N. Korean rocket launch motivated by political interests: experts

N. Korean rocket launch motivated by political interests: experts The South Korean Ministry of Defense (MND) has stated that Seoul and Washington are both looking closely into the possibility of a missile launch from North Korea, while some media reported on a “cover” at the Tongchang-ri satellite launch station on Thursday morning. Analysts generally agree that the North’s motivations for launching the rocket have to do with the message it sends, both at home and abroad, justify the cost of a launch at a time when the North Korean economy is suffering shortages. Visit NK News for more Promises, pitfalls on the North Korea-China border, By Peter Ward Peter Ward looks at the relationship between North Korea and China, and - in particular - the trade relationship on the border. While North Korea looks covetously at a rising China's riches, Chinese investors have grown wary of North Korea's unreliability as a trade party, and its tendency to go back on contracts, change regulations and confiscate foreign assets. However, the DPRK government is increasingly left out in the cold as informal trade between the two economies flourishes. Visit NK News for more Digital TV recorder showcased at North Korean trade show A digital TV recorder which also groups North Korean television broadcasts into different categories was showcased at the ongoing Pyongyang trade fair, according to a Korean Central Television (KCTV) Broadcast published yesterday. The report shows the device attached to a TV with a wire, although curiously the recorder’s box indicates it also has a connection for an “ADSL modem”. The device also has an antenna of some kind, though it is not clear if it is broadcast, or receive a signal. Visit NK News for more S. Korean sailors' lifejackets don't pass inspection From August 2012 to March 2013, sailors deployed on South Korean Aegis ship DDG-993 were reliant on lifejackets that, unbeknownst to them, might not have saved them in case of emergency. Lawmaker Kim Kwang-jin of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy raised the issue in a report last week, not long after a similar report from the National Assembly faulted the South Korean Army for its poor quality body armor. This is the latest in a series of criticisms of the South Korean defence procurement system. Visit NK News for more

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