Free Republic

Why N. Korea won't be worried by its recent reputational disasters Debacles of recent Orascom investment and Morangbong visit to China will have little impact Andrei Lankov December 17th, 2015 The end of 2015 was marked by two events which, at the first glance, would be likely to damage the international standing of North Korea. In late November the Egyptian building and telecom company Orascom finally admitted what had been known in narrow circles for two years: that its North Korean state partners had taken over the joint Koryolink cellphone network, and that Orascom had been unable to reap any...

Where does North Korea buy its hyenas? North Korea ups imports of live animals; Pyongyang's upgraded zoo likely destination October 9th, 2015 Leo Byrne Recent articles from North Korea’s state media and satellite imagery indicate one of North Korea’s large scale construction projects, the Pyongyang Central Zoo, is nearing completion. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) claims the zoo is increasingly populated with exotic animals like hyenas and antelope. This year alone, the report claims 90 species have been added to the zoo and another 100 bred there, totaling nearly 800 animals. “More than 240 animals of 57 kinds came...

/begin my translation N. Korean Refugees' 'Underground Hideout' in China Shown (photos)  [ 2005-05-30 14:25 ] This month (note: May, 2005), during a 15-day trip to Yanji (note: N.E. Chinese city across N. Korea), Park Sang-hyuk(alias) took the pictures of an underground hideout where a N. Korean refugee, Mr. Paik, and his family live. It was located at a mountain in Helong Perfecture, Jilin Province. The pictures were posted on the home page of Free North Korea Broadcast(www.freenk.net) on May 28th(, 2005.) In this place, Mr. Paik, his wife, and their three daughters in late 20's had lived for 7 years(, according to his...

<p>In a commentary carried on KCNA -- the official government news service -- Pyongyang said the United States was trying to force North Korea to disarm ahead of a military attack.</p> <p>"The Iraqi war proved that disarmament leads to a war. Therefore, it is quite clear that the DPRK (North Korea) can never accept the U.S. demand that it scrap its nuclear weapons program first," the signed government statement said.</p>