those visits. [KWP] [Deterrence]

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MAY 2020

Survey of national bird intensified
Ornithologists have achieved successes in their study of distribution and ecology of goshawk, national bird of the DPRK, and its protection and multiplication. After explicating the biological features of goshawk, a sedentary bird that inhabits the country, the Zoology Institute of the State Academy of Sciences established the Toksong goshawk reserve and Toksong scientific research forest in the Toksong area of South Hamgyong Province and succeeded in the artificial raising of five young goshawks by completing the artificial goshawk rearing technology. The institute also found out that goshawk, which was known to live only in the northern highlands of the country, also inhabits its central part, spotted four pairs of goshawks nesting in the area of Toksong County, South Hamgyong Province, and conducted a more detailed survey of its breeding and ecological characters. Videos filmed by its researchers to show the images of parent and young goshawks and their life in the nests were broadcast as a special programme, attracting a lot of interest of TV viewers. According to Kim Kyong Jun, deputy director of the institute, they work on the establishment of an artificial breeding technology, a challenging task of the academic circles. [Environment]
New Construction at the Mirim Parade Training Ground
By: Martyn Williams, Peter Makowsky and Jenny Town May 13, 2020 Commercial satellite imagery from May 13 indicates there is a new major construction project underway at North Korea’s Mirim Parade Training Ground in Pyongyang. The Mirim facility is best known as a rehearsal ground for military parades, containing a full-size replica of Kim Il Sung Square to practice processions and formations. The area includes a number of facilities, including a Heliport, Skydiving Club and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) airfield, a Flying Club and airfield, the April 25 Hotel and the large Mirim Riding Academy. [Triviality]
What does the music sound like in North Korea?
Fri 15 May 2020 We asked Matt Kulesza what song is most popular right now, in a country with no internet... [Music] [Moranbong band][Media]
- Moranbong band playing world hit songs
'Scar' Suggests Kim Jong-un Had Medical Treatment
By Kim Chul-joong, Roh Suk-jo, Cho Yi-jun May 04, 2020 11:44 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's reappearance on May 1 to open a fertilizer plant in Sunchon north of Pyongyang quelled premature rumors of his demise, but a new spot on his wrist keeps the rumor mill in overdrive. The brown spot measuring around 0.5 cm can be spotted on Kim's right wrist in state TV footage. It is round and clear, suggesting it was not caused by an accidental injury. The spot was not visible when Kim was attending a Workers Party meeting on April 11. Some cardiovascular experts surmise that it was made by a thick needle penetrating the skin and may be the result of a coronary angiography. This combination photo shows a spot on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's wrist (circled) as he waves during the ribbon-cutting at a fertilizer plant in Sunchon, South Pyongan Province on May 1, in this grab from [North] Korean Central Television the following day. In the April 11 picture (right) the spot is not visible. Kim Moo-hyun at the Korean Society of Interventional Cardiology said, "Based on the shape and location, there is an 80-percent chance that it was caused by an angiography." Kim was also slightly dragging his left foot at certain times during the ceremony, and his wrist and face appeared swollen. But doctors admit an accurate diagnosis based those signs alone is impossible. A senior Cheong Wa Dae official said Sunday, "There are news reports that [Kim] had surgery based on observations that he walked differently, but we believe such reports are inaccurate." Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump said he is "glad" Kim is back. "I, for one, am glad to see he is back, and well!" Trump tweeted. The New York Times said Saturday the rumors just show "how little the world knows about what's happening" in the reclusive country and "how vulnerable it is to misinformation about it." Kim Jong-un Reappears - at Fertilizer Plant Pyongyang 'Succumbs to Panic Buying' Trump Claims to Have 'Very Good Idea' of Kim Jong-un's Health U.S., S.Korea Monitor N.Korea over Kim Jong-un Rumors Mystery of Kim Jong-un's Whereabouts Deepens N.Korea Mum over Rumors of Kim Jong-un's Ill Health Reports of Kim Jong-un's Imminent Demise 'Exaggerated' Kim Jong-un 'Critical After Surgery' Kim Jong-un 'Has No Health Problems' N.Korea Admits Kim Jong-un Is Unwell [Kim Jong Un] [Health] [Canard]
N.Korea Admits Kim Jong-un Is Unwell
By Hwang Dae-jin
September 29, 2014 09:26
North Korea's state-run TV in a rare admission on Thursday showed footage of leader Kim Jong-un limping and admitted he is ill. It was the first time that the North's tightly-controlled media admitted a leader has health problems. The report hailed "Our marshal, who lights the path of leadership for the people like a flame, although he was not feeling well" over footage of a limping Kim taken sometime in July. [Media] [Canard] [Heading][Kim Jong Un] [Health]
Imagery Shows Train at Kim Jong Un’s Wonsan Compound Again
By: Martyn Williams, Peter Makowsky and Jenny Town April 29, 2020 Commercial satellite imagery from April 29 shows a train at the leadership train station that services Kim Jong Un’s compound in the coastal city of Wonsan. While a train was first observed at this station on April 21 and again on April 23, it cannot be determined whether it has remained at the station since then. On April 29, the train is situated in the same position as before. However, the engine is no longer parked alongside the south end of the train. Whether the engine car has departed or was simply moved under the station’s canopy is unclear. But in either case, the train does not appear to be prepared for departure. [Kim Jong Un] [Canard] [Wonsan]
Western Media Continues to Spread Fake News About North Korea
By Lucas Leiroz de Almeida Global Research, April 29, 2020 In modern warfare, one of the greatest weapons is the power to manipulate information. In a globalized international society, extremely integrated and connected by an infinite information circulation network, a media which controls the dissemination and content of such information is in an extremely advantageous position, as this power allows it to shape public opinion. In the mass society, we are all hostages to the dissemination of information and to the way it is carried out, which puts us in a position of extreme fragility, as we are daily forced to consume false information strategically manipulated by its disseminators. Lies fill a large part of the mass media, as it is controlled by the most powerful groups in society and which are better able to guarantee their interests. In the Western world, the use of false information to denigrate the public image of people, countries, ideologies and movements that in some way oppose the liberal hegemonic ideology has become frequent. One of the biggest victims of this information war is North Korea, a country that is extremely denigrated in the West with numerous and repeated lies about its political regime and its society as a whole. North Korean President Kim Jong-un was the youngest victim of the unfounded “death” news in Western media
Then, a satellite photo captured an image of the President in Wonsan, showing that Kim is alive and well. [Kim Jong Un] [Death] [Canard] [Alt Media]

