North Korea

[barbaro]

U.S. calls Kim Jong Il’s health a ‘concern’

North Korean leader’s diabetes, heart disease reportedly worsenin


By Robert Windrem
Investigative producer
NBC News
Updated: 3:24 p.m. PT May 29, 2007

South Korean and U.S. intelligence officials confirm the two countries are taking seriously recent reports of a deterioration in the health of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.

The interest, first reported in South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo newspaper and confirmed by NBC News, is based on Kim’s month-long disappearance from view as well as internal reports that the 66-year-old is suffering from advanced diabetes and heart disease as well as high blood pressure.

Out of view
U.S. and South Korean officials have been watching Kim’s appearance schedule lately. He has not been seen in public since April 25, when he headed the 75th anniversary celebration of the North Korean People's Army in Pyongyang. Since then, the Korean Central News Agency has reported only one other public appearance, on May 5, at military barracks. There was no video of that appearance and KCNA normally reports events days after they happen.
Chosun Ilbo also reported that Kim’s official activities this year are only at about half the level they were last year at this time.

Link: U.S. calls Kim Jong Il’s health a ‘concern’ - Focus on North Korea - MSNBC.com



Kim John Il's brother-in-law, Jun-sun-tae [sic] has been rumoured to be a successor. A few years ago, hardline general pushed him out, and he was also in a serious car accident about 8 months ago.

[stroller]

Why would his health be of concern to anyone?

[barbaro]

Why would his health be of concern to anyone?

Because their is no successor (that we know of).

His son is no longer a candidate to succeed Kim John Il.

His brother in law was and is considered to be very bright, and a pragamatist.

But the hardline generals formed a minor little group against him and have been able to push him to the side.

The concern, or interest, I should say, is who will be his successor.

[mad_dog]

I've noticed a pattern... If you want to be removed from the Axis of Evil your country has be 1) utterly destroyed by the US or 2) develop a nuclear deterent.... Hmm... I wonder what Iran will do?

[barbaro]

^ This is about North Korea.

[Marmite the Dog]

Get well soon, Mr Kim!

[lom]

Why would his health be of concern to anyone?

U.S wouldn't want to bet on a sick horse.

[mad_dog]

^ This is about North Korea.

Ok. And DRNK has been engaged in softly softly dimplomacy after testing a nuclear bomb. This is relevant.

[stroller]

No, it's drivel.

[barbaro]

^ What goes on when Kim Jong Il leaves power is relevant to the whole region.

It affect RoK and Japan, more than other nations.

[Boon Mee]

This is Good News

N. Korea Agrees To Disable Nuclear Program in 2007

[Boon Mee]

Someone with too much time on his hands has come up with a random insult generator of NK heavy insults.

Check it out

[barbaro]

Here's an article about what living in one of the North Korean "gulags" or prisoner camps is like. Brutal. This man escaped and just wrote a book about it.

North Korean prison life detailed


Defector reveals past horrors, difficulties of adjusting to 'outside world'

By Blaine Harden
Dec. 11, 2008

SEOUL - In Camp No. 14, the North Korean political prison where Shin Dong-hyuk was born and where he says he watched the hanging of his mother, inmates never saw a picture of Kim Jong Il.

"I had no idea who he is," Shin said, referring to the leader whose photograph is displayed nearly everywhere in North Korea.
Inmates did not need to know the face of their "Dear Leader," as Kim is called. Behind electrified fences, they tended pigs, tanned leather, collected firewood and labored in mines until they died or were executed.

The exception is Shin, who is 26 and lives in a small rented room here in Seoul. He is a thin, short, shy man, with quick, wary eyes, a baby face, and sinewy arms bowed from childhood labor. There are burn scars on his back and left arm from where he was tortured by fire at age 14, when he was unable to explain why his soon-to-be-hanged mother had tried to escape.

The middle finger of his right hand is cut off at the first knuckle, punishment for accidentally dropping a sewing machine in the garment factory at his camp.There are 14,431 North Korean defectors living in South Korea, according to the latest government count. Shin is the only one known to have escaped to the South from a prison camp in the North.

