ko Thu, 17 May 12 07:35:09 +0900 http://www.dailynk.com/english/img/mark.jpg http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk03500&num=9242 At this point, it is hard to guess by what process and upon what rationale North Korea activist and researcher Kim Young Hwan was arrested by the Chinese Ministry of State Security. It is equally hard to understand how the Chinese government can find it appropriate to arrest a man and then fail to provide him with even the minimal due level of legal assistance for almost two months.Worse even than the situation Kim finds himself in, the three men arrested with him are still completely isolated from the outside world, havin..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea The Daily NK Wed, 16 May 12 16:37:20 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00100&num=9241 Two proportional representative lawmakers-elect from the United Progressive Party (UPP) have completed the process of registering to become National Assembly lawmakers despite calls from within and without the UPP for their resignation over a rigged primary election in January.According to the National Assembly office that oversees the registrations, “The registration of lawmakers began on the 12th of last month, and both lawmaker-elect Lee Seok Gi and lawmaker-elect Kim Jae Yeon have already completed theirs. Lee was firs..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Mok Yong Jae Wed, 16 May 12 16:01:31 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00100&num=9240 The man at the center of a storm currently brewing in Liaoning Province, NKnet researcher Kim Young Hwan has long been a victim of threats emanating from North Korea or pro-North Korean groups. He is not alone; the main targets of North Korean anger have always been groups working for North Korean democratization and human rights. However, Kim is one person set apart from this general hatred; first, because he has met Kim Il Sung and received orders directly from him, even discussing revolutionary tasks in South Korea with..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Yang Jung A Wed, 16 May 12 15:32:43 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00100&num=9239 The U.S. House of Representatives yesterday unanimously approved an extension to the North Korean Human Rights Act that sees it run until 2017. The North Korean Human Rights Act demands that North Korea improve the human rights of its people, as well as mandating the appointment of a special envoy for North Korean human rights issues and allowing for humanitarian assistance, the protection of defectors and funding for activities that help to marketize and democratize North Korea. The North Korean Human Rights Act was first..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Park Seong Guk Wed, 16 May 12 12:35:39 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00100&num=9238 Kyodo News reported today that North Korea is currently improving its original missile launch site at Musudan-ri in North Hamkyung Province. Kyodo News sources estimate in the piece that it is highly likely that North Korea is building a new, larger launch platform at the site. One diplomatic source said, “It is in the early stages and therefore it is not yet possible to reach any conclusions, but it is possible that it will be a launch site for ICBMs. The Musudan-ri launch site was used in 1998 and 2009 to launch long-r..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Park Seong Guk Wed, 16 May 12 12:28:07 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00100&num=9237 Following the shock revelation on Monday that North Korea human rights activist and researcher Kim Young Hwan has been in detention in China for almost 50 days, demands that the Chinese authorities explain why he was arrested are growing.Many mainstream South Korean media outlets have now reported on Kim’s detention, with a number stating that he is being held by Chinese ‘public security’; however, this implies that he was arrested by the police, while in truth Kim is being held by the Liaoning Province arm of the Ministry..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Yang Jung A Wed, 16 May 12 11:00:46 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk01500&num=9236 This year, the North Korean authorities are once again emphasizing the need to strive for greater food production as the farming season begins, launching the annual 40-day total farm mobilization period with the words “Let’s mobilize the whole party, the whole nation and all the people to reach the grain production targets.” Rodong Shinmun published editorials on the subject on both the 11th and again on the 12th, reflecting the emphasis being optimistically placed on solving food security issues in 2012. Kim Jong Eun also..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Choi Song Min Tue, 15 May 12 18:16:13 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00100&num=9235 The issue of forced repatriation of defectors which recently burst onto the international agenda “amplified international interest in North Korean human rights,” according to Hyun Byung Chul, the head of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea.Hyun was speaking at a symposium on the role of the international community in improving North Korean human rights organized by the NHRCK in concert with California State University and the Academy of Korean Studies on the 14th in Los Angeles.