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Tag: North Korea

  • U.S. Charges Huawei With Racketeering and IP Theft

    U.S. Charges Huawei With Racketeering and IP Theft

    In the ongoing battle between the U.S. and Huawei, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed new charges against the Chinese firm.

    The DOJ has filed charges of racketeering and intellectual property (IP) theft, as well as accused the telecom company of having business in North Korea and aiding Iran in its efforts to surveil protesters. According to the indictments, Huawei is accused of successfully stealing IP from six U.S. firms, using several local subsidiaries.

    In a statement responding to the charges, Huawei accuses the U.S. government of “using the strength of an entire nation to come after a private company.” The company says this is a case of “political persecution, plain and simple.”

    Huawei then engages in a lengthy breakdown of the IP theft charges, saying that IP disputes are common to the industry. It then compares its own track record with Apple and Samsung, both of whom were involved in over 500 disputes, compared with Huawei’s 209.

    The company also says it has “been granted 87,805 patents, including 11,152 patents in the US. Since 2015, Huawei has received over US$1.4 billion in licensing revenue. We have simultaneously paid more than US$6 billion in royalties for the legitimate use of other companies’ patents. Nearly 80% of that amount was paid to US companies.”

    Noticeably, the statement does not address the accusations regarding the company’s involvement with North Korea or Iran. Either way, this battle is far from over.

  • North Korea Denies Sony Hack, Makes Threats

    The point of North Korea’s lengthy, rambling denial of involvement in the recent Sony hacks is pretty clear – but the way they get to that point is anything but.

    Per usual, broken English is the method of delivery for “The Policy Department of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK”, which has released a statement of sorts re: Sony Hacks and the recent blame placed on them by US officials.

    The statement, titled “U.S. Urged to Honestly Apologize to Mankind for Its Evil Doing before Groundlessly Pulling up Others”, begins by calling the US an “ill-famed cesspool of injustice” and doesn’t really let up from there.

    According to North Korean officials, the US is wrong to blame the country for the recent cyberattacks that targeted Sony Pictures, and eventually led to the dissemination of private documents and had everything to do with the indefinite postponement of the film The Interview.

    “The NDC of the DPRK highly estimates the righteous action taken by the ‘guardians of peace,’ though it is not aware of their residence,” reads the statement.

    Last week, the FBI said it had enough evidence to say that North Korea was behind the attacks.

    “We are deeply concerned about the destructive nature of this attack on a private sector entity and the ordinary citizens who worked there. Further, North Korea’s attack on SPE reaffirms that cyber threats pose one of the gravest national security dangers to the United States. Though the FBI has seen a wide variety and increasing number of cyber intrusions, the destructive nature of this attack, coupled with its coercive nature, sets it apart. North Korea’s actions were intended to inflict significant harm on a U.S. business and suppress the right of American citizens to express themselves. Such acts of intimidation fall outside the bounds of acceptable state behavior,” said the FBI.

    Although the North Korean government denies involvement in the hacks (as it would no matter their level of involvement), it praises the so-called “Guardians of Peace” for their actions.

    “The grounds cited by the FBI in its announcement were all based on obscure sci-tech data and false story and, accordingly, the announcement itself is another fabrication. This is the DPRK’s stand on the U.S. gangster-like behavior against it,” said the statement.

    But it’s not just denial it’s going for. The threats begin late in the response.

    The DPRK has already launched the toughest counteraction. Nothing is more serious miscalculation than guessing that just a single movie production company is the target of this counteraction. Our target is all the citadels of the U.S. imperialists who earned the bitterest grudge of all Koreans.

    The army and people of the DPRK are fully ready to stand in confrontation with the U.S. in all war spaces including cyber warfare space to blow up those citadels.

    Our toughest counteraction will be boldly taken against the White House, the Pentagon and the whole U.S. mainland, the cesspool of terrorism, by far surpassing the “symmetric counteraction” declared by Obama.

