North Korea in leadership reshuffle, Choe Yong-rim has replaced Kim Yong

Raedwald · 08-06-2010 01:38PM

A key move by Kim Jong-Il in the last few days.

Its all part of his strategy to ensure his youngest son takes complete control when he dies/step backs in the next couple of years.

The New York Times had an interesting piece a couple of weeks ago about how the sinking of the South Korean ship was linked to a decision by Kim to give his heir a powerful military position, and that the sinking was a key part of this by showing their military strength.

Also their recents announcements that they have full nuclear capabilties is also part of this show of power to ensure the continuation of the Kim dynasty.

Biggins · 08-06-2010 01:44PM

A small reminder of how mad their thinking is: http://www.independent.ie/world-news/asia-pacific/kim-jongil-bans-world-cup-coverage--unless-north-korea-win-1953046.html

admiralofthefleet · 08-06-2010 01:47PM

That_Guy wrote: »

Wonder if they'll be allowed to watch the World Cup now.

no point, they've already won it...

Raedwald · 08-06-2010 01:51PM

Its mad like the coach has publicly stated that anything less then last 8 would be a failure.

Going by their recent friendly results in any other group they would be a challenge but given the group their in I would expect 3 comfortable wins for the opposition.

Biggins · 08-06-2010 01:55PM

Raedwald wrote: »

...The New York Times had an interesting piece a couple of weeks ago about how the sinking of the South Korean ship was linked to a decision by Kim to give his heir a powerful military position, and that the sinking was a key part of this by showing their military strength.

Read that article. It was very good and informative.
In a similar vein, here is an earlier one: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/28/world/asia/28north.html

* http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1991612,00.html?xid=rss-topstories#ixzz0p1YpNilB
* http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/8701959.stm
* http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1991612,00.html?xid=rss-topstories#ixzz0p1YpNilB
* http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A41966-2003Oct3?language=printer

They really are living in a time warp.

Raedwald · 08-06-2010 02:04PM

Yep read that as well, both very good.

Something I felt was inevitably going to happen. Suppose we should be glad thats all it was and not the North wanting to go back to war.

Would of put America and China and their relationship in a very tricky position given they currently back opposing sides.

Biggins · 08-06-2010 02:12PM

I think one of the shocking facts to emerge was that China hands back to the North Korean authorities, those that have managed to escape.

Given that its know the North Koreans carry out chemical experiments on their prisoners, if the poor sods survive, they do so for ever in a hell of pain!
(See for example, paragraph titled "Not A Human Existence": here)

Shocking stuff.

OutlawPete · 08-06-2010 02:34PM

You know, people can be as judgmental about North Korea if they like but they have a complex history, just like all countries.

I realise that their human rights problems are abysmal but what happened in that part of the world at the end of WWII and since, was also abysmal.

They watched as the US dropped two Atomic bombs on Japan that wiped out hundreds of thousands of people in those two split seconds, just to try and impress the soviet union.

Is it any wonder that they refused to participate in what the UN wanted back then. They fought their civil war and I actually have respect for them as an independent country.

Both North and South Korea have been used throughout history as pawns in a game of Chess between the US and the Russa.

Democratic country's leaders can label North Korea an "axis of evil" as much as they want, but lets not forget, that the US brought death on destruction on a gigantic scale to their allies and so they should be forgiven for not exactly wanting to play bosom buddies with the US after WWII and ever since.

Biggins · 08-06-2010 02:47PM

OutlawPete wrote: »

You know, people can be as judgmental about North Korea if they like but they have a complex history, just like all countries.

I realise that their human rights problems are abysmal but what happened in that part of the world at the end of WWII and since, was also abysmal.

They watched as the US dropped two Atomic bombs on Japan that wiped out hundreds of thousands of people in those two split seconds, just to try and impress the soviet union.

Is it any wonder that they refused to participate in what the UN wanted back then. They fought their civil war and I actually have respect for them as an independent country.

Both North and South Korea have been used throughout history as pawns in a game of Chess between the US and the Russa.

Democratic country's leaders can label North Korea an "axis of evil" as much as they want, but lets not forget, that the US brought death on destruction on a gigantic scale to their allies and so they should be forgiven for not exactly wanting to play bosom buddies with the US after WWII and ever since.

All true but there is also the aspect that they are cutting their nose off to spite their face.

In other words, if North Korea want to take an attitude of "stuff the evil USA" then they shouldn't also over-reach and cut themselves off from lesser aligned (with the states) countries that are still modern and could be of help to them. How many few countries are they friendly with? (Genuine question.)

SugarHigh · 08-06-2010 02:57PM

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/asia_pacific/10263325.stm

China says a North Korean border guard shot and killed three people near the countries' border last week.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told a regular news conference in Beijing that the four residents of Dandong, in Liaoning province, had been shot "on suspicion of crossing the border for trade activities".

"China attaches great importance to that and has immediately raised a solemn representation with the DPRK," he said, using North Korea's full name (Democratic People's Republic of Korea).

OutlawPete · 08-06-2010 03:04PM

Biggins wrote: »

All true but there is also the aspect that they are cutting their nose off to spite their face.

