Swine flu and Cold weather in North Korea

  News reports that North Korea is recently being 'invaded' by Influenza A / H1N1, also known as 'swine flu'. There are already more than 80 thousand confirmed cases.
World Health Organization (WHO) will aid DPRK 35,000 vaccines, currently 5000 have reached the country.

  International Sanctions seem to work, as recently the country is suffering from sky-rocketing oil price and lack of electricity and heat. There is still a month left for winter season on calendar, but the winter in North Korea has still a long way to go.
Flu breaks out every winter. Keep warm and don't catch a cold!

3 deaths daily in North Korean concentration camp

  We all know and some even remember the notorious crime of Holocaust and Jewish concentration camps in history, but unfortunately humans seem not learning from history, and repeat the mistakes.

  A former North Korean prisoner "Eun Sook"(anonym) described the situation in the concentration camp she was in. Prisoners were frequently beaten, and forced labor. Thousands of people were in the camp, and it was very difficult to even move a bit during sleep since so many people were placed in small rooms. Life conditions were extremely bad, and 3 people died per day on average. She was placed in a camp near Chinese border, "Kyo-hwa-so No.12". Prisoners in this camp were mainly those who tried to escape to China but repatriated. The products they were made under forced labor were later sold to China.

Yesterday, January 27 was International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
May those souls rest in peace, and Never Again.

Holocaust rememberance day. Rex Tillerson comments

I have got news for you buddy. it's happening right now in North Korea.

I do not think he does not know about it either

Also, here is another good article by Robert Park written way back in 2011 about the genocide in North Korea

http://hir.harvard.edu/article/?a=2849

북한이탈주민이 미국으로 이민을 가고자 할 때 난민 신청 서류

북한이탈주민이 미국으로 이민을 가고자 할 때 무엇을 해야 할까?

UNHCR (UN난민기구)에 미국으로 난민을 가고 싶다는 난민 신청 서류를 접수해야 한다.

직접 방문해도 되지만 Online으로도 접수가 가능하다.

http://www.unhcr.org/en-us/how-to-apply.html

난민신청 서류를 접수받은 UNHCR에서 서류의 진실성을 조사한 후 Interview를 한다.

난민으로 인정을 받으려면 남한에서 인권 침해를 받은 것을 증명해야 한다.

북한이탈주민이라는 이유로 차별을 받았거나, 모욕을 당했거나, 폭력의 피해를 입었다는 증거를 꾸준하게 모아야 한다.  난민으로 인정받으려면 인권 침해의 증거가 필요하다.

Event at Harvard Kennedy school, Cambridge, Massachusetts this Saturday

Finally, a North Korean event in my area, Massachusetts, and I will attend

Just putting it out there if anyone is around the area this Saturday.

https://www.nkinusa.org/updates/2018/01/voices-of-north-korean-refugees-with-vice-president-grace-jo-and-board-member-andrew-hong-this-saturday-january-27/

The abandoned elderly of North Korea

Sadly, this shows a degradation in morality in North Korean society

This is another good article from DailyNK and below that, there is the Asiapress six-part series.

http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?num=14717&cataId=nk02900

Here is the Asiapress series on the abandoned elderly

http://www.asiapress.org/rimjin-gang/tag/elderly/

South Koreans burn Kim Jong Un posters

If you watch this short report by RT (Russia Today), notice that the focus is on the nukes. not about the human rights abuses

People getting frostbite after being forced to work on state projects

Working without compensation and no protective gear provided, people are turning to the markets for protective winter gear.

Temperatures are in the minuses now

-2

°

F

H: -2°

L: -5°

Pyongyang

Tuesday, 23 January

See 7-Day Forecast

Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun	Mon
+2°	+6°	+11°	+13°	+15°	+8°
-13°	-13°	-15°	-17°	-16°	-9°

http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?num=14963&cataId=nk01500

North Koreans forced to pay for building elderly facilities

  North Korea is recently building some more care facilities for elderlies, to save face and "look good" from the outside world.

  According to a local resident, fees needed for construction, such as workers' payments and materials, are withdrawn directly from people's money. It is said that people have to pay more taxes and even contribute 10kg of corn per family member, to support the construction.
The state wants more and more from people, but not giving anything in return.

  Meanwhile, the supreme leader enjoys daily cuisines, with caviar, cheese, XO liquor and heavy smoking. Is this the definition of "Communism", to "smash the classes"?