    Though President Obama has called this an act of “cybervandalism” as opposed to using the “war” word, he’s said that the US will have an appropriate response to the act – but what that means, exactly, is yet to be seen.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • ‘The Interview’: NYC Comedians Plan a Live Read ‘in the Name of Free Speech’

    Who knows when you’ll get to see The Interview?

    Last week Sony execs decided to cave to vague, terroristic threats and postpone the release of the Seth Rogen/James Franco comedy indefinitely. According to reports, Sony was not alone in its cowardice. At this point nobody knows when the film, which was originally scheduled for a Christmas Day release, will see the light of day. Sony has no immediate plans for DVD or VOD release. The internet is calling for someone like Netflix to buy the rights, but that seems unlikely.

    It’ll probably work its way online at some point. Some recent rumors pointed to Sony releasing the film, for free, on Crackle – but those were shot down. Sony has said that it’s considering releasing the film, but there’s definitely no timeframe. Whatever happens, this is a big loss for Sony and for some, an even bigger loss for the idea that we, as a people, won’t be threatened out of our freedom of expression.

    Sure, it’s just a movie (of questionable quality at that) – but this is not a good precedent to set, right?

    What do you think about the decision to pull The Interview? Let us know in the comments.

    Sony has made its decision. Before that, a handful of major theater groups made theirs. The film is simply too toxic to distribute right now. At this point, theaters and Sony are engaging in a bit of a back-and-forth over who is truly to blame for the film’s indefinite postponement. Some lawmakers are calling for its release. The President has input his two cents. The situation’s a mess – but it’s a fluid mess. The movie could find its way to the big screen – or at least your small screen – at some point.

    But you might not get to see The Interview anytime soon. However, if you’re in New York City next weekend, you can watch the next best thing.

    No, not Team America: World Police. Everyone’s too scared to show that either. What you can watch is a group of actors, who “feel very strongly about bringing this film to you by whatever means necessary”, perform a live read-through of the script.

    The Treehouse Theater in NYC will host A Live Read of The Interview on Saturday, Dec 27. It’s free and open to the public. I recently got the opportunity to talk to the show’s producers – Dave Hensely, Benny Scheckner, and Sean Perrotta – three friends and improv actors who just so happened to get hold of an earlier copy of the script.

    “There are three of us that are planning this show,” said Hensley, Scheckner, and Perrotta. “We’re all friends who take classes at a well-known improv school in New York [the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre]. The Treehouse Theater opened just recently. We asked and they said yes. The people there have been extremely supportive — they love that we’re doing this, and we can’t thank them enough for allowing us to use their space.”

    WPN: I know you probably can’t say too much about how you got hold of the script, but are you pretty sure it’s a final copy? Is what you have what’s on the screen?

    HSP: The script is not the final draft, but it very closely agrees with what we know about the movie (from the trailer, press coverage, etc.).

    WPN: What are your thoughts on Sony’s decision to yank the film?

    HSP: We’re huge fans of the filmmakers, and we understand that Sony was in a difficult position, and that they have been strong armed by theater chains. But ultimately, we can’t let threats of terrorism from a foreign nation inhibit free speech here in America. That’s the most important thing.

    WPN: So, have you read through the script yet? Thoughts?

    HSP: Yeah, it’s great. We think the movie is extremely positive for the people of North Korea (if not their leader).

    WPN: What do you hope to accomplish with the read-through?

    HSP: We hope the read makes people feel empowered, as well as entertained. And we hope to remind them that, as we found out a few days ago, free speech isn’t a given — it’s something we need to fight for.

    The live read has been cast, and will kick off at 7pm. It will be immediately followed by Fuck You Kim Jong Un! A Comedy Show to Benefit the People of North Korea – an improv show “based on awful North Korean propaganda films”. Admission to that is $5, all of which will go to Human Rights Watch.

    “Our feelings are that Kim Jong-un already does enough censorship in his own country, and we don’t need him deciding what movies we can and can’t watch here in the US,” said Hensley, Scheckner, and Perrotta. “Americans understand the importance of free speech. But again — and this is really the heart of the issue — we can’t have free speech if we let fear inhibit it and dictate our decisions.”