I agree, but it is understandable on some level.

I seen a docu a few years back where the government allowed in Eye Surgeons and they recorded these doctors giving eye sight back to people that had lost it due to cataracts and the like, all very easily rectifiable.

They have been near famine at times, so I do see the attitude of 'come on out of the dark ages' being an apt one, but it is all a little sanctimonious to criticize them over testing nuclear weapons when you take into account who it is who is actually criticizing them.

Biggins wrote: »

In other words, if North Korea want to take an attitude of "stuff the evil USA" then they shouldn't also over-reach and cut themselves off from lesser aligned (with the states) countries that are still modern and could be of help to them. How many few countries are they friendly with? (Genuine question.)

Well, none - as they have an isolation policy.

Of course, without support from China and South Korea they would fall apart but they still seem convinced they can make it alone.

Biggins · 08-06-2010 03:16PM

OutlawPete wrote: »

...it is all a little sanctimonious to criticize them over testing nuclear weapons when you take into account who it is who is actually criticizing them...

True.
As are a lot of the other things you mention.

In all, its just a pity, they are partly if not wholly, responsible for the present conditions within their own state.
Then again, their section leaders are living too within their own isolated world too, even within the state.

JONJO THE MISER · 08-06-2010 03:17PM

And News Just in now http://news.ie.msn.com/world/article.aspx?cp-documentid=153691088.
This could be bad for North Korea as China are one of there bigest Allies.

Biggins · 08-06-2010 03:20PM

SugarHigh wrote: »

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/asia_pacific/10263325.stm

JONJO THE MISER wrote: »

And News Just in now http://news.ie.msn.com/world/article.aspx?cp-documentid=153691088.
This could be bad for North Korea as China are one of there bigest Allies.

They will probably place the full blame on the soldier who did the shooting, deny any pre-existing orders (if necessary) and China will do bugger all after that for well known reasons.

Thomas828 · 08-06-2010 04:55PM

So Choi Yong-Rim replaces Kim Yong. Goodbye, Tweedledum, hello, Tweedledee.

Raedwald · 08-06-2010 09:24PM

Yes it is ironic that the country that criticizes the North Koreans most is America, the country with the worlds biggest weapons arsenal and god only knows how many nuclear weapons and for the moment the worlds only superpower.

American criticism of North Korean nuclear weapons programmes, acutally any countries nuclear weapons programmes always ends up coming off as " only we are allowed nuclear weapons and we only allow other countries in the world nuclear weapons because grudgingly we cannot control them".

The country is very interesting to study and try comprehend, yes it has been screwed over by the international community specially after WW II and america should not of gotten involved in its civil war. But it has also put itself in this position through its isolation policies and the beliefs of a few mad man who control the whole country and its people and have done for the last sixty years.

Nadurlann · 09-06-2010 02:11AM

If North Korea are put out of the world cup, are we in with a chance.:D

ballsymchugh · 09-06-2010 02:30AM

Raedwald wrote: »

The country is very interesting to study and try comprehend, yes it has been screwed over by the international community specially after WW II and america should not of gotten involved in its civil war. But it has also put itself in this position through its isolation policies and the beliefs of a few mad man who control the whole country and its people and have done for the last sixty years.

it has been screwed over, but most of it is it's own making. kim il sung was a soviet puppet that fell out with stalin back in the day and then he came up with his own juche ideal which made the north koreans think they could do things on their own. now after a serious famine a few years ago, most of the food in the country is brought in by the world food program. the public transport is made up of trams the like that would've been seen in dublin around the easter rising, the roads are deserted and falling apart, and the only images on display are propaganda on the wisdom of the eternal president and the might of the worker's party. most north koreans won't even know who or what this new guy is.

whoever kim jong il puts in charge, kim il sung will always be the president...

Capt'n Midnight · 09-06-2010 02:38AM

OutlawPete wrote: »

You know, people can be as judgmental about North Korea if they like but they have a complex history, just like all countries.

I realise that their human rights problems are abysmal but what happened in that part of the world at the end of WWII and since, was also abysmal.

They watched as the US dropped two Atomic bombs on Japan that wiped out hundreds of thousands of people in those two split seconds, just to try and impress the soviet union.

Is it any wonder that they refused to participate in what the UN wanted back then. They fought their civil war and I actually have respect for them as an independent country.

Both North and South Korea have been used throughout history as pawns in a game of Chess between the US and the Russa.

Democratic country's leaders can label North Korea an "axis of evil" as much as they want, but lets not forget, that the US brought death on destruction on a gigantic scale to their allies and so they should be forgiven for not exactly wanting to play bosom buddies with the US after WWII and ever since.

Eh are you forgetting the whole Chosen thing with Japan. And the involvement of China.

Perhaps the atomic bombs were to impress the Russians, but the Russians did impress the yanks with August Storm

m@cc@ · 09-06-2010 02:41AM

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

Eh are you forgetting the whole Chosen thing with Japan. And the involvement of China.

I was thinking the same thing.

mise_me_fein1 · 09-06-2010 04:00AM

Here's a look into North Korea

it's a 60 min documentary on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ6E3cShcVU

the people are brainwashed and China stands by because North Korea is just a buffer between it and US backed South Korea.

