NK NEWS BRIEF | December 04, 2013

A South Korean man watches a news report on the demise of Jang Song-taek at a railway station in Seoul, Dec. 3, 2013 | Photo: AFP

NK INTERNAL

• SK’s NIS reported that Jang Song-taek, KJU’s powerful uncle and an established member of the regime’s inner circle, has been removed from power. The NIS also claimed that two senior officials with close ties to JST were publicly executed last month. If confirmed, Jang’s ouster would be the biggest event in a series of purges by KJU as he consolidates his power. Jang was widely thought to have played a pivotal role in the transfer of power to KJU after KJI’s death in late 2011. The removal of Jang, unofficially considered to be number two in the regime’s hierarchy, could give Choe Ryong-hae, NK’s top political operative for its army, a path to more power.

• RFA: Copies of the show “Reply 1997,” a South Korean drama, are being “openly circulated” among young NKoreans. Flash drives containing the show can be bought for about 20 USD and DVD copies of the show are cheaper, at about 10 USD, according to sources.

• Last month NK joined the International Mobile Satellite Organization as part of its efforts to develop its maritime transportation and safety. NK plans to set up and operate 25 very high frequency wireless stations along its eastern and western coasts starting next year, and actively pursue projects that can better preserve the maritime environment.

• Ordinary citizens are not Interested in visiting the Munsu Water Park because “there are few people who would pay the price of a kilo of rice to go and play for the day.”

• NK, tied with Afghanistan and Somalia, shares last place in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, scoring only 8 out of 100. The global average score was 43.

ECONOMY & FOOD SECURITY

• For the third consecutive year, NK’s food production continues to improve; however, NK’s food system remains highly vulnerable to shocks, according to an FAO report. Despite a 5% increase in food output from a year earlier, an estimated 84% of households still have “borderline or poor food consumption.” Malnutrition in infants remains high and protein-rich foods are scarce.

• NK is offering incentives to farmers who are productive, while cutting food rations for those who under-perform, according to UN findings. Cooperative farms across the country are giving incentives to members in the form of extra rations in an attempt to fuel competitiveness in the farming sector.

• Daily NK: More meat shops are popping up in NK to serve the increased demand for meat products.

• Daily NK: PY is enjoying high food security with the public receiving normal rice distributions since October. Unfortunately, areas outside of the capital are not receiving the same scale of rice distribution.

• Daily NK: Many textile and clothing workers in and around PY have been receiving higher wages since September. The change is presumably designed to incentivize production and improve company efficiency.

• Yonhap: In an effort to boost the economy, NK has granted trade firms more autonomy by allowing them to set up their bases in places where exports are produced.

• NK/SK agreed to launch a radio frequency identification system to speed up the process of SKorean employees coming in and out of the KIC.

• A 55-year old SKorean employee was found dead at the KIC last Saturday. The cause of death is still unknown, but there were no signs of external injuries. He is thought to have died of heart failure.

HUMAN RIGHTS

• NK state media reported that detained US citizen Merrill Newman confessed to committing “hostile acts” against NK during the Korean War. Newman, once an advisor to the Kuwol unit, a military unit that inflicted tremendous damage on NK, admitted to training guerrillas whose attacks continued even after the war ended, and ordered operations that led to the death of dozens of NKorean soldiers and civilians. He originally planned to meet former Kuwol fighters in SK after his trip to the North. Read the full text of the apology and view a video of it here.

• European Alliance for Human Rights in North Korea (EAHRNK) invited Stephan Haggard and Scott Snyder to discuss the policy challenges, lessons learned by governments in their efforts to promote human rights in NK, the role of civil society, and the moral hazards of engagement versus isolation in a recent online forum.

INTERNATIONAL POLITICS & SECURITY

• Pew Research Center: In a survey of 2,003 adults nationwide, 67% of American people regard NK’s nuclear weapons as a major threat to the well-being of the US.

• Russia has signalled support for UN sanctions on NK by agreeing to ban the “direct or indirect deliveries, or sale of any products to the DPRK, or from the DPRK, if Russia decides that such products may facilitate the implementation of the DPRK’s nuclear, or ballistic missile programs.”

• Won Jeong Hwa, the first female NKorean spy to be arrested and tried in SK, recently gave an interview for SK’s Channel A. Won speaks about her acts of espionage and the relationships she formed with SKorean men to better carry out her duties.

• Reuters: 32 of the 35 NKorean crew members aboard the Chong Chon Gang, a NKorean vessel detained several months ago for trying to move undeclared weapons through the Panama Canal, are set to be freed and able to leave the country.

• IAEA: “Activities have been observed at the [Yongbyon] site that are consistent with an effort to restart the 5MW(e) reactor. However, as the [IAEA] has no access to the site, it is not possible for us to conclusively determine whether the reactor has been restarted.”

• 38 North: Construction of new facilities at the Tonghae Satellite Launching Ground in NK has resumed after a hiatus of nearly a year. Imagery also shows no signs that NK is planning another long-range rocket launch in 2013.

• 60 years after signing a bilateral pact to strengthen economic and cultural ties, China said it will “continue to deepen bilateral cooperation in economic and cultural fields [and] constantly strengthen the China-North Korea friendship.”

• China is unlikely to fundamentally shift its policy toward NK even if it conducts a fourth nuclear test, according to a report from the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

• PY called on SKoreans to rise up against the ROKG and demanded the NSL be abolished.

MISC.

• Seth Rogen and James Franco turned part of Vancouver into NK for their new film, The Interview.

• NK’s tablet re-appeared on ebay, this time selling for a much lower price.

• Pacman and Peso, two Washington DC-based rappers, filmed part of their music video in PY last week. The video is scheduled for release next month.

• NK hopes to finish in the top 15 at all future international sporting events to improve its international image.

• Jack Cheevers’ new book, Act of War, chronicles NK’s capture of  the USS Pueblo in international waters in 1968 and the 11-month detention of its crew.

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