North Korea

[Kanetsugu]

South Korea to give $13 million in aid to North

South Korea offer humanitarian aid in effort to improve cross border relations

August 12th, 2014
Hamish Macdonald

South Korea will offer $13.3 million in aid to programmes in North Korea, according to the Ministry of Unification (MOU) on Monday, amid a push to improve cross border relations.

The Ministry of Unification says the funds will be delivered through international aid agencies, with a focus on providing food and medical assistance to vulnerable populations in the North.

“We will provide $7 million to the World Food Programme for nutritional assistance to mothers and children in the North,” MOU spokesman Kim Eui Do told reporters at a press conference on Monday.

“We will also offer $6.3 million through the World Health Organization for medicine, improvement of medical facilities and medical training programs,” he added.

The assistance package from the MOU follows the $3 million in aid previously given to NGOs in July and will be financed through the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund.

The offer comes amid a push by the South Korean government to improve ties with North Korea, with the South Korean government also offering on Monday to hold high-level meetings on the topic of family reunions for those separated by the Korean War.

“In short, it is good news. It appears that the Park Geun Hye administration is inclined to do some deals with North Korea – they recently hinted that the May 24 sanctions might be lifted,” Dr. Andrei Lankov of Kookmin University told NK News.

“It is likely that this aid is being used partly to create a better image of the South amongst the North Korean people. It will be marginal in its positive effects, but such effects are nonetheless to be welcomed,” Lankov added.

The offers also follows on from Thursday’s inaugural meeting of South Korea’s Preparatory Committee for Reunification, where Park urged members to increase cross border and humanitarian exchanges with the North.

North Korea has yet to respond to the offers.

Featured Image: Eric Lafforgue

 

[Kanetsugu]

North Korean ship near Mexico impounded without proper insurance

North Korea's Mu Du Bong in uncharted waters as UN and U.S. pass sanctions

August 12th, 2014
Leo Byrne

The North Korean freighter that ran aground on a reef near the Mexican port of Tuxpan last month didn’t have the legally required insurance to cover the environmental damage it caused, according to a press release from the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (PROFEPA) in July.

The Mu Du Bong damaged 3662 square meters of coral when it sailed into a reef 12 km from the shore, grounding itself in the process.

In response, the Mexican authorities demanded a deposit of 10 million pesos ($756,000) in order to pay for salvage and environmental damages ensuing from the operation. But the lack of requisite insurance meant that the Tuxpan Port Authority had to temporarily impound the vessel.

“[The] Tuxpan Port Authority is as new custodian of the ship; the ship is not insured against environmental damage,” the press release from PROFEPA reads.

Due to the size of the 6800 tonne vessel, a specialized private company was hired to perform the salvage. The 24 hour operation involved coordination from the Tuxpan Port Authority, the Mexican Foreign Ministry, a local shipping agent, PROFEPA and the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONAMP).

The ensuing scramble and apparent lack of environmental insurance meant the North Korean Embassy officially asked the Mexican Government for “urgent support for the rescue of the vessel Mu Du Bong”.

The Mu Du Bong salvage operation. Credit: PROFEPA

Specialized salvage operations are not cheap however, which in turn raised the thorny issue of payment. The North Korean government responded by issuing a guarantee promising to pay all salvage and associated costs.

“The [DPRK] embassy sent out a letter of guarantee … to cover rescue costs of the run aground vessel and every potential damage incurred during the rescue, damages to the environment and other charges for any damage caused under the responsibility of the vessel’s owner,” PROFEPA said.

As part of the salvage the vessel was emptied of fuel and taken to Tuxpan Port, where it stopped transmitting AIS location data on August 1.

NO INSURANCE

To make use of ports and busy waterways like that Panama Canal, vessels should have a ‘Certificate in Full’, meaning they are covered on everything from wreck removal to environmental damage.

Though maritime insurance is a fairly opaque industry, WikiLeaks cables show up until 2011 the Bermuda-based South of England Protection and Indemnity Association (SEPIA) insured about half the North Korean fleet.

SEPIA however, was shut down by the High Court of Bermuda amidst concerns that it was unable to meet its financial obligations.

It was unclear who picked up the North Korean business after SEPIA was wound up: until an advert for the Korea Shipowners’ Protection & Indemnity Association (KPI) appeared in a DPRK newspaper, the Pyongyang Times on July 24.

The advert claims the “KPI provides members with very attractive rates on premium and payment terms through exclusive deals,” and appears to be targeted at foreign ship owners.

The KPI is also the Mu Du Bong’s insurer, according to the Maria de los Angeles from the Tajin Consignaciones Shipping Agency, which mediated between the North Korean embassy and the Tuxpan Port Authority in July.

The KPI advert also mentions that it can “make placement with P&I risks”, though outside of covering “pollution”, no other kind of environmental damage is mentioned.

The presence of domestic P&I insurance club would go some way to explaining how the North Koreans have continued to use busy ports and waterways unimpeded since 2011.

THE MAN FROM MU DU BONG SHIPPING

While the Mu Du Bong did not have appropriate insurance to cover the accident when it happened, NK News has learnt that a representative from the ship’s registered owner – Mu Du Bong Shipping – has been working to remedy this.