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APRIL 2020

Train Spotted at Kim Jong Un’s Wonsan Compound
By: Martyn Williams, Peter Makowsky and Jenny Town April 25, 2020 A train probably belonging to Kim Jong Un has been parked at the Leadership Railway Station servicing his Wonsan compound since at least April 21, according to commercial satellite imagery. The train’s presence does not prove the whereabouts of the North Korean leader or indicate anything about his health, but it does lend weight to reports that Kim is staying at an elite area on the country’s eastern coast. The approximately 250-meter long train, although partially covered by the station’s roof, can be seen at a railway station reserved for use by the Kim family. It was not present on April 15 but was present on both April 21 and 23. Imagery indicates the train arrived sometime before April 21 and was still present on April 23, when it appeared to be repositioned for departure. However, there was no indication when that departure might take place. The Wonsan complex includes nine large guesthouses and a recreation center. At the center of the grounds is a large building that was constructed shortly after Kim Jong Un came to power in 2014. It also includes a protected port, shooting range, recreation building and a covered dock that is believed for his mega yacht. Adjacent to the railway station is a small runway that was originally used for light aircraft but was converted in the second half of 2019 into a horse-riding track to match Kim’s latest hobby. Kim Jong Un’s last reported public appearance was an inspection of an air force group at an unnamed airfield in the west of North Korea. Photographs and satellite imagery indicate it was at the Sunchon Airport, about 50 km northeast of Pyongyang. Reports since then have quoted various sources claiming he has been spotted walking around the Wonsan area to recovering at a compound in the north west of the country at Hyangsan in varying degrees of health. [Kim Jong Un] [Wonsan]
Kim Jong-un's Sister 'Takes Charge' of Major Affairs
By Kim Myong-song March 25, 2020 12:36 Kim Yo-jong /Yonhap North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's younger sister Yo-jong is confidently giving orders to the Workers Party, according to sources on Tuesday. She had already displayed her mastery of North Korea's crackpot diplomatic style in several intemperate statements in recent weeks. The developments suggest that her powers have increased significantly. "Kim Yo-jong's presence stands out, not least in the circulation of instructions issued in her name," a source said. "She takes care of all party business whenever Kim Jong-un is on a tour of the provinces." Rumors are circulating in the North that Kim Yo-jong is in charge of everything except military affairs. Her official title is given as "first deputy director of the Central Committee" but does not say in which department. She previously had a senior job in the Propaganda and Agitation Department but now seems to have moved to the more powerful Organization and Guidance Department. The department is called a "party within the party" which handles personnel inspections in the party and military. [Kim Yo Jong]
Mystery of Kim Jong-un's Whereabouts Deepens
By Kim Jin-myung, Kim Myong-song, Yang Seung-sik April 27, 2020 11:01 North Korea has made no effort for the last two weeks to dispel rumors that leader Kim Jong-un is at death's door. Kim disappeared from the radar after a meeting on April 11 and has since been rumored to be in a coma after emergency cardiovascular surgery. He was conspicuously absent from an annual ceremony marking the birthday of nation founder Kim Il-sung, and over the weekend what appears to be his personal train was spotted on a satellite picture of Wonsan. As speculation ran riot, North Korea neither made an official statement nor published any picture of Kim that would set minds at rest. On Sunday, the official [North] Korean Central News Agency finally published a report claiming that Kim "thanked" construction workers at a new model town in Samjiyon in the northeast but published no pictures to go with it. [Kim Jong Un]
Kim Jong-un's Sister to Have Baby in May
April 30, 2015 10:01 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's younger sister Yo-jong is pregnant and expected to give birth next month, National Intelligence Service chief Lee Byung-ho said Wednesday. The NIS chief revealed the information in a closed-door session of the National Assembly's Intelligence Committee, but two lawmakers later briefed reporters, an established ritual. "Although the identity of the spouse is not clearly known, there is speculation that he is an alumnus of Kim's from Kim Il-sung University," Saenuri Party lawmaker Lee Cheol-woo said. He added there is no information on the husband's family background. Kim Yo-jong wears a wedding ring (in circle) as she accompanies her brother, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, to a childcare center in Pyongyang in January, in the picture released by the official Rodong Sinmun daily. A photo of Kim Yo-jong visiting a childcare center in January showed her wearing a wedding ring. Rumors of her pregnancy spread as she was spotted with a swollen face and wearing flat shoes. There are rumors that her husband works for the Workers Party's Room 39, which manages Kim Jong-un's slush funds, or that he comes from an elite military contingent that guards the North Korean leader. But a government source here denied Chinese media reports that Kim had married the son of Workers Party secretary Choe Ryong-hae. North Korean media refer to Kim Yo-jong as a vice minister but do not say for what. North Korea watchers believe she was promoted last month to head the party's propaganda department after an octogenarian dinosaur retired. [Kim Yo Jong] [Baby]
'Scores' of N.Korean Soldiers Dead of Coronavirus
By Kim Myong-song March 30, 2020 12:22 More than 100 North Korean stationed near the Chinese border are thought to have died of coronavirus since late February, the Yomiuri Shimbun claimed Sunday. The Japanese daily quoted intelligence sources from South Korea, the U.S., and Japan as saying the outbreak started in the border region but is now spreading across the impoverished country, and military training has been halted. The regime claims there have no coronavirus infections and nobody has died from the epidemic. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (center) and military officials watch a firing drill at an unidentified location on March 20, in this photo from the North's official Rodong Sinmum daily. Last week, the official [North] Koran Central News Agency said that about 2,280 North Koreans including returnees from abroad and those who came into contact with them have been put "under medical monitoring" across the country. "The regime says that there are no confirmed cases there because they have no test kits," a source said. The daily speculated that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and senior military officers were seen without masks recently in a bid to calm public fears but that the situation is in fact serious. On March 13, U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Robert Abrams said he is sure that the North has not escaped the outbreak. "What I do know is that their armed forces has been fundamentally on lockdown for about 30 days, and only recently have they started routine training again," Abrams said. "As one example, they didn't fly an airplane for 24 days." [Coronavirus] [Canard] [Lockdown]
Pyongyang General Hospital After One Month: Building Outline Clear
By: Martyn Williams and Peter Makowsky April 14, 2020 Construction on the new Pyongyang General Hospital has continued at such pace that for the first time—after just under one month—the overall outline of the building is visible. Commercial satellite imagery from April 14 shows clear outlines of the two towers that will dominate the rear of the hospital. The rest of the building is also taking shape, including a distinctive lip that juts out from the front of the hospital. [Pyongyang General Hospital]
N.Korea Deploys MiG-29 Fighter Jets on Frontline
By Yang Seung-sik April 14, 2020 11:04 North Korea has deployed several MiG-29 fighter jets near the border with South Korea and increased air combat drills. "There are signs that the MiG-29s, which are normally stationed near Pyongyang, have been forward-deployed recently," a military spokesman here said Monday. There have been frequent air combat drills in the frontline areas as well. Another military spokesman said the North normally keeps its fighter jets grounded due to a fuel shortage, but now they are flying sorties almost every day. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un salutes as he watches an air defense drill in an unidentified location in North Korea, in this grab from [North] Korean Central Television on Sunday. The maneuvers seem to be aimed at discouraging reconnaissance activities by South Korea and the U.S. after the North tested a range of short-range missiles in recent weeks, according to Shin Jong-woo at the Korea Defense and Security Forum. The U.S. has been conducting reconnaissance with special aircraft like the rapidly deployable RC-135S Cobra Ball since late last year, when the North threatened it with a "Christmas gift." On Sunday, state media published pictures of MiG-29s shooting down imaginary enemy aircraft with air-to-air missiles, as leader Kim Jong-un watched an Air Force drill. [Airforce]
N.Korea's Hawkish FM Promoted to Top Decision-Making Body
April 14, 2020 11:16 Ri Son-gwon /Yonhap North Korea's hawkish Foreign Minister Ri Son-gwon has been appointed to the State Affairs Commission, the country's most powerful decision-making body. The appointment came in a session of the rubber-stamp Supreme People's Assembly on Sunday, state media reported the next day. Ri, who became foreign minister in January, was also promoted to the Politburo as an "alternate" member along with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister Kim Yo-jong on Saturday. The two new posts are thought to come with the job of foreign minister. As a former chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland dealing with South Korean affairs, Ri raised some hackles when he was rude to a group of South Korean business leaders accompanying President Moon Jae-in to Pyongyang in 2018. Another new member of the commission is Kim Hyong-jun, who has replaced veteran diplomat Ri Su-yong as vice chairman for international relations at the Workers Party's Central Committee. North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly is in session in Pyongyang on Sunday, in this photo from the official Rodong Sinmun daily the following day. That seems to complete the establishment of a new hardline foreign-policy team after leader Kim Jong-un fired most of the old team who had been responsible for arranging his summits with U.S. President Donald Trump. Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui seems to be the only one left from the old team on the commission. The parliamentary session was postponed for two days without explanation. Kim Jong-un attended the Politburo meeting but was absent from the Supreme People's Assembly. He has skipped five of 12 assembly sessions that have been held since he came into power. [Ri Son Gwon]
Kim Jong-un's Sister Cements Top Position
April 13, 2020 12:45 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un chaired a Politburo meeting on Saturday that reinstated his sister Yo-jong to "alternate" member of the top decision-making body of the Workers Party, the North's official Korean Central News Agency reported Sunday. Kim Yo-jong was first appointed to the position in 2017 but lost it last year after the collapse of a second North Korea-U.S. summit. The reinstatement puts an official stamp on her ascent in the repressive regime, where she has already to all intents and purposes become the second most powerful person. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (second from right) inspects an air defense unit with his younger sister Kim Yo-jong in the background, in this grab from [North] Korean Central Television on Sunday. Economics woes seem to have dominated the agenda at the meeting. KCNA said the coronavirus pandemic is "a great disaster threatening the whole mankind, regardless of borders and continents." It added that the regime set goals of "continuously intensifying the nationwide emergency anti-epidemic services and pushing ahead with the economic construction and increasing national defense capability and stabilizing the people's livelihood." Although the regime insists that the impoverished country remains free of coronavirus infections, it now acknowledges that its economy has been impacted by the pandemic. Meanwhile, Kim Jong-un toured an airbase in the western part of the country ahead of the meeting, the Rodong Sinmun reported. [Kim Yo Jong]
The Pyongyang General Hospital Starts to Take Shape
By: Martyn Williams and Peter Makowsky April 10, 2020 Commercial satellite imagery from April 10 shows that construction on the new Pyongyang General Hospital has progressed quickly since a Minju Chosun report earlier this week, with concrete pouring now complete across much of the structure and the first floor starting to be put into place. At the east end of the site, closest to the monument to the founding of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK), concrete has been poured for more than half of the basement floor. In the adjacent area, a second floor is already being added to Tower 2. In the central area of the hospital, more concrete forms and pillars have been added and at the west end of the site, where the main entrance will be, pouring of the basement floor has also begun. Concrete trucks are entering the site through two large dirt ramps, which are prohibiting the completion of the basement floor area. We anticipate those will be removed soon and the concrete pouring will be completed. The Workers’ Party of Korea has set a 200-day deadline for completion of the hospital so it will be ready for events marking the 75th anniversary of the WPK on October 10. Construction began on March 17 so the deadline for the project is October 2, leaving little room for overruns. The satellite image from April 10 marks the 25th day of construction. [Pyongyang General Hospital]

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FEBRUARY 2020

Wonsan-Kalma Airfield Air Forces Flight Activity – The New Normal?
By: 38 North February 6, 2020 A 38 North exclusive with analysis by Peter Makowsky Evidence of continued North Korean Air Forces flight activity, observed on commercial satellite imagery taken on January 31 and February 3, 2020, suggests a new normal for the Wonsan-Kalma Airfield. Background Commercial satellite imagery from January 17 and 21, 2020, had shown military aircraft flight preparations at North Korea’s Wonsan-Kalma International airport. This was the first flight activity observed at this location since the Combat Flight Contest in mid-November 2019. Wonsan-Kalma is a dual-use airfield, originally serving as an airbase for MiG-17 and -21 fighter aircraft until 2013, when construction began to convert the airfield to serve as both a military airbase and an international commercial airport with the latter intended to serve the adjacent, newly-constructed, Wonsan Beach Resort.[Air Force]
Kim Jong-un's Aunt Reemerges After Years of Speculation About Fate
VOA News January 27, 2020 08:15 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's aunt made her first public appearance in about six years, state media reported Sunday, quelling years of rumors that she was purged or executed by her nephew after helping him inherit power from his father. According to a [North] Korean Central News Agency dispatch, the name of Kim Kyong-hui was included in a list of top North Korean officials who watched a performance marking Lunar New Year's Day with Kim Jong-un at a Pyongyang theater on Saturday. North Korea's main newspaper also released a photo showing Kim Kyong-hui sitting near Kim Jong-un and his wife, Ri Sol-ju, at the Samjiyon Theater. [Kim Kyong Hui] [Reappearance]

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JANUARY 2020

Military Air Force Flight Activity at the Wonsan-Kalma Airfield
By: 38 North January 23, 2020 A 38 North exclusive with analysis by Peter Makowsky Commercial satellite imagery from January 17 and 21, 2020, shows military aircraft flight preparations activity at North Korea’s Wonsan-Kalma International Airport. This is the first flight activity observed at this location since Kim Jong Un attended the Combat Flight Contest in November 2019. The purpose of this activity is unclear, but could indicate another flight drill in the near future or may be related to force readiness. [Air Force]
The Six Most Famous North Korean Women Today
By Koryo Tours The six most beautiful North Korean Women celebrities ranked by North Korean locals “Men from the South, Women from the North (????).” This is a famous saying in Korea, meaning that men from the south are handsome and women from the north are beautiful. The saying about North Korean women pre-dates division. Does this Korean saying hold true today? Are North Korean women really more beautiful? While no southern part of the country is known as the birthplace of beautiful Korean women, many northern places are traditionally associated with beautiful women, for instance: 'Kanggye beauties' (???? | ????)·, 'Hoeryong beauties' (???? | ????), and 'Hamhung beauties' (???? | ????). In Pyongyang today, there are many women named Pyong Mi (?? |??), which is an abbreviation for 'Pyongyang Beauty' (???? | ?????.
Monument on Mt. Kumgang Deifies Kim Jong-un's Mother
By Lee Ha-won December 31, 2019 11:13 Ko Yong-hui North Korea has built a stone monument in the scenic Mt. Kumgang resort deifying leader Kim Jong-un's mother Ko Yong-hui, whose name has been unmentionable for decades, Japan's Sankei Shimbun reported Monday. The photo shows a large stone engraved with red characters reading, "Great Leader Kim Jong-il as he toured Mt. Kumgang with the 'Mother of Songun Chosun' and 'Dear Leader Kim Jong-un' in December 1997." The daily said that the North also produced a movie about Ko, after her one-time husband Kim Jong-il's disastrous "songun" or military-first doctrine. This new assertiveness about a woman who had been expunged from the record for tainting the deeply racist leadership's bloodline suggests Kim Jong-un now feels secure in his grip on power. The reason for her uncertain status is that Ko was born and raised in Osaka, Japan, the daughter of a South Korean father. She became Kim Jong-il's third wife in the 1970s after moving to Pyongyang under a bizarre campaign that led to a mass migration of Japanese to North Korea in late 1950s and early 1960s. [Ko Yong hui] [Zainichi] [Kim Jong Un]
First-Day Session of 5th Plenary Meeting of 7th C.C., WPK Held
The 5th Plenary Meeting of the 7th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea was convened here on Dec. 28, according to a decision of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the C.C., WPK. Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, guided the plenary meeting. Attending the meeting were members and alternate members of the C.C., WPK and members of the Central Auditing Commission of the WPK. [WPK]