Link & Entire: North Korean prison life detailed - Washington Post- msnbc.com

[Bugs]

The title is more than just a bit misleading. The uptick in rehtoric out of North Korea has very little to do with having someone new in charge in DC and everthing to do with having someone new in charge in Seoul.

None the less if the North continues to spew and does conduct another missle launch it will likely move dealing with North Korea up on the Obama agenda.

washingtonpost.com

SEOUL, Feb. 3 -- Stinging insults, sudden cancellations of military agreements and dark warnings of "unavoidable" war are spilling out of North Korea almost daily. On Tuesday, media reports here and in Japan said North Korea is preparing to test-launch a long-range missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.

The target for much of this bluster and saber rattling is the government of South Korea, which has stopped giving its heavily armed communist neighbor unconditional aid.

Last year, the new South Korean president, Lee Myung-bak, ended his predecessors' "sunshine policy" toward the isolated North. For nearly a decade, that policy had soothed nerves on the Korean Peninsula by giving the truculent but poor government of Kim Jong Il large amounts of food, fertilizer and trade concessions, all without conditions and without asking questions about nuclear weapons, missile proliferation or human rights abuses.

Chronically hungry North Korea has received virtually no food or fertilizer from Lee's government -- and nerves now seem to be rubbed raw, at least within the North Korean leadership.

More in the linky

[Bugs]

Maybe Obama should send some more secret letters one to China and another one to Russia offering someting juicy in exchange for their help with North Korea as well as Iran?

A bit of saber rattling going on right by those folks in the North:

The United States is criticizing as "distinctly unhelpful" and "unwelcome" an implicit North Korean threat Thursday to South Korean civil aviation. The rhetoric from Pyongyang came as the new U.S. envoy on North Korea, Stephen Bosworth, met with Japanese officials in his first trip to the region.

North Korea has routinely condemned the annual joint U.S.-South Korean military exercise, the 2009 version of which begins next week along South Korea's east coast.

But Pyongyang is notably stepping up the rhetoric this year, calling the impending maneuvers a prelude to invasion and nuclear war, and implicitly threatening civil aviation - saying the safety of South Korean planes over the Sea of Japan cannot be guaranteed.

The comments coincided with the first visit to the region by Stephen Bosworth, a veteran retired U.S. diplomat named this month to the Obama administration's special envoy for North Korea and the Chinese-led six-party talks on Pyongyang's nuclear program.

At a news briefing, State Deputy Spokesman Gordon Duguid said it is unclear whether the new threats are related to Bosworth's presence in the area, but said they are clearly not conductive to advancing the Korean disarmament process.

"...Distinctly unhelpful, they are distinctly unhelpful," he said. "The North Koreans should be working on their commitments to the six-parties' talks and fulfilling their agreements under the six-party talks, rather than making statements that are threatening to peaceful aviation."

Duguid also termed the latest North Korean comments unwelcome and unnecessary, and noted that threatening language has been coming from Pyongyang for several weeks.

That has included a threat to launch a long-range ballistic missile or satellite launch vehicle, which the United States says would violate a U.N. Security Council resolution approved after North Korea's 2006 nuclear test.

Ambassador Bosworth, who met senior Japanese officials Thursday in Tokyo, has told reporters he plans to directly engage North Korea in his new capacity, though Duguid said there are no current plans for him to see North Korean officials on the trip.

Bosworth began the mission in China and is to go on to South Korea to discuss prospects for restarting the stalled six-party negotiations. He is to meet Russian officials in Seoul in addition to South Korean diplomats.

A senior State Department official Thursday cautioned against expectations of a breakthrough on the Bosworth trip, which he described as mainly an orientation visit with other parties to the nuclear talks.

Bosworth is a former U.S. ambassador to South Korea, the Philippines and Tunisia and has taken leave from an academic post to pursue the new assignment.

VOA News - US Criticizes 'Unhelpful, Unwelcome' North Korean Rhetoric

I reckon it might not be a bad idea to avoid hopping on any flight to/from Korea during the exercises.

