While most will be happy to see the end of North Korean despot Kim Jong-il, his inevitable death will carry some serious global consequences — including the serious possibility of regime collapse and the outbreak of war. And the world is not prepared.
North Korea
Video of the Day: Go behind North Korea’s bamboo curtain
Vice visits North Korea’s DMZ as part of its Guide to North Korea series (watch the whole thing, it’s fascinating):
North Korea: a nation of racist dwarves
By keeping North Koreans in the dark — both literally and figuratively — Kim Jong Il has created a nation of hysterically nationalistic, xeonophobic, physically stunted slaves, says Christopher Hitchens.
We are all Rogue States now
The notion of “rogue states” is completely out-dated, says Nader Mousavizadeh, presupposing most of the world is united behind common Western (and American) values and interests. The US no longer gets to call the shots.
North Korea bans fancy hairdos. Seriously.
Bouffant lover and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has issued some advice (read: law) regarding hairstyles. Men, keep it short, women, pull it back. No sexy Western style mullets, mohawks or faux hawks. This may be a good thing.
North Korea nukes the won
It’s economic reform, North Korean style: cut a couple of zeroes off the country’s currency, declare old bank notes worthless, and wipe out the entire country’s savings.
Crikey wrap: remembering the fall of the Wall
The fall of the Berlin Wall, 20 years ago today, reunited Germany and marked the official end of the 40-year Cold War. Crikey intern Michelle Loh does a wrap of what the pundits are saying.
Will the real Kim Jong Il please stand up?
Many analysts believe the North Korean leader we’ve been seeing in photos of late — such as the one with Bill Clinton — isn’t the real Kim Jong Il, but a look-a-like, standing-in to hide Dear Leader’s ailing health.
The trapped world of Kim Jong-il
North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il may cop a lot of flack, but he’s not an idiot. He is, however, in a difficult position, where further opening of borders will risk his (increasingly limited) political power.
Video of the Day: The two births of Kim Jong Il
There are two stories of the birth of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il: the official North Korean government version, and, y’know: the truth. GOOD presents both versions: you can decide which to believe.
Clinton’s freed journos explain North Korean ordeal
The US journalists recently imprisoned in North Korea, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, explain their terrifying capture on Chinese soil, insisting that they were dragged back across the border to North Korea.
The backlash against jailed journos begins
If being held prisoner in North Korea wasn’t hard enough for journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee, the pair are now facing harsh criticism from detractors who say they put refugee-saving program they were reporting on at risk. Yeah, perhaps they had slightly bigger concerns at the time, snark Gawker.
N. Korea offers South an olive branch and the finger
North Korea announced yesterday it will open up its borders with South Korea, allowing more tourism and reunions for families separated by the war… then followed up the conciliatory gesture by threatening a nuclear attack against the country over a military exercise.
No hero for North Korea’s other foreign prisoners
It was a fairy tale ending for the two American journalists detained in North Korea, when former President Bill Clinton swooped in to save them. But for the 1000 South Koreans and 20 Japanese being held by the secretive state, there is no such knight in shining armour.
Kissinger: Sending the right message to North Korea
Bill Clinton’s mission to North Korea to save two imprisoned US journalists was a powerful moment driven by powerful emotions. But we need to consider the fallout, says former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.
A bird’s eye view of North Korea
Satellite images show North Korea from a new perspective — literally. Ostrich farms, Kim Jong Il’s waterslide and a beer brewery imported from England.
North Korea’s counterfeit economy
Ever wondered how Kim Jong Il funds is lavish lifestyle and nuclear ambitions in such poverty-stricken country? The answer lies in Office 39, a state-run crime syndicate where billions of dollars of counterfeit US bills are produced before being laundered in the American economy.
When Bill met Kim
Does Bill Clinton’s meeting with Kim Jong Il herald a breakthrough in the diplomatic relations between North Korea and the US? Only Kim knows. But with Pyongyang’s nuclear tests making a lot of powerful enemies of late, he might have realised it’s smart to start talking again.
Freed journos tell of N. Korean nightmare
Details of journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee’s 140-day “nightmare” behind bars in North Korea are beginning to emerge, with Ling revealing the pair were gripped with fear at the prospect of being sent to the country’s infamous hard-labour camp.
Rogue state of Burma needs to be controlled
Burma’s close relationship with North Korea and possible nuclear facilities should be of serious concern to the West, writes Greg Sheridan.
How Bill Clinton got the gig
Politico reveal the fascinating backstory of Bill Clinton’s crusade into North Korea: Pyongyang specifically asked for the former president to come.
Clinton just another pawn in North Korea’s nuclear game?
Bill Clinton’s sudden swoop in to North Korea to rescue a pair of US journalists may seem like a victory for diplomacy, freedom and the American Way, but for North Korea, it was simply a successful propaganda project — and the US played right into its hands, says John R. Bolton.
Bill Clinton to save journos jailed in N. Korea?
South Korean newspaper Yonhap News is reporting that former US President Bill Clinton is swooping into North Korea to negotiate the release of jailed American journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling, but Washington are playing dumb. Poor intelligence or poor privacy?
Asia’s new Axis of Evil
North Korea and Burma are not natural allies, but sharing an identity as international pariahs and an interest in nuclear weapons could be bringing the two countries together.
North Korea opens its first fast-food outlet
Freedom fries, anyone? North Korea is now allowing its subjects to sample a Western-style hamburger — as long as they don’t call it that. Patrons at the new Samtaeseong diner can order “minced beef with bread” for only $1.70, or about half the average North Korean daily income.
