More sabre rattling from North Korea

[JPhillips]

Normalizing assassination would be met with international outrage. It's one of those genies that you don't want to let out of the bottle.

[Fidatelo]

Plus even if we kill one Kim another one pops up.

http://i.ebayimg.com/images/i/280794372022-0-1/s-l1000.jpg

[TroyF]

Assassinate? Really? And who leads?

This is one of those be careful what you wish for scenario. We have no idea who comes after. Beyond that, it would just confirm to the brainwashed population that the US really are the bad guys. Really, not a smart play.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

UN condemns NK for missile launch (https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2017/02/13/world/asia/ap-as-koreas-tensions.html?_r=0)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

dola

Assassination by poison needles! Don't hear that one too often.

Kim Jong Un's half-brother reportedly assassinated in Malaysia | Fox News (http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/02/14/kim-jong-uns-half-brother-assassinated-in-malaysia.html)

[molson]

Everybody in that family is just so handsome.

[Groundhog]

Strange how varied the reports are on Jong Nam's assassination, considering it happened at a major international airport during the daytime.

[Coffee Warlord]

dola

Assassination by poison needles! Don't hear that one too often.

Kim Jong Un's half-brother reportedly assassinated in Malaysia | Fox News (http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/02/14/kim-jong-uns-half-brother-assassinated-in-malaysia.html)

Mere needles? Kimmy boy is slipping. I mean, come on. This is the guy who executed someone by howitzer.

[mckerney]

Suspect in North Korea killing 'thought she was taking part in TV prank' | World news | The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/17/suspect-north-korea-killing-thought-she-was-taking-part-in-tv-prank-indonesia-siti-aisyah-police-kim-jong-nam)

The story of the assassination has gotten crazier than poison needles.

An Indonesian woman arrested for suspected involvement in the killing of the North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un’s half-brother in Malaysia was duped into thinking she was part of a comedy show prank, Indonesia’s national police chief has said, citing information received from Malaysian authorities.

Tito Karnavian told reporters in Indonesia’s Aceh province that Siti Aisyah, 25, was paid to be involved in pranks .

He said she and another woman performed stunts which involved convincing men to close their eyes and then spraying them with water.

“Such an action was done three or four times and they were given a few dollars for it, and with the last target, Kim Jong-nam, allegedly there were dangerous materials in the sprayer,” Karnavian said.

“She was not aware that it was an assassination attempt by alleged foreign agents .”

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Women who assassinated half-brother of Kim Jong Un coated hands in poison, official says | Fox News (http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/02/22/women-who-assassinated-half-brother-kim-jong-un-coated-hands-in-poison-official-says.html)

[Galaril]

This seems a very accurate depiction of the true cost at a minimum of an attempt to take out North Koreas nukes:Grim cost predicted in effort to destroy North Korea's nukes (https://www.yahoo.com/news/grim-cost-predicted-effort-destroy-north-koreas-nukes-065113643--politics.html)

[JPhillips]

That doesn't seem to include a nation of samurais shooting down all the missiles.

[mckerney]

That doesn't seem to include a nation of samurais shooting down all the missiles.

Their gundams are for shooting down missiles, the samurai would handle the ground invasion.

[cuervo72]

Kim Jong Un Posing With Millions Of Spuds Sparks Photo-Editing Battle | HuffPost (https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kim-jong-un-potato-photo-editing-contest_us_5a2b9b93e4b0a290f050fabb)

Were I not lazy I'd photoshop him opposite Colin Cowherd.

[NobodyHere]

"You like them whether they are plain or they're stuffed, oh yeah
Better face the facts, it seems you can't get enough
You know, you're gonna have to face it
You're addicted to spuds"

[BBT]

This would be big news:

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/17/north-and-south-korea-reportedly-set-to-announce-official-end-to-war.html

North and South Korea are in talks to announce a permanent end to the officially declared military conflict between the two countries, daily newspaper Munhwa Ilbo reported Tuesday, citing an unnamed South Korean official.

