North Korea, Sanctions, and Kim Jong-un

[TheCracker]

My understanding of "ally" is more like political/military. In my mind, North Korea doesn't seem to be having any allies at all. Well, only China can be just barely called an ally of NK.

I'd imagine that's only because they share a border, so being a 'friend' is much less hassle than policing a border with a 'foe'.

 

[FoRiZon]

Im slightly reminded that propaganda where it shows Call of Duty gameplay footage.

 

[JKgo]

...



Thanks, @nick98, for spotting the vid!

 

[Dotini]

How would GTP'ers feel about a Chinese takeover of North Korea? Wouldn't that be a distinct improvement?
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/china-denies-reports-massing-troops-north-korea-border-090255421.html

 

[Grayfox]

How would GTP'ers feel about a Chinese takeover of North Korea? Wouldn't that be a distinct improvement?
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/china-denies-reports-massing-troops-north-korea-border-090255421.html

China is already going mental in the south china sea.
Last thing they need is more land.

If they do end up invading north korea and annexing it, it would make south korea uneasy

Being surrounded by a super power.

 

[Dotini]

China is already going mental in the south china sea.
Last thing they need is more land.

If they do end up invading north korea and annexing it, it would make south korea uneasy

Being surrounded by a super power.

My theory is that NK has always been China's catspaw, their means of stirring the pot. All that needs done is they get a firmer control over their errant puppet.

 

[Dennisch]

How would GTP'ers feel about a Chinese takeover of North Korea? Wouldn't that be a distinct improvement?
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/china-denies-reports-massing-troops-north-korea-border-090255421.html

If it has been really a nuclear test China needs to step in and just annex North Korea. Execute the entire Kim family and be done with it.

 

[FoRiZon]

How would GTP'ers feel about a Chinese takeover of North Korea? Wouldn't that be a distinct improvement?
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/china-denies-reports-massing-troops-north-korea-border-090255421.html

Just anything, please. Its always better.

The country is so depraved, I'd literally rather living in Hell than in North Korea.

 

[Sanji Himura]

New ballistic missile test. Details here.

 

[Dan]

Whenever I get an alert for this thread every few weeks, I always wonder "What have they done now?"

 

[Robin]

Whenever I get an alert for this thread every few weeks, I always wonder "What have they done now?"

Or... should I run for cover?!

 

[Famine]

expect next grand Famine soon in NK

Yeah, I'm not going within a hundred miles of that place...

 

[Blitz24]

Yeah, I'm not going within a hundred miles of that place...

I thought the Korean border was a dream destination for you.

 

[Sanji Himura]

62 Year old Kim Dong Chul, arrested on allegations of spying in North Korea, was sentenced to 10 years hard labor by North Korea's Supreme Court. Chul was the second man sentenced to hard labor in less than a month and a half when weeks earlier North Korea sentenced American Otto Warmbier to 15 years hard labor in March for trying to steal a propaganda banner.

Six foreigners, including Kim and three South Koreans, are known to be in North Korea's custody.

However, the only good news in all of this is that Kim Jong Un is trying to use Kim and Warmbier to extract concessions out of the United States, or at least a visit from high profile members of our government. Even if such a visit doesn't happen, the North has a history of releasing their foreign captors before their sentences are up.

Reuters is reporting that the North is tightening security for their upcoming Ruling Party Congress, which is slated to start on May 6, after a 36 year absence, and is also intensifying its pursuit of nuclear weapons, something that it has done after their fourth test in January of this year.

 

[Robin]

NK doesn't ever treat foreign detainees badly because they know all hell would break loose if they did. Holding them is more a propaganda thing than anything else.

Yeah, I'm not going within a hundred miles of that place...

But you could be the mediator, or rather moderator who finally brings peace to the warring sides.

Nobel peace prizes aplenty!

 

[Peter.]

Yeah, I'm not going within a hundred miles of that place...

But I thought famine and North Korea were inseparable...

 

[Sanji Himura]

Worker's Party Congress Officially Opens. The ceremony is to be expected to open for four days.

Also of note, the South is on alert, suspecting another Nuclear test from the North during the congress.