This is despite the company having no registered address and being the owner of only one vessel, two characteristics usually indicative of North Korean front companies.

The Equasis Shipping database lists Mu Du Bong Shipping’s address as being ‘care of’ the Pyongyang based Taedonggang Sonbak Co Ltd, with the recently sanctioned Ocean Maritime Management (OMM), also listed as the vessel’s safety manager.

The grounded vessel in July. Credit: PROFEPA

“One of the people from the Mu Du Bong Shipping line is doing everything. He has made every agreement, and is doing everything well,” Maria de los Angeles told NK News.

“They had insurance, but it did not cover some topics. But now the insurance is paying everything,” she continued.

The Mu Du Bong Shipping representative has already covered the costs of the salvage operation and according to Angeles will probably resolve the issue of the environmental damage this week.

SANCTIONS

Recent sanctions imposed by the United States and the UN could make the Mu Du Bong’s departure more complicated. The freighter’s accident was poorly timed, coming in the same month as both the U.S. Treasury Department and the UN issued sanctions on the vessel and OMM.

The new sanctions make it possible for UN member states – like Mexico – to freeze OMM’s assets, search the vessel and make it potentially difficult for the Mu Du Bong to obtain fuel.

“[This combination] seems to make it mandatory for all member states to freeze OMM’s funds, and also sets up a strong argument to block funds associated with a ship for which OMM was the shipping agent,” Joshua Stanton, an attorney and author of the One Free Korea blog told NK News.

“We don’t want it to stay here because it’s a problem for everybody”

It is currently unclear if the effect of the sanctions has trickled down to the impounded Mu Du Bong.

Neither the Mexican Foreign Ministry nor the Tuxpan Port Authority have replied to requests for comment on if the U.S. has expressed an interest to search the ship, or if the sanctions will lead to further detention.

“We need to solve this problem, we need to help the vessel leave. We don’t want it to stay here because it’s a problem for everybody. For us, it is better if the vessel goes to North Korea,”Angeles told NK News.

TEST RUN

This is despite the ship’s voyage bearing a striking resemblance to that of its sister ship, the Chong Chon Gang, which was caught smuggling Cuban weaponry and munitions through the Panama Canal in 2013.

Both vessels are administered by OMM, and both passed through the Panama Canal before heading to Cuba. The Mu Du Bong, like the Chong Chon Gang, also switched off its AIS location transponder when near the Cuban coast.

While it’s unlikely that the North Koreans would have attempted another sanction breaking run to Cuba so soon after the Chong Chong Gang’s seizure, the possibility remains that the Mu Du Bong’s voyage was intended to test if they could use still use the route without interference.

“[The ship’s voyage] may also have been seen as useful in testing the level of scrutiny”

“[The ship’s voyage] may also have been seen as useful in testing the level of scrutiny that DPRK ships using the traditional route would now face post-Chong Chon Gang,” Andrea Berger, a research fellow on counter-proliferation at RUSI told NK News.

The Mu Du Bong also passed through the Panama Canal without search or incident on its way to Cuba.

“There was no special treatment … and [the vessel’s crew] did not have any reports from Safety and Security issued to them either,” Silvia de Marucci, Forecasting Manager at the Panama Canal Authority said.

If the vessel was testing the waters, the results so far are mixed. In two trips to Cuba, Ocean Maritime Management’s vessels have paid two $700,000 fines in two years.

However if the Mu Du Bong sets sail in the near future, it will do so in the face of a headline grabbing accident, breaking maritime law and a new wave of sanctions.

Photo credits: PROFEPA

 

[Kanetsugu]

Family of detained American in N. Korea ask Pyongyang for mercy

Family make plea in statement read by attorney

August 12th, 2014
Chad O'Carroll

The family of American citizen Jeffrey Fowle, who is currently detained in North Korea for alleged anti-state crimes, asked Pyongyang for mercy at a press event on Tuesday.

The request, which was delivered by the Fowle family attorney in his home town of Dayton, Ohio, came ten days after the American pleaded from North Korea for his government and family to intervene.

“The family would like to express its heartfelt apology to the people and the government of the DPRK. jeff has apologized publicly for his actions and Jeffrey’s family petitions the government of the DPRK for mercy toward Jeffrey and asks for his release,” the statement – republished by Associated Press – read.

“[The family] miss him and are desperate for his release and return home. Jeff is the primary financial provider for their family and Tatyana is struggling to manage by herself. Jeffrey has expressed concern that his job benefits may run out soon,” the statement added.

Fowle is a street maintenance worker in the town of Moraine, Ohio, which has a population of just over 6,000 people.

The attorney representing the Fowle family said that letters requesting government assistance had been sent to the offices of President Obama and former President Bush.

Based on previous cases, there is suspicion that Fowle – as well as fellow American prisoner Matthew Miller – could face lengthy prison sentences.

“Judicial systems like [the North Koreans'] don’t have not guilty verdicts…They have correct judgments, guilty verdicts, and subsequent acts of great generosity,” Christopher Green, international editor at the Daily NK, said in June.

“Not guilty is an admission of the state being wrong. The state is never wrong. The state (or party, or leader, whatever) represents the external canon against which right and wrong are judged,” Green explained.