Ahead of a summit next week between North Korean premier Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, lawmakers from the neighboring states were thought to be negotiating the details of a joint statement that could outline an end to the confrontation.

[JPhillips]

Kim has been really shrewd in hows he's handled things. If he can get nukes and be seen as a legitimate government on the world stage he'll be in a good position to start an economic turnaround. NK won't be Euro prosperous, but just moving up to the level of SE Asian states would be a huge improvement.

[cuervo72]

North Korea’s nuclear test site has collapsed ... and that may be why Kim Jong-un suspended tests | South China Morning Post (http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2143171/north-koreas-nuclear-test-site-has-collapsed-and-may-be-why-kim-jong-un)

Honorable guy!

[PilotMan]

North Korea says will stop nuclear tests, scrap test site

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-missiles/north-korea-says-will-stop-nuclear-tests-scrap-test-site-idUSKBN1HR37J

I wonder if this is the site that was reported to have collapsed or partially collapsed the mountain?



North Korea’s nuclear test site has collapsed ... and that may be why Kim Jong-un suspended tests | South China Morning Post (http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2143171/north-koreas-nuclear-test-site-has-collapsed-and-may-be-why-kim-jong-un)

Honorable guy!



Call back from a week ago. Seemed like an obvious problem for them after that last test if the intelligence was correct. Has to have some impact on the latest developments.

[cuervo72]

Ah, sorry - missed that you had pointed that out in the other thread.

[PilotMan]

No, it's not like that.

I had only speculated last week, before any news about it had come out. Then we got more of the confirmation this week.

So go me.

:P

[AlexB]

OK, not sure how this will go, but I’m about a week back after having spent 2 weeks in North Korea.

A unique experience, many eye-opening images, many confusing or worrying ones, many clearly fake ones.

Beginning to put some images on instagram (see my profile for my Instagram name) if anyone is interested.

[RainMaker]

OK, not sure how this will go, but I’m about a week back after having spent 2 weeks in North Korea.

A unique experience, many eye-opening images, many confusing or worrying ones, many clearly fake ones.

Beginning to put some images on instagram (see my profile for my Instagram name) if anyone is interested.

Very interested. I tried to go years back but was not able to.

[bhlloy]

Seems like they are much more relaxed with photo taking than other accounts I've read?

[AlexB]

No photos in the mausoleum, no photos at military checkpoints (there were quite a few of those) and no photos directly of the military or military installations. Other than that, everything was good.

[Edward64]

Smuggle anything in or out?

[AlexB]

Smuggle anything in or out?

Inadvertently smuggled in a GPS watch, and my beard trimmer created a moment (DPRK customs initially thought it was an ‘exciter’ as they call it on their landing card), but no, nothing else.

Security was much much more intense on the way in than on the way out (I flew both ways) - they appear far more concerned about information into the country rather than out

[NobodyHere]

I'm glad you made it with your brain seemingly intact.

[AlexB]

I'm glad you made it with your brain seemingly intact.

I’m no worse off than when I went in!

[AlexB]

Dola, genuinely thought, as long as you don’t do anything stupid (e.g. tear down posters, try to access the fifth floor of Yanggkado hotel) it was the safest country by far that I have ever visited.

Don’t be a dick, and there is literally no way that you can get into trouble as a tourist. I did see a group of kids targeting and pickpotteting locals, but there was no risk as a westerner.

[AlexB]

What was apparent is that they need a really strong rainy season, which was explained to me (and a quick google backs up) is from June onwards.

But they have had historically low rain levels so far this year, and a lot of the fields in the interior looked to my untrained eye to be in extremely poor condition

[thesloppy]

I read an article about avant-garde industrial act Laibach visiting North Korea through some kind of strange mistake, and one of their observations that always stuck with me related to the relative absence of “Western characteristics” cynicism, irony and sarcasm. I consider all of those things useful tools to surviving in America, and I can't quite imagine trying to live without them, but I can also kind of see the appeal of a culture that has essentially been built on polite submission (as long as you didn't know any better). Did you come away with a feeling about the people on similar lines?

