Friday, June 06, 2014

North Korea - Still Going Strong


Last UPDATE: June 7, 2014



金正恩视察朝鲜精英部队:
朝军要培养“以一当百的战争能手”


Kim Jong Un inspecting North Korea's unit of outstanding heroes:
The North Korean army wants to train "war experts for pitting one against 100".


朝鲜士兵向金正恩展示胸口碎大石

North Korean soldiers showing to Kim Jong Un
the crashing of large stone on the pit of the stomach.




Channel 3 of North Korea Central TV broadcast a documentary where soldiers not only exhibited training techniques like hand-to-hand fighting but as well special skills like "crashing stone on the pit of the stomach". 朝鲜中央电视台3号播出了最高领导人金正恩视察朝鲜人民军精英部队的纪录片。片中,军人们不仅展示了近身搏斗等训练技巧,还表演了“胸口碎石”等特殊技能。

[Source: China News Network 中新网 on June 5, 2014]

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朝鲜判处韩国传教士金正旭终身劳动教养

North Korea sentences South Korean missionary
Kim Jong Uk to lifelong "reeducation through labour".


Latest news on a North Korean spy story that began in February 2014 and ended a few days ago with a press conference in Pyongyang where the alleged culprit was presented.

今年2月,金正旭在平壤举行记者会,称其去年10月因非法潜入朝鲜遭到扣留,承认自己进行反朝活动并接受韩国国家情报院的资金。韩国方面认为金正旭是从事宗教活动的韩国公民而非朝方所说“反国家犯罪分子”,与韩国国家情报院没有关系,要求朝方尽快将其释放。

In February this year, on a meeting of journalists in Pyongyang, Kim Jong Uk said he suffered detention because of having illegally sneaked into North Korea in October last year. He admitted having carried out himself activities directed against the North and having accepted funds from South Korea's intelligence bureau. The South Korean side considers Kim Jong Uk as a South Korean citizen engaged in religious activity but not what the North is calling "a criminal opposing the nation". [According to the South] he has no relation with South Korea's national intelligence bureau, and the North is requested to set him free as soon as possible.


[Source: China News Network 中新网 on 1st June 2014]

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Today, June 6, CNN reported the detention of a U.S. citizen, Jeffrey Edward Fowle who arrived as a tourist in North Korea on April 29. The CNN report is referring to the Korean Central News Agency KCNA in Pyongyang. Fowle was part of a tour group and was detained in mid-May after allegedly leaving a Bible in a hotel where he had been staying.

North Korea is also holding Kenneth Bae, a Korean-American missionary who was sentenced to 15 years hard labor in 2013 by a court that said he carried out acts aimed at bringing down the regime of leader Kim Jong Un.

A third U.S. citizen in North Korean custody might be mentally disturbed as he is reported to have torn his tourist visa and shouted he would seek asylum.

As to religious activity in North Korea, there are a number of state-controlled churches. However, the regime forbids independent religious activities, holding them as a potential threat to its authorities.

[Source: CNN on June 6, 2014]


朝鲜扣留一美国游客 外媒:或因 其在酒店留下一本圣经 凤凰—2014年06月07日]

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俄官员称俄朝贸易额拟提高10倍 将连接俄朝铁路

Russian official says the volume of trade between Russia and North Korea is planned to increase ten times by means of joining railroads between [both countries].


The Chinese article is quoting Russia's minister for the development of the Far East as saying that a joint commission of both governments, charged with cooperation in the fields of economy and trade as well as science and technology, has concluded in its [recent] meeting to increase the volume of trade to probably one billion U.S.$. This would come up to a ten times' increase of the actual trade volume [which is 112 million $].

[Source: China News Network 中新网 on June 5, 2014]






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