North Korea, land of gulags, government-enforced information blackouts, and humans so hungry they eat other humans, has finally weighed in on the NSA-spying controversy and has become ... an advocate for American civil liberties.
When North Korean state media released this delightful photo of newly(ish?)-wed Kim Jong Un on a roller coaster ride, discerning viewers wondered at the identity of the white guy grinning a few rows ahead of him, and at long last Mother Jones magazine has sussed it out: He is Barnaby Jones, a British diplomat at the embassy in Pyongyang
In today's tour of state-sponsored propaganda, an Iranian truck driver gets her close up, a stamp dealer explains how he became an accidental propagandist for North Korea and Russia Today panders to a key Kremlin ally.
A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.
As if every inch of the London Olympics weren't already awash in corporate advertising, a British chain of opticians has found a new marketing opportunity: London Olympics gaffes.
The actual news coming from Kim Jong-Un's visit to a new amusement park in Pyongyang was that he made public his wife of three years, but let's not ignore the other interesting part of the story: North Korea has a new amusement park—and it looks like fun!
Koreans on both side of the DMZ are still trying to unravel the mystery of Kim Jong-Un's new bride, including why they apparently got in married in 2009, but didn't bother to tell anyone.
Two, have apparently become Un. But just who, exactly, the Supreme Leader of North Korea married is sort of a mystery.
It appears Kim Jong-un's consolidation of power this week was far more turbulent than outsiders were led to believe. How much more turbulent remains subject to dispute.
In today's tour of state-sponsored propaganda: North Koreans dance for their Supreme Commander, the war on women comes to Zimbabwe and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad issues his vaguest threat yet. We begin in Pyongyang.
Is the ouster of North Korea's military leader a sign of more purges to come?
After firing the guy who was running North Korea's military on Monday, Korean State television is reporting that rather than interview a whole new slate of candidates to replace the departed general, Kin Jong-un found a perfectly suitable replacement: himself.
In today's tour of state-sponsored propaganda: A Chinese propagandist hits the mark, North Korea misidentifies its own foreign minister and press freedoms dwindle in Egypt.
It's not just international dictator gossip that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his mystery lady seem more and more like a married couple. Analysts are scrutinizing the public appearances for signs for how the young Kim's emerging leadership style will veer away from his father's.
A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.
North Korea's highest-ranking military officer has been officially relieved from all his duties due to an unnamed illness, but many observers of the new regime doubt the official story.
We've been busy gossiping about Kim Jong-Un's new lady friend, who may or may not still have a husband and child, but we've also quietly wondering how Disney would respond to Kim using, like, all of their characters for a stage show. The answer: they're thrilled.
It seems that South Korean intelligence sources have figured out who exactly that mystery woman showing up with Kim Jong-Un at all his important events. Her name is apparently Hyon Song-wol, but North Koreans know her as the illustrious front woman of the Bonchonbo Electronic Music Band.
If North Korea had a Page Six, they'd be all over the news that Kim Jong Un has been spotted twice now with an unidentified lady friend by his side. South Korean media—and maybe a few would be Mrs. Kim Jong Un's—are desperate for an answer: Is she his wife or sister?
Among Kim Jong Un's priorities as North Korean leader are establish the nation as an intercontinental nuclear threat and organize a stage show featuring his favorite unauthorized Disney characters. He's succeeding in at least one.
In today's tour of state-sponsored propaganda: Egyptian TV goes xenophobic, multinational corporations get in bed with North Korea and Cuba shares its reading list. We begin in Egypt.
Last week, North Korea threatened South Korean media companies for comparing Kim Jong Un to Hitler, and on Saturday, a massive cyber attack disabled two Seoul-based newspapers, so it's natural to suspect Pyongyang was involved.
It's been a rough week for the communication staffs of the North Korean military and the U.S. military. Today, a U.S. official was replaced after mentioning a covert operation in North Korea and last night North Korea issued a military threat that is mathematically impossible.
U.S. military officials are scrambling to dismiss a report that U.S. Special Forces have been parachuting into North Korea to gather intelligence about the regime's underground tunnels.