 

[Robin]

BBC journalist and his team has been thrown out of North Korea. I think this was the same guy who yesterday on the news got into trouble at a North Korean art gallery where he took a picture of a Kim family painting slightly off centre.


http://www.theguardian.com/world/20...upert-wingfield-hayes-detained-in-north-korea

 

[prisonermonkeys]

North Korea kicks a BBC film crew out after claiming that one of this stories was intentionally misleading and inaccurate:

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2016-05-09/bbc-journalist-and-crew-expelled-from-north-korea/7396746

I've seen the report - a group of journalists were escorted around a Pyongyang hospital and questioned its authenticity; they noted that all of the children looked remarkably healthy for people so critically ill.

 

[TenEightyOne]

North Korea kicks a BBC film crew out after claiming that one of this stories was intentionally misleading and inaccurate:

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2016-05-09/bbc-journalist-and-crew-expelled-from-north-korea/7396746

I've seen the report - a group of journalists were escorted around a Pyongyang hospital and questioned its authenticity; they noted that all of the children looked remarkably healthy for people so critically ill.

An interesting story, the claim this morning was that the crew were already on their way to the airport as-per their itinerary. At that point they were detained and held over the weekend. Muscle-flexing by NK, I think. Here's a Beeb report on the "holding pen" for journalists. Earlier in the week a "guide" reprimanded one of the reporters for taking a photo of a picture of the Leaders that cropped two of them out. I can't see the link on t'Beeb right now but I'll keep looking

The BBC also report that Kim Jong Un's younger sister may be cemented into a position of greater power at this congress. You have to attain that before ultimately being cemented into the foundations of People's Hospital Number 34.

 

[TenEightyOne]

An account by Rupert Wingfield-Hayes of his recent detention in NK. BBC.

 

[JKgo]

...A word of warning: there's a bit of advertisement for Norton anti-virus in this... uh, article. You'll see why when you click it:

North Korea believed to be behind recent spate of cyber-thefts over SWIFT network

 

[JKgo]

...Pop quiz: where in the world is the best for a spot of bird watching?


Why, it's none other than the west coast of North Korea, as this article will attest to:

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-36533469

 

[Robin]

North Korea 'feeding workers crystal meth' to speed up skyscraper project

http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world...eth-to-speed-up-skyscraper-project/ar-BBvtrex

Ah so that's the key to worker productivity then...

 

[Blitz24]

Ah so that's the key to worker productivity then...

Also the key to have the building fall down as the crystal meth craze causes the workers to disassemble the building to sell for money to buy more meth.

 

[FoRiZon]

Ah so that's the key to worker productivity then...

You know..... North Korea didnt want to can't buy their people food.

 

[mustafur]

Also the key to have the building fall down as the crystal meth craze causes the workers to disassemble the building to sell for money to buy more meth.

Don't be silly, there is no capitalism lol.

 

[Sanji Himura]

Another day, another execution. This time it is Vice Premier of Education Kim Yong Jin's turn on the firing squad for the crime of "having a bad sitting posture." In reality, he fell asleep in a meeting with Kim Jong Un.

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box...ean-official-executed-for-bad-sitting-posture

 

[FoRiZon]

Another day, another execution. This time it is Vice Premier of Education Kim Yong Jin's turn on the firing squad for the crime of "having a bad sitting posture." In reality, he fell asleep in a meeting with Kim Jong Un.

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box...ean-official-executed-for-bad-sitting-posture

Thats last year. This year is some officials are caught conspiring to torn down Kim Jong Un.

They executed by an anti aircraft gun. Hell yeah NK! Best Korea.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/...ly-executes-officials-anti-aircraft-gun-purge

 

[JKgo]

Another day, another execution. This time it is Vice Premier of Education Kim Yong Jin's turn on the firing squad for the crime of "having a bad sitting posture." In reality, he fell asleep in a meeting with Kim Jong Un.

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box...ean-official-executed-for-bad-sitting-posture

....That's just smokescreen.

According to Radio Free Asia the recently defected diplomat was:

Tae not only played a leading role in the efforts by the North Korean regime to improve its image by working with the current North Korean ambassador to the U.N. and the ambassador to the United Kingdom, but was also the Workers’ Party secretary in charge of ideological education for embassy families.

To me it all sounds like baby Kim's throwing an anger-fuelled tantrum that his re-education policies have not been adhered to.

Oh, here's the article, if you're interested:

http://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/diplomat-defector-wife-08172016172410.html