북한이탈주민이 미국으로 이민을 오고 싶을 때 어떤 절차를 밟을까?

북한이탈주민은 대한민국 국민이다.  대한민국은 헌법에서 대한민국의 영토에 한반도 전체를 포함하고 있다. 북한도 대한민국의 한 부분이다. 그렇다면 북한주민은 북쪽 지역에 살고 있는 대한민국 국민이다.

세계에서는 어떤 시각으로 북한을 바라볼까? 북한은 UN에서 하나의 국가로 가입되어 있다.  그렇다면 북한도 하나의 국가일까? 물론 남한은 북한을 하나의 국가로 인정하지 않고 있다.

북한이탈주민이 남한에 자유를 찾아 왔지만 차별과 불이익을 당할 수 있다. 어떤 사람들은 남한에서 경제적 또는 정신적으로 고통을 받다가 북한으로 다시 돌아가는 사람도 있다. 정말 미안하고 답답한 마음이 든다. 도대체 얼마나 큰 견딜 수 없는 고통을 받은 것일까?

북한이탈주민이 남한에 적응하지 못하고 제3국으로 가고 싶을 때 어떤 절차를 밟을까?

특히 북한이탈주민이 미국으로 이민을 가고 싶다면 어떤 절차를 밟을까?
어디에 물어보아야 할까?

New article out of Asiapress documenting Jongdori detention camp

The Asiapress website has been sporadic lately with pages half loading or not loading at all so i did snapshots of the whole article. two pages.

http://www.asiapress.org/rimjin-gang/report/horrific-north-korean-prison/

first time seeing one of these camps at ground level

2nd sodier crossing DMZ reveals NK regime's shaky credibility

  In recent months, 2 soldiers from the North fearlessly crossed the DMZ into South Korea. Facing multiple sanctions, starvation has severed even People did not fear death to embrace freedom. To some of them, perhaps death is more fortunate than living under this type of ordeal.

  Former NK diplomat to UK who defected the countries says the ones NK regime fears most is its PEOPLE. This is same for all the world's evil regimes.

  Kim Jong Un has used several extreme measures to prevent NK soldiers from further defection, which reveals his anxiety and fear. His days are not so peaceful either, fearing that anyone can give him a coup anytime.

"Freedom House" 's new statistics 2018

  International Human Rights organization "Freedom House" released the new statistics on degree of Freedom. Not surprisingly, North Korea only scored 3 out of 100, although not the worst among the world. Indeed, North Koreans are still ensured with some freedom - the freedom to eat, freedom to sleep, and freedom to breathe.
 
  China also gained a notoriously low score of 14. Russia was 20, while South Korea has 84.

  The link is below where you can have a more comprehensive picture:
https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/freedom-world-2018

Green states being Free, yellow ones partially free, and purple ones not free.

 

Crackdown on foreign media continues

This is a sign that the regime feels a real threat to their authority.
Sadly, ordinary people trying to communicate with friends and relatives or do business are stifled by the threat of severe punishment.
If caught and if they don't have the money to bribe their way out of it, they know they are in real trouble.

nice huh?

http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?num=14952&cataId=nk01500

Countries now afraid of upsetting China by bringing up human rights issues

because China is such an economic power now, it looks like the trend is to not upset china in favor of trade deals.
Again. it's all about the money and human rights abuses come second.

The article gives several examples of which countries are looking the other way if favor of China

http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2101795/how-china-buys-silence-worlds-human-rights-critics

Newsletter from Suzanne Scholte from the defence forum foundation (affiliate of NKinUSA)

Suzanne sends out newsletters with news and events from time to time so I am just passing along in case anyone is in Washington, D.C. and wants to attend a hearing and briefing regarding human rights issue in North Korea.

She mentions a book called "the accusation" which is worth reading.
it was written by a north korean living in north korea. it highlights the failure, betrayal, etc of the north korean state in seven individual stories.

Here is her email.

Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. 

The yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself.   

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

A lie cannot live.  

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dear Friends:

As those of us in the USA celebrate today the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, I begin this message with two quotes above - of so many great ones - he made during his lifetime!  