[Norton]

But Pyongyang is notably stepping up the rhetoric this year, calling the impending maneuvers a prelude to invasion and nuclear war, and implicitly threatening civil aviation - saying the safety of South Korean planes over the Sea of Japan cannot be guaranteed.

True to form. The N. Koreans must be running short of money, again. As per standard operation procedure they make threats knowing full well reaction will result in some kind of "agreement" which of course will involve an economically favorable concession. Once the money is in the bank, N. Korea will continue to do whatever they want with impunity until they run short of money again at which time they will start the saber rattling anew. Rewarding bad behavior will only encourage more bad behavior.

[Bugs]

But Pyongyang is notably stepping up the rhetoric this year, calling the impending maneuvers a prelude to invasion and nuclear war, and implicitly threatening civil aviation - saying the safety of South Korean planes over the Sea of Japan cannot be guaranteed.

True to form. The N. Koreans must be running short of money, again. As per standard operation procedure they make threats knowing full well reaction will result in some kind of "agreement" which of course will involve an economically favorable concession. Once the money is in the bank, N. Korea will continue to do whatever they want with impunity until they run short of money again at which time they will start the saber rattling anew. Rewarding bad behavior will only encourage more bad behavior.

Adding to the problems the North are now facing is the fairly recently elected government in the South has all but killed the earilier "sunshine policies" towards the North. So the South is not currently playing nice.

Now they have to feel out Obama to see if he will play nice.

[panama hat]

So the South is not currently playing nice.

This Sunshine Policy has been a wasted effort, the North milked it for what it was worth.

I wonder if the state apparatus can continue under KJI's son's rule . . .

[Bugs]

So the South is not currently playing nice.

This Sunshine Policy has been a wasted effort, the North milked it for what it was worth.

Turned out to be a waste - mainly IMHO because there was never really enough pressure on the North to do anything in return.

Many that I have talked to in the South over the years viewed the policy as more a priming the pump for an eventual consolidation into one Korea (of course based upon a Southern government). Looks like they fianlly realized that their efforts to prime the pump were being siphoned off to less than productive areas.

To some extend both the South and China have seemed over the years to be willing to provide the North with just enough to avoid a complete collapse, as neather seem too keen on dealing with the short-term outcome of a collapse.

[panama hat]

Yes, though not my favourite people nor country, my trips to Seoul mainlay have led to a lot of chats about the North . . . and invariably the Korean's obvious hatred of the Japanese . . . they should get over that.

I think the mass enthusiasm for re-unification was dampened a bit by the trials and tribulations that Germany went through after theirs . . . and Korea has seen enough hardship to want to go through that again too soon.

[Norton]

and Korea has seen enough hardship to want to go through that again too soon.

Particularly now given the state of Korea's economy. Compared to the relative good state of East Germany, North Korea will be a much greater challenge and cost to fix.

[panama hat]

Indeed, and the polemics of their well-known fiery nationalism were certainly dampened by how badly it affected Germany . . . you're absolutely right. East Germany was 20 years behind . . . North Korea is at least 40-50 behind in economic terms

[Bugs]

And now it seems the North has cut the phone line to the South - this could rather easily lead to a situation getting out of control (be it by mistake or on purpose):

North Korea on standby for 'war' - North Korea- msnbc.com

Hot line cut off
On Monday, North Korea also cut off a military hot line with the South for the duration of the 12-day joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises, leaving the nations without any means of communication at time when even an accidental skirmish could develop into a full-blown battle.

Also the artical mentions that there is over 28,000 troops in the South. I knew that in around 2000 there was something like 36-38k US troops in the South. But then in '04 there was an agreement to move all of the US troops south of the Han river and to reduce the troop count to below 25,000. I guess someone is really bad at counting?

From the above articale:

The United States, which has 28,500 troops in South Korea, hold military exercises with the South every year.

U.S. plans to cut troops in South Korea

The United States confirmed yesterday that it plans to withdraw a third of its troops stationed in South Korea by the end of next year as part of a worldwide redeployment aimed at making U.S. forces more agile in responding to new threats.

It would be one of the largest reductions in force in South Korea since the end of the Korean War more than 50 years ago, when the U.S. left tens of thousands of troops in the country to deter another attack from North Korea.