“The number of foreign media compan..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Kim Tae Hong Tue, 15 May 12 17:17:56 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00100&num=9234 The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) is to withdraw its support for the United Progressive Party (UPP) following a recent spate of scandals that culminated in the infamous violent break up of a party central committee meeting on May 12th.KCTU leader Kim Young Hun told an MBC Radio program this morning, “It is inevitable that the KCNU will withdraw its support for the United Progressive Party,” adding, “There is no such thing as a perfect political party, but we are in despair at at the backwardness, violence and..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Mok Yong Jae Tue, 15 May 12 16:52:05 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00100&num=9233 The U.S. government has acted to reduce fears over the relocation of tactical nuclear weapons to the Korean Peninsula, as passed by the U.S. House Armed Services Committee in a recent amendment. “Our policy remains in support of a non-nuclear Korean Peninsula. There is no plan to change that policy,” a U.S. Department of Defense official said when questioned over ‘National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2013 Amendment to H.R. 4310’. “Tactical nuclear weapons are unnecessary for the defense of South Korea and we have no p..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Hwang Chang Hyun Tue, 15 May 12 11:19:53 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00100&num=9232 Myanmar has agreed to release a North Korean defector imprisoned two years ago for entering the country illegally and declared its intention to comply with all UN resolutions covering nuclear and missile trade, reflecting the country’s recent tentative moves toward rejoining the international community of nations following years of economic and diplomatic isolation.The imprisoned defector, whose identity has not been released, has been serving a five-year prison sentence following his 2010 conviction for illegal entry. Upo..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Chris Green Tue, 15 May 12 10:07:09 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00100&num=9231 It has been confirmed that Kim Young Hwan, a former leader of the underground ‘Minhyukdang’ political party and an active North Korean human rights activists for over 15 years, is in detention in Dalian, China after being arrested on March 29th by the Chinese Ministry of State Security. The ‘Committee for the Release of North Korea Human Rights Activist Kim Young Hwan’ revealed the news for the first time this afternoon, saying, “Mr. Kim, who departed South Korea with three others on March 29th, was arrested in Dalian and..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Yang Jung A Mon, 14 May 12 22:57:23 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00100&num=9230 The ‘National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2013 Amendment to H.R. 4310’, which contains calls for the relocation of tactical nuclear weapons to the Western Pacific Region, passed a plenary meeting of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee on the 9th. This raised the possibility of nuclear weapons reappearing on the Korean Peninsula. However, that possibility remains extremely low.A senior White House official has already asserted in response to fears, “Tactical nuclear weapons are unnecessary for the defense of South ..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Mok Yong Jae Mon, 14 May 12 18:15:54 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00100&num=9229 NKnet researcher and North Korea human rights campaigner Kim Young Hwan was recently arrested by the Chinese security forces and has been in detention in the country for more than 50 days, it has emerged.According to the South Korean Consulate-General in Shenyang, “Kim Young Hwan is being detained with three other South Koreans by the Ministry of Public Security in Liaoning Province.”Kim, who was responsible for the 1997 disbanding of ‘Minhyukdang’, an underground political party aligned with North Korea that he led until ..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Yang Jung A Mon, 14 May 12 17:33:37 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00100&num=9228 The head of the Association for Family Members of the KAL Kidnapping Victims, Hwang In Cheol believes that following North Korea’s response to calls for information on the whereabouts of Shin Suk Ja, “They must send an official response to us, too.” Speaking to Daily NK on the 14th, Hwang pointed out, “On the 8th, North Korea sent a written response to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention containing news of Dr. Oh Gil Nam’s wife’s death and the feelings of their daughters.”Conversely, in June 2010 the association su..