Stories about North Korea from August, 2011
North Korean Airline Uses Facebook
Marc Perton wrote about North Korean Airline ‘Koryo’ and its use of social media in the Consumerist blog.
North Korea Plans to Buy Military Jets from Russia?
GI Korea from ROK Drop blog commented on latest allegations that North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il's recent visit to Russia was to buy new fighter jets.
Russia: Kim Jong Il's Visit
Suzanne Merkelson writes on FP's Passport blog about North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's visit to Russia.
North Korea Got Talent? Video of North Korean Singing Contest on Chinese Site
A short, edited video of the North Korean singing contest was posted on Youku, a video hosting service based in China.
North Korea Kicked out South Korean Workers in Joint Resort Facilities
North Korea kicked out South Korean workers from joint mountain resort in North on August 23, 2011. Robert Neff from the Marmot's Hole blog commented on the existing worries on such outcomes and an analysis on what prompted North to take a drastic action.
Lessons Gaddafi Should Have Learnt from North Korea
Joshua from One Free Korea, in comparing the North Korean situation with the fall of Gaddafi, explains about the importance of the nuclear deterrent in sustaining the North Korean regime and its dictator, Kim Jong-il.
Russia: State News Agency Calls PM Putin “Increasingly Autocratic”
Siberian Light notes that RIA Novosti, a Russian state-owned news agency, has called the Russian PM Vladimir Putin “increasingly autocratic” in an article on the visit of North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-il to Russia.
North Korea: Kim Jong-il's Yachting Holiday
Michael Madden from the North Korean Leadership Watch published a post on North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il's lavish lifestyle in the impoverished nation. It is believed Kim’s fancy life has not changed despite international sanctions banning the sale of yachts and other luxury goods to North Korea.
North Korea: Speculation Looms over Kim Jong-il's Visit to Russia
Net user 100gf from Politics and Computers blog posted a brief summary on North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's visit to Russia, a rare official visit for the first time in nine years. As Kim is expected to hold talks with President Dmitry Medvedev regarding energy and denuclearization issues, speculations have...
Online Gaming Hackers, North Korea's Next Major Income Source.
Edward Castronova from the Terra Nova commented on allegations that North Korean army of online gaming hackers have breached the servers of popular South Korean online gaming sites to raise badly needed cash.
Missing Dutchman Returns Home after Detention in North Korea
Robert Neff from Marmot's Hole posted about Van der Bijl, a Dutchman who went to North Korea to buy stamps and painting and ended up missing. He has returned home after being detained in North Korea on charges of anti-state activities. The charges appear to be related to the photos...
Is North Korea Planning to Kill South Korean Defense Minister?
Robert Neff from the Marmot's Hole blog commented on several news reports on a team of North Korean agents allegedly dispatched to assassinate the South Korean defense minister.
North Korea's Emerging Wealthy Class
The North Korean Economy Watch wrote about the North Korea's growing entrepreneurial class. The post, quoting Andrei Lankov's anecdotal evidence and a taxonomy, defines the North Korean new rich as a group consists of high-level officials who have gained wealth through illegal means or from their business activities encouraged by...
Number of North Korean Defectors Surges In Thailand
ROK drop blog posted a story on a surge of North Korean refugees in northern Thailand. As authorities have failed to give a clear explanation on causes of the sudden increase, net users have raised various speculations on the site.
The 5 Craziest Children's Cartoons from North Korea
Mark Hill posted North Korean children's cartoons conveying the regime's propaganda. Many of them are about defending the homeland and food from invaders.
