Kim Jong Il's Bronze Palace...

GooglEartHeads... 39d06'36"N 125d59'46"E

Yet, ANOTHER, state secret gift...

Gift to Kim Jong Il from New Mexico State Governor

Pyongyang, October 20, 2005 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong Il was presented with a gift by Bill Richardson, governor of New Mexico State of the United States, on a visit to the DPRK. It was handed to Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, by the governor on Thursday.
I guess Bush really HAS decided to become a Democrat for his last term in office...

Into The Black Hole

Monsterandcritics.com
October 20, 2005
North Korea again finished bottom on the annual list of media freedom compiled by the watchdog group Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which was released Thursday in Paris.
Second and third from the bottom of the 167-nation list were Eritrea and Turkmenistan, which RSF described as 'black holes for news'.

'Journalists there simply relay government propaganda,' RSF said in the statement accompanying the list.

Guess that makes me a journalist by technicality.

'Anyone out of step is harshly dealt with. A word too many, a commentary that deviates from official line or a wrongly-spelled name and the author may be thrown in prison or draw then wrath of those in power.' In addition, RSF said, 'Harassment, psychological pressure, intimidation and round-the-clock surveillance are routine (in these countries).' East Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East are the regions where journalists have the greatest difficulty and 'where government repression or armed groups prevent the media from operating freely', RSF said. Among the Middle Eastern countries, Iran came 164th on the 167-nation list, Iraq ranked 157th and Afghanistan 125th. In East Asia, Burma came 163rd, China 159th and and Vietnam 158th.
That's one nasty list of shit. How can I be surprised North Korea is "#1"? The "crown of shit media" has rested in North Korea for a long time.

Up your asshole...

By JAMES BROOKE, the New York Times
October 21, 2005
TOKYO, Friday, Oct. 21 - North Korea is "fully committed" to return to nuclear disarmament talks in November and is showing "flexibility" on conditions for obtaining a light-water reactor, an American envoy to the North said here Friday. Fully committed to what? Sucking on the asshole of Kim Jong Il?

"They showed me flexibility on the light-water reactor issue," the envoy, Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, said in an interview. What did you show THEM?
Energy-poor North Korea has been seeking the reactor as the price for giving up its nuclear program. The North seems to want the reactor partly to save face for returning to international nuclear controls, Mr. Richardson said, adding, "In my opinion, it is an important issue, but not a deal breaker." So the nuclear issue is just a fucking backburner issue now, just like the Clinton years.
To make nuclear power in North Korea palatable to Washington, Mr. Richardson said, "they would be willing to have the U.S. participate in the fuel cycle at the front and back end."
I have little doubt the U.S will be taking it up the back end from North Korea...

Way too personal...

Kim Jong Il "Inspects" KPA Unit

Pyongyang, October 19, 2005 (KCNA) -- Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army Kim Jong Il, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission, zat it? inspected a women's unit of the KPA. He was greeted on the spot by commanding officers of the unit. He acquainted himself with the unit's performance of duty before watching the training of its "servicepersons". He learned about their service and living, looking round a military lecture room, an education room, a bedroom, a mess hall, a kitchen, a wash-cum-bath house, a subsidiary food store and other places of the unit. Yea, he probably "learned" some shit allRight... Then he watched an art performance given by its "servicepersons".















Their repertoire included poem and chorus "Let's Fly above the Clouds towards the General Star," chorus "Song of Thanks", song and dance "The Happiness of Living under the Care of the Respected Leader", chorus "The People Will Live Forever under His Care", solo and chorus "Blue Sky over My Country", chorus "Dear General, Where Are You" and other colorful numbers. Through their performance they truthfully represented the soldiers' unshakable faith, will and part of their worthwhile service. He had a photo session with the "servicepersons" of the unit. Superb!
He was accompanied by KPA Generals Ri Myong Su, Hyon Chol Hae and Pak Jae Gyong.

Meanwhile, back at home...

The Edmonton Sun, October 19, 2005 AP...
SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea said yesterday it doubts Washington's commitment to a landmark accord reached at the last nuclear talks, criticizing a recent U.S. allegation that the communist country was involved in money laundering.
The U.S. Treasury Department last month accused a Macau-based bank of helping North Korean customers distribute counterfeit currency and engage in other illegal activities.
Yesterday, an unidentified spokesman for the North's Foreign Ministry said the U.S. allegation was "nothing but a version of the trite psychological warfare conducted by the U.S. administration to justify its hostile policy" toward the North.

