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Top Stories Today

Minister's visit to Germany draws ire of Pyongyang (Korea Times)
Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo's visit to Germany to join celebrations on the 25th anniversary of the European nation's unification is drawing criticism from North Korea.

Roh had hotline to Pyongyang and used it often (JoongAng Ilbo)
The late President Roh Moo-hyun had a 24-hour Blue House hotline for direct calls to and from North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, according to Kim Man-bok. 

UN Could Expand Ban on Luxury Goods to North Korea (VoA News)
The United Nations may consider expanding a ban on the flow of luxury goods and strategic materials into North Korea if Pyongyang fires a long-range rocket, a South Korean envoy said Thursday.

U.S. Think Tank Speculates on N.Korean Regime Collapse (Chosun Ilbo)
Around 150,000 U.S. troops would need to go into North Korea if the regime were to suddenly collapse, the RAND Corporation think tank speculates.

North Korea freight train en route to launch pad, report says (UPI)
The train headed for North Korea's rocket launch pad was first spotted on Thursday, an unidentified source told Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun. 

the week in North Korea

Hidden people of North Korea: New economy, old politics

• The Brookings Institution will host this book event in Washington D.C. on September 28.
• Kongdan Oh, nonresident senior fellows at Brookings, will present second edition of her book “The Hidden People of North Korea: Everyday life in the Hermit Kingdom.”
• For more information and to RSVP click here.

U.S.-Republic of Korea Ambassadors Panel

• The Korea Institute at Harvard University, the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Kim Koo foundation are hosting this panel discussion in Boston on October 1.
• Speakers include Amb. Stephen Bosworth, Amb. Kathleen Stephens, and Amb. Sung Kim. Katharine Moon, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution will moderate the discussion.
• RSVPs are requested.
• For more information and to RSVP click here.

2015 ROK-US Summit: Regional Context for Alliance Coordination

• The Korea Culture Center of DC will host this lunch forum in Washington D.C. on October 1.
• Scott Snyder, senior fellow at CFR, will speak about the evolution of the U.S.-ROK alliance and Park Geun-hye’s upcoming visit to Washington D.C.
• Korean lunch will be provided.
• RSVP is required.
• For more information and to RSVP click here.

Striving for Northeast Asian Peace

• CSIS will host this conference in Washington D.C. on October 2.
• Speakers will discuss U.S.-ROK relations in advance of Park Geun-hye’s visit to the White House.
• Speakers include; Evan Medeiros, Kurt Campbell, Amb. Ahn Ho-young, Victor Cha, Shin Beom-chul, Jin Canrong, Choi Kang, and Narushige Michishita.
• RSVP is required.
• For more information and to RSVP click here.

North Korean Sports Official to visit Seoul

• Chang Ung, a North Korean representative International Olympic Committee, will reportedly be traveling in South Korea from October 3 to 8.
• Chang will reportedly attend an inter-Korean Taekwondo event and tour other parts of South Korea.

Kim Jong Un tours new luxury cruise liner

Kim Jong Un tours new luxury river cruiser in Pyongyang North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un toured a recently completed luxury river cruiser in Pyongyang and named it "Mujigae" (rainbow), state media said on Monday. The multi-floor vessel, spotted under construction by NK News in September last year, contains restaurants, bars, a coffee shop, roof deck and even sushi-conveyor belt-style dining area, pictures published in Monday’s Rodong Sinmun showed. With Kim Jong Un ordering the Mujigae to be ready for use by October 10, it appears likely that it will be used for observation activities along the river on the anniversary date. Visit NK News for more External construction on N. Korean power plant complete The main building work on Power station No.1 of the Paekdusan Youth Hero Hydro project is now complete, according to a broadcast from Korean Central Television released yesterday. North Korea watcher Curtis Melvin also noticed DPRK media recently began referring to the plant by a new name. According to the NK News KCNA Watch data tool, articles published in August referred to the project as the “Paektusan Songun Youth Power Station”, but those in September have replaced the word “songun” with “hero”. Visit NK News for more NK News launches new international expert opinion survey series on N. Korea NK News – an independently owned specialist North Korea focused news, information and data outlet – announced the launch of a major new international expert opinion survey series on Monday. Drawing on the opinions of nearly 40 experts working on DPRK affairs, the survey will show the contemporary opinions of groups of leading American, Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Russian DPRK specialists, as well as defector voices and the rarely vocal foreign residents of Pyongyang. Visit NK News for more What will it take for a normalization of relations betwen North Korea and the United States? In the first of a new expert opinion survey series, NK News speaks to five American experts about what it will take for a breakthrough in relations between Pyongyang and Washington. Experts include Bruce Klinger, Darcie Draudt, David Straub, Nicholas Eberstadt, and Stephan Haggard. Visit NK News for more