Nearly six weeks has passed since North Korean state media announced the pending trial of Fowle and Miller, over double the time it took to try U.S. national Kenneth Bae following announcement of his trial in April 2013.

24 year old Todd, who was on a private tour with American company Uri Tours at the time of his arrest, ripped up a visa and tried to claim asylum upon his arrival in Pyongyang.

Fowle, a 56 year old, was detained for leaving a bible at a bar in Chongjin, a detailed Reuters report revealed on Friday.

 

[Kanetsugu]

Kenneth Bae allowed visit with Swedish embassy

Acquiescence follows months of rejected requests to meet with detained Korean-American

August 13th, 2014
Rob York

Detained Korean-American Kenneth Bae was granted consular access and met with officials from the Swedish Embassy earlier this week, Voice of America has reported.

Bae’s meeting with the Swedish officials was his first in four month, and comes two weeks after the North Korean government returned him to a labor camp.

North Korean authorities had denied repeated requests since April 18 by the embassy to meet with Bae.

The Swedish embassy has in the past acted as a mediator on behalf of the United States, which has no official relations with Pyongyang. Earlier this year the Swedish embassy served as an intermediary during the effort to attain the release of Australian missionary John Short, as Canberra has no embassy in Pyongyang, nor the North one in Australia.

Bae, 45, was arrested in late-2012, accused and later convicted of plotting to overthrow the government. A devout Christian, Bae was charged with plotting “Operation Jericho,” a reference to an Old Testament city conquered when its outer walls suddenly collapsed. The state-run Korean Central News Agency reported that Bae was carrying a number of propaganda materials into the North at the time of his arrest.

Bae has twice been hospitalized since he began serving his 15-month sentence for hard labor.

He recently told a Japan-based, pro-Pyongyang newspaper that he fears the U.S. government is abandoning him. The North, however, has twice reneged on planned visits by U.S. State Department envoy Robert King to discuss Bae’s imprisonment.

Picture: Chosun Sinbo

 

[Kanetsugu]

North Korea Ranks Low on Visa Restriction Index

Koo Jun Hoe | 2014-08-12 15:54

North Korean residents are only eligible to enter 42 countries on a tourist visa, Radio Free America [RFA] reported citing a report from international law firm Henley and Partners on August 11th.

According to the 2014 Visa Restriction Index, North Korean nationals without issued visas are permitted in 42 countries, two-thirds of them in Asia and Africa, offering a visa waiver option. The firm used statistics from the International Air Transport Association [IATA] to rank North Korea in the bottom 10% of the Visa Restriction Index.

In 2010 North Korean residents were able to enter 36 nations on a visitor visa with five more countries following suit by the end of 2012; in 2013, however, only one nation joined in relaxed regulations for North Koreans.

South Koreans are permitted into 172 countries without a visa: Finland, Germany, Sweden, USA, and Great Britain being the top destinations.

Henley and Partners Chairman Christian Kalin told RFA, “The low number of countries accepting North Korean residents on tourist visas reflects the negative image North Korea has in international society.”

 

[Kanetsugu]

NH NongHyup Card Donates 50 Mil KRW to Defector Organization

Koo Jun Hoe | 2014-08-13 09:25

NH Nonghyup Card, known for making periodic donations, gifted 50,000,000 KRW to Korea Hana Foundation, an organization providing housing and support for North Korean defectors, in a ceremony held on August 12th.

The funds will be allocated to maintaining the foundation and aid for the defectors residing there. Including this year’s contribution, NH Nonghyup Card has donated 50,000,000 KRW since 2012, a total of 150,000,000 KRW.

Korea Hana Foundation Chairman Jung Ok Im stated, “With the donation from NH Nonghyup Card, we will encourage young defectors to become leaders in this era of unification,” adding that it will also go toward “defectors facing hardships.”

“We will expand our network procure donations and sponsorships of all types to strengthen our humanitarian aid program and become the voice of unification,” he concluded.

 

[Kanetsugu]

North Korea Welcomes Pope with a Bang

Lee Sang Yong | 2014-08-14 16:01

North Korea launched three short-range rockets off the country’s East Sea coast on Thursday morning, just as Pope Francis was arriving on the west side of the Korean Peninsula at the beginning of a five-day visit to South Korea.

A spokesperson for the ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff told reporters shortly after the launches were picked up: “This morning at 09:30, 09:40 and 09:55, North Korea launched three consecutive short-range rockets in a northeasterly direction from the vicinity of Wonsan.” Although the projectiles travelled more than 200km, the launches took place without prior warning to aircraft or shipping in the area.

The launches began just a few moments before to the arrival of Pope Francis at Incheon International Airport, raising the suspicion that they amount to North Korea’s opening response to his visit.

 

[Kanetsugu]

11 N.Korean Defectors Caught Near China-Laos Border

chosun.com / Aug. 13, 2014 09:49 KST

Eleven North Korean defectors were arrested by Chinese border guards in the Chinese province of Yunnan on the border with Laos, an official here said Thursday.

The official said a woman who already lives in South Korea told authorities here on Tuesday that a group of 11 defectors including her sister were arrested on an established escape route from Kunming to Laos.