    In late November, Sony Pictures fell victim to a massive hack – one which exposed private information, including some pretty embarrassing emails from studio execs. A group that called themselves ‘Guardians of Peace” took credit for the hack. As the group dumped more and more data from the hack, it began to threaten any and all theaters who dared show The Interview.

    “The world will be full of fear,” the message read. “Remember the 11th of September 2001. We recommend you to keep yourself distant from the places at that time. (If your house is nearby, you’d better leave.)”

    The hacker group is reportedly incensed over the content of the movie, which depicts the assassination of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un.

    Soon after, a handful of high-profile theaters announced cancellations of The Interview showings. And that led to a blanket decision from Sony to yank the film entirely.

    “We are deeply saddened at this brazen effort to suppress the distribution of a movie, and in the process do damage to our company, our employees, and the American public,” Sony said in a strangely contradictory statement. “We stand by our filmmakers and their right to free expression and are extremely disappointed by this outcome.

    “We respect and understand our partners’ decision and, of course, completely share their paramount interest in the safety of employees and theatergoers.”

    It’s still unknown what role, if any, North Korea had in the Sony cyberattacks. The FBI is saying there’s enough evidence to conclude that North Korea was behind it.

    What should Sony do? What should individual theaters do? Let us know in the comments.

    Image via The Interview, Facebook

  • FBI: North Korea Responsible for Sony Hack

    FBI: North Korea Responsible for Sony Hack

    According to the FBI the November hack of Sony Pictures, which led to the leak of tons of company data as well as influenced the company’s recent decision to yank the film The Interview from theaters, was the work of North Korea.

    From the FBI:

    As a result of our investigation, and in close collaboration with other U.S. government departments and agencies, the FBI now has enough information to conclude that the North Korean government is responsible for these actions. While the need to protect sensitive sources and methods precludes us from sharing all of this information, our conclusion is based, in part, on the following:

    – Technical analysis of the data deletion malware used in this attack revealed links to other malware that the FBI knows North Korean actors previously developed. For example, there were similarities in specific lines of code, encryption algorithms, data deletion methods, and compromised networks.

    – The FBI also observed significant overlap between the infrastructure used in this attack and other malicious cyber activity the U.S. government has previously linked directly to North Korea. For example, the FBI discovered that several Internet protocol (IP) addresses associated with known North Korean infrastructure communicated with IP addresses that were hardcoded into the data deletion malware used in this attack.

    – Separately, the tools used in the SPE attack have similarities to a cyber attack in March of last year against South Korean banks and media outlets, which was carried out by North Korea.

    The FBI says this is deeply troubling.

    “We are deeply concerned about the destructive nature of this attack on a private sector entity and the ordinary citizens who worked there. Further, North Korea’s attack on SPE reaffirms that cyber threats pose one of the gravest national security dangers to the United States. Though the FBI has seen a wide variety and increasing number of cyber intrusions, the destructive nature of this attack, coupled with its coercive nature, sets it apart. North Korea’s actions were intended to inflict significant harm on a U.S. business and suppress the right of American citizens to express themselves. Such acts of intimidation fall outside the bounds of acceptable state behavior. The FBI takes seriously any attempt – whether through cyber-enabled means, threats of violence, or otherwise—to undermine the economic and social prosperity of our citizens.”

    Though the FBI doesn’t give us any information on its next move, we do expect President Obama will speak on the issue today.

    Image via The Interview, Facebook

  • ‘Team America: World Police’ Is Also Getting Yanked from Theaters

    According to several theaters which had planned to screen the 2004 comedy Team America: World Police in lieu of the film The Interview, Paramount has put the kibosh on the whole thing.

    Texas regional theater group Alamo Drafthouse made headlines earlier when they announced a screening of the Trey Parker/Matt Stone film this Christmas to replace a screening of the new Seth Rogen/James Franco comedy The Interview.

    As you probably know, Sony Pictures pulled the theatrical release of The Interview following vague, terroristic threats were made on any and all theaters showing the film. The group behind the threats were also responsible for the embarrassing hack that compromised thousand of Sony’s documents. It’s still unknown if North Korea has any part in this.