Top Stories Today

S. Korea, China to build joint industrial complex near N. Korea (Korea Times)
South Korea and China plan to build a joint industrial complex near a border area with North Korea, according to South Korean Ambassador to China Kim Jang-soo.

After murders by North Korean intruders, China border villagers flee (Japan Times)
A three-meter-high barbed wire fence and the winding Tumen River are all that separate Nanping in China from North Korea.

N. Korea's Kim Jong Un now tips scales at 130 kg: paper (Mainichi Shimbun)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's reported weight gain is continuing unabated, with the South Korean government estimating he has put on some 30 kilograms.

Japan May Deploy Aegis Ships for North Korean Rocket Launch (ROK Drop)
The Japanese government is mulling deploying Aegis destroyers in the East Sea and the East China Sea to intercept a long-range rocket.

Truck accident on sinking North Korea bridge suspends traffic, says report (UPI)
A 72-year-old railroad bridge connecting North Korea and China was closed after a crash involving multiple trucks occurred on the North Korea side.

north korea this week

The week that was: Five North Korea articles you don't want to miss To ensure you never miss out on the best NK News content, we highlight the top five most-read features and interviews of the week

Korean unification(s) – The past and prospects for family reunions By Dr. Andrei Lankov It has been reported that North and South Korea have agreed to hold another round of reunions for divided families. As part of the recent thaw in intra-Korean relations, the sides agreed to hold the next (20th) meeting of the divided families. The meeting is scheduled for late October, so there is a fairly high chance that another North Korean missile launch, likely to happen in early October, will disrupt the plans. Nonetheless, it is still probably a good time to discuss the origins and current state of the “divided families” issue. This problem emerged as a result of the division of Korea in 1945. With the emergence of two Korean states in 1948, this division has become (semi-) permanent. When the Korean Peninsula was divided there was a great deal of migration between two emerging states, even though authorities on both sides did what they could to control or block such movement. The vast majority of the divided families were divided as a result of the massive migration in the years following the division. Click here to read the full article at NK News

China can’t solve Seoul’s N. Korea problem By Georgy Toloraya The South Korean media was very enthusiastic about the fact that, during the military parade in Beijing on September 3, the Republic of (South) Korea’s president was sitting in the first row with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Meanwhile, North Korea’s “second in command,” Choe Ryong-hae, secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, sat at the end of the row, and “was hardly visible, as if to testify to the current status of the Seoul-Beijing and Pyongyang-Beijing relations.” The ROK might proudly hope that China has “changed sides” in the Korean conflict, but that may be far from true; the picture is much more complicated. In this article we deal with another big country and former ally of North Korea – Russia – in the hopes that the experience of its relations with the two Koreas can help draw some lessons. This is topical while ROK is courting China – even to the dismay of the U.S. and Japan – hoping that, among other things, this strategy would lead to China assisting in, or at least not opposing, Korean unification. Click here for the full article at NK News

Promises, pitfalls on the North Korea-China border By Peter Ward Sino-Korean relations are very important to us, to the North Koreans, even to the Chinese. As any reader of NK News will no doubt be aware, North Korea is a highly unusual place in this part of the world, a place without much external trade, and its only truly important trading partner is China. The border between the two countries is an important focal point for the two states. Seen from the North Korean side, the Chinese Northeast (often known as Manchuria) is a beacon of accessible and perilous prosperity. The area that immediately borders North Korea is also wealthy, and its eastern area has many Chinese Koreans who migrated there starting in the late 19th century. Thus, the borderlands specifically, but the Chinese Northeast in general (with its good transport infrastructure) presents opportunities for North Korean state companies and agencies to trade commodities wholesale and set up restaurants staffed with the most beautiful members of the country’s lower elite. As a student in the area, it was easy to find North Korean restaurants in Shenyang, Yanji and Hunchun, usually overstaffed with beautiful North Korean waitresses who often sang, sometimes with customers, and made sure that you always had enough drink. Click here for the full article at NK News