After North Korea's epic failure of a rocket launch last month, it's hard to get too concerned about the report that it appears to be upgrading its launchpad to handle even bigger rockets than the Unha.
In today's tour of state-sponsored propaganda, Kim Jong Un is published outside of North Korea, China's media meets Sacha Baron Cohen, and a US ambassador causes trouble for the Beijing Daily.
China does not approve of North Korea carrying out nuclear tests, but unlike in the past when the North's economic ally has warned of heightening international tensions, this time China says its worried about damage to its own environment.
A fascinating report from the Associated Press introduces us to some of the individuals within the tightly choreographed crowds North Korea trots out to celebrate its national solidarity.
When she isn't the subject of an odd "kiss" story with blind Chinese dissidents, Hillary Clinton actually has a real job to do and it means laying down the law for Chinese officials about North Korea, Iran and Syria--which is what she did today in Beijing.
Juan Williams on Condoleezza Rice, Bill Keller on North Korea, Shikha Dalmia on big government conservatives, Paul Krugman on youth unemployment, George Will on LBJ.
Following the North Korean military's vow to defeat the U.S. with "powerful modern weapons," U.S. analysts have discovered that the country's missiles are actually fakes.
Last week, when Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said "we're within an inch of war almost every day" he was talking about the narrow strip of land that divides North and South Korea. Turns out, that swath of ground is actually a merry little tourist trap.
Now that it's been suggested, we can't think of a better rock-n-roll comparison for North Korea.
If ever there was a time for China to reign in its little brother, North Korea, it would be now, as the peninsula edges
"within an inch of war."
Reuters is reporting that North Korea has "almost completed" preparations for a nuclear weapons test and that the planned explosion will come soon.
North Korea state television issued a bizarre, but ominous threat to "soon" launch a "fire of retaliation" against their South Korean neighbors and their "rat-like" president Lee Myung Bak.
Say what you will about North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, the kid knows how to pinch a penny.
In today's tour of propaganda, Kim Jong Un gives a winning smile, Chinese media does damage control, and Anders Breivik sobs after watching his own propaganda film.
James E. McWilliams on sustainable meat, The Guardian on the DMZ in Korea, The New York Times on solar energy, ClimateWire on the Mississippi Delta, and National Geographic on India's rickshaws
Mitt Romney has a few favorite words he uses as a crutch when he can't think of anything actually bad to say about President Obama.
Nobody can quite figure out why North Korea, a country that instinctively lies to its people, admitted to the embarrassing failure of its rocket launch this morning.
After all the bluster and hand-wringing over North Korea's big provocative rocket launch, the missile itself broke apart shortly after liftoff, falling into the Yellow Sea.
An Associated Press story that ran Thursday morning told the tale of a North Korean press bus that took a wrong turn into a part of Pyongyang usually shielded from reporters.
Sometime between now and Monday, Pyongyang will launch its "Unha-3" rocket some time between now and Monday, but it will have cost hundreds of millions of dollars and tons of food to make that happen.
North Korea doesn't have a lot of experience dealing with the press (because it rarely does) so when it gave its most detailed defense of its rocket launch this morning, it didn't go over so well.
North Korean officials tried to ease tensions over its upcoming rocket launch by opening its launch pad on Sunday to the international press. It didn't work.
After weeks of bluster, North Korea is finally going to fire a satellite into polar orbit next week, which raises several questions.
The environmental degradation in North Korean has become so severe, North Korea invited a group of five Americans to Pyongyang last month to talk about restoration and food security.
Amid internet riffs about Kim Jong-il looking at things (Kim Jong-un, too), and listicles such as the Funniest Evil Dictatorship Ever, it's possible to forget the atrocities that make up North Korea's system of oppression, but an Atlantic piece Wednesday provides a chilling reminder.
In the face of Pyongyang's stubborn pursuit of a ballistic missile launch next month, North Korea's neighbors are vowing to blow the rocket out of the sky.
It was supposed to be a two-day summit about keeping nukes away from terrorists, instead North Korea's temper tantrum is spoiling President Obama's plans.
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