Lemme see if I can find that article....

What Laibach Learned in North Korea – Rolling Stone (https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/cannabis-and-the-sound-of-music-what-laibach-learned-in-north-korea-62726/)

[AlexB]

The description of it being “This is just like we expected… but it is somehow completely different” is spot on. It was strangely familiar, yet alien - almost a facade of normality.

At times it did feel a bit Truman Show, their description of the country is very much in line with my experience

Although it was impossible to talk with local Koreans due to my Korean being limited to Hello, Thank you, Goodbye, Congratulations, Beer, and Cheers, most adult Koreans having less English, and being on a very much escorted and managed itinerary, our guide did have those Western characteristics, but I would guess only through his increased interaction with westerners, and is the exception.

One of the joys I’ll always remember is people looking stony faced or curious at us, especially outside Pyongyang, and then exploding into huge smiles when I said hello in Korean, or smiled and waved from the bus - the change in expression and attitude was beautiful and it felt really good to be able to make people smile in such a simple way.

[Edward64]

Can you describe what you ate there for breakfast, lunch and dinner?

I would like to visit one of these days when I can tell the family - you are good now, going to do some exploring, don't pay any ransoms. How did you go?

[AlexB]

Breakfast varied from hotel to hotel, but was generally a buffet with Asian and western options

The trips are designed to showcase the country in it’s best light, so lunch and dinner were mostly in what appeared to be good restaurants, some of which also had Korean customers.

It was mostly lots of small plates of fish, meats, noodles, tofu, veg, and always kimchi, with a bowl of rice and a broth/consommé at the end. Hardly any chilli at all, which both surprised and disappointed me a little

Some Korean BBQ, some local delicacies (e.g. ginseng chicken which was tasteless, dog soup and cold noodles (Pyongyang’s speciality) that were both great) - edit: and clams cooked in petrol. They were great too!

And then there were the plain bizarre: burgers, fries, Korean Fried Chicken at a Western fast food restaurant (it was very strange), pizza (which was pretty decent, although including chocolate as a topping on the Quattro Stagioni was controversial, although actually worked OK)

The food was plentiful, and generally healthy and nice - always more than we needed, and we were reassured that whatever was left (and there was always a lot left) went to the locals and was not wasted, as we quickly realised there was always too much.

I’ve decided not to put any food photos on Instagram as that is the one area where I do feel very conflicted, especially now my suspicions about drought are being confirmed.

[AlexB]

I went by simply booking a tour with Koryo Tours - you have to go on an organised tour, which is then run by the DPRK state approved tour companies, with at least 2 official guides as well as the western guide.

At the moment, after the Otto Warmbier incident, i understand that the US government doesn’t allow citizens to travel there on a US passport, although the Koreans don’t mind. I met a couple of Americans there travelling on different passports, but I think that’s your only option for now

[whomario]

Breakfast varied from hotel to hotel, but was generally a buffet with Asian and western options

The trips are designed to showcase the country in it’s best light, so lunch and dinner were mostly in what appeared to be good restaurants, some of which also had Korean customers.

It was mostly lots of small plates of fish, meats, noodles, tofu, veg, and always kimchi, with a bowl of rice and a broth/consommé at the end. Hardly any chilli at all, which both surprised and disappointed me a little

Some Korean BBQ, some local delicacies (e.g. ginseng chicken which was tasteless, dog soup and cold noodles (Pyongyang’s speciality) that were both great)

And then there were the plain bizarre: burgers, fries, Korean Fried Chicken at a Western fast food restaurant (it was very strange), pizza (which was pretty decent, although including chocolate as a topping on the Quattro Stagioni was controversial, although actually worked OK)

The food was plentiful, and generally healthy and nice - always more than we needed, and we were reassured that whatever was left (and there was always a lot left) went to the locals and was not wasted, as we quickly realised there was always too much.

I’ve decided not to put any food photos on Instagram as that is the one area where I do feel very conflicted, especially now my suspicions about drought are being confirmed.