In North Korea, sometimes the dead come back By Leo Byrne I know there are many funeral halls in South Korea. But there were none in my hometown in North Korea. I don’t know if such funeral halls existed in other regions of North Korea, but I know we usually held funerals at the homes of the dead. Without any funeral halls in business, people had to have their funerals at home. Now, before I go on, let me point out that I’m not and never have been a mortician. So, I don’t know every detail about the exact process of funerals in North Korea. But I do know that the funeral process takes three days, and the very first thing they do is clog the ears and noses of the dead person with wads of cotton. I have heard that the reason why they do this to prevent water from leaking out. And they fill the dead person’s mouth with raw rice – this is supposed to be the dead person’s food when they get to the afterlife. After that, they dress the dead body up with clean clothes. They make sure that these are made of cotton, because they think cotton is most suitable when the dead body begins to decompose. Click here for the full article at NK News

Digital TV recorder showcased at North Korean trade show By Leo Byrne 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. “Using this device users can watch the programs that were already broadcast before and can be free from worrying about the time of broadcast,” the stall owner says in the KCTV report. “This device allows a live TV stream as well as option to load the previous programs as well, users can choose whatever program he or she wants to watch.” Click here for the full article at NK News

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

Top Stories Today

North Korea: Propaganda balloons hurt efforts to reunite families (UPI)
North Korea said the balloon launches of anti-Pyongyang leaflets from the South could interfere with a planned family reunion.

Pyongyang rejects S. Korean lawmakers' request to visit Kaesong complex (Arirang News)
It looks like a group of South Korean lawmakers will not be able to visit the inter-Korean Kaesong industrial complex next month.

China willing to understand need for pressure on N.Korea: WH official (The Korea Herald)
China has shown an increasing understanding of the importance of denuclearizing North Korea and the need to apply pressure on the regime in Pyongyang, a White House official said.

American arrested in China is being held in solitary, interrogated daily: husband (Japan Times)
An American businesswoman arrested in China on claims she spied and stole state secrets is being held in solitary confinement and is interrogated at least once a day.

North Korean Files Rare Complaint Against Authorities to Get Son’s Body (Radio Free Asia)
A North Korean woman has filed a formal complaint against central authorities, demanding the return of the body of her son who died in prison just before he was to be released.

North Korea News

N.Korea criticizes South for not repatriating Pyongyang native North Korea’s state media outlet Uriminzokkiri on Monday urged South Korea to return Kim Ryen-hi, who is currently in South Korea but has announced her hopes of returning to Pyongyang, her hometown.The South Korean Ministry of Unification on Tuesday stated that repatriating a border crosser to North Korea is impossible under the current legal system. North Koreans who cross into South Korea are considered South Korean citizens, while entry into North Korea is largely off-limits to South Koreans. Visit NK News for more Pyongyang constructs large-scale floating video display on Taedong River Authorities in Pyongyang have constructed a large, floating video display and staging area on the capital's Taedong river, photographs obtained by NK News this September have shown. The display, which is located adjacent to Kim Il Sung Square and incorporates two large jetties straddling the north and south of the river, appears to have been raised for forthcoming 70th anniversary of the founding of the Workers Party of Korea (WKP) celebrations. The presence of the new display may make human pixel displays thing of the past. Visit NK News for more N. Korea connecting up more power plants North Korea is constructing power lines to connect up hydro power plants in the DPRK’s Huichon region, according to a report from Korean Central Television published yesterday. There are 10 generators in the area of various sizes on the Chong Chon river, though most are not yet operational. The news follows a report from the Associated Press’ Pyongyang bureau that claimed North Korea had deployed shock brigades to complete power projects at Huichon and Mt Paekdu. Visit NK News for more China can’t solve Seoul’s N. Korea problem, By Georgy Toloraya Much has been made of China's recent shift towards favoring South Korea over the North. However, as Georgy Toloraya points out, regardless of how much dissatisfaction with Kim Jong Un exists in China now, China simply cannot afford to let North Korea out of its sphere of influence. Moreover, while diplomacy may blow hot and cold, nothing will change the fact that China remains North Korea's principal trade partner. Visit NK News for more