The announcement took many in South Korea by surprise, as it followed on an earlier announcement that 3,600 soldiers of the 2nd Infantry Division would be redeployed to Iraq next month.
0 Of the 37,000 troops now in South Korea, some 12,500 would be stationed elsewhere by the end of 2005. It hasn't been determined which other units will leave or where they will go, a Pentagon spokesman said.

South Korea (10/08)

Several aspects of the security relationship are changing as the U.S. moves from a leading to a supporting role. In 2004, agreement was reached on the return of the Yongsan base in Seoul--as well as a number of other U.S. bases--to the R.O.K. and the eventual relocation of all U.S. forces to south of the Han River. In addition, the U.S. and R.O.K. agreed to move 12,500 of the 37,500 U.S. troops out of Korea by 2008. At the same time U.S. troops are being redeployed from Korea, the U.S. will bolster combined U.S./R.O.K. deterrent and defense capabilities by providing $11 billion in force enhancements in Korea and at regional facilities over the next four years.

[phuketbound]

^Good information. North Korea is threatening again, and should be taken seriously.

North Korea fills the air with threats
By Donald Kirk
WASHINGTON - North Korea may be off the United States State Department's list of nations sponsoring terrorism, but its warning to South Korea about the safety of flights through its air space has escalated fears of a surprise North Korean strike to new levels.

Inconceivable though it may sound for North Korea to fire on a flight carrying passengers to South Korea, the North's threat is drawing demands for the State Department to put North Korea's name back on the list from which former president George W Bush ordered its removal last June.

Officials at the State Department, National Security Council and Pentagon seem to agree, however, that such a strong response to
North Korean rhetoric would be premature. The State Department in particular is falling back on a word that's come up a number of times lately to describe North Koreas's conduct - "unhelpful"

American military commanders in recent years have devoted much time to convincing South Korean defense ministers and generals of the wisdom of for pulling the US Second Infantry Division from its historic bases about 35 kilometers south of the DMZ to a newly built base at Pyongtaek, 60 kilometers south of Seoul. The US now has 28,500 troops in South Korea, down from 37,000 eight years ago, and has assured South Korean leaders no more troops will be leaving.

South Korean and US war games, however, call for live firing on ranges several miles south of the DMZ. The sound of artillery pieces will reverberate across the border, clearly audible to North Korean troops, when the exercises open on Monday.

The war games involve about 26,000 troops, including US fighter planes flying off a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. The US command is publicizing the event with press tours, briefings and photo-ops, all to show the potential for a massive response should North Korean forces attack the South.

The immediate question is whether North Korea, during the exercises, will begin to make good on any of its threats - by test-firing the Taepodong-2 that it's moved to the launch site; by firing on South Korean vessels off the west coast in the Yellow Sea in disputed waters; or, as a last resort, by actually harassing if not firing on civilian aircraft.

South Korea's two carriers, Korean Air and Asiana, are taking no chances. Both have diverted aircraft on international flights from North Korean air space, causing the planes to take an hour longer to reach the main international airport of Incheon, by the Yellow Sea about 30 kilometers west of Seoul.

Crazy stuff. Now what these war games are trying to prove, I'll never know. At least SK is taking some precautions. NK and SK - so different, yet so close.

I'd say more than 'unhelpful,' I'd say insane.
Asia Times Online :: Korea News and Korean Business and Economy, Pyongyang News

[Bugs]

Looks like things are pretty bad in the North. I wonder how bad it will have to get before little kim is basically forced to go to war to simply take his people minds off that fact that they are all starving to death?

