THE NK NEWS PODCAST

​Unification ministry veterans promoting Korean peace – NKNews Podcast Ep. 217​ Unification remains the official goal of inter-Korean policy on both sides of the Korean Peninsula, and the new Council on Diplomacy for Korean Unification (CDKU), founded by veterans of the country’s unification ministry, aims to keep the dream alive. This week, Kim Hyeong-seok and J.R. Kim join the podcast to discuss their organization, which brings […]

Kim Jong Un

From my blog on North East Asia: North Korea, Kim Jong Un, 10 years at the Helm.

It is important to have our own view, from the perspective that we can have. At the same time it is useful to look a bit beyond rhetoric at the real-politik of the situation, without the boundaries our usual information provides.

Now it has been ten years, a whole decade, since the fresh from Swiss International School, after a few years of getting credentials, 25 year old Kim Jong Un took on the job of being the Leader of North Korea, and he is doing quite well. He was unexpected, even by the family, to do well.

After a decade of American wise folk saying he will not last, and trying pretend- invasions every 3 months, well, he is lasting very well. I expect he will last in power another 30 years if his health assists him. The family has problems with the gut and diabetes etc. His sister has a high position, and he has quelled the unfortunate folk who opposed him very effectively to date. Sometimes by sacking them, sometimes by poison, and sometimes by execution by massive anti-aircraft bullets at 50 metres in stadiums for his colleagues to watch their total 'disappearance'.

It would be hard in that Hardest Human System (next to Saudi Arabia, our dear friends) to be sure of anything, for sure, but he has achieved far more already than ever expected by the West. He has been reliable. The history of North Korea for the whole decade has been Continuity.

He has formally, and Really, made North Korea a formidable Nuclear State, as that really remains the only way that his Family Kingdom hasn't been destroyed. He has done that better than his dad or grandad ever managed to do...and he does control the most important and lucrative piece of real estate on planet Earth.

He has an interest in a peace treaty with South Korea, as does the South, and it is really only the USA who opposes peace on the Korean peninsula. With peace, the presence of the US would be unimportant.

it is the same with taiwan, the USA cannot afford an accommodation between Taiwan and the Mainland. The USA does not like being unimportant. The US will not be Unimportant no matter how unimportant it is.

True, still brutal, much like Saudi Arabia is, and probably, with Saudi, they are the two worst human governments on the planet, and yet are both truly, profoundly, secure. 

Far more secure than the various Presidents and Prime Ministers who come and go with various tricky plans etc and whose end-dates are already obvious.

Then, of course, should Fate intervene, there is always his young sister, quite the powerhouse herself, to quell the tides of change for this Hermit Kingdom.

North Korea this week

Latest Headlines Kim Jong Un sits out party meetings as state media marks 10 years of his rule - by Colin Zwirko Day three of party plenum focused on budget discussions and studying Kim's speeches Visit NK News for More In officially tax-free North Korea, where does the state get its money? - by Peter Ward The DPRK has multiple revenue sources, including taxes, that have both positive and negative impacts on the economy Visit NK Pro for More Seoul approves three new requests to send nutrition-related aid to North Korea - by Jeongmin Kim South Korea has now greenlit 11 aid shipments this year, though delivery is unlikely due to DPRK’s border restrictions  Visit NK News for More Japan approves $1.2 billion for missile defense, eyeing North Korea threats - by Kosuke Takahashi The funds are a part of $53.6 billion in defense spending that the cabinet has approved for the next 16 months Visit NK News for More Ask a North Korean: Do North Koreans like to go camping? - by Alek Sigley Travel restrictions mostly rule out leisure camping, but there are other ways people spend time in the great outdoors Visit NK News for More

The latest from the podcast The biggest North Korea stories of 2021 – NKNews Podcast Ep. 215 The NK News team discusses Kim Jong Un’s health, the DPRKs new ‘dark age’ and their predictions for the year ahead Listen to the full episode here

Top NK stories from around the web US declines comment on Chung's remarks about end of war declaration agreement(The Korea Herald)The United States declined to directly comment on any progress made on a draft for an end to the Korean War declaration professed by the South Korean foreign minister on Wednesday, only saying the US remains committed to dialogue with North Korea. S. Korea starts construction of 2nd 3,600-ton-class SLBM submarine(Yonhap News)South Korea has started the construction of a new 3,600-ton-class military submarine with improved ballistic missile capabilities, officials said Thursday. Some North Korean forced labor camps giving more “production tasks” than last year(Daily NK)Inmates at some forced labor camps in North Korea have reportedly been tasked with producing more wigs, false eyelashes and other goods. This suggests the authorities may have ordered the inmates to produce the deliverables for toll manufacturing contracts signed with Chinese companies. N. Korea shuts down access to Pyongyang ahead of party plenary meeting(Daily NK)North Korea has reportedly shut down access to Pyongyang with the Eighth Central Committee of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea holding its Fourth Plenary Meeting on Monday. North Korea's leader looks slimmer than ever(The Korea Times)North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, seems to be have reached his lowest weight in at least the past few years.

What does the North Korea flag mean?

 

China's flag. Why is it red?

The flag is a red field with five golden stars in the canton. The red represents China's communist revolution whereas the five stars are interpreted as a unification of the country's people under the communist party. The larger star surrounded by the four smaller stars symbolizes the communist party.

the four smaller stars represent the workers in their different professions.

I think that if we studied China over the past 3,000 years, and we really haven't; we've only set our hatred on race and communism, whereas China is behaving as China usually does.

It behaves differently to us, true, but only in one facet:

It does not make war.

It does not care what we think, and never has. It doesn't consider our feelings at all. It just goes along making trade with the world. Good business.

It just goes along being China. The whole point of being China is to be ...China.

There are no great Cathedrals of Christianity nor Islam, nor Hindu nor Senagoges etc. China has never had them, nor the spurious beliefs they tend to issue forth at the drop of a hat.

China has girls working in shops. If you hurt those girls, wow, are you in big trouble! You are truly fucked. If you let them be, then everything is just fine. The point of China is not to make the world rich, it is to make China better-off than it has been. They are doing that very well, every day, every week, every year.

I see the USA, UK, and Australia are all not sending their important diplomats to the China Winter Olympics in Beijing

Not that any were actually ever invited to attend.

Too much awful Yankee Aussie UKy covid flooding in.

Good.