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DECEMBER 2019

DPRK competitor claims title at World Memory Championships 2019
2019-12-09 17:31:13Ecns.cn Editor : Mo Hong'e ECNS App Download (ECNS) -- A female competitor from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) won the title at the 28th World Memory Championships held in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, after four days of contest. Ryu Songyoung set three world records. In the One Hour Numbers, she memorized 4,620 random numbers in 60 minutes, breaking the previous world record of 3,260. Wei Qinru of China, last year's champion, won the silver medal. More than 500 brain masters from more than 40 countries and regions competed in 10 memory events. This contest broke six world records, including Binary Numbers, One Hour Numbers, Historic /Future Dates, One Hour Cards, Random Words and Spoken Numbers. The 28th World Memory Championships 2019 Global Finals concluded on Sunday, and next year's championships will take place in India.
The “New North Korea”: Security Implications of North Korea’s Social Changes
December 10, 2019 | 12:00PM - 1:30PM The Stimson Center While the world’s attention has been focused on the denuclearization talks with North Korea, the country’s domestic social changes have evaded public scrutiny. The burgeoning market economy, the internal social control and the securitization of society management all have key implications for the threat perception of the North Korean government,hence the goals and approaches it has adopted. What are the political and security implications of North Korea’s social changes? Featuring: Zheng Jiyong, Ph.D., Professor and Director, Center for Korean Studies, Fudan University Zheng Jiyong, Ph.D.,is Professor and Director at the Center for Korean Studies, Fudan University, and Secretary-General of the Shanghai Institute of Korean Studies. He is currently a Visiting Fellow in the Stimson Center. His research focuses on domestic politics in the two Koreas, bilateral and multilateral relations related to the Korean peninsula, and the policy-making processes in the DPRK, ROK, and China. William H. Overholt, Ph.D., Senior Research Fellow, Harvard University William H. Overholt, Ph.D.,is a Senior Research Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Hehas extensive experience in research at RAND and the Hudson Institution, consulting, and investment banking in the US and across Asia.He is the author of six books, including Asia, America and the Transformation of Geopolitics(Cambridge University Press and RAND, 2007). Jenny Town, Fellow and Managing Editor of 38 North, the Stimson Center Jenny Town is a Research Analyst at Stimson and the Managing Editor and Producer of “38 North,” a web journal that provides policy and technical analysis on North Korea. She is the former Assistant Director of the US-Korea Institute at SAIS where she focused on North Korea, US-DPRK relations, US-ROK alliance, and Northeast Asia regional security. Yun Sun, Co-Director, East Asia Program, Stimson (moderator) Yun Sun is Co-Director ofthe East Asia Program and Director of the ChinaProgram at Stimson. Her expertise is in Chinese foreign policy, US-China relations and China's relations with neighboring countries and authoritarian regimes. She holds degrees from George Washington University and the Foreign Affairs College in Beijing. [Social change]
Kim Jong-un Opens Brand-New City Near Mt. Baekdu
December 04, 2019 11:26 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has opened a shiny brand-new city in Samjiyon at the foot of Mt. Baekdu, to which his family claims to trace its heritage. Kim cut a ribbon in the new city, which is bisected by a vast straight avenue lined by apartment buildings in a faux alpine style and a couple of towering futuristic structures, all lit up like Christmas trees and dwarfing a crowd of people who milled around the central intersection. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (center) cuts the ribbon at a ceremony to celebrate the opening of a new town in Samjiyon, Ryanggang Province, in this grab from the [North] Korean Central News Agency on Tuesday. /Yonhap Also on hand at the ceremony were senior officials like Choe Ryong-hae, the head of North Korea's rubberstamp Supreme People's Assembly, according to the official [North] Korean Central News Agency on Monday. There was also a dance party and a ceremonial firing of guns, while other pictures showed happy skiers on the slopes above the town. [Tourism] [Paektusan]

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NOVEMBER 2019

Kim Jong-un Watches Paratrooper Drill
November 19, 2019 11:38 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un told special troops to be better prepared for war as he watched a parachute drill, according to state media on Monday. His appearance at the drill came two days after he observed an air combat drill last Saturday, and despite a decision by South Korea and the U.S. on Sunday to postpone a joint air defense drill that was scheduled for later this month. The North's official Rodong Sinmun daily reported that Kim gave guidance for the parachute drill of sharpshooters, while photos showed him watching paratroopers jump from the sky. He told them it is "necessary to wage a drill without notice under the simulated conditions of real war" to improving the military's war readiness and build it into an "invincible army." North Korean leader Kim Jong-un watches a parachute drill, in this grab from the [North] Korean Central News Agency on Monday. The drill was conducted in the form of a contest, with focus on testing if the sharpshooters can jump out of aircraft and infiltrate an unfamiliar terrain and engage in combat immediately, according to the daily. Kim expressed satisfaction with the sharpshooters, calling them "courageous and trustworthy warriors." He posed for a group photo with his arms around their shoulders. The AN-2 planes they jumped from are believed to be capable of avoiding radar detection by flying at low altitudes and with a partly applied stealth function, South Korean military intelligence authorities said. [Military exercise]
Military Aircraft Lined Up at the Wonsan Airport
By: 38 North November 14, 2019 A 38 North exclusive with analysis by Peter Makowsky and Jenny Town Recent commercial satellite imagery shows tens of military aircraft parked wingtip to wingtip along the taxiways and parking aprons at North Korea’s Wonsan-Kalma International Airport. While the purpose of the display is unclear, the North may be preparing for a site visit by Kim Jong Un and possible demonstration of its air force capabilities. Similarly, it may be reviving the suspended annual Korean People’s Army Air and Anti-Air Force Flight Drill Competition, which is usually observed by Kim Jong Un and demonstrates the air force’s ability to destroy enemy targets. Other explanations may be staging for possible air exercises, although the wingtip-to-wingtip formation makes this scenario less likely, or potentially an air show like what took place in September 2016, although without a grand audience seems unlikely as well. On imagery from November 11, there were four MiG-17 fighter aircraft, six MiG-15 fighter aircraft, fourteen Su-25 close support aircraft, six MiG-29 fighter aircraft and six Il-28 bomber aircraft observed on the tarmac north of the passenger terminal. On November 13, additional MiG-15 and MiG-17 were added to the display bringing their total to eleven MiG-15s and eight MiG-17s. Several small vehicles were parked on the tarmac near the MiG-23 and Il-28 aircraft. In addition, thirteen probable MiG-21 fighter aircraft were observed on the alert apron at the south end of the airfield, and six small, either Hughes 500 or Mi-2 Hoplite light helicopters, six medium, possibly Mi-8 or Mi-14, medium transport helicopters, and eight An-2 Colt light transport aircraft were parked along the auxiliary runway located on the southwest side of the airfield. Further to the south of the auxiliary runway at the rail transfer point, seven additional MiG-21 were parked on an adjacent apron. It could not be determined whether these aircraft are newly arrived, perhaps by rail, or whether they have been moved there for temporary storage. [Airpower]
N.Korea Probes Leak of Kim Jong-un's White Steed Stunt
By Cho Yi-jun October 31, 2019 09:54 The North Korean regime has launched a widespread investigation of who leaked leader Kim Jong-un's scaling of Mt. Baekdu on a white horse on Oct. 16 in advance, Radio Free Asia reported on Tuesday. [Kim Jong Un] [Paektusan]

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OCTOBER 2019

Public Absence of Kim Jong-un's Wife Fuels Pregnancy Speculation
By Kim Myong-song October 21, 2019 10:42 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's wife, Ri Sol-ju, has not been spotted in public for almost four months. Her absence has raised speculation that she may have given birth to another child. Ri appeared in public six times during the first half of this year, starting with Kim's visit to China from Jan. 7-10. She was last seen by Kim's side during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Pyongyang on June 20-21, while Kim has continued to make high-profile public appearances, including a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in the border truce village of Panmunjom on June 30. Ri was absent from an event marking the 25th anniversary of national founder Kim Il-sung's death on July 8, a concert commemorating the 66th anniversary of Armistice Day -- which North Korea calls "Victory Day," when the two Koreas halted the 1950-53 war in a ceasefire agreement -- on July 27 and a ceremony observing the founding of the regime's Workers Party on Oct. 10. It has been speculated that Ri went into hiding to give birth to a child. In 2016, she also disappeared from the public eye for some nine months amid rumors that she had given birth, but they have never been confirmed. [Ri So Ju] [Pregnancy]
Kim Jong-un sends message of self-reliance and perseverance to N. Korean people
Posted on : Oct.17,2019 17:14 KST Modified on : Oct.17,2019 17:14 KST The official newspaper of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) reported on Oct. 16 that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, during a visit to Samjiyon County, Ryanggang Province, said that the key takeaway of 2019 was North Koreans’ ability to “pave the avenue to development and prosperity our own way.” While riding a white horse up Mt. Paektu, Kim also conceived of “a great operation to strike the world with wonder again” in 2020, the Rodong Sinmun also said. “No matter what persistent efforts the enemy may make, we can live well with our own efforts and pave the avenue to development and prosperity our own way,” Kim said, adding that this was “a review of the year 2019.” The remarks that Kim made during on-the-spot guidance at a construction site in Samjiyon County were printed on the first two pages of the Rodong Sinmun, along with 28 photographs. [Kim Jong Un] [Paektusan]
Kim Jong-un Reappears in Public After Month's Absence
October 10, 2019 13:42 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has appeared in public for the first time in about a month. The official [North] Korean Central News Agency on Wednesday said Kim inspected a farm run by the Korean People's Army. It featured photos of Kim looking at corn cobs and peanut fields in the time-honored fashion of North Korean dictators gazing blankly at things. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (center) looks at corn cobs at a farm at an unidentified location, in this grab from the [North] Korean Central News Agency on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the official Rodong Sinmun daily criticized South Korean lawmakers for ratifying a resolution urging the North to halt its nuclear weapons program and missile tests. The daily described the resolution as the "result of a filthy collusion between ruling and opposition political racketeers" and an "unacceptable act of challenge against the same brethren." [Kim Jung Un] [Inspection]

