Topic: North Korea

To Catch a State Department Leaker, the FBI Got White House Phone Records

AP

New details of the Justice Department's investigation of a leak to a Fox News reporter demonstrate the scale of the inquiry: phone records, access badge information for the media, a CD of phone recordings. All to investigate a leak of incorrect information.

By John Hudson

Jul 18, 2012

Kim Jong-Un's Power Grab Invites Swirl of Rumors

Is the ouster of North Korea's military leader a sign of more purges to come?

Comments | 2,350 Views

By Connor Simpson

Jul 17, 2012

Kim Jong-Un Is North Korea's New Military Commander

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. 

Comments | 714 Views

By John Hudson

Jul 16, 2012

Propaganda Parade

Chinese Propaganda Makes a Good Point About American Propaganda

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.

Comments | 9,644 Views

By Eric Randall

Jul 16, 2012

What Kim Jong Un's Mystery Lady Might Mean for North Korea

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.

Comments | 6,057 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Jul 16, 2012

Trimming the Times

Beverly Hills, Campaign Trail Quotes, and the Kennedys

A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.

Comments | 357 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Jul 16, 2012

Did North Korea Just 'Purge' Its Top Military Leader?

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.

Comments | 2,007 Views

By Connor Simpson

Jul 10, 2012

Disney Is Totally OK With Kin Jong-Un Using Their Stuff

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. 

Comments | 298 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Jul 10, 2012

Kim Jong-Un's Lady Friend Probably a Married Singer

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.

Comments | 9,120 Views

By Eric Randall

Jul 9, 2012

Kim Jong Un May Have a New Lady Friend

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?

Comments | 7,956 Views

By Adam Martin

Jul 9, 2012

Mr. Kim's Wild Ride: North Korea's Disney Stage Show

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.

Comments | 1,552 Views

By John Hudson

Jun 12, 2012

Propaganda Parade

Egyptian PSA: That Foreigner May Be a Spy

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.

Comments | 2,597 Views

By Adam Martin

Jun 11, 2012

Following Threats From the North, Hacks Hit South Korean Newspapers

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.

Comments | 172 Views

By John Hudson

Jun 5, 2012

No Wonder We're Within an Inch of War in North Korea

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. 

Comments | 3,129 Views

By John Hudson

May 29, 2012

Why Would the U.S. Parachute into North Korea?

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.

Comments | 5,376 Views

By Adam Martin

May 22, 2012

North Korea Apparently Preparing For an Even Bigger Rocket Failure

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.

Comments | 2,455 Views

By John Hudson

May 17, 2012

Propaganda Parade

Kim Jong Un Is an Internationally-Renowned Author

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.

Comments | 3,854 Views

By Adam Martin

May 16, 2012

China's Worried About Environmental Fallout from North Korean Nukes

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.

Comments | 2,242 Views

By Adam Martin

May 15, 2012

The Lighter Side of North Korea's Forced Rallies

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.

Comments | 1,000 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

May 4, 2012

In China, Hillary Gets Tough on North Korea, Syria, and Iran

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.

Comments | 517 Views

By John Hudson

Apr 30, 2012

Today's Best

Five Best Monday Columns

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. 

Comments | 2,308 Views

By John Hudson

Apr 26, 2012

North Korea Vows to Cripple the U.S. with Fake Missiles

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.

Comments | 8,034 Views

By John Hudson

Apr 25, 2012

The More Welcoming Side of the DMZ

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. 

Comments | 2,586 Views

By Adam Martin

Apr 24, 2012

Comment of the Day

'North Korea Is the Blue Öyster Cult of Nations'

Now that it's been suggested, we can't think of a better rock-n-roll comparison for North Korea.

Comments | 505 Views

By John Hudson

Apr 24, 2012

China Is Condoning Pyongyang's Belligerence

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."

Comments | 888 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Apr 24, 2012

Report Says North Korea Is Planning a Nuclear Test

Reuters is reporting that North Korea has "almost completed" preparations for a nuclear weapons test and that the planned explosion will come soon.

Comments | 885 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Apr 23, 2012

North Korea Threatens 'Fire of Retaliation' on the South

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. 

Comments | 1,659 Views

By John Hudson

Apr 18, 2012

Kim Jong Un Runs North Korea on the Cheap

Say what you will about North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, the kid knows how to pinch a penny.

Comments | 3,278 Views

By John Hudson

Apr 16, 2012

Propaganda Parade

Kim Jong Un Smiles for Grandpa

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.

Comments | 1,207 Views

By Dino Grandoni

Apr 13, 2012

Five Best Green Stories

An Organic Hamburger Won't Save the Earth; DMZ as a Wildlife Sanctuary?