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Kim Tae Hong Mon, 14 May 12 16:49:10 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk03500&num=9227 When violence was breaking out at a meeting of the United Progressive Party (UPP) Central Committee on the 12th, Lee Seok Gi, the party’s no. 2 proportional representation candidate in recent legislative elections, was nowhere to be found. Instead, it was members of the party’s ‘mainstream faction’ who yelled and shouted in his stead. It was a desperate scene.It started at around 9:40 when one of the UPP combined leadership, Shim Sang Jung, was about to actually do something. Aiming to disrupt proceedings, they headed for ..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea The Daily NK Mon, 14 May 12 16:20:43 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk03100&num=9226 ]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Mon, 14 May 12 11:27:25 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00100&num=9225 GPS jamming signals that have been coming from the Kaesong region of North Korea since April 28th show no signs of ceasing; however, there has been no damage done to property or people to date.According to a source cited by Yonhap News on the 13th, “GPS jamming signals have been continuously emerging from the Kaesong area of North Korea, including today. However, there have been no cases of damage to our side’s military or civilian equipment.”The source explained, “Most key equipment such as the military’s fighter jets, tr..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Mok Yong Jae Mon, 14 May 12 11:07:48 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00100&num=9224 Yesterday’s meeting of the leaders of China, Japan and South Korea in Beijing saw the three countries united in urging North Korea to refrain from future nuclear tests, but also revealed ongoing differences of approach to North Korea between Japan and South Korea on the one hand, and China on the other."Our three countries agreed that we will not accept further nuclear tests or further provocations from North Korea," President Lee Myung Bak told reporters at the culmination of the summit meeting between himself, Prime Mini..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Cho Jong Ik Mon, 14 May 12 09:59:48 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk01500&num=9222 Since the National Security Agency (NSA) took over border security from the Ministry of People’s Armed Forces last month, measures taken against the families of defectors have been stepped up, Daily NK has learned. This even includes the kind of midnight arrests and disappearances that used to characterize the way political criminals and their families were taken away to prison camps.Finding that people are disappearing overnight is causing a lot of nervousness for others living in areas adjoining the border, according to ..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Choi Song Min Fri, 11 May 12 18:02:54 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00100&num=9221 An unmanned helicopter that crashed near Incheon during a test flight on the 10th was not lost due to GPS jamming emanating from North Korea, the Ministry of National Defense has confirmed. Commenting on the case in a ministry briefing today, a spokesperson explained, “It appears to have crashed due to an error in the operating process. It was unrelated (to North Korean GPS jamming).”The crash occurred 30 minutes after takeoff, when the unmanned helicopter suddenly fell from an altitude of 15m and crashed into its control ..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Mok Yong Jae Fri, 11 May 12 16:19:05 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk01700&num=9220 The North Korean and Chinese authorities have signed an agreement on the construction and management of the cross-border bridge between Manpo in Jagang Province and Jian in China, Chosun Central News Agency reported yesterday.Vice Minister in the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs Park Kil Yeon and PRC Ambassador to the DPRK Liu Hongcai inked the deal at a ceremony in Pyongyang (see picture). The bridge forms part of efforts on both sides to improve cross-border transit. Presently, all the older bridges joining North..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Yang Jung A Fri, 11 May 12 14:08:36 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00100&num=9219 The U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights, Robert King believes that Pyongyang’s reporting of its April 13th failed rocket launch shows clearly how much the North Korean information landscape has shifted in recent years. "I think the point is that the media environment in North Korea has changed and is changing,” King, who was speaking at an event in Washington, DC for the launch of the new InterMedia report, ‘A Quiet Opening: North Koreans in a Changing Media Environment’, asserted.The decision by the North Kor..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Chris Green Fri, 11 May 12 12:12:31 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk03800&num=9215 ‘Man of Peace, Men of War’ is the 27th cartoon exclusively for Daily NK by Gregory Pence. A creative and talented cartoonist, Pence works with the latest news about North Korea to throw new light on political, economic and human rights problems in Northeast Asia.Recently, blind, self-taught Chinese human rights ‘barefoot lawyer’ Chen Guangcheng escaped house arrest in Shandong Province and travelled all the way to Beijing, where he spent six days in the protection of the U.S. Embassy. His daring escape seems likely to resu..