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

A former North Korean refugee is helping as a counselor for North Korean refugees to help their successful resettlement in South Korea.

NaRae Choo is a former North Korean refugee and she is helping as a counselor for North Korean refugees to help their successful resettlement in South Korea.
She studied Social welfare at college.
She is well aware what kinds of pains North Korean refugees are suffering from and what they need.
She helps and encourages North Korean refugees to solve problems in adjusting themselves to their new lives in South Korea.

www.dailynk.com/korean/read.php?cataId=nk05008&num=111577

A former young North Korean refugee wants to become a lawyer for human rights of North Koreans.

A former young North Korean refugee, Il Yong Joo, is studying hard to become a lawyer for human rights of North Koreans.
He is majoring in Political science at Korea University, one of the top 5 universities in South Korea.

He made a school club whose title is "Wave" during his high school days because he wanted to something for the human rights of North Korean people.

www.dailynk.com/korean/read.php?cataId=nk04503&num=111234

North Koreans eat red bean porridge to ward off evil spirits for the new year. that is, the Kim regime

http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?num=14909&cataId=nk01500

A good summary from DailyNK on events regarding North Korea in 2017.

http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?num=14911&cataId=nk00100

Happy New Year to North Korean refugees!

Comparisons between developed and failed states in various aspects

  In developed, democratic countries, governments follow universal 21st century values, with common goals such as "Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)" that emphasizes equality, equity, peace and freedom. Humans are regarded and treated as humans, ensured with Human Rights and entitled with access to various rights such as education, health, security and political prticipation.

  On the other hand, evil and failed states ignore "rule of law" which law is above government and restricts the state. Under this kind of power, humans are denied as intellectual beings, and regarded as slaves to exploit, or phisical materials for those with power to utilize valuably.

  The less respect to the mental and spiritual aspect of human beings, the higher possibility for a state to be more unstable, chaotic and less successful. According to Harvard's analysis, the key to a state's peace is not only the degree of democracy and less corruption, but how a state treates Women is also a crucial aspect. In developed nations where peace predominates, Women are treated equally without discrimination, often participate in higher positions; while in chaotic areas, women are often restricted with dress codes (Iran, Saudi Arabia), denied basic rights or even forced to stay at home.

  This also reveals that the failed states emphasize too much on physical aspects and forget that humans, regardless of backgrounds, also possess a divine spritual side whch needs education to unleash and develop. In short, time will prove that materialism is a failure and humanity can only be sustainable if treated with equity and as spiritual individuals.

The Rocket Man: Dragon Kim lands in South Korea

Minyong Kim, also known as Dragon Kim has been impersonating Kim Jong Un since 2014 while he was studying in the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign. Born and raised in Seoul , he currently runs an agency for South Korean students who want to study abroad. In April, Kim showed up as a special guest on a talk show in South Korea for North Korean defectors. The show, called "On My Way to Meet You," invites defectors living in South Korea to open up about their lives back in the North and how they are adapting to a new way of life in the South (ABC News). Kim also appeared in a video in October where he passed through the streets of New York in North Korean leader's attire and was viewed by nearly 10 million people online. According to Kim, his main reason for impersonating the North Korean leader is to make people happy. One of the links attached below is a latest video of him dressed as Kim Jong Un, walking through the city of Seoul.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/kim-jong-strolling-sidewalk-close/story?id=51999629
http://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-42428718/rocket-man-lands-in-seoul

북한난민들의 미국 선택을 돕는 방법?

북한난민 중에서 한국을 선택한 분들은 이미 3만명을 넘었다. 북한난민들 중에서 미국을 선택하는 분들이 있을까? 2017년 12월까지 미국을 선택한 분들도 200명이 조금 넘었다.

왜 이렇게 적을까?

북한에서도 미국 영화를 DVD 또는 USB로 본다고 들었다. 미국 음악도 친숙하다.

북한난민은 한국을 선택할 경우 곧 바로 올 수 있지만, 미국은 1년 이상 걸리기도 한다. 이렇게 미국으로 난민을 신청하는 과정이 복잡하고 기다리는 시간이 길기 때문이기도 하지만, 혹시 북한난민도 미국을 선택할 수 있다는 점에 대해서 잘 모르기 때문이 아닐까?

북한난민들에게 미국으로 올 수 있는 방법을 안내하는 비영리단체가 있을까? 아직 없는 것 같다.

그렇지만 한 가지 좋은 소식이 있다. 북한난민이 미국에 도착하면 미국 정착을 돕는 단체는 있다. 그 중에 내가 자원봉사를 하고 있는 NKinUSA가 있다. NKinUSA는 북한난민에 의해 설립된 비영리단체이며 현재 미국 Washington, D.C.에 사무실을 두고 북한난민의 미국 정착을 돕고 있다.

A Must Read : North Korean Defector's Journey to Freedom

Lee Hyeon-seo's book, "The Girl with seven names" tells her story of escape from North Korea and later on helping her family reach South Korea. During that period of suppression and time on the run, she took up seven names. She gave a TED talk in 2013 and spoke at Oslo Freedom Forum in 2014. Lee, currently lives in Wisconsin with her husband and is hoping to get into a graduate school in United States soon. I have given a link of her TED talk from 2013 which has been viewed by around 6.7 million people.
http://www.cnn.com/videos/living/2013/04/11/ted-hyeonseo-lee.ted
http://archive.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/defector-tells-of-odyssey-in-search-of-freedom-b99546143z1-320523552.html/

How North Koreans celebrate Christmas

  These days, many parts of the world are having warm time with families and friends, enjoying nice music and food under beautiful Christmas decorations, others are celebrating Hanukkah and some local holidays, but how about North Korea?
  Kim Jong Un is not Santa Claus. He has bring nothing to the children except disasters. Before the Korean war, there were around 20% of Christians in North Korea, but under Kim family's rule, especially recently, Christmas is banned and those who are caught celebrating Christmas or other religious activities can face jail.
  Despite the strict ban, Christmas trees as decoration can still be observed rarely in restaurants. Hope Santa Claus can bring joy and peace to the country, and let the children grow in a warm environment without fear.

A refugee camp for future possible North Korean refugees in Jilin Province and Liaoning Province

The Chinese government plans to build a camp in  Jilin Province and Liaoning Province for future possible North Korean refugees.

The camp can accommodate about 500,000 North Korean refugees. China is preparing the collapse of Kim Jong Un's regime.

http://v.media.daum.net/v/20171224114553717?d=y

North Korean refugees in China are exposed to human trafficking and fraud employment.

North Korean refugees in China are exposed to human trafficking and fraud employment.
Some Chinese people use the unstable and illegal status of North Korean refugees in China.
More efforts and interests are needed to help North Korean refugees in China.

http://monthly.chosun.com/client/mdaily/daily_view.asp?idx=2361&Newsnumb=2017122361