Map of the areas of starving folks:
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/fullMaps...df?OpenElement


Some more on the starving masses:
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWFiles2...ull_report.pdf

Frequent Absenteeism by Farmers Already Due To Lack of Food in Ahnark County, South Hwanghae Province
Panryook Cooperative Farm of Ahnark County, South Hwanghae Province concluded its harvest allotments to the farmers in two installments of distribution last November. The farmers received portions for 8 months worth. This looks better than other areas where the portions are worth 6 to 7 months. Still the farmers are concerned. Kang Soon-rye (35) recalls, "I still cry when I think about the hardship of last spring and my heart trembles. Many people died then. I have to save as much food as possible to survive a year with an 8-month supply." In fact, there are already farmers absent from work because of lack of food. Farmers are trying to save for the coming 'hard' spring, and they don't have much to spare now. A farmer said, "During last month, the third work unit had twenty people absent out of a total 73 workers. When we inquired of the reason, we found out that they didn't have anything to eat." Leaders, such as the Chairman of the Farm Management Committee and Party

Secretary, try to persuade the farmers to report for work. The other farms in South Hwanghae Province are experiencing similar situations. A farm worker said, "The hardship last spring still remains as a nightmare to people. Many people died then. People are trying to save as much as possible in order to survive the 'hard' spring. They would rather eat less now. This is the reason for absenteeism."

Artillery Rocket Regiment of 4th Corps receive 400g of food per day
The 4th Corps of regiment of an artillery rocket station at Ongjin County, South Hwanghae Province, received 400g of corn per person in February. The amount is still less than the standard 700g, but it is better than nothing. A support bureau worker said, "We tried viciously to get rations but failed to do so." He did not elaborate on the details but blamed the farm managers for the failure of food saying, "Farm managers cheated when they handed the food over to soldiers." An official said that due to the lack of measuring system the food they received is less than it is supposed to be. They assume the amount of food by gunny bags or vehicles, but nobody knows the exact amount. Many of the Support bureau's workers who know about this situation sell some of the food to the market or give it to their family. So the actual amount of food shortage is big. He said "Receiving 400g of food per soldier is good."

Many Female Soldiers of 9th Corps Regiment of Artillery Rocket Are Weak Due to Lack of Provisions
The 9th Corps Artillery Rocket regiment at Danchun, South Hamgyong Province is short of rations. It has only reserved 250 MT of food. Support bureau of the 9th Corps was supposed to receive 650 MT of food from North Hamgyong Province but it failed to do so. Instead, they received 250 MT of food, as they were late in picking up the rations. A high ranking officer pointed out that soldiers failed to prepare transportation for the food. He said, "Because the soldiers of support bureau were lacking in their planning, they returned back their Corps after getting the box car there late." A soldier Jung Geumyee (age 25) said, "Recently, we eat a half bowl of steamed whole wheat with salt soup with barely any seaweed. Due to the poor harvest of last year, we do not have enough Gimchi either." 40% of female soldiers of the 9th Corps suffers from malnutrition and has not participated in winter drills which started in December. Due to the missing preliminary judgment, regimental commander and officials of the Corp are criticized by the top of Ministry of the People's Armed Forces saying, "Management's failure created many weak soldiers." Serious malnutrition caused more than 20 female soldiers to desert from barracks in January of this year.

And from the same link - how about this one:

Collective Absence due to Resistant to the Manure Project in Danchun
Workers at a block factory in Danchun City of North Hamgyong Province, in resistance to the manure project, collectively missed work. Danchun United Mine Construction Enterprise's Mine Management Office of Danchun District ordered all enterprises within their bureau to submit one ton of manure for each worker. The Officals of each Enterprise have started coaxing 100 kg of manure daily from each worker in order to support the farming industry. The Block Factory Workers claimed that they had already submitted their manure share and resisted futher collection by collectively refusing to go to work. Immediately after this incident, factory management visited the worker's houses to persuade them to return. A worker form this factory, Shin Han-seok (45) commented, "We need to eat more to produce more manure. We are trying to submit all within our abilities. It is so hard to keep up with their demand. We understand that the farming industry needs more manure to solve this food crisis but we are only human. We do not understand why they are harassing us to mkae something we simply can not produce anymore." The laborers, however, soon returned to work. Lee Myong-joon (in his 40s) commented about their return, "Nothing will change and it is our loss if we get criticized"

I'd say poor ol' Han-seok has a point - they can hardly produce more shit if they don't get fed.


There are several places in the link that use actual name folks making complaints. I know folks in the west really like to make sure we provide sources for what is being reported. But what the hell happens to these folks when reports like this get published?