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Gregory Pence Fri, 11 May 12 10:41:44 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00100&num=9218 A new study to be officially released on the morning of May 10th (EST) is set to show the extent to which foreign media is pervading the formerly closed North Korean society.The study, conducted by research group InterMedia for the State Department, contains data derived from interviews with refugees, travelers and defectors from North Korea which paints a picture of how cell phones, USB sticks and other modern technological methods are being used to bypass the controls imposed on flows of outside information by the North ..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Chris Green Thu, 10 May 12 18:01:26 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk01700&num=9217 Yesterday, the North Korean state media published stinging criticism by Kim Jong Eun of the management of Mangyongdae Funfair in Pyongyang, a move that stands out in the history of public reporting of ‘onsite guidance’ visits.This is because normally the North Korean state media’s reports of onsite guidance visits focus on the satisfaction of the leader at the standards attained and little more. However, this time an unimpressed Kim was reported as telling amusement park management cadres, “That the funfair could be this p..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Choi Song Min Thu, 10 May 12 16:17:48 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk01500&num=9216 Construction has been going on since late April in Namyang Workers’ District, part of Onsung County in North Hamkyung Province. It is reportedly being led by the daughter of Zhou Baozhong, a former commander in the anti-Japanese guerilla struggle. A North Hamkyung Province source told Daily NK on the 9th, “Last week, Zhou Baozhong‘s daughter came personally to the construction site to oversee road paving work and inn construction. Right now they are in the middle of surveying the road before its reconstruction.”According t..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Choi Song Min Thu, 10 May 12 14:52:35 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk03100&num=9213 ]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Thu, 10 May 12 11:00:40 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk03100&num=9214 ]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Thu, 10 May 12 10:12:12 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00100&num=9212 The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) believe that North Korea’s will be able to secure 300,000 tons more rice this year than last year, according to Radio Free Asia. FAO’s North Korea rice forecast this year is for 2,000,000 tons; 1,600,000 tons harvested last fall plus 300,000 tons to be imported and 100,000 tons of external aid.FAO also estimates that the rice consumption per capita in North Korea this summer is likely to be 72.3kg, 8.3kg more than last fall’s 64kg. Meanwhile, Voices of America (VOA) reported ..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Kim Kwang Jin Wed, 09 May 12 16:47:47 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00400&num=9210 Late last month, the North Korean authorities issued a written response to a UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention request for information on the whereabouts of ‘Daughter of Tongyeong’ Shin Suk Ja, saying that she died of hepatitis and adding that both daughters Hye Won and Kyu Won do not wish to meet their father. This was the first official response from North Korea to such inquiries, in contrast with a 2010 petition by the Family Members of the 1969 KAL Kidnapping Victims, which has received no response. It is likely ..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Cho Jong Ik Wed, 09 May 12 14:03:39 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk01700&num=9211 North Korea has made public the text of a second statement in the name of Kim Jong Eun.Chosun Central News Agency released the statement yesterday, saying that it was written by Kim on the management of national territory for officials from the Party, state economic organs and workers’ unions. It was also published on the front page of today’s Rodong Shinmun, the ubiquitous daily publication of the Chosun Workers’ Party.The statement is Kim Jong Eun’s second. The first was released on April 6th targeting Party Central Comm..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Hwang Chang Hyun, intern Wed, 09 May 12 12:11:37 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00100&num=9209 In the run up to an official visit to Indonesia this weekend by Kim Yong Nam, the head of the Supreme People’s Assembly Presidium, Jakarta and Pyongyang have reached a wide-ranging agreement to exchange news, pictures, videos, television shows and journalists.According to a press release released by the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, the deal was inked yesterday following the inaugural Indonesia-DPRK Joint Information Committee meeting in Yogyakarta by Secretary General Basuki Yusuf Iskander of the Indonesian Communications ..