Free Republic

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gives a New Year's address for 2016 in this undated photo. In the nationally televised address, Kim pledged to seek improved relations with South Korea and boost his country's economy. (Kyodo) ==KyodoFirst, candidate Trump carried on a long-distance bromance with Russian strongman Vladimir Putin, calling him "a strong leader" and saying it was a "great honor" to have Putin compliment him.Now Trump has expressed admiration for an even loonier goon: North Korea's boy tyrant Kim Jong Un. Speaking at a rally in Ottumwa, IA, Trump veritably gushed about the leadership qualities of Kim.The Hill:...

(CNSNews.com) – Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday disputed the suggestion that the administration has not given the North Korean nuclear threat enough attention as a result of its focus on the Iran nuclear talks and other issues, declaring that “North Korea has never been left unattended to, not for one day.” “That premise [that the North Korean situation has been neglected] is absolutely inaccurate, it’s without foundation,” he told reporters in the State Department briefing room. Pyongyang on Wednesday carried out a nuclear test – its fourth since 2006 – catapulting the reclusive Stalinist state back into the...

ROCK RAPIDS, Iowa — Ted Cruz on Wednesday blamed President Barack Obama and presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton for North Korea's claims it had tested a nuclear weapon, insisting it shows the “sheer folly” of their foreign policy.“When we look at North Korea, it’s like looking at a crystal ball,” Cruz, the Republican presidential candidate and U.S. senator from Texas, told reporters before a campaign stop in northwest Iowa. “This is where Iran ends up if we continue on this same misguided path.”Cruz traced North Korea’s nuclear potential back to Bill Clinton’s presidential administration, which he said enabled a “megalomaniacal maniac” —...

In a move to increase visitors by 2020, the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, has invited three of the world’s leading snowboarders to tour his country’s new Masikryong ski resort in January. Terje Haakonsen, Dan Liedahl—known as “Danimals”—and Mike Ravelson will visit the resort at the summit of the 4,460-foot Taehwa Peak near Wonson, a port city on North Korea’s east coast, according to a press release from Uri Tours, a New York-based company that describes itself as “facilitating travel to North Korea.” The tour is also open to members of the public, with a single ticket (for seven nights...

Kim Jong Un provides field guidance to the Wonsan Baby Home and Orphanage in the run-up to a ceremony for their completion, in this photo released June 2, 2015. Kim Jong Un attends the 3rd Meeting of Activists in Fisheries under the Korean People's Army (KPA) in this photo released December 29, 2015.

Japan: Kim Jong-Un's Fishing Edict Behind Corpse-Filled 'Ghost Ships' Mystery by Frances Martel 17 Dec 2015 When dozens of ships carrying decaying bodies began to wash ashore near Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, theories abounded regarding who were on the ships, where they were coming from, and what led to their deaths. Japanese officials are now saying they believe they have solved the mystery: the ghost ships belong to North Korean fishermen, urged by dictator Kim Jong-un to brave unreasonably dangerous weather for a bigger catch to bring home to the North Korean military. While similarly-constructed ships - often boasting barely-visible Hangul...

Why N.Korean Girl Band Canceled Beijing Gig The all-girl North Korean pop band Moranbong abruptly canceled a concert series in Beijing on Saturday because Beijing objected that their program was chock-full of paeans to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, intelligence officials here believe. China was going to send a politburo member to the concert, but decided on a lower-ranking official when it discovered the contents of the show, Saenuri lawmaker Joo Ho-young quoted the National Intelligence Service as saying. "The NIS viewed this perceived slight as the primary reason for the abrupt cancelation," Joo added. Radio Free Asia quoted a...

'Explosives found in Wonsan airport ahead of Kim's inspection' By Jun Ji-hye Explosives found at North Korea's refurbished Kalma International Airport at Wonsan in October caused the cancellation of leader Kim Jong-un's planned inspection of the site, according to a U.S.-based nonprofit international broadcaster, Friday. Citing a source in Pyongyang, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported that 100 devices, each weighing 200 grams, were found in the ceiling of an interior counter of the airport on Oct. 6 by security staff, one day ahead of Kim's visit. The explosives are normally used to create tunnels. At the time, Kim was conducting...

North Korea has launched a new purge, targeting citizens with long hair and ordering them to copy Kim Jong-un's much-mocked "ambitious" style. Sources in Pyongyang, quoted by South Korea's Chosun Ilbo newspaper, said authorities in the North Korean capital have issued an order requiring that men keep their hair to a maximum 2 cm (0.8 inches) in length. They are also being instructed to pay homage to Mr Kim by copying his trademark swept-back bouffant that emerges upwards from the shaved patches above his ears.

(3rd LD) U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon to visit Pyongyang this week NEW YORK, Nov. 15 (Yonhap) -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon plans to visit North Korea this week, a high-level U.N. source said Sunday, a surprise trip that raises hope for progress in inter-Korean relations and efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear standoff. Ban's visit to Pyongyang will be the first time in his capacity as U.N. chief, the source told Yonhap News Agency without providing exact dates of the trip. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because the trip has not been formally announced. It was also...