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SEPTEMBER 2019

Paratyphoid Fever Breaks out in N.Korea
By Kim Myong-song September 23, 2019 13:39 A paratyphoid fever epidemic has broken out recently in North Korea in the aftermath of Typhoon Lingling. The illness, which causes high fever and diarrhea, has been spreading in South Hamgyong and South Pyongan provinces since typhoon Lingling hit the North, a source said Sunday. It is mainly transmitted by dirty water and human feces in the superannuated sewage systems and contaminated water supply. Salt commercially available in the markets also appears to have been contaminated since a salt factory was flooded, the source added. The regime is reportedly restricting the movement of trains and vehicles to and from the two provinces. Meanwhile, the flooding of paddy and other grain fields in Hwanghae and Pyongan provinces is expected to devastate this year's harvest. . [Sanctions effect] [Health]
Dog meat shunned in South Korea, remains popular in North
Posted : 2019-09-16 14:33 Updated : 2019-09-16 17:52 Dog meat soup is seen with other dishes in this photo taken at a restaurant in Pyongyang in 2018. Dog meat remains a popular stamina food in summer in North Korea while it is shunned by an increasing number of people in the South. / Yonhap By Yi Whan-woo An Chan-il, a North Korean defector-turned researcher in Seoul, says growing public sentiment against eating dog meat has been a culture shock for him while living here. This is because North Koreans still see dog meat as a traditional food which is known to be good for "stamina" ? especially during summer ? according to An, who fled to the South in 1979. "We even have a tradition of sharing dog meat among neighbors," he told The Korea Times. "There has been no problem with regarding dog as a common dietary staple, and I found it really odd that people here have increasingly argued and protested eating dog meat in recent years." [Culture] [Independence] [Dog meat]
North Korea reports five deaths, damage in typhoon
Posted : 2019-09-08 21:45 Updated : 2019-09-08 21:45 This image obtained from NASA Earth Observatory shows Typhoon Lingling on Sept. 6, 2019. AFP North Korean state media said Sunday five people had been killed in a powerful typhoon that destroyed farmland and damaged hundreds of buildings. Typhoon Lingling, called Typhoon-13 in North Korea, hit the reclusive nuclear-armed state on Saturday afternoon, reported the official KCNA news service. The impoverished and isolated country is vulnerable to natural disasters, especially floods, due in part to deforestation and poor infrastructure. "According to data available from the State Emergency Disaster Committee, five persons were dead and three persons injured. The injured persons are now under treatment at hospitals," KCNA said. More than 460 houses and at least a dozen public buildings were "completely or partly destroyed or inundated" by the typhoon, it said. Crops were wiped out or damaged in 46,000 hectares (110,000 acres) of farmland ? roughly the area of the small European country of Andorra ? the report said, adding that recovery efforts were underway. It came after South Korea's disaster agency reported three deaths caused by the same typhoon, according to Yonhap news agency. On Saturday, KCNA reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had berated officials for their "easygoing" attitude to the approaching storm. According to that dispatch, Kim had convened an emergency meeting on Friday and said "dangerous circumstances" caused by the typhoon were "imminent", but that many in positions of authority were ill-prepared. (AFP) [Typhoon] [Natural disaster]

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AUGUST 2019

Rare bird habitat newly discovered in DPRK
Date: 31/08/2019 | Source: Pyongyang Times A new breeding place of black-winged stilt, a rare water-bird, was recently discovered in the migratory bird sanctuary in Sindo County, North Phyongan Province of the DPRK. In the course of making a regular survey of animals and plants in major sanctuaries across the country, scientists of the Biodiversity Institute under the State Academy of Sciences observed 20-odd black-winged stilts and their nests, eggs and young birds at reservoirs in Pidan Island, Sindo County and clarified their specific features of habitation. The black-winged stilt is known as living in America, southwestern Europe, Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand. The recent discovery of this bird's breeding place in the northwest coastal area of Korea proved again that the Sindo migratory bird sanctuary is rich in biodiversity and very favourable for migratory birds’ habitation. The sanctuary, located at the centre of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, plays an important role in ensuring stoppage and breeding of migrants. In particular, many water birds flying from the south to the north in spring would stay there. [Migratory birds] [Environment]
N.Korea Promotes Scores of Military Scientists
By Ahn Jun-yong August 14, 2019 13:20 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has promoted 103 military scientists for contributing to weapons development including a new multi-rocket launcher and short-range ballistic missile. Among them is Jon Il-ho, one of the North's four leading "missile men," who was promoted to lieutenant general. Kim promoted each one rank higher to recognize their "great contributions to bolstering up the military capabilities for self-defense," the official Rodong Sinmun reported Tuesday. Kim was quoted as saying they provided an "epoch-making turning point" in increasing the country's self-defense capabilities and "settling highly difficult technological problems of the ultra-modern national defense science." North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (right) smokes a cigarette with military scientist Jon Il-ho in November 2017, in this photo from the North's official Rodong Sinmun daily. Jon is a member of the Academy of National Defense Science and has accompanied Kim to most weapons test since the regime tested the Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile in 2017. He is one of four leading missile scientists alongside Ri Pyong-chol, the first deputy director of the Munitions Industry Department, Kim Jong-sik, Ri's deputy, and Jang Chang-ha, the director of the academy. State media carried an image of Jon smoking together with Kim Jong-un when they watched the test of the Hwasong-15 missile in 2017. He seems to have escaped Kim Jong-un's frequent purges since "missile scientists are immune to frequent changes in the military," a source said. It is unusual for the regime to promote so many people in one field at the same time, which suggests it wanted to show off its success in developing new weapons and express its determination to continue missile development. [Missiles] [Military balance] [Defense] [S&T]

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JULY 2019

N.Korea Marks 25th Anniversary of Founder's Death
By Kim Myong-song July 09, 2019 12:55 North Korea's state media exalted the completion of nuclear weapons development on Monday as the regime marked the 25th anniversary of founder Kim Il-sung's death. In an editorial," the official Rodong Sinmun daily claimed the impoverished country's "strategic status has changed fundamentally" under the leadership of the founder's grandson, Kim Jong-un -- an apparent reference to his nuclear weapons. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (center) and other officials bow at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang on Monday, in this grab from [North] Korean Central Television. Accompanied by senior party and military officials, Kim paid his respects at his grandfather's mummified corpse at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang. Flags hung at half-mast across the North, and state TV showed North Koreans observing three minutes of silence to the sound of sirens at noon. [Kim Il Sung] [Commemoration]