They left North Korea's Ryanggang Province last Thursday, traveling via Qingdao, Shandong Province, and arrived in Kunming on Saturday. On Monday morning they headed for the China-Laos border in a minivan but were nabbed by Chinese border guards at a checkpoint on Tuesday morning.

Some sent text messages to their relatives in South Korea, saying, "We've been caught" before communication was cut.

A source said most of them are women in their 20s and 30s, but there is also a child of about four.

Early this month, 18 defectors were arrested in Changchun, Jilin Province, and in July, 29 were caught in Qingdao and Yunnan. "As far as we know, 72 defectors have been nabbed in China this year," the source said. "Many more that we don't know about must have been caught because of recent crackdowns there."

The defectors have reportedly already been moved to a detention center in Tumen on the border with North Korea. If deported back to North Korea they face internment, torture and death.

Seoul has asked Beijing through various channels to stop sending defectors back to the North. During a visit to China last month, South Korean lawmakers asked Liu Yunshan, a member of China's Politburo Standing Committee, to help the defectors go where they want.

Chinese official were apparently more sympathetic than in the past and promised to consider the matter from a humanitarian standpoint.

 

[Kanetsugu]

Cold Noodles Receive Icy Response

Kang Mi Jin | 2014-08-21 11:37

Plans for a large naengmyeon [cold noodles] restaurant in Musan County, North Hamgyung Province have received a chilly response from the locals. The burden on residents, who must provide much of the material required for its construction, is steep. As previously reported by the Daily NK, they are frequently hit with de facto tax payments to compensate for supply shortages in the North.

“The restaurant has entered the final stage of construction, but residents could care less,” a source in North Hamgyung Province reported to Daily NK on August 20th. “In a big restaurant like that, you can bet the prices will be high,” he said, indicating that most residents would find it difficult to afford to dine there.

Musan’s naengmyeon restaurant will be the county’s biggest, able to accommodate 150-200 patrons. At current market prices, a regular bowl of the noodles costs 2000-3000 KPW, though at a restaurant specializing in the fare, like Pyongyang’s Okryugwan, the price can go as high as 6000 KPW; There is testimony that Musan’s noodle eatery will be similar, with prices in the 5000-6000 KPW range.

Kim Jong Eun’s era has seen nationwide construction efforts, both large and small scale, with justifications of improving residents’ lives; most say it only makes matters more stressful. In the most recent case, “Workers received orders from their employers to provide timber, planks, or cement to the effort,” the source said. “The military are the ones building the restaurant, so they should be provided with the proper materials from the Korean People’s Army. But supply shortages mean that the strain shifts to us instead.”

Construction on the project began in late spring, stalled for a number of months due to lack of construction materials and recently picked back up to apply finishing touches to the interior, after procuring the required supplies.

“To avoid criticism or other repercussions, if people cannot afford to purchase the materials, many use the boards [approximately 3.5 meters in length] or timber from the frames of their homes,” he went on to explain, adding that houses with more economic means have offered up to 20kg of cement.

The military tried to cajole residents, asking, “The Marshal [is building this restaurant] out of care for the people, so even if it’s a little, shouldn’t we give what we can?“ and “This restaurant is for us to be able to eat well, so shouldn’t we demonstrate our happiness to the General?” the source reported.

In addition to the new Musan restaurant, Orangcheon Power Station and waterway repair works are underway, and in this case, if not participating in the construction itself, a 10,000 KPW fee is imposed on residents. Most, unable to procure the funds, are choosing to contribute manpower instead.

“If you impose stringent monitoring, tightened border measures to prevent defections, thus hampering border smuggling and trade activities, and then demand materials for construction efforts on top of it all, naturally people are going to complain.” Parting with cement, lumber, and other construction materials, residents grumble, “Why should we have to suffer for a restaurant that only those fat cats [a disparaging term often applied to the authorities] can afford to go to?”

The source concluded that competition between Party cadres vying to demonstrate their loyalty to Kim Jong Eun, thus securing personal safety and prestige, only seeks to amplify resident distrust of the authorities. “The military tells us the restaurant is for us, but the displays of loyalty by Kim Jong Eun’s sycophants means we suffer the most. They use the pretext of loyalty to put all the work on us without doing their fair share”, he concluded.

 

[Kanetsugu]

"Summer Sickness" Hits Residents Hard

Seol Song Ah | 2014-08-21 17:52

Derelict water mains and inadequate refrigeration have spawned an outbreak of hemorrhagic colitis in North Korea, giving cause for residents to coin the summer monsoon period, “colitis season.”

A source in North Hamgyung Province reported to Daily NK on August 21st, “Recently a lot of people are wracked with abdominal pain brought on by the illness,” and “It’s not just children and the elderly either, young people are just as susceptible.”

10-20% of residents in each region have been affected by the illness. It spreads quickly, he said, “If I get it today, someone else will contract it tomorrow. In the past, many died from this type of sickness, but these days the medicine brought in from China has helped to save lives.”

The heat and humidity of monsoon season usher in a host of unavoidable maladies to the North, hemorrhagic colitis being one of the most dominant. Heavy rains hit the North at the end of June, four to five days later than their southern counterpart, and ease up near the end of July. A dearth of sanitary drinking water is cited as the predominant factor in contracting the disease.