Thank you to all of you who helped this past year with our efforts to promote the freedom, human rights and dignity of the North Korean people.  I am pleased to report that the December expanded broadcast of Free North Korea Radio was hugely successful.  Frankly speaking, partnerships between the defector NGOs in South Korea with people and organizations outside the Korean peninsula, will be absolutely critical in 2018.  So, this will be a huge focus for us this coming year because as the defectors keep telling us the key to peaceful change in North Korea is information: the truth will set them free.  Thank you for those who volunteered with your time and talent to lead efforts in cities around the world for international events like Save North Korea Refugees Day and for those who walked the halls of the U.S. Congress with us last month to deliver petitions from American citizens, and to those of you who have given your treasure to support the work of the defector NGOs getting information to North Korea through many methods.

And now for some upcoming events and important announcements:

The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittees on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade and on Asia and the Pacific: will host a hearing on Wednesday, January 17, at 2 pm in Rayburn 2172 on the topic: "More Than a Nuclear Threat: North Korea’s Chemical, Biological, and Conventional Weapons."  Witnesses will include Anthony Cordesman, Ph.D. of the Center for Strategic and International Studies; John Parachini of RAND Corporation, andAnthony Ruggiero of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.  The hearing is open to the public, but you can also watch online at http://www.ForeignAffairs.house.gov

The U.S. Congressional International Religious Freedom Caucus will host a briefing on Thursday, January 18, at 2:30-3:30 pm in Rayburn 2456 on the topic: "Imprisoning Their Minds: How the Lack of Freedom of Thought, Conscience, Religion and Belief Keeps North Koreans Living in the Dark."  Witnesses will include the world's leading expert on Juche (North Korea's state religion), Dr. Thomas J. Belke (Capt, USNR. etc) and Choe Gwankhyuk, who led an underground church in North Korea.  The briefing is  open to the public.  If you want to understand how North Koreans think, this is a must attend event. RSVP to: Miranda.Robinson@mail.house.gov

IBA's Inquiry on Crimes Against Humanity in North Korean Political Prisons, which was released in December, is now available on line at this link Inquiry Report  Spearheaded by Michael Maya, Director of the International Bar Association’s North America Office, the findings of this nearly two-year inquiry conclude that Kim Jong-un and members of his regime have committed ten of the eleven crimes against humanity enumerated in the Rome Statute, the treaty that created the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The Accusation -- Now Also Available in Paperback: I ordered more copies of The Accusation! just for you.  We now have both paperback and hard back copies of the only dissident book from North Korea.  It was written by someone still living in the DPRK who uses the pseudonym BANDI, which means Firefly in Korean as he is shining a light out of the darkness.  If you would like to order a copy, donate $15.50 for paper back or $20.50 for hard back on line at www.defenseforumfoundation.org

More Partners Needed for Free North Korea Radio's Daily Broadcast: We need more partners for the short wave transmission costs of Free North Korea Radio for 2018.  This amazing partnership between American citizens, Korean Americans, churches in the USA, who pay for the shortwave transmission, and the North Korean defectors in South Korea, who prepare the broadcast, has made it possible for Free North Korea Radio to remain the most popular single program broadcasting to North Korea and to remain on the air every day!   Our goal is to spread the burden to many so that it will be light.  For example, some folks donate $10, $25, $50 a month while some churches donate $50, $250,$500 a month.  If you want to become a partner in this amazing work, please visit www.defenseforumfoundation.org  ; If you need more information to make a decision, you can also hear directly from Han Ga Hee of FNKR's staff who testified as the 2nd witness at this Congressional hearing in December at this link:

https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing/subcommittee-hearing-protecting-north-korean-refugees/

North Korea Freedom Coalition, North Korea Freedom Week 2018: The first meeting of 2018 for the North Korea Freedom Coalition is next week!   We will be hosting special guests, Lou and Lisa Gallo and their daughter, Alyssa, who will share about their work transforming the lives of young North Koreans at the remarkable Jangdaehyun School founded by Pastor Changho Lim.  We will be discussing plans for the 15th annual North Korea Freedom Week and other activities for 2018.  If you are not a member yet and are interested in joining, visit www.nkfreedom.org

ACTA NON VERBA,

Suzanne

Suzanne Scholte

Seoul Peace Prize Laureate

President, Defense Forum Foundation

Chair, North Korea Freedom Coalition

www.defenseforumfoundation.org

www.nkfreedom.org

Series by Asiapress documenting the homeless kids

Asiapress published a series about the homeless kids (Kotchebi) under Kim jong un regime.