    The group is reportedly upset over the film’s content, which depicts the assassination of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. Team America also pokes fun at North Korea and its leader – only it’s Kim Jong-il.

    Here’s Alamo Drafthouse, alongside various other theaters, announcing the cancellations over Twitter. A few blame Paramount specifically.

    America? F-ck yeah?

    Image via YouTube

  • Amy Pascal May Be On the Chopping Block at Sony Over Hacks and Leaks

    Amy Pascal of Sony has found herself in the hot-seat lately over hacks and leaks out of her company. While the hacking of copies of entire films is one thing, it was the presumed-confidential information in emails that caught lots of attention.

    Amy Pascal is co-chairman of Sony Pictures. She is known in Hollywood for having an instinct when it comes to picking movie projects that will become hits. Pascal started as a secretary in the film business, but clawed her way to the top by picking winners and never taking crap.

    When the Sony hacking attack started, email systems were compromised, Twitter accounts were hijacked, and entire movies were stolen and leaked onto file-sharing sites. Films like Fury, Annie, Still Alice, Mr. Turner and To Write Love on Her Arms are all out there for anyone who knows how to use Bittorrent with a VPN. This is a serious blow. Back in the summer, Expendables 3 got leaked like that and box office receipts were never up to expectations.

    Experts suspect that the hack was perpetrated by North Korea, which is angry over Sony Pictures’ recent release, The Interview. The film protrays Seth Rogen and James Franco as assassins who kill Kim Jon Un. The Korean government has called the film “a blatant act of terrorism and war” and would lead to “merciless” retaliation. The tech characteristics of the hack have features that North Korea has used in cyber activities before, leading to the suspicion that they are behind this one.

    But Pascal’s emails are what have been coming back to bite her.

    Pascal joked about whether President Obama prefers movies about freed slaves and other black themes. That led to an apology from her:

    “The content of my e-mails to Scott were insensitive and inappropriate but are not an accurate reflection of who I am,” Pascal said in a statement. “Although this was a private communication that was stolen, I accept full responsibility for what I wrote and apologize to everyone who was offended.”

    But other embarrassing things came out of the Sony hack. One is that men are paid more than women at Sony, even in the films. Jennifer Lawrence was paid less than her male co-stars for American Hustle. And Amy Pascal herself is the only woman at Sony who is paid more than $1 million in salary.

    Movie producer Scott Rudin called Angelina Jolie a “minimally talented spoiled brat.” Rudin was also involved in the emails about President Obama.

    Sony had collected lots of information about employees’ health issues, including premature births, cancer, and liver problems. Aliases of certain actors were revealed, as well as spoiler news about upcoming films.

    In the end, the question is whether Amy Pascal will still have a job at Sony when the dust settles.

    Deadline asked this week:

    “Is it possible their track records for quality, thoughtful films and collaborations with top talent can be set aside and that Rudin and Pascal could be tarred and defined by momentary lapses and poor attempts at humor that paint them as being racially insensitive, in e-mails meant to be private? … People in town are wondering how long Pascal and the studio can, under the guise of not dignifying the damage caused by these stolen documents, continue to weather an unprecedented media assault without saying anything.”

  • Kim Jong Un’s Sister On The Rise In Regime

    Kim Jong Un’s Sister On The Rise In Regime

    Kim Jong Un’s sister is on the rise.

    Kim Yo Jong first attracted attention when she attended her father Kim Jong Il’s funeral in December 2011 and later when she appeared next to her brother on election day in March 2014. The latter event in particular triggered speculation that Kim Yo Jong was on the rise within the regime called the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

    That speculation proved correct when the state media account of Kim Jong Un’s visit to a cartoon studio was released on November 26, 2014, listing Kim Yo Jong as “vice department director” in the powerful Central Committee of the ruling Worker’s Party.

    Daily Mail further speculates that Kim Yo Jong, as vice department director, is being groomed for a position as a key aide to her brother but emphasizes that the responsibilities of the vice department director are not exactly clear.