“There are pumps to filter the tap water flowing in from polluted pipes, but it’s generally not enough to remove the harmful bacteria [E.coli] that causes the infection,” he explained. Oppressively high temperatures and moisture cause food to spoil rapidly, and residents to eat the contaminated remains. “Insufficient and intermittent supplies of electricity prevent refrigerators from functioning properly, though most households don’t even possess one to begin with,” he went on to say, pointing out other circumstances that can bring on the condition.

Hermorrhagic colitis is a type of gastroenteritis in which certain strains of the bacterium Escherichia coli [E.coli] infect the large intestine and produce Shiga toxin, leading to bloody diarrhea and other serious complications. Severe abdominal cramps begin suddenly along with loose stools. Symptoms can range from mild diarrhea and cramping to severe diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloody stools, nausea, and vomiting. “Last year most people just had abdominal pain and diarrhea; this year, however, most everyone has experienced blood in their stools.”

Despite the pervasive nature of the illness, the North Korean authorities have not proposed any countermeasures. The broken healthcare system and lack of medical supplies prompt most people to turn to self-diagnosis. “The Terramycin [an anti-infective that has been proven effective against a wide variety of infectious diseases] available domestically does not have the intended effect, leaving many people dehydrated and prone to convulsions.” Antibiotic resistance from abuse of the drug is common; in the past, if any options were available, it was one of the only ones.

Refraining from food and drinking salt water are the most commonly practiced self-remedies. Colon cleanses, Synthomycin [an anti-inflammatory drug], or UN-supplied antibiotics, all available for purchase at the markets, are other typical methods people employ as cures.

However, the majority of the pills available at the market are counterfeits, over 80%, according to our source, manufactured by individuals at home. Those most severely afflicted, and in critical condition, resort to ingesting raw or cooked opium to find relief.

“Most are aware that North Korean drugs are counterfeits, so they only purchase medications manufactured in China,” the source said, then warning, “You can’t always trust the Chinese pills either, so most people purchase vials of Levomycin [an antibiotic manufactured in China] and use it in an intravenous drip [IV], asserting it to be the most effective and trusted treatment available.”

Levomycin costs approximately 4 RMB in the market; a 500ml IV drip comes to an additional 4 RMB. Those suffering from this particular strain of colitis require a minimum of 10 Levomycin vials and components for five or more IVs to combat the symptoms and overcome the disease.

“Those inflicted often purchase the medicine at the Jangmadang and go to the hospital to have the doctors there administer the IV. Hospital staff are completely aware that the drugs they are using have come from various locations” but tacitly comply with the requests; if anyone, the consequences of the collapsed medical system are most salient to them.

 

[Kanetsugu]

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[Kanetsugu]

N. Korea threatens nuclear strike in response to UFG

Statement continues North's criticism of U.S., S. Korean 'tailored deterrence' strategy

August 22nd, 2014
Rob York

North Korea is prepared to launch a preemptive nuclear strike in response to the Ulchi Freedom Guardian joint drills by the U.S. and South Korea, a Rodong Sinmun editorial said Thursday.

The editorial, entitled “Preemptive Attack, Our Choice Now” and credited to an author named Choe Chol Sun, follows other warnings by North Korean state media about the annual UFG drills and accusations that the U.S. and South Korea are planning a nuclear strike on the North.

“For all our warnings and world public denunciation the U.S. and its south Korean puppets set about a joint military exercise (Ulchi) Freedom Guardian,” the editorial said, using the lower-case “s” reflecting the belief that the two Koreas are actually one country. “The general staff of the KPA solemnly declared the readiness to mount a powerful preemptive attack any time of its choice since the U.S. and its puppets in south Korea proclaimed war on our Republic by their application of the so-called ‘tailored deterrence strategy’ to a veritable war.”

The “tailored deterrence” strategy, signed last fall by U.S. and South Korean defense officials, was designed to prepare a bilateral defense approach, employing missile defense, conventional strikes and the U.S. nuclear umbrella, against a variety of threats posed by the North. The North has regularly criticized tailored deterrence, calling it a pretext for attack on the North.

“The most positive way of countering nuclear preemptive attack would be hitting the enemy beforehand and mercilessly,” the editorial said, calling the Korean People’s Army “heroic” and saying it had proven its abilities in previous revolutionary wars and other confrontations. “Now, the KPA has grown into a strong revolutionary army equipped with both offensive and defensive means.

“Nuclear weapon is (sic) not a U.S. monopoly. We have nukes and powerful rockets.”

The editorial went on to say that the DPRK’s enemies “are gone crazy now” and “won’t come back to their senses again till they kiss the dust finally.”

North Korean state media has a history of making inflammatory statements and dramatic threats during U.S.-South Korean military drills.

“The U.S. and south Korean rulers must bear it in mind: We say what we mean,” he said. “They had better look straight into the reality and act prudently.”

Picture: 501st Sustainment Brigade, Flickr Creative Commons

 

[Kanetsugu]

N. Korean authorities crack down on plasma TVs: report

Censorship measures come in light of forthcoming Asian Games – Radio Free Asia

August 22nd, 2014
Max Kim

North Korea’s surveillance bureau Group 109 (109 Sangmu) has been cracking down on USB ports and remote control functions in plasma TVs since mid-August, according to a Radio Free Asia (RFA) article on Friday.