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JUNE 2019

Pyongyang launches election committees ahead of local elections
Posted : 2019-06-24 09:54 Updated : 2019-06-24 09:54 A voter uses an ID card to register to cast their ballot at the "3.26 Pyongyang Cable Factory" during voting for the Supreme People's Assembly elections, in Pyongyang on March 10, 2019. AFP-Yonhap North Korea has launched election committees ahead of nationwide local elections set for next month, Pyongyang's state media reported Monday. The committees were organized in constituencies for the July 21 elections to choose new deputies for provincial, city and county assemblies, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The North held the previous such elections in 2015, when 28,452 deputies were chosen for four-year terms. Voters queue to cast their ballots at the "3.26 Pyongyang Cable Factory" during voting for the Supreme People's Assembly elections, in Pyongyang on March 10, 2019. AFP-Yonhap Local assemblies in the North meet once or twice a year to decide their budgets and other regional issues. They also choose the heads of each province, city and county. Elections in North Korea are considered a formality. The official voter turnaround in the 2015 local elections was 99.9 percent, with 100 percent voting for their candidates. In March, North Korea held nationwide elections and chose 687 new deputies to the Supreme People's Assembly, its rubber-stamp parliament. About half of the previous deputies were replaced with new ones. (Yonhap) [Elections]
N.Korea to Hold Sham Local Elections Next Month
By Kim Myong-song June 12, 2019 13:21 North Korea will hold local ballots on July 21 to elect some 28,000 members of local people's assemblies, the official Rodong Sinmun daily said Tuesday. The sham elections, which are held every four years, follow elections to the rubber-stamp Supreme People's Assembly in March. Local assembly members are hand-picked for a four-year term and meet once or twice a year to work out budget and law enforcement plans for each region and elect chairmen and vice chairmen of the people's committees. A researcher at a government-funded think tank here said, "The regime is expected to further consolidate Kim Jong-un's position by reshuffling local authorities after doing the same at the central government, while tightening controls in the wake of the collapse of the second U.S.-North Korea summit in Hanoi." [Elections]
Travel Agencies: N.Korea Planning to Suspend Mass Games
VOA News June 06, 2019 08:07 North Korea will temporarily suspend the latest edition of its famous mass games, which involve thousands of performers working in precise synchronization, after the premiere drew strong criticism from leader Kim Jong-un, international travel agencies said Wednesday. Simon Cockerell, general manager of Beijing-based Koryo Tours, said it was informed by its North Korean partners that the show, titled "The Land of the People," will be suspended for days or weeks starting next Monday while its creators make adjustments. Rowan Beard, a tour manager at Young Pioneer Tours, said his company heard the same information and that no dates were given for when the show would resume. "We assume it will halt so some tweaks and improvements can be made to the performance," Beard said in an e-mail. A photo taken on June 4, 2019 shows musicians during a "Grand Mass Gymnastics and Artistic Performance," or mass games, at the May Day stadium in Pyongyang. /AFP North Korea's official [North] Korean Central News Agency said Kim seriously criticized the creators for a "wrong spirit of creation and irresponsible work attitude" following Monday's opening performance at Pyongyang's 150,000-seat May Day Stadium. KCNA said Kim set forth "important tasks" to correctly implement the country's revolutionary policy on literature and art. It did not provide further details. [Mass Games]
Who's Winning N.Korea's Game of Musical Chairs?
By Kim Myong-song June 03, 2019 12:54 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's latest tour of weapons factories offered a glimpse of who is on the up after a purge of senior officials in the wake of the failed February summit with the U.S. Kim was flanked mostly by younger, lower-ranking officials than his usual entourage for these on-the-spot guidance trips. They were Jo Yong-won, a vice minister in the Workers Party’s guidance department, Ryu Jin, a vice minister in the party's arms industry department and Hyon Song-wol, a vice minister of the party's propaganda department. Kim's head of protocol Kim Chang-son also attended. But it seems Jo, who handles the promotion and inspections of officials in the party and military, has been Kim’s aide for some time since he often accompanies him on such visits. He accompanied Kim on 17 site inspections so far this year and 52 in 2018. Ryu has been a fixture in Kim's visits to missile factories since June of 2016 and during ballistic missile launches. Hyon appears to have replaced Kim’s sister Yo-jong, who was told to lie low after the failed summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi. Some pundits say Kim seems to be trying to bring about a generational change in the regime. [Generational change]
African Swine Fever Reported in N.Korea
Arirang News June 03, 2019 09:24 The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs here held an emergency meeting on Friday over the first confirmed case of African swine fever in North Korea. North Korean authorities reported the outbreak to the World Organization for Animal Health the previous day. The ministry says over 20 pigs were culled after more than 70 died from the virus at a farm in North Korea's Jagang Province near the border with China. As part of efforts to prevent the disease from entering the South, the ministry designated 10 areas close to the border with North Korea as special management zones and began quarantine measures. Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon also called for all-out efforts to prevent the virus from spreading. [Disease] [Sanctions effect] [Collateral]
Kim Jong-un Resurfaces
By Kim Myong-song June 03, 2019 10:15 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made his first public appearance since overseeing a missile test 23 days ago on Saturday, when he toured weapons factories in Jagang Province. Kim also visited a youth education center and criticized officials there by saying it was "pathetic" to see a building that was renovated three years ago look more than a decade old, according to the North’s official Korean Central News Agency. He complained that "no water came out of the showers, faucets were missing and lights were not set up properly" and accused senior officials of having no interest in fixing such problems. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un gives instructions to workers at a youth education center in Jagang Province, in this grab from the [North] Korean Central Television on Saturday. The tirade comes after the official Rodong Sinmun daily took aim at "anti-party, anti-revolutionary acts" against the leader amid a purge of senior officials. Disguised as machinery factories, the facilities Kim toured all manufacture weapons, and his visit send a none-too-subtle message that he is determined to continue arms development despite international sanctions. [Inspection tour]
Experts show mixed responses to Kim Jong-un's latest factory inspections
Posted : 2019-06-02 17:15 Updated : 2019-06-02 18:56 North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un inspects the Phyongnam General Machine Plant, presumed to be also known as the General Machinery Plant ? that he inspected Jan. 18 ? in South Pyongan Province, in this photo released by the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Sunday. KCNA-Yonhap Kim's latest activity could be seen as either military-related or economy-focused By Jung Da-min North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un's latest inspections of general machine plants could be an indicator that he intends to continue his country's nuclear and missile programs, according to a long-time North Korea researcher. The North's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Sunday that Kim had inspected the Phyongnam General Machine Plant, presumed to be also named the January 18 General Machinery Plant in South Pyongan Province that he previously inspected. The KCNA reported the day before that Kim has visited a number of "economic" sites in Jagang Province, including the Kanggye General Tractor Plant, a well-known munitions factory. The additional factories and plants Kim visited included the Kanggye General Precision Machine Plant, the Jangjagang Machine Tool Factory and the February 8 General Machine Factory. [Inspection tour]
Kim Jong-un appears in public two days in a row
Posted : 2019-06-02 14:37 Updated : 2019-06-02 14:37 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made an inspection visit to a machinery factory, the country's official news agency said Sunday, one day after he was reported to have made his first public appearance in more than three weeks. Kim, who had been out of public view since the North conducted short-range missile launches on May 9, resumed public activity with a visit to Kanggye General Tractor Plant and other factories, according to a Korean Central News Agency report on Saturday. The early morning report did not specify the timing of the visit, but it was widely believed to have been made on Friday. North Korean state media outlets usually leave out the timing when reporting on a leader's visit, apparently for security reasons. On Sunday, KCNA reported that Kim paid another "field guidance" trip, to Phyongnam General Machine Plant. "Noting that the Phyongnam General Machine Plant holds a very important place in the development of the national economy, he stressed again that the production processes should be updated on a higher level to meet the requirements of the Party policy to build a Juche-based and self-supporting plant," KCNA said. "It is important to set right the problems that arose in the first-phase updating and, at the same time, put spurs to the second-phase updating to increase production capacity and turn out more machines to satisfy the needs of the country, he said," the report said. (Yonhap) [Inspection tour]
North Korea officials, diplomats purged: report
Posted : 2019-05-31 17:11 Updated : 2019-06-01 11:09 'They were held responsbile for Hanoi summit breakdown' By Lee Min-hyung North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is carrying out a large-scale purge of officials and diplomats dealing with the United States, holding them responsible for the failure of his summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi, according to a media report, Friday. Responding to the report from the conservative Chosun Ilbo, Cheong Wa Dae said it could not confirm whether it was true. "It is not proper for us to make any rash comments on the report," a presidential aide told reporters, asking not to be named. "We have nothing to say, even though we keep track of any unusual signs from the North." The unification ministry declined to comment. [Purge] [Chosun Ilbo] [Canard]
North Korea's Kim Jong Un carrying out purge after Hanoi summit collapse: Chosun Ilbo
SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea executed Kim Hyok Chol, its special envoy to the United States, and foreign ministry officials who carried out working-level negotiations for the second U.S.-North Korea summit in February, holding them responsible for its collapse, a South Korean newspaper reported on Friday. FILE PHOTO - Kim Hyok Chol, North Korea's special representative for U.S. affairs, leaves the Government Guesthouse in Hanoi, Vietnam, February 23, 2019. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha Kim Yong Chol, a senior official who had been U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s counterpart in the run-up to the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, is also said to have been subjected to forced labor and ideological education, the Chosun Ilbo reported. The North Korean leader is believed to be carrying out a massive purge to divert attention away from internal turmoil and discontent, the newspaper said. [Purge] [Canard] [Chosun Ilbo] [Kim Hyok Chol]

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MAY 2019

Air Pollution Kills More in N.Korea Than Almost Anywhere Else
By Hong Jun-ki May 29, 2019 10:53 North Korea has the highest death rate from air pollution in the world apart from some Middle Eastern and African countries. Some 207.2 people per every 100,000 North Koreans died from ambient particulate air pollution in North Korea in 2016, according to an estimate released by the World Health Organization on Tuesday. That was the highest rate in the world after Afghanistan and some Middle Eastern and African countries where about 200 to 300 per 100,000 population died from air pollution, but worse than Nepal (193.8 deaths per 100,000) and India (184.3). In South Korea it was only 20.5. The death rate was worse among North Korea's poor, according to the WHO because their indoor and outdoor air is more easily polluted as a result of their use of low-quality fuel. Most of North Korea's antiquated coal-fired power plants have no emissions treatment at all and just belch dirty coal dust into the atmosphere, except one near the capital Pyongyang. Environment Minister Cho Myung-rae here said in March, "We believe that a lot" of South Korea's air pollution "blew in from North Korea at times of high fine dust levels." [WHO] [Air pollution] [Media]
Kim Jong-un Goes to Ground After Missile Launches
By Yoon Hyung-jun May 27, 2019 11:39 Kim Jong-un North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has gone to ground for more than two weeks after overseeing a couple of missile tests. North Korean leaders often disappear from view at times when the paranoid regime senses a threat of outside attacks. But some pundits speculate that Kim may simply be ill, judging by his disheveled appearance during his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin last month and recent photos showing him more portly than ever before. Before he vanished from sight, Kim had appeared in public on average once every three days, or 19 times after his summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in late February collapsed. But his face was seen turning bright red during his meeting with Putin last month, and he seemed to be panting heavily during a speech. One source said, "Kim Jong-un's face and neck area appeared swollen, and he seems to have gained more weight." Cho Kyung-hwan at Korea University, said, "Flushing can be a sign of worsening hyperlipidemia and diabetes." One source said there are rumors among North Korea's elite that Kim's health is deteriorating due to diabetes. Shin Hyun-young at Myongji Hospital said, "Kim is in his mid-30s and his conditions could worsen quickly without proper care. He is particularly at risk because nobody would dare give him advice on his living habits." There are also rumors that Kim has been binging on food and alcohol due to stress after his failed summit with Trump. One North Korean defector, who used to be a high-ranking official in the North, said, "Kim always drank heavily, but there are rumors nowadays that he drinks alone until he passes out." But other pundits speculate that Kim has hunkered down with top officials to come up with a strategy to break the current impasse in negotiations to ease international sanctions. [Media] [Canard] [US NK Negotiations] [Kim Jong Un]
Falun Gong Spreading in N.Korea Despite Crackdown
May 20, 2019 11:25 The controversial Falun Gong spiritual movement that originated in China is spreading quickly in Pyongyang despite a crackdown by an anxious regime, according to sources. Radio Free Asia quoted an unnamed source as saying, "In early April, the police issued a proclamation ordering citizens to voluntarily report their status as believers in Falun Gong. They threatened to impose harsh punishments on those who don't turn themselves in but are found after the reporting period." The Chinese government has been cracking down harshly on the movement, which is widely seen as harmless outside its borders and combines meditation practice with a bland-sounding moral message drawn from Buddhism and Taoism. One source said more than 100 Falun Gong followers were arrested during a crackdown in Pyongyang last month, but the negative publicity backfired and actually sparked interest in the movement, including from the Pyongyang elite. [Falun Gong] [Superstition industry]
N.Korean Poetry Reveals Depths of Regime's Paranoia
By Lee Yong-soo, Kim Myong-song May 16, 2019 12:59 The arts continue to languish in North Korea, which has little to offer except horrific monumental statuary and queasy mass games in which thousands of performers are press-ganged into hopping about in unison and waving colored flags. Music is largely derivative and focused on yowling about the greatness of the regime, and even poetry, traditionally a quieter form of expression, is mostly alarming propaganda. One poetry collection published to some fanfare last year boasts about the North's intercontinental ballistic missiles and claims it has a hydrogen bomb, while denouncing the U.S. and South Korea as "dogs." [Culture war]
N.Korean Regime 'Using GPS Trackers to Thwart Defectors'
May 10, 2019 13:50 The North Korean regime is turning to advanced technology to track would-be defectors and nab their traffickers, according to testimony from defectors on Thursday. In one instance, the regime tried to nab a trafficker who helps defectors flee the oppressive country by planting a GPS tracker in the doll of a child. The nine-year-old girl escaped from North Korea recently. Her parents had fled and settled down in South Korea earlier and had planned for her to follow them, but the regime got wind of the escape plan even though the child herself had not been told for fear that she might accidentally blurt it out. A North Korean defector shows a stuffed toy implanted with a GPS tracker. /Courtesy of Caleb Mission But just before she crossed the border she was given a stuffed frog toy by a man who said, "This is a gift for you. Give it to your mom." She arrived in China with the doll in her arms. But the trafficker in China became suspicious of the toy and phoned her parents to ask whether they had given it to her. When they said no he examined the toy more closely and found the tracking device with a USIM chip. The broker left the device undisturbed for fear that North Korean agents or Chinese police might burst in on their safe house if he removed it. In the past, the regime has planted old-fashioned spies among any would-be defectors. In one instance, a group of seven defectors, including a 10-year-old child, were suddenly captured by Chinese police in Shenyang because one of them was a spy. Pastor Kim Seung-eun of Caleb Mission, who has supported defectors for more than two decades, said, "I heard before that the regime plants tracking devices in would-be defectors' baggage." He added the regime is probably using the trackers to map the most common defection routes. [Trafficking]
Websites based in the DPR Korea
A list of sites and urls
North Korea gives weather forecasts a makeover
Posted on : Apr.30,2019 18:02 KST Modified on : Apr.30,2019 18:02 KST North Korean newscasters are known among South Koreans for their stiff, overly formal demeanor and militaristic way of talking, and weather forecasts are no different. However, the state-operated Korean Central Television (KCTV) network has introduced a friendlier, more viewer-friendly format to its weather forecasts. While North Korean weather forecasters used to remain planted at their desks and simply read off the weather report in robotic fashion, they now stand in front of the green screen and gesture as their South Korean and Western counterparts. The change in format was officially made on Apr. 27. The photo shows a before-and-after comparison. (Yonhap News)