North Korea had fuckenwell better be prepared for REAL psychological warfare, when the inevitable happens, and they're all finally exposed to media that's NOT the K.C.N.A...

When's Thanksgiving?

Roast Chestnuts and Sweet Potatos Popular in Pyongyang
Pyongyang, October 18, 2005 (KCNA) -- Stalls along streets in Pyongyang are drawing customers for roast chestnuts and sweet potatoes these days. Not in days before? According to Kim Sung Thaek, a department director of the Ministry of Commerce, the commercial and catering service networks under the Pyongyang City Bureau for the Guidance of Public Service and the Pyongyang City People's Committee started serving roast chestnuts and sweat potatoes on the occasion of the 60th birthday of the Workers' Party of Korea. There are more than 310 roast chestnut and sweat potato stalls only in the main streets of the city, he added. Ok. That's a lot of fucking roasted chestnuts and sweet potatoes. What else could people eat? President Kim Il Sung instructed officials concerned to take measures for providing Pyongyang citizens with roast chestnuts and sweet potatoes. That was nice thing for that ghost to do... In order to carry it into practice leader Kim Jong Il saw to it that roast chestnut and sweat potato stalls have been set up in streets and chestnuts and sweat potatoes preferentially (and oppressively!) supplied to the city. Amid such care, stalls never ceased to serve roast chestnuts and sweat potatoes even in the period of the "Arduous March" and the forced march. The odor of roast chestnuts and sweat potatoes is a unique flavor in Korea during autumn. "Unique" as in... That's all there is to fucking eat...

Typical "Report"

Pyongyang, October 17, 2005 (KCNA) -- Bill Richardson, governor of New Mexico State of the United States, and his party arrived here Monday.

Kim Jong Il's Waterfall Palace...

Thanks again Google.
NKzone's Barry Briggs has a different one...

Slipped Item

Manichi, October 10 2005
PYONGYANG, North Korea -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Il reviewed a massive military parade in central Pyongyang on Monday as the communist state marked the 60th anniversary of its ruling party with vows to "mercilessly crush" American imperialists if they attack.

I wish George W. Bush would respond in kind... At a football game or something.

After thousands of goose-stepping soldiers, some with bayonet-tipped rifles, entered Pyongyang's main plaza in neat columns,












Kim appeared at the podium -- sparking deafening applause from the troops and audience members while hundreds of balloons were released into the air, North Korean TV showed. Soldiers repeatedly shouted "Long live!" and Kim responded by clapping his hands and waving.


How did I let this thrilling, depraved event slip by me?

Real Deal

Ian Cobain and David Leigh
Monday October 17, 2005 The Guardian
British American Tobacco, the world's second largest cigarette company, has secretly been operating a factory in North Korea for the past four years, the Guardian has learned. The company opened the plant in a joint venture with a state owned corporation shortly before the regime was denounced by George Bush as a member of the "axis of evil", and despite widespread concern over the country's human rights record.
BAT has never mentioned the factory in its annual accounts, and it is thought that many shareholders are unaware of its links with the country. The discovery of the secret factory comes two years after BAT was forced to pull out of Myanmar, formerly Burma, under pressure from the UK government and human rights campaigners. The human rights record of the communist regime in North Korea is widely regarded as even worse than that of the brutal military dictatorship in Burma.
At least they have stock in some REAL tobacco now. Look at all of the success opium farming has had in feeding North Korea('s elite)...
Hungry citizens can now enjoy a nice cigarette after a hearty meal of heroin.

The K.C.N.A's "take"

Rodong Sinmun on U.S. Senate's Decision to Cut down Cost for Research of Smaller Nukes

Pyongyang, October 13, 2005 (KCNA) -- The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee decided to deduct a total amount of 4.5 million US dollars, expenses for the research of smaller nukes, from the appropriations for the fiscal year 2006, which has put a brake on the U.S. administration's moves for military expansion to complete the development of nuclear weapons of practical use for smashing anti-U.S. independent countries, says Rodong Sinmun Thursday in a signed commentary. Can someone tell me how a more "practical" nuke is needed to "smash" another country? I think the existing nuclear weapons would do quite a "practical" job of completely destroying North Korea. Plus the fact conventional weapons were all that was needed to "smash" Saddam Hussein's army.

