NK NEWS BRIEF | August 28, 2013

Shin Dong-hyuk, far right, escaped from a NKorean prison camp in 2005. He testified to the UN COI at a public hearing in Seoul | Photo: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters

NK INTERNAL

• NFI on the use of Chinese mobile phones in NK: “On the border, security agents patrol the river banks with signal detection vehicles. It’s extremely risky to make a call in the area. In North Korea, mobile phones are kept off by default. They keep watch, and once the agents move away, they make a call from a hole, originally dug to store kimchi during the winter.”

• RFA: Ri Sol-ju’s love of designer brands has been a boon for a designer knockoff industry that caters to trendy NK youth.

• KCNA reports that coal miners continued mining for 19 hours after “hundreds of meters of pit ceiling fell down” even though they “could come out of the pit through an air tunnel.” “Their devoted efforts were prompted by a strong sense of patriotism to contribute to the country’s prosperity even a bit.”

• KCNA: KJU presided over an enlarged meeting of the Central Military Commission of the KWP, and promoted “the cause of the Songun revolution of the party.”

ECONOMY & FOOD SECURITY

• KCNA is promoting NK’s potential for tourism, promising new flights to PY from China, SE Asia and Europe, renovation of hotels. PY is also trying to attract more foreign investment into projects such as resorts, hotels and shops.

• RFA: KJU’s claim that NK will “drastically reduce the number of animals eating corn and rice bran” from early March still seems to be a priority. NK is pushing ahead with plans to rely on rabbits and goats as sources of meat, rather than pigs and poultry, because the latter consume grain that NK cannot spare.

• UN Country Team in DPRK: Humanitarian agencies inside NK are working to restore emergency stocks of food, non-food relief items, essential drugs and equipment in health facilities that were affected by July’s flooding. Even though “all immediate needs are considered met to the extent possible,” the situation remains difficult.

HUMAN RIGHTS

• NYT: Amid its public hearings in Seoul, the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the DPRK urged PY to allow them to visit. NK denied the commission’s request and called their ongoing inquiry “an interference with internal affairs” and “slander and provocation.” The COI heard public testimony from more than 40 witnesses in Seoul.

• The COI will begin public hearings in Tokyo at the end of this week. Commenting on those who will testify at the hearings—a number of which recently fled the north and have first-hand knowledge of human rights violations—Chairman Kirby said “we hope their brave decision to testify will raise the international profile of the human rights situation in North Korea – not just with a general global audience, but also among the member states of the United Nations.” In addition to human rights violations, hearings will address the abduction and fate of Japanese nationals in NK. To stay current on the hearings, visit the commission’s website.

• KCNA response to ROK support for COI process: “If one party does not recognize the ideology and social system of the other party but persists in the hostile acts of slandering and hurting it, not only the inter-Korean relations but the situation on the Korean Peninsula will get further strained. The issue of the “human rights” touted by the South Korean authorities is a trite method used by them whenever they are driven into a tight corner as it is a plot hatched by the U.S. and other hostile forces to justify their moves for hurting and stifling a sovereign state.”

REFUGEES

• ROK MOFA plans to launch a 5-person task force to deal with issues related to NK refugees who are en route to SK. The move is seen as coming partly in response to criticism of MOFA’s dealing with the Laos 9 case. Official: “Until now, the defector issues were managed by the ministry’s several different offices, which often hindered systematic responses from the early stages. The establishment of the new team is expected to allow us to work on the matter in an organized and swift way.” MOFA has also beefed up their staff in two diplomatic missions in SE Asia, and has revised policy guidelines for its overseas diplomatic missions on how to deal with the defector issues, calling for more proactive responses to the matter.

• Mr. Yoo, a defector who worked at Seoul City Hall who had access to information on defectors in Seoul, was acquitted of espionage charges by a Seoul court. His arrest and the allegations had caused significant anxiety amongst the defector community.  

• WSJ on NK’s “multi-pronged effort” to tackle the threat posed by defectors. “In order to counter the flow of defectors following the death of Kim Jong Il in late 2011, North Korea tightened border controls by increasing guards and surveillance cameras. Defector groups and experts say it has also sent more agents beyond its borders to apprehend refugees, and in recent months it has stepped up efforts to lure others back to be used into propaganda messages in support of the regime.”

• Last Friday, a NKorean man escaped across the West Sea to a SKorean island in the West Sea.

INTERNATIONAL POLITICS & SECURITY

• In April, Obama reportedly met with NK experts Lankov, Straub, Noland, Pollack and Lee Sung-yoon to discuss US strategy towards NK. Obama was reportedly briefed on NK marketization, encouraged to increase exchanges with NKoreans and teach them “everything but how to make nuclear weapons,” and was cautioned not to expect a change in Chinese govt policy towards NK.

• UNSG Ban on the possibility of a visit to NK: “I’ll review visiting North Korea at a proper time after consulting with the North Korean authorities and the South Korean government.” Ban was SK’s Foreign Minister under Roh Moo-hyun.

• Ambassador King will travel to NK on Friday to seek Kenneth Bae’s release.

• The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute believes that the Chong Chon Gang, the NKorean ship intercepted in the Panama Canal, was carrying contraband in an apparent violation of UN sanctions. Cuba denies any wrongdoing and claims “it was only sending equipment to North Korea for repairs and expected it to be returned.” However, the Swedish institute asserts that “[the weapons] were not ‘to be repaired and returned to Cuba.’” Panama’s ministry of public safety also cited a draft UN report as saying the shipment “undoubtedly violates the U.N. sanctions” on NK for its nuclear and long-range rocket tests.

• China’s representative to the SPT, Wu Dawei, visited PY as part of efforts to resume dialogue.

• NK expressed regret after SK proposed to delay talks on Mt. Kumgang by a week, in an attempt to separate them from family reunions.

• NK reacted angrily to Switzerland’s decision to block the sale of ski lift equipment to NK, as it considered it luxury goods subject to UN sanctions.

MISC

• KJU’s nephew Kim Han-sol is to study at France’s prestigious Sciences-Po university.  

• One of four NKoreans in SK to to participate in the UN Youth Leadership Program, Ju Hyok ([North] Korean University of Physical Education): “There are many programs here on development and peace here, but we also do a lot for the environment and gender equality in our country too. We are going to learn a lot here and adapt it to fit our country’s needs.”

• New HRNK publication on changes in NK’s prison camps.

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