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APRIL 2019

Kim Jong-un's Sister Keeps Low Profile
By Kim Myong-song April 29, 2019 12:42 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister Yo-jong was not among his entourage when he visited Russia last week, although she arrived in Vladivostok ahead of her brother's arrival in preparation of their bilateral summit. Kim returned Pyongyang on Saturday morning after wrapping up a three-day visit to the Russian port city, North Korean state media said Sunday. The entire ranks of North Korea's political elite converged to greet him, but Kim Yo-jong was nowhere to be seen. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (center) is welcomed on return to his country in this grab from the [North ] Korean Central New Agency on Saturday. /Yonhap The Rodong Sinmun reported that representatives from North Hamgyong Province came to a train station to greet Kim, suggesting that the ceremony was held in the northern province instead of Pyongyang. Kim Yo-jong had served as her brother's de facto secretary during previous overseas trips. One researcher at a state-run think tank said, "Kim Yo-jong seems to have been in the public eye too much, and there seem to have been concerns that her frequent appearances could overshadow Kim Jong-un's glory." She could still be assisting him behind the scenes. Meanwhile, the Rodong Sinmun said Kim's Russia trip "boosted bilateral ties and further developed traditional amicable relations according to the demands of the new political climate of the new era." That suggests Kim came home empty-handed. Cho Han-bum at the Korea Institute of National Unification said, "The trip was fraught with difficulties. The fact that there was no joint press conference and that [Kim] returned early shows that he did not bring back anything palpable." Kim had hoped to win Russia's support in easing international sanctions. [Kim Yo Jong] [Kim_Putin1904] [Chagrin]
Kim Jong-un Fires Right-Hand Man After Hanoi Debacle
By Yoon Hyung-jun April 25, 2019 12:13 Kim Yong-chol /Yonhap North Korean leader Kim Jong-un fired his erstwhile right-hand man Kim Yong-chol after the collapse of his summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi in February. The National Intelligence Service here on Wednesday told lawmakers that Kim Yong-chol was replaced as head of the United Front Department by Jang Kum-chol, a member of the Asia-Pacific Peace Committee. The department, which used to handle only relations with the South, grew greatly in importance when Kim Yong-chol took charge of diplomacy with the U.S. and arranged two summits with Trump. Kim Yong-chol, a former chief of the Army's General Reconnaissance Bureau, was promoted to head of the spy agency after its former chief Kim Yang-gon died in a mysterious car crash in 2016. He became the regular interlocutor of both U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and NIS chief Suh Hoon. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (center) walks along a street after arriving in the Russian city of Vladivostok on Wednesday. /Courtesy of Primorsky Krai Administration He accompanied Kim Jong-un during all of his four visits to China and his two summits with Trump but did not go to Russia with the leader this week, nor was he seen among officials who sent him off at the train station. Though he was also removed from the Workers Party Central Committee on April 10, Kim Yong-chol still retains his position as a member of the State Affairs Commission and has not been completely purged, according to the NIS. [Kim Yong Chol]
N.Korean Officials 'Executed Over Summit Collapse'
April 25, 2019 12:14 Four North Korean officials have been shot over the collapse of the U.S.-North Korea summit in Hanoi in February, according to rumors flying around the secretive state. Asia Press on Wednesday reported rumors that a diplomat from the North Korean Embassy in Hanoi and three other Foreign Ministry officials were executed by firing squad in Pyongyang early this month as senior officials from the Workers Party looked on. They were accused of taking bribes to leak confidential information to U.S. officials while negotiating the agenda before the summit. Earlier, the regime reprimanded Kim Hyok-chol, North Korea's top negotiator with the U.S., and Kim Song-hye from the United Front Department, over the failed summit. Kim Hyok-chol was not on the ballot for elections to the rubber-stamp Supreme People's Assembly last month. But Asia Press said the rumors have not been verified, and it is possible the regime is deliberately spreading misinformation in a bid to divert the blame from Kim Jong-un himself. [Canard] [Hanoi summit] [Abortion] [Kim Hyok Chol]
Overseas Compatriots Leave
Date: 20/04/2019 | Source: KCNA.kp (En) | Read original version at source Share Button Tweet Pyongyang, April 20 (KCNA) -- A delegation of the Federation of Koreans in Australia led by Chairman Pak Yong Ha and a delegation of the Association for Economic and Cultural Exchange of Korean Nationality in Dandong City, China headed by Chairman Sim Chong Song left here Saturday after visiting the homeland on the occasion of the Day of the Sun, the birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung. Leaving on the same day was a home-visiting group of Koreans in Japan headed by Pak Hae Chol, vice department director of the Central Standing Committee of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan. -0- [Diaspora]
Kim Jong-un Pays 'Surprise' Visit to Air Force Unit
By Kim Myong-song, Yang Seung-sik April 18, 2019 13:02 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Tuesday made a surprise visit to the an Air Force unit in Sunchon, South Pyongan Province, where he watched flight training, state media reported Wednesday. The visit, his first to a military unit in five months, came after he snubbed U.S. demands for denuclearization and pledged to sit out international sanctions. Kim claimed he "spontaneously dropped by" the Air Force unit to watch their flight training as he was passing nearby. But a South Korean military spokesman said the visit was clearly "staged." "Footage and photos show that all MiG-29 jets were unarmed," the spokesman said. "Any fighter jets on standby are supposed to be fully armed, but none were, which suggests that only well-maintained fighter jets were chosen for the show." [Air force]
N.Korean Propaganda Machine Deifies Kim Jong-un
By Kim Myong-song April 17, 2019 13:40 A recent hagiography of Kim Jong-un hails the tubby North Korean leader as a "gift from heaven" in an apparent push to complete his deification now that he has cemented power at home. Kim's newly consolidated status also became evident at last week's meetings of the Workers Party Central Committee, which he chaired alone for the first time, and the rubber-stamp Supreme People's Assembly. [Kim Jong Un] [SPA]
N.Korea 'Planning Parade for Founder's Birthday'
By Yang Seung-sik April 12, 2019 13:22 North Korea is preparing a military parade to mark either regime founder Kim Il-sung's birthday on April 15 or People's Army foundation day on April 25, a U.S. think tank speculates. Victor Cha and Joseph Bermudez of the Center for Strategic and International Studies on the website Beyond Parallel on Wednesday said satellite images from last Sunday suggest that a parade is in the offing. The imagery shows 217 vehicles gathered at Mirim Airport east of Pyongyang, which is often used for parade rehearsals, though the authors admit this is not "conclusive." /Yonhap The Defense Ministry here was unable to confirm the speculation. "We have not so far detected any signs of them preparing for a military parade," a ministry spokesman told reporters Thursday.
Kim Jong-un Cements Grip on Power
By Yoon Hyung-jun, Kim Myong-song April 12, 2019 12:58 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been reelected as chairman of the State Affairs Commission, the country's highest decision-making body, in the first session of the rubber-stamp Supreme People's Assembly on Thursday, according to the official [North] Korean Central News Agency Friday. In a surprise development, North Korea's perennial nominal head of state Kim Yong-nam was replaced by Kim Jong-un's right-hand man Choe Ryong-hae. Kim Yong-nam (91) took the post in 1998. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un raises his hand in a plenary meeting of the Workers Party Central Committee on Wednesday in this grab from the [North] Korean Central News Agency on Thursday. A day earlier, Kim chaired a plenary meeting of the Workers Party Central Committee alone on the dais instead of the usual battery of stony-faced apparatchiks flanking him. The meeting, held once a year, decides key policies for the country. [Kim Jong UN] [Kim Yong Nam] [Choe Ryong Hae]
N. Korea’s 14th Supreme People’s Assembly to convene for first session
Posted on : Apr.10,2019 17:36 KST Modified on : Apr.10,2019 17:36 KST Observers waiting to see how Kim Jong-un’s official titles will change North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during the fourth session of the 13th Supreme People’s Assembly on June 29, 2016. (Yonhap News) The first session of North Korea’s 14th Supreme People’s Assembly, which is scheduled for Apr. 11, is expected to confirm or expand leader Kim Jong-un’s titles while also filling key positions such as prime minister of the cabinet, said an official in South Korea’s Unification Ministry. The session, which marks the first meeting of the 687 representatives who were elected to five-year terms on Mar. 10, will unveil the leading figures of the second phase of Kim Jong-un’s regime. Global observers are watching to see whether Kim will take advantage of the session, which will be held shortly before the South Korea-US summit in Washington, DC, to send a message to other countries and, if so, what that message might be.
Kim Jong-un ordered NK military to refrain from unscheduled activity ahead of Hanoi summit
Posted on : Apr.5,2019 16:50 KST Modified on : Apr.5,2019 16:50 KST CNN report says no evidence of NK satellite or missile launches suggests Kim has not given up negotiations with US North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump greet each other at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi hotel on the evening of Feb. 27. (AFP/Yonhap News) The North Korean military was reportedly ordered by leader Kim Jong-un not to “engage in any unscheduled military activity” ahead of the second North Korea-US summit in Hanoi on Feb. 27–28. The report was seen as an indication of how strongly Kim was hoping for the summit’s success. In an Apr. 4 report citing accounts from South Korean senior government officials and US defense officials, CNN said Kim “was worried any inadvertent movement of his military units would raise tensions prior to the summit.” Accordingly, he issued orders for all units to “stay in place in a passive status,” the report said. [Hanoi summit] [NK military]