This is a pretty crazy image.....look at the electricity difference in the north and south:

http://fourthcorner.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/1207koreaelectricitygrikf0.jpg

m@cc@ · 09-06-2010 04:07AM

mise_me_fein1 wrote: »

This is a pretty crazy image.....look at the electricity difference in the north and south:

http://fourthcorner.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/1207koreaelectricitygrikf0.jpg

Good to see what despite all the negativity surrounding North Korea, they're leading the way as far as energy conservation goes.

SIX PACK · 14-06-2010 02:16PM

That_Guy wrote: »

Wonder if they'll be allowed to watch the World Cup now.

HERE IS AN INTERESTING COLUM THAT I READ ABOUT NORTH KOREA'S World Cup Campaign.. Apparenlty the DPRK tried to pass a striker off as a goalkeeper. According to the Los Angeles Times:

For reasons that are not entirely clear, North Korea seems to have to learn everything the hard way.

Take the World Cup, for example. The rules clearly state that a team must be made up of 23 players, three of whom must be goalkeepers.

But North Korea decided to select only two real goalkeepers and named a striker as its third goalkeeper. The idea was to carry 21 field players compared to 20 for all other 31 competing teams.

Cheating, is what it amounted to, really.

But FIFA, decided that this was not at all sporting and has told North Korea that by designating forward Kim Myong-won as a goalkeeper means that he can only play as a goalkeeper during the tournament.

In other words, the North Korean ploy backfired in two ways: The team has only two goalkeepers at its disposal — so an injury and a red card would leave it with none — and it can’t use Kim at all, unless it wants to put a forward in the net.

Not that it matters in the long run. Coach Kim Jong-hun’s team plays Brazil, the Ivory Coast and Portugal in the first round, after which it will be on a plane headed home. All it has achieved by the bizarre move is to ruin what little chance it had, which was none.

But perhaps that was the real ploy all along. Now North Korea can claim a conspiracy to deprive it of the right to field its best team. Not that North Korean fans will know anything about the tournament. The country’s oddball leader, Kim Jong Il, said last year that only North Korean victories could be shown on television.

Since there are likely to be none of those, the fans are out of luck.

Their fans in South Africa have been shut out, too, since North Korea arrived. The team has held four training sessions and has barred foreign reporters from all of them.

Embarrassment, no doubt.

But there are some North Korea fans who will be traveling to South Africa: The Chongryun. According to the Wall Street Journal:

An excited bunch of about 50 soccer fans are set to fly out from Tokyo June 14 for a historic game at the World Cup in South Africa. Not to watch Japan, though –- to follow their preferred team, North Korea.

A majority of Japan’s 600,000 ethnic Korean population prefers to cheer for North Korea, rather than its southern neighbor. And as part of its World Cup promotional campaign, the North Korean Football Association of Japan (in Japanese), a Tokyo-based soccer organization that runs leagues for the North Korean-affiliated community in Japan, has organized tours to watch the games in South Africa, as well as selling team merchandise online.

According to Lee Kang Hong, who works at the NKFA, there will be approximately 50 people from all over Japan traveling to South Africa to cheer on the “Chollima”, meaning winged horses, when they take on heavyweight Brazil in its first game on June 15. Mr. Lee, who will also be making the journey to Johannesburg, says the five-night trip to the host nation costs 630,000 yen ($6,900) per person. While there are two tours in the works, no one has signed up for the second trip to watch North Korea’s second game against Portugal, according to Mr. Lee.

But the Portugal game looms large in NFKA’s Japan plans. A bright red t-shirt emblazoned with the slogan “1966 Again” might have proved popular with fans of England, still longing for a repeat of its only victory in the tournament. But the shirt actually recalls the near miraculous upset North Korea pulled off against Italy in the 1966 World Cup in England before succumbing in the quarter-finals to Portugal.

The t-shirt is on sale for 2,500 yen ($27), while a scarf costs 1,500 yen ($16). Those with a bit more to spend can snag a replica of the team uniform for 12,000 yen ($130). But demand hasn’t been brisk so far: less than 100 items have been sold thus far, according to Mr. Lee.

Still, the apparel will also be sold at the various organized festivities to be held in school gymnasiums and restaurants around Tokyo when North Korea takes the field in its World Cup rematch against Portugal June 21. Similar events were held in late May to send off the three players born in Japan who will be playing for North Korea and hail from the tight-knit community of Japanese-born ethnic Koreans who affiliate themselves with Pyongyang.

As for the team’s prospects in South Africa, a repeat performance of the 1966 run would stun the entire world of soccer. But then again, the team wasn’t exactly a hot favorite 44 years ago either.

North Korean's are not allowed to watch foreign media channels. Their not even allowed Cell phones or any phones for that matter.

I like to google info on North Korea.. But its 1 deprived HELL hole especially when you have a Dictator Nearly worse than Hitler

check out this link http://www.nkeconwatch.com/ Its Heart breaking what those people have to endure

North Korea in leadership reshuffle, Choe Yong-rim has replaced Kim Yong

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