[*NOTE] kotchebi (꼬 제비) is a slang word used throughout North Korea to denote “vagabonds” or homeless people. In the mid-1990s when deaths from starvation became widespread, many people lost their homes and it became more common to see begging in the marketplaces and on the streets. Since then, the term has remained in common usage in North Korea. In South Korea and Japan. kotchebi is often misconstrued to indicate homeless children specifically; however, in North Korea the word does not distinguish between children and adults. Kotchebi is originally derived from the Russian word “kochevnik” (кочевник), which means “nomad.” According to numerous accounts from elderly North Koreans, Russians who engaged in recovery efforts after the Korean War would refer to drifters as “kochevniki.”
The term kotchebi is often misinterpreted as “flowering swallow” in South Korea, since it resembles the Korean words for kkoch (꽃), “flower,” and jebi (제비), “swallow.”

The great thing about Asiapress is they get photos and footage at the ground level in North Korea.
They have average north Koreans kitted out with hidden video cameras who do covert coverage of everyday life in NK.
I suspect that recent coverage is hard to get now since Chinese and North Korean border controls have tightened in addition to the completion of the electrified fence along the Yalu.

Most of these photos are around 2012 or 2013

 http://www.asiapress.org/rimjin-gang/report/20161026-children-homeless-01/2/

http://www.asiapress.org/rimjin-gang/report/20161027-children-homeless-02/

http://www.asiapress.org/rimjin-gang/uncategorized/20161104-children-homeless-03/

 Kotchebi will steal whatever they can from trains either to eat or sell and risk grave injury doing so.

http://www.asiapress.org/rimjin-gang/report/20170121-children-homeless-04/

http://www.asiapress.org/rimjin-gang/report/20170110-children-homeless-05/

this kid has lost his legs somehow. maybe a train or just frostbite

Frustrated young people openly asking their parents for money so they can defect

The people are becoming more educated about the outside world and know there is a better life out there.
They compare their standard of living to that of China and South Korea and realize that they should try to do something about it. especially the young who see themselves as missing out.

The class system (songbun) is such a waste of talent.
There are individuals out there who could make a huge difference for the country and their people but are unable to because they are classified as wavering or hostile and will never be able to obtain a better job.

The regime would rather have that than have potential subversives holding higher positions and possibly undermining their authority.
This is what it boils down to.

http://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/defect-01102018143354.html

태영호 전 북한공사 인권상 수상

태영호 전 북한공사님이 국회인권포럼과 아시아인권의 원연맹에서 수여하는 "인권상"을 수상하셨다.

한국과 전세계에 북한 인권의 문제점을 알린 공로로 상을 받으셨다.
태영호 전 북한공사님은 북한이 김정은의 통지에 반대하고 자기들만의 생존방식을 자유롭게 결정하려는 민주주의 사고 방식이 널리 퍼지고 있다고 말씀하셨다.

북한주민들이 중심이 되어 "프랑스 대혁명"과 같은 혁명을 일으킬 수 있을까?
한국의 역사 속에서 농민 또는 천민들이 반란을 일으켰던 적이 있듯이, 북한주민들 마음 속에 민주주의가 싹튼다면 가능하지 않을까?

http://www.newsis.com/view/?id=NISX20171211_0000172783&cID=10301&pID=10300

Former North Korean refugees will make a speech at California State University Long Beach on the 17th of February, 2018.

4 former North Korean refugees will make a speech at California State University Long Beach on the 17th of February, 2018.

JiWoo Yoon, Charles Ryu, Joy, SeongMin Lee are invited to make a speech.

Schedule

8:00 Registration and Breakfast
9:00 Program Begins
12:15 Lunch and Video Shoot
2:00 Breakout Sessions
5:30 Closing Session
6:00 Dinner
7:00 Goodbyes

2018-link-summit.eveyevents.com/

China the bigger tiger behind NK regime

  The Chinese Communist regime (CCP) doesn't want to see North Koreans gaining freedom.
Washington has revealed a "secret document" which mentions China's intention to increase economic and military aid to NK once NK agrees to stop an advanced nuke test. China also promises to stabilize Kim Jong Un in power and permits NK maintaining its current nuclear arsenal.