The deduction of a total expense for the research of smaller nukes deals a heavy blow to the neo-conservative forces of the U.S. in their attempt to pressurize those countries incurring their displeasure with nuclear weapons, the commentary notes. Bringing to light the reason why the U.S. Senate had no choice but to make such a decision, the commentary goes on: It really does, this time... The military expenditure of the U.S. dreaming of world domination has snowballed in recent years close to 500 billion US dollars. This is a record high in the U.S. history. It is, therefore, as clear as noonday that the U.S. is not in a position to squander a large amount of money for the research of smaller, better, less radioactive nukes given that anti-war spirit is mounting within the U.S. day by day and the public is growing suspicious about the U.S. occupation of Iraq. The decision is also related to the big chaos caused by increased damage by hurricane that swept the country in late August. This is what qualifies as "international news" in North Korea. As a result, the U.S. administration was compelled to stop developing the nukes because it found itself in a deplorable plight due to the tremendous expenses for Iraqi war and damage by hurricane Katrina. The U.S. bellicose forces were hit hard by it and have become limp. Like American Iraqi foreign policy???
The recent U.S. Senate decision shows that the U.S. warlike forces' moves for a nuclear war cannot go ahead as they intend. But the U.S. ambition for nuclear weapons will remain unchanged. As in, the U.S ambition to keep nuclear weapons out of the reach of Kim Jong Il.

The K.C.N.A rarely, if ever, talks about anything specific in America. They grossly prefer to use broad, inflammatory rhetoric...

Oplan 5027(it's just like ConPlan 5027).

U.S. Ambition for War Disclosed
Pyongyang, October 14, 2005 (KCNA) -- Kwon Yong Gil, lawmaker from the south Korean Democratic Workers' Party, on October 10 reportedly disclosed the fact that the United States and the south Korean authorities agreed to revise and supplement the "OPLAN 5027". Opening to the public the "guidelines for the operation plan of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command" which had been worked out at the 34th "South Korea-U.S. annual consultative meeting on security," he disclosed that the main goal of the plan is "to wipe out the army of the north, remove its regime and create conditions for unifying the Korean Peninsula" and others what "others"? and it calls for "revising and updating the existing the OPLAN 5027." The stipulation that conditions shall be created for unifying the Korean Peninsula, in particular, hints at the launch of a war against the north by the forces of the United States and south Korea, he charged. If it is true that the United States has no intention to attack or invade the north with nuclear and conventional weapons, the commitment made by it in the joint statement adopted at the fourth-round of the six-way talks, it should totally repeal all war scenarios against the north, he noted. Urging the United States to hold negotiations with the north to build a peace mechanism as early as possible as it had agreed to do so at the six-way talks, he declared that it is possible to ensure peace on the Korean Peninsula only when the U.S. rolls back its hostile policy towards the north and stop working out plans for a war of aggression and halt at once its military exercises under way according to them. The only people that direct American foreign policy are American. Seoul will be just fine WITH the presence of the U.S military.

Anyway, here's Oplan 5027

Pyongyang can credibly threaten the prompt destruction of Seoul with conventional arms alone. The North Korean military could also establish a shallow foothold across the DMZ. However, the DPRK's ability to sustain these offensive operations, or advance its forces further to the south, is questionable. South Korean and American air forces could quickly establish air supremacy and destroy North Korean ground forces. The ensuing buildup of US forces in Korea could reverse any remaining North Korean advances into the South, and unlease offensive operations into the North. North Korea does not require long-range missiles with nuclear, chemical, or biological warheads to devastate Seoul or to make a land grab across the DMZ. Such weapons are needed to deter or defeat an American counteroffensive into North Korea.
Pyongyang has the ability to start a new Korean War, but not to survive one.

Bad Director

By Jack Kim, PYONGYANG: North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has ordered the removal of a military attack scene from a performance of its Arirang mass games to avoid upsetting visitors from South Korea, a North Korean guide said 80-minute performance at the May Day Stadium in Pyongyang this week no longer contains a segment where North Korean special agents overpower enemy combatants, which are considered to be South Korean soldiers.

What a kind gesture!

"You may have noticed that there was no scene in today's performance where our soldiers attack the enemy,'' said Han Sung-chol, a North Korean guide chaperoning a group of South Koreans visiting Pyongyang earlier this week.''General Kim Jong Il has ordered that scene removed,'' Han said. ''The general noted that we have South Korean guests here and they are going to ask, 'Are they beating on the South Korean army?'"













So they replaced it with a scene of the powerlines Pyongyang will be using to suck the shit out of South Korea's electric grid, for free?THAT should be less offensive...
I guess this scene(from 2000) is supposed to offset the balance of the missing image of North Korea's nuclear power. Or the absence of electrical grids throughout the country...