    As Kim Yo Jong’s appearances have increased, experts have been trying to piece together what she does within the regime. She has been pictured several times within her brother’s company on “field guidance tours,” which have led to speculation that she is like an event director or manages her brother’s personal schedule.

    “She may be one of the only people Kim Jong Un trusts completely,” Madden said.

    Experts believe that Kim Yo Jong was born in 1987 or 1988, making her 26 or 27 years old, and that she is close to her brother Kim Jong Un. While their father and former dictator Kim Jong Il fathered at least seven children by four different women, experts believe Kim Yo Jong and her Kim Jong Un have the same parentage.

    Michael Madden, founder of North Korea Leadership Watch, says that the two siblings were raised by their mother Ko Young Hui at a hillside estate, where they were acquainted with, for the most part, family members and close friends.

    “As they say in [Martin Scorsese’s mafia epic] Goodfellas, ‘There were never any outsiders,’” Madden said to Time Magazine. “The life of Kim children was hermetically sealed.”

    “The old power elites loyal to Kim Jong Il are being pushed out,” said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at Seoul’s University of North Korean Studies, in an interview to Time earlier this year. “They will be replaced by new, younger elites who can safeguard the leadership of Kim Jong Un.”

  • Seth Rogen And James Franco’s North Korea Comedy “The Interview” Hits Theaters Christmas Day

    James Franco and Seth Rogen have gained a lot of attention with their latest comedy film, The Interview. So much attention, in fact, that Sony Pictures has pushed back the release date of the film from October 10th to the much more competitive December 25th slot, otherwise known as Christmas Day.

    “The combination of Seth, Evan and James is pure comedic magic,” Sony’s Worldwide Distribution President Rory Bruer said according to the Los Angeles Times, “We’re thrilled to be making the move to Christmas — one of the most important moviegoing days of the year and the perfect date to show off their brand of comedy.”

    The Interview has a lot to compete against. Movies opening on Christmas include Unbroken, Selma, Into the Woods, Paddington, Big Eyes, and Hot Tub Time Machine 2. Moviegoers will have a lot to choose from, and Sony is placing its bets on Seth Rogen and James Franco. Previously, Sony scheduled an untitled romantic comedy directed by Cameron Crowe for Christmas. The Los Angeles Times reports that Crowe’s movie will now come out May 2015.

    Those who will be presumably not seeing the movie on Christmas day include North Korean Ambassador to the United Nations Ja Song Nam who called it “an act of war”.

    The North Korean Foreign Ministry has described the movie as “despicable”, adding, “if the United States administration tacitly approves or supports the release of this film, we will take decisive and merciless countermeasure.”

    In other words, James Franco and Seth Rogen have alienated their fans in the North Korean government.

    Seth Rogen and James Franco’s collaborations won’t stop in December with the release of The Interview. They will both appear in The Sound and the Fury, based on William Faulkner’s novel, which Franco happens to be directing.

    Image via Sony Pictures Entertainment, YouTube

  • North Korea Launches Ballistic Missile Into Sea

    North Korea Launches Ballistic Missile Into Sea

    On the day before the 61st anniversary of the Korean War armistice, North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile into the sea off its east coast.

    The missile was fired from the country’s southwest Hwanghae province on Saturday evening, and traveled roughly 310 miles over land before touching down in the Sea of Japan. North Korea routinely test-fires missiles as a means to display its military prowess, though Great Successor Kim Jong-un has been firing an uncharacteristically high amount of smaller, short-range ammunition this year. His father, Dear Leader Kim Jong-il, had preferred to sporadically launch longer-range warheads and conduct nuclear tests, in attempts to force concessions from the rest of the world.

    North Korea demands that South Korea tone down their joint military drills with the U.S. troops stationed in the region, because the exercises look similar to a rehearsal for invasion, from the vantage of Pyongyang. The DPNK would also like Seoul to stop with all of the slander, and the South Koreans would like a more serious stance on nuclear disarmament from Kim Jong-un’s regime.