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Chris Green Wed, 09 May 12 11:19:08 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk03100&num=9208 ]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Wed, 09 May 12 10:02:08 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk01500&num=9207 Daily NK has learned that the authorities are considering closing down the iconic Pyongyang CHP Plant, which has supplied much of Pyongyang’s electricity for more than 50 years. A Pyongyang source told the Daily NK on the 30th, “There is news that Pyongyang CHP is being demolished due to the environmental pollution.” The plant, which is located in the Pyongcheon region of the North Korean capital, first went online in 1961 with a capacity of 200MW. It was expanded to 400MW in 1967, and currently covers a 400,000m2 area of..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Choi Song Min Tue, 08 May 12 19:42:32 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00100&num=9206 North Korea has alleged that Shin Suk Ja, the wife of Dr. Oh Gil Nam and subject of the ‘Daughter of Tongyeong’ campaign that made waves in South Korean society during 2011, is dead and that her daughters have no interest in meeting their father. The response was revealed by the secretariat of the International Coalition to Stop Crimes against Humanity in North Korea (ICNK), which has been leading the fight to save Shin, at a press conference in Seoul this afternoon.Representing the first official North Korean confirmation..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Hwang Chang Hyun, intern Tue, 08 May 12 17:22:08 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00100&num=9205 The Association for Family Members of the KAL Kidnapping Victims held a ceremony today to mark Parent’s Day in South Korea, placing a traditional carnation before pictures of the kidnapping victims.The group’s chairman, Hwang In Cheol, whose father was one of those kidnapped, told Daily NK, “I wanted to give a carnation to my father to ‘thank him for everything’. This is the first time we have conducted this event on Parents Day.”He emphasized, “It is extremely painful that we have been unable to confirm whether they are a..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Kim Tae Hong Tue, 08 May 12 15:56:02 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk03600&num=9204 I escaped from North Korea and settled in South Korea in 2000, so that means 13 years have passed. During that time, the president has changed three times (Kim Dae Jung, Roh Moo Hyun and Lee Myung Bak). On the coming December 19th, yet another president will be born. Eight months ahead of that presidential election, the steps of each party’s candidates are quickening. For better or worse, they are working night and day to get public opinion on side.North Korea has also changed its leader three times, but here we are not ta..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Kang Won Cheol, Senior Editor, NKnet Tue, 08 May 12 15:35:08 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00100&num=9203 The World Food Programme (WFP) has revealed that food distribution by the North Korean authorities in April, the month of Kim Il Sung’s centennial birthday, was on the same scale as in the month before. According to Radio Free Asia (RFA) yesterday, WFP believes that food distribution to the North Korean people this past April was 400g per day, which is 66% of the 600g per day recommended intake.Nana Skau, the WFP’s North Korea spokesperson explained, “The food distributed by the North Korean authorities was a mix of rice a..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Hwang Chang Hyun, intern Tue, 08 May 12 14:39:03 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk01100&num=9195 When analyzing North Korea objectively, it is important to look at things from the ‘regime’s perspective’. Indeed, the North Korean regime being a ‘Suryeong system’, it would be reasonable to say that we must observe things from the ‘perspective of the Suryeong.’What this means in reality is coming to a full understanding of the domestic and diplomatic strategies connected to rule in Kim Il Sung-Kim Jong Il-Kim Jong Eun North Korea, then analyzing the situation Kim Jong Eun and the ruling elite finds itself in at the momen..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Sohn Kwang Joo, Gyeonggi Research Institute Mon, 07 May 12 14:38:53 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk03600&num=9199 The North Korean human rights crisis has recently been getting increased attention from the international media. There have been articles and op-eds in influential publications such as The Economist, New York Times, Guardian, Le Monde, Der Spiegel and many others. This is a welcome change from the traditional focus on security issues and North Korea’s reclusive leaders.It is worth considering why this has happened, and also what has held back international attention on this issue in the past. The answers may help those who..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Sokeel J. Park, Research and Policy Analyst, LiNK | Liberty in North Korea Mon, 07 May 12 12:19:20 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk01700&num=9200 North Korea’s titular head of state, Kim Yong Nam will depart imminently on a two-nation tour of Southeast Asia, according to a report carried this morning by Rodong Shinmun, the Chosun Workers’ Party mouthpiece.Kim, who heads the standing committee of the Supreme People’s Assembly, has reportedly been invited to visit Indonesia by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and will apparently combine that visit with a trip to Singapore, with which North Korea also has good relations.Elsewhere, on May 4th Prime Minister Choi Yong..