“This inspection is specifically targeting those with flat-screen televisions,” said an RFA source in Ryanggang Province, adding that the measures are likely to prevent people from watching the forthcoming Asian Games.

The article went on to state that the censors are destroying the remote control mechanisms on TVs to stop viewers from using their remote controls, eliciting outrage of owners.

“I think the authorities are cracking down especially hard because flat screen TVs are usually equipped with ports that can play outside media, and can also run on relatively less power,” said another RFA source.

Flat-screen televisions – along with other luxury electronics – are highly sought-after by the wealthy North Korean elite.

Despite the DPRK’s censorship attempts and limited Internet connectivity, some experts have suggested that the information blockade is being compromised from the inside.

Speaking to NK News Earlier last week, Sebastian Anthony, a senior editor at ExtremeTech, said that “it’s totally possible that people in North Korea are torrenting games, movies, TV shows. It’s probably the easiest way to get them into the country.”

Open source data provided by torrent network analysis Scan Eye recently revealed that Internet users seemingly in Pyongyang’s Ryugyong-dong district were downloading banned media.

Part of a government-wide effort to curb the proliferation of anti-socialist media, Group 109 was called “censorship’s elite force” in Reporters Without Borders’ 2014 Enemies of the Internet report.

Picture: Eric Lafforgue

 

[Kanetsugu]

Group Defection Sees Safe Passage

Kang Mi Jin | 2014-08-22 16:58

Daily NK has learned that the 16 North Koreans from North Hamgyung Province, who defected at the beginning of this month, have arrived safely in Thailand. The defection, coined the “three-family defection” was first covered by Daily NK on August 9th.

A source in North Hamgyung Province reported on August 21st, “I received confirmation from a source in China who helped them along the way, that the group has arrived in Thailand. After an initial few days in China, they quickly moved on to a bordering country.”

This comes as great relief to families of the group still in the North who have long awaited news of their loved ones’ status and whereabouts. Until now, “ we were on pins and needles, but now that we know they they are out of harm’s way, we can sleep easy tonight.”

The source indicated that recent inminban[people's unit] meetings have been replete with warnings and threats to deter those interested in following the “three-family defection.” This behavior is expected by the authorities, who are reeling from the mass defection incident.

“Everyone trying to cross into China has been caught,” they menace, going on, “Traitors will invariably be seized, so don’t attempt to try to escape.” The threats fall on dubious ears though, the source said, people have little trust in anything claims originating from the authorities.

“Rumor spreads fast among people in the region about those who tried to defect; they, more than anyone else, tend to know best the truth about those who have defected. If anyone trying to escape is detained at any point, word travels fast in an effort to warn others, who may be considering defecting themselves, that the conditions are too dangerous at given periods of time.”

“Even if you escape the North, it’s only a matter of time until you get caught in China or elsewhere,” the authorities warn, but Daily NK’s source confirmed that relatives of the recent group, that crossed the Sino-North Korean border from Osong County [in North Hamgyung Province], had received no such news.” He went on, “People still risk punitive measures like detainment or having family members dragged away as punishment, so we realize that those threats must not be empty; some people are still managing to escape unscathed.”

The onset of the Kim Jong Eun era, rife with paranoia, saw increased border regulation, abductions of family members of defectors, and other desperate attempts to regain control. Punishment for such transgressions also grew more severe.

“Despite stringent measures and threats by the authorities to prevent defections, they failed to stop the infinite line of people desperate to escape. Now they’ve started expanding surveillance posts to try to tighten up the border,” he explained. “It’s going to get even harder for people trying to get out.”

 

[JohnnyRico]

Defectors Say Day of Songun Is No Holiday

Moon Eun Ju, intern | 2014-08-28 17:59

Events at the 4.25 Cultural Center in Pyongyang August 24th, marking the 54th anniversary of leader Kim Jong Il's start of the Songun

[military-first politics] revolutionary leadership. Image: Rodong Sinmun

On August 25th, North Korea celebrated the “Day of Songun” by promoting Kim Jong Il’s accomplishments through all branches of state media in order to raise the morale of the people. However, defectors reported that residents and soldiers alike were none too happy about the events.

The North Korean authorities sought to override the mounting tension from the U.S.-ROK joint military exercises by embellishing the military achievements of Kim Jong Eun and Kim Jong Il. On August 22nd, Rodong Sinmun, the daily propaganda publication of the Chosun Workers' Party, mentioned the national meeting that took place on August 24th, where the Chosun Democratic Women’s Union performed dances and recited poetry as part of the celebrations.

On August 17th, the newspaper made mention of the historically significant location, Dabaksol, to evoke resident sentiments of Songun’s alleged origins. Songun was established on January 1, 1995 by Kim Jong Il, claiming it coincided with his visit to the Dabaksol guard post. Subsequently, in June 2005, Kim Jong Il stated the establishment of military-first politics to date back to August 25th, 1960, when Kim and son Kim Jong Il carried out a joint onsite inspection of the No. 105 Ryu Kyung Su Tank Division [the first to occupy Seoul during the Korean War] to suggest the long-held tradition of Songun.