    What was transpiring when this photo was taken actually happened, in real life:

    Kim Jong-un’s style is different from that of his late father, perhaps due to his age, as well as possible hard feelings over being a sort of walking internet meme. Recently, Pyongyang had asked China to attempt to control the viral spread of a YouTube clip featuring the Great Successor dancing through a series of absurd situations.

    Also, video game developer Moneyhorse is set to release Glorious Leader!, an old-school shoot-’em-up which features scenarios that describe Kim’s life-facts generated by the propaganda machine of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

    Here is the trailer for Glorious Leader!:

    Image via YouTube

  • Kim Jong-Un Furious Over Viral Dance Video

    North Korea’s Great Successor Kim Jong-un is said to be very displeased over a parody video, which features the Supreme Leader dancing his way through absurd situations to a Chinese pop song.

    According to South Korean newspaper The Chosunilbo, North Korea asked China to stop the spread of the YouTube clip, as it “seriously compromises Kim’s dignity and authority.” China was somehow unable to stifle the virulence of the video.

    The clip was edited by a Chinese man surnamed Zhang, from Suzhou, who reportedly studied at Kyonggi University in South Korea. The video features despot Kim dancing with Russian President Vladimir Putin, skipping hand in hand with Osama bin Laden, being kicked to the ground by President Obama after pirouetting through a ballet studio, being kicked into a pool with a garbage can over his head, dancing on a baseball field and finally riding off on the back of a pig.

    The video, which has so far garnered over two million views, is set to a song named Little Apple by a Chinese pop group called Chopstick Brothers.

    Here is a loose translation of some of the lyrics from Little Apple:

    Never think you hate
    Everything you love
    There you are fresh every day
    There you, more brilliant sunshine

    While Kim has yet to explicitly threaten to rain hellfire upon China, his North Korean regime is unhappy. After all, Jong-un has been picked on quite a bit lately. Video game developer Moneyhorse is set to release Glorious Leader!, an old-school shoot-’em-up which features scenarios that describe Kim’s life-facts generated by the propaganda machine of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

    Here is the trailer for Glorious Leader!:

    Kim Jong-un has held the titles of the First Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, the Chairman of the Central Military Commission, First Chairman of the National Defense Commission of North Korea, the Supreme Commander of the Korean People’s Army and presidium member of the Politburo of the Workers’ Party of Korea. He was officially declared the Supreme Leader following the state funeral for his father Kim Jong-il on December 28, 2011.

    Here is Kim’s submarine:

    Here is Kim in his submarine:

    The world should perhaps be more mindful of mocking the DPRK.

    Image via YouTube

  • Seth Rogen, James Franco Film ‘Act of War’ Per North Korea

    Seth Rogen and James Franco’s new film The Interview has been deemed an ‘act of war’ by North Korea. The country’s ambassador to the United Nations–Ja Song Nam–says the U.S. government shouldn’t allow its release. The film’s plot involves the assassination of North Korea’s Kim Jong-un.

    “To allow the production and distribution of such a film on the assassination of an incumbent Head of a sovereign State should be regarded as the most undisguised sponsoring of terrorism as well as an act of war,” Nam said in a formal complaint to the U.N.

    Neither Seth Rogen nor James Franco has yet responded to this latest issue regarding The Interview, however when North Korean officials originally complained about the film a couple of weeks ago, Rogen tweeted his feelings on the situation.

    The initial complaint about Rogen’s movie doesn’t mention the name of the film but talks about a plot that “involves insulting and assassinating the supreme leadership.”

    Of course everyone knows the worldwide angst caused by North Korea–most especially at the hands of Kim Jong Un. However it’s more than plain to see that Seth Rogen and James Franco are acting in humor when they take on this ‘assassination attempt’ in their film.

    Do you think The Interview should be reviled as an act of war, or do the people of North Korea–most especially its leaders–simply need to adapt a more American sense of humor?

    The Interview is set to open in U.S. theaters this fall. It likely won’t make it into North Korea–not unless Seth Rogen or James Franco have some duplicitous covert powers of international persuasion.