Kim Jong-un travels with personal toilet, say North Koreans It would be ‘unthinkable’ for Supreme Leader to have to use public lavatories as he tours the country inspecting factories and facilities, sources tell DailyNK Sang Yong Lee for Daily NK, part of the North Korea network Friday 13 November 2015 11.15 GMT North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un travels with a mobile toilet built into one of the vehicles in his convoy when he conducts routine inspections of military bases and state-run factories around the country, according to sources close to his personal guards. “The restrooms are not only in Kim...

At the mercy of Dennis Rodman in North Korea: film director tells all Erratic behaviour, media scrums and skiing. Colin Offland talks to NK News about his new film following the basketball star’s trip in 2014 Oliver Hotham for NK News, part of the North Korea network Thursday 5 November 2015 06.00 GMT Colin Offland’s film about Dennis Rodman’s trip to North Korea is a rollercoaster of a documentary. Following the former Chicago Bulls basketball player and a motley crew of his fellow ex-NBA colleagues, the film – called Dennis Rodman’s Big Bang in Pyongyang – depicts the group’s efforts...

November 5, 2015 7:00 pm JST Fading loyalty may explain leader's penchant for pomp MASANORI YAMAKUCHI, Nikkei online news deputy editor TOKYO -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's decision to call the first party congress in nearly 36 years is stirring speculation about what he is up to. The ruling Workers' Party on Oct. 30 announced that it will hold the convention in early May. The gathering, the party statement said, will present a new "strategic line" for building a "thriving socialist nation," and will galvanize the party, army and people into launching a "general offensive" toward that goal....

Family Dresses Up Baby As Kim Jong-un & Dennis Rodman For Halloween October 31, 2015 3:26 PM By Garret Heinrich An American family decided that there was no better costume for their eight-month old’s first Halloween than North Korean Dictator Kim Jong-un and his friend Dennis Rodman. The little girl does look amazingly like the baby-faced supreme leader as she totes around a stuffed Dennis Rodman Chicago Bulls doll.

Kim Jong-un's Sister Caught on Camera Acting Strange North Korean leader Kim Jong-uns sister Yeo-jong (in white dotted circle) stands back while her brother gives a speech marking the Workers Partys 70th anniversary in Pyongyang in this video clip from the North Korean Central TV. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister Yeo-jong (in white dotted circle) stands back while her brother gives a speech marking the Workers Party's 70th anniversary in Pyongyang in this video clip from the North Korean Central TV. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister Yeo-jong was caught on camera behaving oddly during a military parade marking...

WASHINGTON — Americans following this year's presidential campaign would never know it from mainstream media coverage, but the commander in chief we hired four years ago has set the United States on a course for unilateral disarmament. The following people hope you won't notice until after Nov. 6: Vladimir Putin, Liang Guanglie, Kim Jong-un, Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Sayyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei, Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, A.Q. Khan and of course, Barack Obama. The 10 individuals above share a common fascination: nuclear weapons. Vladimir Putin, Russia's modern czar; Liang Guanglie, minister of national defense for...

Student loyalty to Kim Jong Un at all-time low Lee Sang Yong | 2015-10-05 10:14 Images of Kim Jong Un at a young age utilized in various state-run media for propaganda purposes. Image: Korean Central Television (KCTV) In order to consolidate his legitimacy as a descendant of the Mt. Baekdu bloodline and third generation ruler of the Kim Dynasty, the regime is trying to stimulate the public’s adoration for Kim Jong Un, but inside sources are reporting that school students do not even consider Kim Jong Un to be a real leader. “Ever since Kim Jong Un rose to power,...

September 26, 2015 9:57 pm JST N. Korea's Kim Jong Un now tips scales at 130 kg: paper SEOUL (Kyodo) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's reported weight gain is continuing unabated, with the South Korean government estimating from his body shape and gait that he has put on some 30 kilograms over the past five years and presently weighs around 130 kg, South Korea's Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported Saturday. Since obesity is often linked to health problems such as cardiovascular disease, neighboring countries are paying close attention to changes in Kim's waistline. When Kim officially emerged as successor...

Kim again? North Korea leader backs surfing to revive ailing tourism industry NORTH KOREA leader Kim Jong-un is forever looking for ways to expand his country's rather narrow cultural agenda. By Harry Kemble / Published 12th September 2015 His latest brainwave is to turn his backward state into a surfing haven. Tourism fell by 40% last year in North Korea – and it is hoped the water sport will help boost figures. Despot Kim has reportedly given permission for a surfing camp to be held on the east coast – and a group of 20 surfers are on their way....

North Korea Appears to Seek Economic Reform Without Openness A commentary by Andrei Lankov 2015-09-11 Nearly four years have passed since the sudden death of his father made Kim Jong Un the new leader of North Korea. This period of time is long enough to make educated guesses about the direction the young leader wants to take, and the goals he wants to achieve. To put things simply, he seemingly wants to initiate policy which in many regards is similar to the ‘reform and openness’ policy of China under Deng Xiaoping. However, unlike China, Kim Jong Un seemingly wants what...