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MARCH 2019

NK may revise Constitution in April: NIS
Posted : 2019-03-29 17:05 Updated : 2019-03-29 17:05 National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon, center, participates in a meeting of the National Assembly's intelligence committee to brief about the spy agency's activities and North Korea, Friday. / Yonhap By Park Ji-won South Korea is preparing for North Korea's possible amendment of its Constitution to make its leader Kim Jong-un the official head of state, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) said during a National Assembly briefing, Friday. Rep. Lee Eun-jae of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) quoted the spy agency as saying, "Considering that Kim didn't take a parliamentary job during the election for Supreme People's Assembly members on March 10, the NIS is monitoring various possibilities such as a constitutional amendment during a meeting of the Supreme People's Assembly scheduled to be held on April 11." [Kim Jong Un] [Governance]
Kim Jong-un Not on Ballot in Sham Parliamentary Elections
By Kim Myong-song March 13, 2019 09:59 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was not on the ballot for the election to the Supreme People's Assembly on Sunday. He is the first supreme leader of the North who has not been elected a member of the rubber-stamp parliament. State media called the names of all 687 newly elected deputies, but Kim was not among them. In the last election in March 2014, he was duly elected as there is only one state-approved candidate in each district. "The SPA is nothing but a rubber-stamp parliament," said Ryu Dong-ryeol of the Korea Institute of Liberal Democracy. "It seems that Kim, having made his debut on the international stage, has given up his seat to make his country look more like a normal state." North Korea leader Kim Jong-un casts a ballot in the parliamentary election at a polling station in Pyongyang on Sunday in this grab from [North] Korean Central Television. Kim also recently ordered propaganda officials to stop "mystifying" him. But Kim's sister Yo-jong was elected. Also elected were Ri Su-yong, vice chairman of the Workers Party Central Committee; Ri Son-gwon, chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland; Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho; and Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui. Chief North Korean negotiator with the U.S. Kim Hyok-chol was not on the list of elected candidates, perhaps because he faces a purge for the recent failed summit with the U.S. [Election] [Kim Jong Un]
North Korea goes to polls to approve new parliament lineup
Posted : 2019-03-10 09:42 Updated : 2019-03-10 16:55 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un casts a ballot during the election at a polling station in Pyongyang, North Korea, March 10. Yonhap North Korea held parliamentary elections Sunday, a key political event likely to cement national unity and leader Kim Jong-un's grip on power amid uncertainty over tough nuclear negotiations with the United States. The communist state will elect new deputies for the 14th Supreme People's Assembly, its rubber-stamp legislature, in the polls held every five years. They will replace those picked in the first parliamentary elections under the current leader in March 2014. North Korean voters, aged 17 or order, were scheduled to cast their ballots between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Kim also participated at a polling station at Kim Chaek University of Technology in Pyongyang after arriving there at 11 a.m., the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. The leader voted for Hong So-hon, the president of the university who is a parliamentary candidate. "He gave a pep talk to (Hong), asking him to work well so that the university could fulfill its responsibility and obligation as the eldest son most trusted by the Party to make a breakthrough in improving science and education, invigorating (the) economy and bettering the standard of the people's living," the KCNA said. As of 3 p.m., 92.35 percent of all registered voters had cast their ballots. [Election]
News of Failed Summit Trickles into N.Korea
By Kim Myong-song March 08, 2019 13:33 North Korean state media continue to portray the abortive summit with the U.S. as a roaring success, but the truth is trickling in through the border with China. The North Korean regime seems to have tightened controls to limit the damage, but rumors are rampant that officials responsible for the failure of the summit will be purged. Japan's Tokyo Shimbun daily on Thursday cited an unnamed source as saying, "News that the Hanoi summit had failed is spreading quickly around Sinuiju and other border regions through merchants passing through China." South Korea's National Intelligence Service "told lawmakers in a briefing that there were high expectations among North Koreans over the summit, but disappointment is apparent following the failed talks," the daily said. "There is a lot of disappointment [among North Koreans] being voiced over continued sanctions," a source here said. "There are concerns that prices of sanctioned products like car parts will rise even further." North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sits on a sofa while officials stand in the corner of the room in Hanoi, Vietnam on Feb. 26, in this grab from the [North] Korean Central Television released on Wednesday. But the North Korean regime has put out public notices that it will assess the ideological soundness of Workers Party officials and ordinary people. North Korea Intellectuals Solidarity, a defector group, said, "Instructions have been sent requiring all Workers Party officials and ordinary people to submit written accounts of what they did and thought during the period Kim Jong-un was outside of the country" to attend the summit. There are rumors that a purge awaits Kim's right-hand man, Kim Yong-chol and the North's point man on U.S. issues, Kim Hyok-chol, who was only recently appointed as chief negotiator, for badly misreading U.S. President Donald Trump's commitment to denuclearization. One researcher at a state-run think tank here said, "We can infer that Kim Jong-un was quite shocked by Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui's saying after the summit that her leader 'may have lost the will.'" "Kim Jong-un's plans to boast of his diplomatic and political prowess through a successful summit with the U.S. have suffered a setback, and there is a strong chance he will hold his subordinates responsible," the researcher added. [Hanoi summit] [Abortion]
N.Korea Paying Russia to Preserve Dead Leaders' Bodies
By Kim Myong-song March 08, 2019 10:24 North Korea is paying Russia about US$400,000 a year to keep the pickled corpses of former leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il shipshape. Their bodies are being preserved by a team of specialists from the "Lenin Lab," which also looks after the embalmed body of the revolutionary leader, the New York Post reported Wednesday. The two North Korean leaders' bodies have been on display at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang since they were embalmed by Russian technicians after their deaths in 1994 and 2011. North Koreans pay tributes to nation founder Kim Il-sung and his son Kim Jong-il at the Kumsusan Memorial Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang on Sunday. /Yonhap The Lenin Lab also embalmed former Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh in 1969 and still looks after him. "It's not clear how much impoverished North Korea spends on maintaining the Kims' bodies," the daily added. "When Moscow released preservation costs for the first time in 2016, it reported spending nearly $200,000 that year to maintain Lenin."
North Korea: Achievements in Health and Education
By Prof Michel Chossudovsky Global Research, March 05, 2019 What the US wants to impose on North Korea is the so-called “Vietnam Economic Model”. What this implies is that the DPRK would embrace the free market, reform its economy under IMF-World guidance, open up to foreign investors and become a so-called “normal Asian country”. In 1994, US sanctions on Vietnam were lifted. Today, Vietnam is America’s cheap labor haven in South East Asia. The levels of poverty are abysmally high. The minimum wage is 20 cents an hour. Health services are privatized and the entire educational system is in crisis. Another unspoken truth is that the DPRK’s achievements in health and education according to US-UN data are “higher” than in the United States of America. There is universal health care in the DPRK and literacy is at 99%. This article was first written in August 2017 Michel Chossudovsky, March 5, 2019 [Vietnam model] [Health]