    Image via YouTube

  • Kim Jong-Un Watches North Korea Military Drills

    North Korea’s Great Successor Kim Jong-un observed military drills mock targeting South Korean missile bases on Baeknyeong and Yeonpyeong islands Saturday, which included artillery fire and live torpedoes from a 1,800-ton Romeo-class submarine.

    The drills took place near Wonsan, Kangwon Province, and included mobilization of North Korean Army, Navy and Air Force artillery, submarines, fighter jets and bombers. Jong-un was seen holding a piece of paper entitled “measures and ways for tactical drills.”

    Measures and Ways for Tactical Drills refers to “a strike on a Spike base,” with “Spike” referring to guided missiles employed by South Korean Marines stationed on Baeknyeong and Yeonpyeong islands.

    Jong-un reportedly stated that the waste of ammunition was practice to protect North Korea’s “southwestern waters,” which are “under a constant threat from the enemy.” Kim added, “We’re thinking very seriously and waiting for the right moment” (to strike).

    Baeknyeong and Yeonpyeong islands are situated along the Northern Limit Line, the de-facto maritime border between North and South Korea.

    Kim Jong-un, who now has his own video game entitled Glorious Leader!, has held the titles of the First Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, the Chairman of the Central Military Commission, First Chairman of the National Defense Commission of North Korea, the Supreme Commander of the Korean People’s Army and presidium member of the Politburo of the Workers’ Party of Korea. He was officially declared the Supreme Leader following the state funeral for his father Kim Jong-il on December 28, 2011.

    Here is the Glorious Leader! teaser trailer, which features NBA Hall of Famer and Kim Jong-un BFF Dennis Rodman:

    Despite Pyongyang’s show of force, it is evident that its military machine is obsolete, is essentially falling apart and is low on spares.

    Image via YouTube

  • North Korea Warns The U.S. Over James Franco And Seth Rogen Film ‘The Interview’

    James Franco and Seth Rogen’s new movie The Interview has caught North Korea’s attention. In the movie, Franco and Rogen play talk show hosts who are tasked by the CIA to assassinate North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un. The film is scheduled for release in October, but has already caught the attention of many.

    A North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Wednesday, “The enemies have gone beyond the tolerance limit in their despicable moves to dare hurt the dignity of the supreme leadership.” North Korean officials also said that the movie is “an act of war” from the U.S.

    “If the United States administration tacitly approves or supports the release of this film, we will take decisive and merciless countermeasure,” said the North Korean spokesperson. He said that Washington was guilty of “provocative insanity” for allowing a “gangster filmmaker” to disrespect their country’s supreme leader.

    Although many find the Kim family menacing, they are also easy targets for humor. The Kim family, particularly Kim Jong-il, has been a target of many shows including Team America: World Police, Thirty Rock, and South Park. In an interview with The Telegraph, Executive Director of The Center for North Korea-US Peace Kim Myong-chol said that Hollywood movies are full of “assassinations and executions.” He also said that James Bond is a better character and the films are “much more enjoyable.” Despite backlash from North Korea, Rogen tweeted and said, “Apparently Kim Jong-un plans on watching #TheInterview. I hope he likes it!!”

    This is not the first time a Hollywood film has annoyed other countries. In 2006, Kazakhstan threatened to sue the makers of Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. However, the country later credited the movie for improving their tourism and making their country known all over the world.

    Image via YouTube

  • North Korea Deems ‘The Interview’ an ‘Act of Terror’

    When Matt Stone and Trey Parker released Team America: World Police in 2004, little to no noise was made. Sure, critics in the United States had a field-day discussing all of the different aspects of American and North Korean life that the South Park creators took jabs at, but there was seemingly no response from Kim Jong Il or North Korea itself. Thus, when Seth Rogen and James Franco decided to write a film discussing the assassination of Kim Jong Un, the duo most likely did not expect the response the film has received.

    On Wednesday, North Korea released a statement from its state-run news agency, KCNA, in which it denounced Rogen and Franco’s film, entitled The Interview, stating that if the United States did not act to censor or ban the movie, it would experience a “merciless counter-measure” from North Korea itself.