  A couple days ago, China was found out of secretly transporting oil and military supplies to NK, betraying its own promise to the world. UN is indeed a vacuum organization now as it has no more binding force, filled with lies and fake peace.

  China, one of 4 ancient great civilizations, a nation with more than 5000 years of history, a place that nourished great educators like Confucius, was taken over by Communist regime in 1949 and currently one of only 5 Communist countries in the world. China has around 1.5 billion population and millions overseas. It surely has big impact to world politics and economy.

Short animated movie based on the book "Hold the line"

I came across this while looking for something else and thought it worth posting.

It is based on a true story at the start of the Korean war in1950.
"Hold the line" was put together by Richard C Meyer and Brian Iglesias.
It is about a company of marines in the Chosin reservoir, (Changjin reservoir in Korean) that gets attacked by the Chinese communist forces. they are way outnumbered but manage to fight their way to the port of Hungnam on the east sea.

Chosin / Changjin reservoir is the red dot

This short animation by veterans expeditionary media called "baptized by fire" was adapted based on the book and it is really well done.

And check this out!
This is what the 38th parallel (the DMZ Demilitarized zone) looked like in 1953 while the ceasefire talks were proceeding.

North and South Korean soldiers stand guard at the 38th parallel (DMZ)

"Eyes of the tailless animals" by Soon Ok Lee

I will add this to the recommended reading post but this book should have it's own dedicated post since it's such a profound story.

The title of the book comes from when Soon Ok was leaving Kaechon concentration camp.

There were about 140 Christian prisoners who were never allowed to look up since Kim Il Sung ordered that he didn't want Christians to look up at their god.

At the time she was walking out of the gates, she noticed that all Christian prisoners looked up for the first time and met her eyes.
She decided then that the story had to be told and so she eventually defected to South Korea with her son and wrote the book.

She was a dedicated communist and relatively high up in the food chain with her family having good songbun.
One day though while working at the office, she was basically kidnapped by a planned operation and taken to an interrogation office where she spent months being tortured to confess a false crime.
After being told by an interrogation officer that her husband and son would not be affected if she signed, she did and so began her six-year ordeal in the hell camp.

It is not a story that will cheer you up but you will get to see the true evil ugly side of the North Korean regime.
These camps all over the country are not re-education camps. they are forced labor camps where life is cheap. the prisoners are worked to death under woeful conditions or if they somehow manage to survive their sentence, are released back into society but are not really able to function either through the physical abuse they suffered or from psychological disorders caused by the gross treatment or both.
The individual is destroyed and so is the family through association with a so-called criminal.

Soon Ok Lee would be 70 years old now and i'm not sure if she's still alive but her book should be read by anyone who is concerned about human rights abuses.

Soon Ok Lee

Here is a good summary from one blogger who read the book

https://sharonhenning.blogspot.com/2009/11/eyes-of-tailless-animals.html

And here is her testimony at the national press club in Washington, D.C via C-Span cable. her testimony starts at the 21-minute mark.

www.c-span.org/video/?122838-1/north-korean-political-prisoners-experiences

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0882643355/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Ode to Resistance - Stand up against darkness

Under evil darkness, innocent souls born to war and die for war.
Hatred fill their hearts, their eyes glitter with hopeless beams.
The poorest! When one's hatred directed to "enemies" never seen nor spoken with;
The saddest! Praying day and night to deities that banish one from heaven.
We are not born to die. Handcuffs can never chain the wings of our souls.
We will never die. Our calls will echo eternally, even in total noir.

A brief summary of the empty promises of the three Kims over the years

This is a good article out of the DailyNK that summarizes the three Kims new year speeches and what there is to show for them... nothing.

Under Kim Il Sung North Korean people were living relatively good lives. meaning that their basic needs were met at least so the people gave credibility to his speeches.

When jong il came along, the famine was getting intense and his new year's address was in a printed form which stressed priority to the military. 

People were too worried about their very survival to be reading an empty new years address and the facts on the ground spoke for themselves anyway.

Kim Jong Un comes in after his miserable father and makes all sorts of promises. none of which have materialized. 

The obsession with missiles has further discredited him in the eyes of the people.

The Jangmadang is well established now and people know they can only rely on themselves.

Kim Jong Un only allows them because they are good tax revenue and it staves off a possible revolt.

http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?num=14927&cataId=nk01500