You get the same type of travesty in germany as well at times :D although usually more on store-bought product. Even a complete chocolate-topping pizza can be found in some stores ...



Aynway, i must admit i always feel conflicted about these sort of tours although once you think about it you don't really get to see the local issues on most trips, even countries much more open than NK. There are exceptions, but once you book a guided tour and operate on a schedule it is rare to get a true look at real issues. I mean, you wouldn't go to the US and visit low-income/high-violence areas as part of a guided tour.

Still, i think you have to be very careful finding a balance between allowing yourself to see the normalcy and still keep in mind that it is a staged snapshot.

[Edward64]

Breakfast varied from hotel to hotel, but was generally a buffet with Asian and western options

The trips are designed to showcase the country in it’s best light, so lunch and dinner were mostly in what appeared to be good restaurants, some of which also had Korean customers.

It was mostly lots of small plates of fish, meats, noodles, tofu, veg, and always kimchi, with a bowl of rice and a broth/consommé at the end. Hardly any chilli at all, which both surprised and disappointed me a little

Some Korean BBQ, some local delicacies (e.g. ginseng chicken which was tasteless, dog soup and cold noodles (Pyongyang’s speciality) that were both great) - edit: and clams cooked in petrol. They were great too!

And then there were the plain bizarre: burgers, fries, Korean Fried Chicken at a Western fast food restaurant (it was very strange), pizza (which was pretty decent, although including chocolate as a topping on the Quattro Stagioni was controversial, although actually worked OK)

The food was plentiful, and generally healthy and nice - always more than we needed, and we were reassured that whatever was left (and there was always a lot left) went to the locals and was not wasted, as we quickly realised there was always too much.

I’ve decided not to put any food photos on Instagram as that is the one area where I do feel very conflicted, especially now my suspicions about drought are being confirmed.

Thanks for the info. Traveled quite a bit in Asia and only through the airport in SK. Love to try local cuisines.

Re: your angst, you are bringing $ to the country and helping in a small way.

Oh, any neat souvenirs?

[AlexB]

A couple of hand painted propaganda posters (bought, not off the wall) as gifts, but the things I found most interesting are the English language Pyongyang Times newspaper and magazines with DPRK reports on the second Trump summit and the meeting with Putin.

[miami_fan]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-usa-purge/north-koreas-kim-jong-un-carrying-out-purge-after-hanoi-summit-collapse-chosun-ilbo-idUSKCN1T02PD

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea executed Kim Hyok Chol, its special envoy to the United States, and foreign ministry officials who carried out working-level negotiations for the second U.S.-North Korea summit in February, holding them responsible for its collapse, a South Korean newspaper reported on Friday.

[thesloppy]

And Dennis Rodman gets off scot-free again.

[stevew]

No biggie.

[Lathum]

Just misunderstood

[thesloppy]

Didn't he blow up his uncle with an anti-air cannon?

[stevew]

Yeah but he's a good guy so dwai

[stevew]

Sone of the best people I know murder siblings with radiation.

[miami_fan]

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/20/politics/kim-jong-un-north-korea/index.html

The US is monitoring intelligence that North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, is in grave danger after a surgery, according to a US official with direct knowledge.
Kim recently missed the celebration of his grandfather's birthday on April 15, which raised speculation about his well-being. He had been seen four days before that at a government meeting.

[NobodyHere]

He probably just ate too many cheese blocks again.

[kingfc22]

Who’s the next psycho in line for this role?

[Butter]

I'm guessing it's Kim Jong Deux

[Thomkal]

Katy Tur tweeted that he is in a coma and brain dead before taking the tweet down. Others reporting that too

[NobodyHere]

North Korea media is reporting that the great leader (no, I don't mean Trump) has attended a ribbon cutting ceremony today.

FWIW.

[CrimsonFox]

North Korea media is reporting that the great leader (no, I don't mean Trump) has attended a ribbon cutting ceremony today.

FWIW.

Weekend at Kimmy's

[CrimsonFox]

Weekend at Kimmy's

Kim Jong-Undead

[GrantDawg]

He's pining for the fjords.