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

Comments | 1,573 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Apr 13, 2012

Romney's Fear of an Emboldened Planet

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.

Comments | 10,146 Views

By John Hudson

Apr 13, 2012

Oddly, North Korea Tells Its People It Failed

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.

Comments | 3,049 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Apr 13, 2012

North Korean Rocket Breaks Apart After Launch, Falls Into the Sea

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.

Comments | 2,693 Views

By Adam Martin

Apr 12, 2012

What North Korea Really Looks Like

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.

Comments | 55,430 Views

By John Hudson

Apr 12, 2012

The Staggering Costs of North Korea's Rocket Launch

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. 

Comments | 4,139 Views

By John Hudson

Apr 10, 2012

North Korea Has a Clumsy Way of Soothing Concerns About Its Rocket Launch

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.

Comments | 2,155 Views

By John Hudson

Apr 9, 2012

What Western Reporters Saw During Their Visit to a North Korean Launch Pad

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.

Comments | 4,656 Views

By John Hudson

Apr 5, 2012

What We'll Learn from North Korea's 'Satellite' Launch Next Week

After weeks of bluster, North Korea is finally going to fire a satellite into polar orbit next week, which raises several questions.

Comments | 3,412 Views

By John Hudson

Apr 3, 2012

The Environment Is So Bad in North Korea, They'll Even Let Americans Help

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.

Comments | 14,061 Views

By Adam Martin

Mar 28, 2012

A Stark Reminder of North Korean Cruelty

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.

Comments | 1,589 Views

By John Hudson

Mar 27, 2012

A High Tech Missile Standoff Is Coming to East Asia

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.

Comments | 4,311 Views

By John Hudson

Mar 26, 2012

North Korea Plays Spoiler at Obama's Nuclear Summit

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.

Comments | 1,948 Views

By Seth Abramovitch

Mar 25, 2012

Obama Issues North Korea a Warning, From a Relatively Safe Distance

The president glimpses a "time-warped" North Korea through binoculars, then tells them to knock off their "bad behavior."

Comments | 12,950 Views

By Adam Martin

Mar 19, 2012

North Korea's IAEA Invite Fits Pattern of Aggression Followed by Concession

On the same day North Korea very loudly proclaimed it was going to test a space rocket that many feared was a thinly disguised missile, the country quietly invited United Nations nuclear inspectors to return after three years of expulsion, the agency said Monday.

Comments | 747 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Mar 16, 2012

North Korea Plans 'Satellite' Launch; World Sees Missile Testing

And things were going so well with North Korea. The secretive, ornery regime in Pyongyang which agreed to stop enriching uranium and stop testing long-range missiles in exchange for food aid from the U.S. is now planning to launch a rocket. For science, though. 

Comments | 1,257 Views

By John Hudson

Mar 15, 2012

How the AP Selected Its North Korea Reporter

It's the most restricted place in the world, and if you want to run a news bureau there, you're going to have to play ball with the powers that be.

Comments | 4,425 Views

By Dino Grandoni

Feb 29, 2012

North Korea Agrees to Stop Enriching Uranium, Scaring the World with Missiles

U.S. diplomats this morning are trumpeting an agreement they reached with North Korea to end its enrichment of uranium and its frightening, chest-thumping long-range missile tests. Does this signal a friendlier regime under Kim Jong-Un?

Comments | 3,589 Views

By John Hudson

Feb 27, 2012

Propaganda Parade

Putin Panders to Virgins; Mugabe Eats a Croc Cake; Kim Jong-Il's Gold Coins

With an upcoming election in Russia, the 88th birthday of Robert Mugabe and an Iranian triumph over an Israeli filmmaker, it's been a busy day in propaganda for the world's authoritarian regimes.

Comments | 2,733 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Feb 20, 2012

Americans Think Iran Is the U.S.'s Top Enemy, China Second

Iran's been dominating the news and it shows -- a Gallup poll found that 32 percent of Americans believe that Iran is the greatest threat to the U.S., followed by China, North Korea, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

Comments | 7,932 Views

By Seth Abramovitch

Feb 19, 2012

North Korea Pounds Chest as South Prepares For Drills

The North Korean military has warned of "merciless retaliatory strikes" should the South carry out as planned two hours of live-artillery drills.

Comments | 2,743 Views

By Adam Martin

Feb 10, 2012

Twitter, Weibo Light Up with Kim Jong Un Death Rumors

It is nothing more than a rumor, but China's Twitter equivalent, Weibo, has lit up with posts that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has died in a possible coup.

Comments | 25,611 Views

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