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Chris Green Mon, 07 May 12 11:32:37 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00100&num=9198 A high Russian official declared late last week that the threat posed by North Korea’s Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM) is being exaggerated. According to news agency RIA Novosti, Russian military intelligence (GRU) head Igor Siergun downplayed North Korea’s ICBMs at a Russian Ministry of Defense conference on missile defense in Moscow, pointing out, “The technology to produce ballistic missiles capable of a range of 5,500 km has only been accomplished by the official nuclear powers. Israel, India, Pakistan, Iran..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Mok Yong Jae Mon, 07 May 12 10:05:54 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00100&num=9197 North Korea’s recent attack on GPS systems in and around the West Sea has extended to shipping, it has been confirmed.Coastguard authorities in Incheon released the news today, revealing, “Between 8AM on the 28th of last month when North Korea’s GPS interference began until last night at 1:35AM, a total of 122 cases of ships being harmed by radio interference were noted.”However, they went on, “Until now there have been no reports of accidents occurring as a result of GPS disturbance.”]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Hwang Chang Hyun, intern Fri, 04 May 12 18:00:40 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00100&num=9196 One out of every ten new babies born in North Korea is born premature, according to new World Health Organization (WHO) data.According to the WHO-produced ‘Born too Soon: The Global Action Report on Preterm Birth’, which was released by the UN body on the 2nd, among 347,600 babies born in North Korea in 2010, fully 37,300 were preterm, or roughly 10.7%. North Korea ranked 80th out of 184 countries surveyed on this measure.Complications linked to preterm birth caused the death of 2,700 babies, 7% (2,700) of the total, placi..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Hwang Chang Hyun Fri, 04 May 12 16:27:06 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00100&num=9194 A foundation run by the chairman of South Korean conglomerate Hyundai’s car arm has donated $1.7 milion to the North Korean Refugees Foundation. The Seoul-based ‘Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-koo Foundation’ made the deal, which will last three years.The money will be used to facilitate the employment of three medical personnel to treat defectors and offer vocational courses to enable new arrivals to receive work training.Hyundai Motors chairman Chung Mong Koo, who runs the foundation, is one of the richest men in South Korea, ..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Chris Green Fri, 04 May 12 13:31:05 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk01500&num=9193 North Korea has begun forming troupes to take part in this year’s Arirang mass games performance, leading to a game of wait-and-see between parents determined to ensure that their children are not required to perform.Training for Arirang, as well as the performance itself, places four or five months of severe physical and emotional stress on participants. Training for the games begins after May 20th, once the annual ‘farm supporting activities’ are completed, meaning that the time for concern is rapidly approaching.A sourc..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Choi Song Min Fri, 04 May 12 12:13:30 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00100&num=9192 South Korea’s main Six-Party Talks negotiator, Lim Sung Nam is meeting Chinese counterpart Wu Dawei in Beijing today.Lim is reportedly in Beijing to discuss the risks posed by a 3rd North Korean nuclear test, which China has repeatedly said it opposes, and to request that the Chinese government use its influence to deter North Korea from going ahead with any test.However, while China did sign up to the UN President’s Statement that followed the April 13th North Korean rocket launch and actively engaged in the process of ap..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Cho Jong Ik Thu, 03 May 12 14:08:28 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00100&num=9191 The UN Security Council yesterday agreed to freeze the assets of three further North Korean entities said to be involved in the country’s missile and nuclear activities.The three are Green Pine Conglomerate, Amroggang Development Banking Corp. and Korea Heungjin Trading Company.The additions bring the total number of North Korean entities now under sanction to eleven."Taken together, we view this as a strong and credible set of new sanctions," U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice told reporters.The U.S.’ mission to the U..]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Chris Green Thu, 03 May 12 13:11:17 +0900 5 http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk03100&num=9190 ]]> DailyNK - Brightening the future of Korea Thu, 03 May 12 11:56:41 +0900 5