Although there have been annual events related to Songun on August 25, the official “Day of Songun” was only established in 2010 as a national holiday. Rodong Sinmun reported on August 25th, “The revolutionary cause of Juche, the revolutionary cause of Songun are sure to triumph as long as the Songun revolutionary idea indicates the road ahead of the Korean people and there are the party's wise leadership, the single-minded unity of the army and people and the matchless KPA [Chosun People’s Army].”

A North Korean defector reported to the Daily NK on the official adoption of the national holiday, “During Kim Jong Il’s era, Songun continued to be the champion cause. However, Kim Jong Eun tends to be more focused on the economy or the people's lives rather than that of the military. If the military continues to be swept to the side, then, there is the possibility that Kim Jong Il’s accomplishments will soon be forgotten. Thus, it seems that the new holiday has been instituted in order to revive militarism.”

Many celebratory events have been scheduled to take place for this major occasion. In previous years, a gala honoring male students was organized at the 4.25 Cultural Center in Pyongyang, along with singing and dancing by female students at the same venue, arranged by the KPA.

Another defector reported, “Whenever this holiday nears, the media causes quite a stir while the citizens don't give it much attention since they tend to be very busy in August. The lawlessness of the military doesn’t help either; thus, most view the holiday quite negatively and not many anticipate it, despite its designation as a national holiday.”

“However, every organization plays a part in the celebrations, be it coordinating a performance, watching videos of the leadership, or attending commemorative lectures.” Everyone in the Chosun People’s Army is required to attend a 'loyalty determination meeting,' visit nearby historical sites, and receive training intended to strengthen the military; thus, soldiers are not that enthusiastic about attending these events," he concluded.

 

[JohnnyRico]

North Korean bank official 'linked to state slush funds seeks asylum and flees with US$5 million'

Yun Tae-Hyong, of Korea Daesong Bank, who vanished last week, was raising and managing illicit funds for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Russia, reports South Korean newspaper.

PUBLISHED : Friday, 29 August, 2014, 12:02pm
UPDATED : Friday, 29 August, 2014, 11:22pm

Agence France-Presse in Seoul

Reports say a North Korean bank official seeking asylum was raising and managing slush funds for Kim Jong-un (above), the nation's leader. Photo: AFP

A top North Korean banker who managed leader Kim Jong-un's private funds is seeking asylum overseas after fleeing with US$5 million, a news report in Seoul said yesterday.

Yun Tae-hyong, a senior representative of Korea Daesong Bank, disappeared in the Russian city of Nakhodka last week, the JoongAng Ilbo daily said, quoting a "well-informed" source. He brought with him the cash stolen from the bank.

"Currently he is seeking asylum in an [unspecified] foreign country", the source quoted by the paper said.

Yun was in charge of raising and managing slush funds for Kim in northeastern Russia, the source said. North Korea urgently requested Russian authorities arrest Yun and repatriate him, he was quoted as saying.

Korea Daesong Bank was one of two North Korean firms Washington imposed sanctions on in November 2010.

The US Treasury Department at the time said Korea Daesong Bank and Korea Daesong General Trading Corporation were "key components" of an illicit financing network orchestrated by North Korea's Office 39, a bureau rumoured to trade in weapons, drugs and counterfeit currency.

 

[JohnnyRico]

Americans detained in N.Korea appeal for help

AFP
September 2, 2014, 7:27 am

Washington (AFP) - Three US citizens held in North Korea pleaded for their freedom Monday, urging Washington to send an envoy to the isolated authoritarian state to negotiate their release.

As government minders looked on, Kenneth Bae, Jeffrey Fowle and Matthew Miller, who appeared tense, provided new details about their treatment in the reclusive, autocratic state.

"Continue to pray for me," Bae, the longest-held detainee, said in a message to family and friends in a highly unusual interview with CNN.

Bae said he was working eight hours a day, six days a week at a labor camp.

He said he had been treated "as humanely as possible" but warned that his health was failing and urged the United States to act swiftly to save him.

"I do ask (the) US government to send an envoy as soon as possible. I think that's the only hope I have right now," he said.

Bae was arrested in November 2012 and later sentenced to 15 years of hard labor on charges of seeking to topple the North Korean government.

The three spoke to CNN a hotel in the capital Pyongyang. The US broadcaster said a reporting team already in North Korea on an official tour had been summoned to conduct the unplanned interview.

In Washington, the State Department said it had seen reports regarding their detention and continued to "work actively" to free them.

"Out of humanitarian concern for Jeffrey Fowle, Matthew Miller, and their families, we request the DPRK release them so they may return home," spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

"We also request the DPRK pardon Kenneth Bae and grant him special amnesty and immediate release so he may reunite with his family and seek medical care."

Fowle entered the North on April 29 and was detained after reportedly leaving a Bible at a hotel.

"I'm good for the time being, but I need to let people know that I'm getting desperate, I'm getting desperate for help," he said.

Fowle suggested former US presidents Bill Clinton or George Bush be dispatched as special envoys, adding he was treated "fairly well," was able to take a daily walk and had a "hotel suite type of room."

Miller was arrested in April after he apparently ripped up his visa at immigration and demanded asylum.

North Korea said in July it would put Miller and Fowle on trial on unspecified charges related to "perpetrating hostile acts."

Miller, too, pleaded for help from Washington.

