North Korea v USA Mega Merge.

Gatling

Strawberry Milkshake wrote: »

I don't think that Panorama will be aired. There are some fears that showing it could also endanger the students that were involved in the filming. Forged documents to get them into Korea et al. BBC may be in a bit of trouble again.

BBC have stated the broadcast will go ahead as planned

Strawberry Milkshake

Strawberry Milkshake wrote: »

I don't think that Panorama will be aired. There are some fears that showing it could also endanger the students that were involved in the filming. Forged documents to get them into Korea et al. BBC may be in a bit of trouble again.

LSE upset about undercover student.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22140716
The London School of Economics has demanded the BBC withdraw Monday's Panorama programme about North Korea.
It said Panorama reporter John Sweeney posed as one of its PhD students on a university society trip in order to film undercover in the country.
The BBC said the students were told a journalist was among the group and warned of the risks.
But LSE said students were "not given enough information to enable informed consent" and were "endangered".

Solair

This is always a big issue. Many other journalists have gone in as tourists with tour groups and probably as students too.

You can be sure that plenty of security agency operatives have posed as legitimate visitors too.

There's always an inherent risk that someone in your party isn't who they say they are if you are visiting a paranoid dictatorship.

It's a hard one to call to be honest. The BBC could do a lot to expose what's going on in North Korea in terms of the humanitarian tragedy that it is and perhaps it's coverage might speed up reforms.

Does that public good angle outweigh the ongoing student trips?

Did they really put the students in any more danger than they already were in? It's possibly the regime could have taken a notion they were spying at any time.

It's a tough call but I'm sure the BBC will get beaten up over it as per usual.

There should have ideally been informed consent though for the group of students. It's an ethical nightmare for a journalist though as you'd need to sneak in somehow. It's entirely impossible to just roll up and say "hey I'd like to do a documentary On your reeducation camps"

Undercover work like this can improve the lives of millions of people. It tends to keep crazy regimes on their toes.

Sonics2k

Solair wrote: »

It's their dead (but still technically in office) president's birthday on Monday which is what has me wondering if something's going to go off.

Quite an odd setup they have, he's the "Eternal President of the Republic" which is an oxymoron as it's effectively making him a god/monarch, something that's completely contrary to the definition of a republic.

You must be new to the whole North Korea thing, right?

Solair

Sonics2k wrote: »

You must be new to the whole North Korea thing, right?

I don't get your point. Are you new to bulletin boards?

Sonics2k

Solair wrote: »

I don't get your point. Are you new to bulletin boards?

North Korea only claims itself as a Republic, but it's the farthest thing from it.

And yes, they do push the view that Grandaddy Kim is a deity.

paddy147

Is he going to fire the fcuking missle or what???

If he doesnt then hes just shown "his people" thats hes an absolute bullsh1tter and weak.

stevedublin

paddy147 wrote: »

If he doesnt then hes just shown "his people" thats hes an absolute bullsh1tter and weak.

this is why I think he will fire a missile, though probably into the sea/not a land target.
Question is, would US or Japan shoot it down and how would NK react to that?

JJayoo

paddy147 wrote: »

Is he going to fire the fcuking missle or what???

If he doesnt then hes just shown "his people" thats hes an absolute bullsh1tter and weak.

"His people" only see and hear what the government decides to show them. You can be sure that the people of North Korea think the rest of the world is trying to attack North Korea and that the mighty North has put them all in their place.

ScumLord

paddy147 wrote: »

If he doesnt then hes just shown "his people" thats hes an absolute bullsh1tter and weak.

He can just say they did fire the missile and the rest of the world is in ruins and no one in N.Korea would be any the wiser.

Solair

ScumLord wrote: »

He can just say they did fire the missile and the rest of the world is in ruins and no one in N.Korea would be any the wiser.

More likely he'll come out with the story that he's somehow threatened the rest of the world into submission with the overwhelming firepower of their new rocket or whatever.

Complete and utter b/s but, they don't know the difference as they've absolutely no other source of information.

North Korea's access to international media would make China look like a bastion of freedom of speech.

Opening up access to information into NK is one thing that would probably bring the regime down very fast. They need to start getting TVs and satellite dishes to mysteriously slip over the border in much larger quantities.
Although, looking at the night-time light map, it doesn't seem like they've very much electricity to run these things on.

Conmaicne Mara

This is a bit like watching Season 2 of The Walking Dead, dragging on a bit now.

Gatling

1 hour 7 mins to April 15

Come on Kim

Push the Button

Banjo String

Gatling wrote: »

1 hour 7 mins to April 15

Come on Kim

Push the Button

It's already been 15 th of April for seven of our earth's hours as I type this.

Celly Smunt

SamHall wrote: »

It's already been 15 th of April for seven of our earth's hours as I type this.

You mean to tell me not everybody revolves around GMT :eek:

Meglamonia

Wish someone could ramp up the rhetoric inside here starting to get quiet thought today would be busy.

Solair

Korea Time on Google Click Here

8:42 AM
Monday, April 15, 2013 (KST)
Time in North Korea


I'm guessing since nothing's gone off already and it's well after dawn, that nothing will.

JONJO THE MISER

reportedly no parades or other large events to take place in DPRK capital today. greater chance of indication of test today..if no big event or parade being held today chance of launch just went way up, indication leadership laying low before launch.

Gatling

We're all still here

I'm going to bed

Weathering

Is it just me or has fck all happened since the threats

JONJO THE MISER

N. Korea believed to be ready for missile launch: Seoul's defense chief.

Mr. G

Their marking Kim Ill Sung aswell birthday. I have a friend from south korea and he says that he doesn't think they will. Nothings happened yet.

Solair

It's well into the evening / night time now and nothing's happened so I doubt it will.

Looks like the media bought-in to a lot of hype from the propaganda department at DPRK

positron

Yep, basically DPRK won again as they got what they set out to achieve - attention from US and an offer of direct talks (even if it comes with the demand for nuclear disarmament) which usually results in a lot of aid into the country.

L.Jenkins

Anyone taking any bets? If so, I'll put a €5 on each way!

books4sale

Solair wrote: »

Looks like the media bought-in to a lot of hype from the propaganda department at DPRK

First correction...the western media.

Second correction... they didn't buy into anything, they sold and a naive western audience who don't know any different bought into it.

Sensationlism sells!

old hippy

gallag wrote: »

And the hundreds of thousands of Koreans in the labour camps? Will peace help them? War is sometimes needed.

A nuclear conflict is not going to improve those poor bastards lives.

opinion guy

Solair wrote: »

Korea Time on Google Click Here

8:42 AM
Monday, April 15, 2013 (KST)
Time in North Korea


I'm guessing since nothing's gone off already and it's well after dawn, that nothing will.

Ha by chance I just clicked on this for it to say North Korean time 11:59pm - he has one minute left!

Gatling

Itzy wrote: »

Anyone taking any bets? If so, I'll put a €5 on each way!

I'll join you in that wager

666irishguy

old hippy wrote: »

A nuclear conflict is not going to improve those poor bastards lives.

I'd gladly chose the nuclear fireball instead of spending the rest of my days breaking rocks in a gulag any day.