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FEBRUARY 2019

Shadowy Anti-N.Korean Group Promises 'Big Announcement'
By Kim Myong-song, Yoon Hyung-jun February 26, 2019 09:49 A group calling itself Cheollima Civil Defense, which is believed to have rescued the son of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half-brother from his assassination squads, on Monday promised an "important" announcement this week. The group reportedly spirited Kim Han-sol to safety when North Korean agents assassinated his father Kim Jong-nam in Kuala Lumpur in February 2017. North Korean flags adorn a railway station in the Vietnamese border town of Dong Dang on Monday. /Yonhap It has since posted a clip of Han-sol on YouTube encouraging North Koreans to defect. The threat of a mysterious announcement this week suggests that it is designed to throw a monkey wrench in any deal Kim Jong-un is trying to extract from U.S. President Donald Trump. "We've received a request for help from comrades in a Western country," the group said on its website Monday. "We've responded to it despite a high risk." It included an e-mail address, saying, "Contact us anytime if you need help." There is speculation that the announcement could be a message from acting North Korean Ambassador to Italy Jo Song-gil, who disappeared with his family last November. [Covert]
The Facts About Kim Jong-il's Private Train
November 09, 2009 09:48 The private train North Korean leader Kim Jong-il uses on his trips either within the communist country or abroad consists of around 90 carriages, and some 20 train stations have been built specifically for his own use. To defend Kim against attack, two separate trains precede and follow the main entourage, one handling reconnaissance and the other security. South Korean and U.S. intelligence have been spying on Kim's private train with satellites, U-2 reconnaissance aircraft and other surveillance equipment, as well as testimonies of North Korean defectors. Among private stations for Kim's train are the Pyongyang Yongsong and Kangdaedong stations. Others are in Wonsan, Shineuiju and Hyesan, which are no more than 30 km away from his private retreats. When Kim travels, three separate trains operate in conjunction. The advance train handles security checks to see whether the rail tracks are safe. Behind Kim's train is another carrying his bodyguards and other support personnel. Kim's train travels at an average speed of 60 km/h. Around 100 security agents are sent ahead of time to stations and sweep the area for bombs. Before Kim's train nears the station, the power on other tracks is shut off so that no other trains can move. Kim's train is armored and also contains conference rooms, an audience chamber and bedrooms. Satellite phone connections and flat screen TVs have been installed so that the North Korean leader can be briefed and issue orders. Sources say when Kim gets out of his train and moves to his private retreat, he is driven in a Mercedes or other car that has been brought along. When Kim travels within North Korea aboard his private train, IL-76 air force transport planes, MI-17 helicopters and other aircraft provide security support and haul necessary personnel and equipment to nearby airports. So far, Kim has taken 129 on-the-spot guidance trips around North Korea, matching the record he set in 2005 and probably exceeding it by the end of the year. [Kim Jong Un] [Train] [Security]
Italy Confirms N.Korean Diplomat's Daughter Was Abducted
By Shon Jin-seok, Roh Suk-jo February 22, 2019 10:07 The Italian government on Wednesday confirmed that the teenage daughter of acting North Korean Ambassador to Italy Jo Song-gil, who disappeared with his family last November, has been taken back to North Korea. Italian political leaders said it was clearly an abduction and the North should be held to account. In a statement, Italy's Foreign Ministry quoted the North Korean government as claiming in a note on Dec. 5 last year that Jo and his wife had left the embassy on Nov. 10, and that their 17-year-old daughter, "having expressed the wish to return to her country to stay with her grandparents, had returned there on [Nov. 14]... accompanied by some of the female staff of the embassy." In a Facebook comment, Italy's Deputy Foreign Minister Manlio di Stefano said if she was abducted on Italian soil it would be "a case of unprecedented seriousness" and "those responsible for this will pay." He added Italy should have protected her and she may be being tortured by one of the worst regimes in the world. But former Italian Senator Antonio Razzi, who was close to Jo, told local reporters that the parents abandoned the girl because she is disabled and it would be difficult to go into hiding with her. "Those two wretches left their daughter alone. She is a child and suffers from a disability," Razzi told Italy's Adnkronos news agency. "It is normal that she was sent back to her grandparents." The South Korean government has been keeping mum about the case and also seems to have been strangely passive after Jo's disappearance. The National Intelligence Service at the time only said that Jo had not made contact with South Korean authorities. This sparked speculation that Seoul had sent an indirect message to Jo not to come to South Korea at a time of warming relations with the North. The news of the daughter's repatriation was broken by Thae Yong-ho, the former No. 2 at the North Korean Embassy in London who defected in 2016. "Seoul is checking the facts now," a government source here said. "It's hard to tell how the government will react." [Jo Song Gil]
Daughter of Missing Diplomat 'Taken Back to N.Korea'
By Kim Myong-song February 21, 2019 12:10 The daughter of acting North Korean Ambassador to Italy Jo Song-gil, who disappeared with his family last November, was taken back to the North by state security agents, another defector claimed Wednesday. Thae Yong-ho, the former No. 2 at the North Korean Embassy in London, claimed he confirmed the daughter's abduction through various channels. "I don't know how many children Jo has, but the child that was in Italy was sent back North," Thae told the Chosun Ilbo. "Jo and his wife are together now." He added, "I am no longer in a situation where I can publicly urge Jo to defect to South Korea. North Koreans who defect to South Korea are branded traitors and their families face tougher punishment, but if they live quietly in the U.S. or Europe, the punishment is less severe." Earlier, Thae called on the UN to protect Jo and wrote to Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and the South Korean ambassador to Italy. "I thought it was strange that I didn't get a response from anyone, but now I understand. They kept silent because of Jo's daughter, and I think I should also keep quiet from now on." [Jo Song Gil] [Defector]
Kim Jong-un Purges Reactionary Elite
By Cho Yi-jun February 21, 2019 12:18 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is purging reactionary members of the elite who are against dialogue with South Korea and the U.S., according to the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday. The daily quoted a report by the North Korea Strategy Center, a defector group in Seoul, based on interviews with 14 former North Korean officials, six current officials, and others. It said Kim "has exiled, imprisoned or executed suspected opponents of his diplomatic outreach to the U.S. and South Korea, while also targeting his country's moneyed elite with asset seizures," the WSJ wrote. "The sweep, which took off late last year, seeks mainly to confiscate foreign-cash piles amassed by the North Korean establishment, and is thought to have netted the regime as much as several million dollars." Some of those who were purged "are senior members of powerful military units that [Kim's] father never touched, lest he alienate the most ardent domestic supporters of the family's rule," the daily said. The move reflects Kim's goal "of taming the hawkish military and solidifying his authority while empowering doves within his cabinet as he continues diplomacy with Seoul and Washington," it added. [Purge] [Canard]
N.Korea's State Guesthouse Chief Executed in Public
By Kim Myong-song February 12, 2019 14:03 The chief administrator of the official Paekhwawon guesthouse in Pyongyang was executed publicly for corruption in December last year, according to a source on Monday. The guesthouse accommodated President Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook in September last year. The chief administrator was found guilty of involvement in a corruption case during an inspection by the Workers Party's Organization and Guidance Department in October, the source added. The guesthouse is run by an elite troop in charge of security for the ruling Kim family and senior officials. The chief administrator had the rank of a colonel. "US$3 million was found in his home during a raid," the source said. "He was charged additionally with affairs with female workers at the guesthouse." The public execution was held in Pyongyang in the presence of military officers and senior officials from the Workers Party. It was apparently part of a wider crackdown on corruption to tighten leader Kim Jong-un's hold on power. [Canard] [Execution]
Kim Jong-un Being Chauffeured in W500 Million Maybach
By Kim Myong-song February 11, 2019 13:01 U.S. website NK News reported Friday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un owns a Mercedes-Maybach S600 luxury sedan even though international sanctions ban the export of luxury goods to his country. The car was identified as Kim was being driven to a ceremony congratulating a delegation of North Korean musicians and performers after a visit to China. A Mercedes-Maybach believed to be North Korea leader Kim Jong-un’s new car is shown in this video grab from [North] Korean Central Television on Friday. "Close-up pictures of the rear-door bodywork showed layering inconsistent with the standard edition of the vehicle, available since February 2015, suggesting Kim may have opted for the exclusive and heavily-armored 'Guard' model," the website added. A normal Maybach already costs around US$420,000, but the price tag is much higher for armored versions. NK News said this is a "blatant violation of [UN Security Council] sanctions not only by North Korea but also almost certainly by Mercedes." North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (center) along with his wife Ri Sol-ju (left) and his top aide Choe Ryong-hae reacts at a musical performance in celebration of the anniversary of the founding of the North Korean People's Army in Pyongyang on Friday in this grab from [North] Korean Central Television. Meanwhile, Kim invited top military officials to Workers Party headquarters on Friday to mark the 71st anniversary of the North Korean People's Army by watching a musical performance. His wife Ri Sol-ju was also present. [Kim Jong Un] [Double standards] [Sanctions]

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JANUARY 2019

Pyongyang conference on Kim Jong Un’s New Year Address 2019
Warm greetings from Pyongyang!
On 23rd, a joint conference of the government, political parties and organizaitions of the DPRK to thoroughly implement the tasks set forth by Comrade Kim Jong Un, the chairman of State Affairs Commission of DPRK, in his New Year's Address.
The speakers stressed that the principled stand and proposal for developing the north-south relations and ensuring a lasting and durable peace of the Korean peninsula and the ways for realizing them set forth by Kim Jong Un in his New Year Address are the highly important guidelines which reflect most correctly the aspirations and desires of Koreans and the requirement of the times. They called on all the Koreans in the north, the south and abroad to respond to the patriotic appeal of Kim Jong Un with nationwide advance to thoroughly implement the north-south declarations and thus glorify this year as a historic one in which another epoch-making turn is brought about in the journey for the development of north-south relations and peace and prosperity. [NYA19]
N.Korean Ambassador in Italy Seeks Asylum
By Kim Myong-song, Yoon Hyung-jun More January 04, 2019 12:39 Acting North Korean Ambassador to Italy Jo Song-gil disappeared with his family last November as he was about to return to Pyongyang, the National Intelligence Service here said Thursday. [Jo Song Gil] [Defection] [Defector industry]
Officer's Public Execution 'Stirs Unrest in N.Korea'
By Yoon Hyung-jun January 03, 2019 13:31 The recent public execution of a military officer is stirring discontent in North Korea as the regime tries to tighten control over the military. Radio Free Asia reported Tuesday that a politburo member of the North Korean People's Army artillery command in Pyongyang was publicly executed in an airfield due to insubordination to the Workers Party and "immorality." He was a fairly senior officer and appointed by the party . "The execution was conducted in front of hundreds of people," a source told RFA. "The incident is a warning to the military that corruption will not be tolerated" because it creates a slippery slope toward the destruction of socialism. Thae Yong-ho, a former North Korean diplomat, earlier said that Kim Jong-un is becoming increasingly frustrated with the military. As proof, Thae offered Kim's visit to the Kumsusan Memorial Palace of the Sun to commemorate the seventh anniversary of his father Kim Jong-il's death without military officials by his side. The military came to undue power and developed into an unruly state within the state due to Kim senior's disastrous "military-first" doctrine. [Corruption]
New Year Address by Kim Jong Un
Dear people and service personnel of the People’s Army across the country, Dear compatriots, Dear comrades and friends, Having seen out the year 2018, in which we adorned the history of the motherland, the revolution and the nation with meaningful events leaving another indelible imprint in the history, we are seeing in the new year 2019 full of hope. As we see in the new year, I extend heartfelt greetings to all the people and service personnel who devoted their all for the cause of socialist construction sharing the same mind and pace with our Party in the eventful days of last year, and wish that homes across the country will brim with affection, hope and happiness. My warm new year greetings go also to the compatriots in the south and abroad, who shared our will in writing a new history of reconciliation, unity, peace and prosperity of the nation. I wish success in the work of heads of state and other foreign friends who are making efforts for social progress and development and global peace and justice.....
I am of the opinion that, while meeting and holding talks beneficial to both sides with the US president in June last year, we exchanged constructive views and reached a consensus of understanding for a shortcut to removing each other’s apprehensions and resolving the entangled problems. I am ready to meet the US president again anytime, and will make efforts to obtain without fail results which can be welcomed by the international community. But if the United States does not keep the promise it made in the eyes of the world, and out of miscalculation of our people’s patience, it attempts to unilaterally enforce something upon us and persists in imposing sanctions and pressure against our Republic, we may be compelled to find a new way for defending the sovereignty of the country and the supreme interests of the state and for achieving peace and stability of the Korean peninsula....
Kim Yo-jong confirmed to be born in 1988
Posted on : Dec.31,2018 11:21 KST Modified on : Dec.31,2018 11:21 KST In its publication on key figures in the North Korean regime for 2019, the Ministry of Unification identifies the proper year of birth, 1988, and title for Vice Director of the Propaganda and Agitation Department of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) Kim Yo-jong, younger sister of leader Kim Jong-un. The publication for 2018 simply guessed her year of birth and title, suggesting an increase of information exchange amid improving inter-Korean relations. [Kim Yo Jong]

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