"My situation is very urgent ... I think this interview is my final chance to push the American government into helping me," he said, wearing a dark turtleneck and often looking away from the interviewer.

Bae began serving his sentence in May 2013.

When asked about his health problems, he said he has a sleep disorder and severe back pain and that he had been going back and forth from hospital to the labor camp.

"I get numb and tingling and it has been very difficult sleeping at night. And I was working in the field every day," he said.

- 'Difficult to watch' -

Bae's family has voiced fear that he is being used as a bargaining chip by North Korea.

His sister Terri Chung said it was evident from the video that her brother, who wore a button-down shirt and sat on a chair during the interview, was under a lot of stress.

"It is really difficult to watch because Kenneth is, you know, kind of full of life and very cheerful kind of a person," she told CNN.

"And it is clear from the video that he is under a lot of stress. And he talks about his health failing and being in complete isolation for almost two years. And it is devastating for our family to see that on TV."

The US special envoy for North Korean human rights issues, Robert King, has twice tried to visit the North to secure Bae's release, only for Pyongyang to cancel at the last minute.

Victor Cha, director of Asian Studies at Georgetown University, said the move appeared to be a bid by Pyongyang to show "a willingness to contemplate release of these three with the dispatch of a high-level envoy."

 

[Kanetsugu]

North Korea tightens grip on phone SIM cards used by tourists

PUBLISHED : Monday, 01 September, 2014, 9:50pm
UPDATED : Monday, 01 September, 2014, 9:50pm

Reuters in Seoul

North Korean commuters wait to a subway in Pyongyang. Photo: AP

In a move to limit access to the internet, North Korea allows mobile phone SIM cards used by tourists to be active only for the duration of their visit, tourism sources say.

Unlike North Koreans, foreigners visiting the isolated country can browse social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter freely, using the Koryolink domestic network.

Under a change made in July, North Korea would deactivate the card when a visitor left, ensuring that it could not be left for use by a resident, the sources said. It could then be reactivated when a visitor returned to the country.

"This basically means in practical terms that if someone leaves the country they can't simply leave their phone with a local friend and have them use the internet," said one source.

The move could be linked to a broader crackdown on the exchange of information in North Korea, and according to the source appeared to have been government-led.

More than 2.5 million North Koreans use the Koryolink network to make calls and browse an internal, heavily monitored domestic internet. Foreigners can also use the network, but on a separate cell network that connects to the global internet. It was not clear if the new rule applied to contracts held by long-term residents or foreign diplomats.

Koryolink is a joint venture with Egypt's Orascom Telecom.

Information in North Korea is tightly controlled but storage devices such as USB sticks or micro SD cards have become popular in recent years as they allow people to discretely share uncensored information such as videos, games, music and e-books.

SIM cards used in phones to access mobile networks are also easily concealed.

Sokeel Park of LiNK, an NGO that works with North Korean defectors, said Pyongyang had stepped-up control of information flows, resulting in a crackdown on illegal foreign media and smuggled Chinese cell phones that are often used to make international calls from areas in North Korea within range of Chinese cell towers along the border with China.

 

[Lotto]

deleted...

 

[DSGunner]

Task Force Forms to Find Defector Group

Kang Mi Jin | 2014-09-05 15:52

The North Korean authorities have launched a task force to track down any residents who abetted the "three-family defection" last month. As Daily NK previously reported, a group of 16 North Koreans defected across the country's border with China in North Hamkyung Province in August, after which they made their way safely to Thailand.

A source in North Hamgyung Province reported to Daily NK on September 5th, “Because of the 'three-family defection' last month, the task force is out to track down anyone associated with the incident.” The task force’s investigation has already seen a number of provincial security agents implicated as accomplishes to the group.

Reeling from the mass defection incident, the heads of people's units [Inminban] tried to convince residents that the group would be caught and severely punished as a deterrent to those considering defection themselves. A different source in Hamheung City, North Hamgyung Province reported that since then, these efforts have been ratcheted up significantly.

He stated, “Border areas are a given, but regions nowhere near the border, like here [Hamheung], have seen security agents at the Inminban meetings pressing people, making everyone realize how desperate the State Security Department [SSD] is [to control the situation].”

Warnings such as, “Just watch us...we’ll catch them even if we have to go all the way to Thailand to do so,” have not had the terror-inducing effects they intended, the source asserted. “Most feel pretty calm despite the threats,” he said, explaining, “As long as we can remember they've been saying things like that, but it’s never actually come to fruition, so nobody believes they’ll track down the defectors to Thailand and bring them back.”

Deprecating remarks about the SSD are commonplace, “Same old thing they always say. It’s the same talk every day with nothing proper to show for it," many residents say. These sentiments are based on experience, with no indication that they will change, “Like before, Kim Jong Il kept emphasizing improvements to create a strong and prosperous nation, but we certainly didn't see anything to suggest that to be the case."

However, some are concerned that the increased surveillance network imposed by the task force will extend to all residents, not just to families with members who have defected. This is a grounded fear, considering that no members of the “three-family defection” were known to have relatives in the South, which has posed the biggest threat to the shocked authorities.

The source agreed, concluding, "The SSD is going to increase surveillance of us all, even on those who have no connections to defectors."