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A Japanese guidebook to North Korea, from an earlier era
With Japan and North Korea starting to talk again about the abductee issue, there’s a possibility that Japan could lift some of the travel restrictions it currently places on travel between the two countries. That could include a resumption of sailings by the Mangyongbong-92, a passenger and cargo ferry that used to travel between Niigata and Wonsan.…
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Chinese shops offer cheap cellphones to North Koreans
Shops in cities on the Chinese side of the border are attempting to tempt North Koreans with cheap cellphones for use on their country’s mobile phone network, according to a report by Radio Free Asia. The phones are on sale for about half the price they would fetch in North Korea, but are attracting few…
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Another look at the Spring Trade Fair
When he wasn’t taking stunning panorama photographs around Pyongyang, Singapore-based photographer Aram Pan had time to visit this year’s Pyongyang Spring International Trade Fair (???????????). The fair was twice as big this year as it had been in 2013 according to state media, and it’s easy to see why when you watch a 3-minute video shot by Pan. The…
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US drone makes first operational flight from Japan
The U.S. Air Force didn’t waste much time in putting into use two high-tech drones that it moved from Guam to Japan earlier this month. The drones arrived at Misawa Air Base in northern Japan on May 24 and the first operational mission was flown on June 6, according to information released Friday by the U.S. Air…
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DPRK Music Channel gone for good?
One of the most popular YouTube channels carrying North Korean content appears to have closed. DPRK Music Channel posted music videos of North Korean patriotic songs and traditional ballads, usually sourced from Korean Central TV. The channel had amassed more than 1.3 million views as of February this year, making it the number six most popular…
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South Korea steps up propaganda radio broadcasts
South Korea has stepped up propaganda radio broadcasts targeted at North Korea and attracted a fast response from the country. Voice of Freedom, one of three government-run radio stations that broadcasts to the north, launched a tentative shortwave service at the beginning of May, but the signal is already being aggressively blocked by the North Korean…
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North Korea’s newest website: Korea National Insurance Corp.
The Korea National Insurance Corp., North Korea’s state insurance company, has its own website. The company, which in the past has been accused of orchestrating international insurance fraud, offers basic information about itself and its financial health. While the site appears to be new, the information on it in both English and Korean dates to only…
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IBM, HP find North Korean gold in their supply chains
Almost 70 companies publicly traded on U.S. stock markets have found North Korean gold in their manufacturing supply chains. Among the more prominent names are electronics companies IBM, HP, Garmin, Philips and Seagate, U.S. kitchenware retailer Willams Sonoma. The discoveries were disclosed in reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that are the result of a new…
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North Korea driving instructions come to Google Maps
North Korea has strict controls on internal movement, a scarcity of private car ownership and almost no Internet users. And now it’s also got satellite navigation through Google Maps. The service is available through the web and mobile apps and allows users to calculate travel time by car or foot between points of interest in the…
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Red Army Faction satellite dishes are new addition
Four remaining members of the Japanese Red Army Faction terrorist group living on the outskirts of Pyongyang might not be enjoying as free a lifestyle as recently portrayed. The four are the last members of a group of nine who hijacked JAL351, a Boeing 727, on March 31, 1970, and eventually took the aircraft to Pyongyang. They have been…