Top Stories Today

China not invited to N. Koreas key anniversary next month (Yonhap News)
China is not among nations invited to attend North Korea's key national anniversary next month, a diplomatic source said Monday, reflecting strained political ties between the allies.

Kim Yong Nam Meets Indian Ambassador to DPRK (KCNA)
Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, had a talk with Indian Ambassador to the DPRK Ajay Kumar Sharma.

Meet North Korea's UK fan club (The Guardian)
In a small, nondescript room, two pristine photos have been ceremoniously hung up on a red-draped screen: one, of the eternal president Kim Il-sung, the other of the dear leader Kim Jong-il.

New railway improves NE China's economic prospects (Xinhua)
A new high-speed railway linking the major cities of northeast China's Jilin Province and built to provide a boost to the under-developed border area's economy opened on Sunday.

UN: Crimes against humanity have been found in North Korea (IBT)
The UN Commission of Inquiry has said that it found crimes against humanity in North Korea. The commission urged the international community to respond and investigate the case properly.

north asia news

Male defectors struggle in S.Korean job market Male defectors struggle more with unemployment than female defectors, a South Korean lawmaker revealed Friday. The unemployment rate among male defectors is getting worse, while female defectors’ rate is improving, though still worse than males’, statistics show. In 2011 male defectors’ employment rate was 61.9 percent, but by 2014 it had decreased to 61.2 percent. Female defectors’ employment rate went in the opposite direction, from 45.5 percent in 2011 to 48.5 percent in 2014. Visit NK News for more Pyongyang traffic indicates China oil supplies to N. Korea still flowing – MOU Increased traffic on the streets of Pyongyang could be an indicator that China has not ceased crude oil delivery shipments to North Korea, a Ministry of Unification (MOU) official said yesterday. Beijing made headlines at the start of 2014, when crude oil shipments apparently disappeared from their trade data. Experts have puzzled over the absence of crude oil deliveries, though many agree it is unlikely the DPRK could continue to meet its fuel demand without the Chinese shipments. Visit NK News for more How N. Korean defectors define 'freedom', By Peter Moody Teach North Korean Refugees (TNKR), is a volunteer organization providing individualized English tutoring to a wide range of North Korean defectors, many of whom want to enhance their opportunities in South Korea and some of whom want merely to communicate their experiences as a defector to a larger audience. It recently organized apublic speaking contest on the subject of "What freedom means to me". Peter Moody went to find out. Visit NK News for more

Top Stories Today

Christian leaders of two Koreas to meet in Pyongyang (The Korea Herald)
Christian leaders of South and North Korea will meet in Pyongyang next month to discuss how to bring peace to the Korean Peninsula and promote exchanges of churches.

Ex-CIA Agent Advocates for Collapse of the Kim Regime (ROK Drop)
A former CIA agent said Tokyo, which is expected to pass a controversial security bill on Friday, should build up its military strength in order to play a key role in a North Korea collapse.

DPRK slams U.S. for trying to jeopardize improvement of relations (Xinhua)
The DPRK said Thursday that the United States "is working hard to disturb the atmosphere of improving inter-Korean relations," calling on Seoul to help repair North-South ties.

N. Korean nuclear envoys absent from China-hosted forum (Yonhap News)
North Korea's nuclear envoys appeared to be absent from a two-day forum hosted by a Chinese state-run think tank to discuss ways to restart long-stalled nuclear talks.

N.Korean Diplomats Cause Ruckus at Human Rights Seminar (The Chosun Ilbo)
North Korean diplomats stormed into a seminar on North Korean human rights in Jakarta on Wednesday held by South Korean and Indonesian activists.