Category: North Korea

First of all why is a North Korean agent allowed in the US in the first place?  Secondly this just shows how complicit the Chinese government is in allowing these front companies to exist that give the Kim regime the capability to smuggle in not only military equipment, but luxury goods as well:

A man from North Korea accused of trying to buy military grade night vision goggles from a Utah-based undercover agent and illegally export them to China has pleaded guilty to a federal charge in an agreement with prosecutors.

Kim Song-il was arrested in Hawaii after agreeing to pay $22,000 for the equipment and packing it into boxes that he claimed were filled with used toys and towels so he could ship them to his Chinese business, charges state.

Prosecutors say they believe the six pairs of goggles would have gotten to North Korea from there, though defense attorney Scott Williams disputes that allegation.  [Joong Ang Ilbo]

You can read the rest at the link.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (2nd from L) inspects the May 9 Catfish Farm. (Yonhap)

We now know why Kim Jong-un’s girl band had to cancel their Beijing performance:

China had decided to send officials of lower rank to a concert by the all-female North Korean propaganda band in response to the North’s leader Kim Jong-un hinting earlier last week that Pyongyang had developed a hydrogen bomb, a source in Beijing close to the situation said Sunday.

The decision might have been related to the sudden cancellation of the concert by the North Korean side, said the source, who got the information from a Chinese government official with knowledge of the situation.

The Moranbong Band, formed in 2012 following an order from leader Kim, had been scheduled to perform for three days in Beijing starting Saturday, in what was seen as a fresh sign of warming relations between the two allies.

However, the band abruptly headed home hours before the invitation-only concert began Saturday.  [Yonhap]

You can read the rest at the link.

Important item from #DPRK evening news on 5 December; hard liquor & picture frames are in surplus. pic.twitter.com/TgJ3YTUE2s

— Adam Cathcart (@adamcathcart) December 8, 2015

Members of North Korea’s all-women “Moranbong Band” shake hands with officials before heading out to China for a friendship visit in this photo published by the North’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Dec. 9, 2015. The three-year-old band, formed by the country’s current top leader Kim Jong-un, stands out with the members’ stylish stage clothes. (Yonhap)

Supposedly their were Internet rumors in China that Kim Jong-un had a relationship with one of the girl band members.  These rumors may be why the performance was cancelled so suddenly:

An all-female band formed by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un canceled its concerts in Beijing and abruptly left the Chinese capital on Saturday for unknown reasons, possibly further cooling relations between the traditional allies.

The Moranbong Band had been scheduled to hold three concerts in Beijing beginning Saturday night in what was viewed as a visit to cultivate ties between the countries.

However, band members arrived at Beijing’s airport in North Korean Embassy vehicles on Saturday afternoon, and departed aboard a North Korean Air Koryo jet shortly after 4 p.m. following a lengthy delay, Chinese news website sina.com reported.

A staff member at the National Theater, where the band was to give the invitation-only performances, said the concerts had been canceled, but did not give a reason. An accompanying North Korean musical troupe, the State Merited Chorus, also canceled its performances.  [Associated Press]

You can read the rest at the link.

#DPRK anyone got any idea's what this site could be? 39°54'23.51"N 124°25'1.84"E #Geoint #osint #googleearth pic.twitter.com/M6TYINAoDh

— Nathan J Hunt (@ISNJH) December 7, 2015

It looks like the North Koreans are again exaggerating their capabilities.  His comments though are probably more for domestic consumption than something that people internationally are supposed to take seriously:

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appeared on Thursday to claim his country has developed a hydrogen bomb, a step up from the less powerful atomic bomb, but outside experts were skeptical.

Kim made the comments as he toured the Phyongchon Revolutionary Site, which marks the feats of his father who died in 2011 and his grandfather, state founder and eternal president, Kim Il Sung, the official KCNA news agency said.

The work of Kim Il Sung “turned the DPRK into a powerful nuclear weapons state ready to detonate a self-reliant A-bomb and H-bomb to reliably defend its sovereignty and the dignity of the nation,” KCNA quoted Kim Jong Un as saying.

DPRK are the initials of the isolated North’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. A hydrogen bomb, also known as a thermonuclear bomb, uses more advanced technology to produce a significantly more powerful blast than an atomic bomb.

North Korea conducted underground tests to set off nuclear devices in 2006, 2009 and 2013, for which it has been subject to U.N. Security Council sanctions banning trade and financing activities that aid its weapons program.

An official at South Korea’s intelligence agency told Yonhap news agency there was no evidence that the North had hydrogen bomb capacity, and believed Kim was speaking rhetorically.  [Reuters]

You can read the rest at the link.

Inside the Hermit Kingdom: A Virtual Reality Journey Through North Korea – ABC News – https://t.co/eUZSpYzZZk via @ABC

— NorthKoreaRealTime (@BuckTurgidson79) December 9, 2015

I would think that as long as the Kim regime is making money off of this they would ensure the quality of the water is high.  However, regardless of the quality no one should buy this water which only provides more foreign currency to sustain the Kim regime:

Of all the options for bottled water in the world, South Korea accepted a shipment from North Korea.

Not just one, but ten full cargo containers arrived at the southeastern port city of Busan on Sunday.

Keep in mind that the two countries are technically still in a state of war that dates back to the 1950s.

But besides those minor details, the South and North agreed to team up with Russia to develop a reliable transportation system.

The end goal?

To move 120,000 tons of Eastern European coal down through the peninsula and into the possession of South Korea. Russia successfully moved 40,500 tons of the projected goal back in November of 2014.

The bottled water acts as merely a symbol rather than a burgeoning industry for the North.  [The Korea Times]

You can read more at the link.