    “Making and releasing a movie on a plot to hurt our top-level leadership is the most blatant act of terrorism and war and will absolutely not be tolerated,” a foreign ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by KCNA.

    In The Interview, Seth Rogen and James Franco play a television personality and his producer who just happen to land a once-in-a-lifetime, sit-down interview with Kim Jong Un himself. However, before the two can embark for North Korea, the CIA enlists them to help the United States assassinate the leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

    Kim Myong-chol, executive director of The Centre for North Korea-US Peace and an unofficial spokesman for Jong Un, shared his thoughts on the film with The Telegraph:

    There is a special irony in this storyline as it shows the desperation of the US government and American society. A film about the assassination of a foreign leader mirrors what the US has done in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Ukraine. And let us not forget who killed [President John F.] Kennedy – Americans… In fact, President [Barack] Obama should be careful in case the US military wants to kill him as well.

    After his diatribe, however, Myong-chol divulged that he still thought Kim Jong Un would watch the film, despite the protests.

    The film is set to hit theaters on October 14, and so far the United States has not made a move to stop its release.

    Image via YouTube

  • Kim Jung Un Rebukes Meteorologists for Bad Forecasts

    In 2010, North Korea was forced out of the World Cup in South Africa after giving up a staggering 12 goals in only three games. Upon returning home, the Korean soccer players were publicly shamed and scolded for their performance on the world stage. This public criticism was something of a rarity in North Korea, as most punishments are doled out in private.

    Fortunately for North Korean soccer stars, there will be no concerns of disappointing the nation in the World Cup this year, seeing as the team did not qualify. However, Kim Jong Un has found another outlet for his temper – the country’s weather service.

    On Tuesday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim Jong Un voiced his disappointment with the national weather service during a field guide visit to the Hydro-meteorological Service. The source of Kim’s ire was “incorrect” forecasts, making it impossible “to protect the lives and properties of the people from disasters caused by the abnormal climatic phenomenon and prevent various fields of national economy including agriculture and fishery from natural disasters in good time”

    Rather than place the blame upon the people operating the weather service, though, Kim blamed the lack of up-to-date technology available to accurately predict the weather: “It is necessary to fundamentally improve the work of the Hydro-meteorological Service in order to scientifically clarify meteorological and climatic conditions and provide accurate data for weather forecast and meteorological and climatic information required by various fields of national economy in good time,” Kim stated.

    Accurate weather forecasts are imperative for North Korea at the moment due to the severe drought the country is facing – the worst the country has seen in more than three decades.

    Due to droughts, floods, and other weather phenomena, North Korea constantly faces a food shortage. The UN has reported that nearly two-thirds of North Korea’s 24 million people suffer from chronic food shortages and that one in four children suffer from malnourishment.

    Image via YouTube

  • North Korea has Detained Another American Tourist

    According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), North Korean officials have detained Jeffrey Edward Fowle, an American tourist, for acts inconsistent with the purposes of tourism. This makes the third American being held for illegal activities in North Korea.

    Fowler was detained last month because he “perpetrated activities that violated the laws of our republic, which did not fit his stated purpose of visiting our republic as a tourist,” according to the KCNA. The news agency went on to say that the proper agencies have detained Fowler and are currently investigating him.

    While the actual cause of the arrest is yet unknown, the Japanese news agency Kyodo stated that Fowler was part of a tour group and was detained following the discovery of a Bible he had left in his hotel room.

    The United States State Department has acknowledged that they are aware of the information stemming from KCNA, but have yet to make any moves to reclaim Fowler: “There is no greater priority for us than the welfare and safety of U.S. citizens abroad. We have no additional information to share at this time.”

    With the detention of Fowler, North Korea now holds three American citizens for crimes against the state, despite the fact that the U.S. State Department issued a warning against travelling to the country, stating, “Foreign visitors to North Korea may be arrested, detained, or expelled for activities that would not be considered criminal outside North Korea.”

    Along with Fowler, North Korea also currently holds 24-year-old Matthew Todd Miller and evangelist Kenneth Bae. Miller is being held by North Korean authorities after he decided to rip-up his visa and ask for asylum in the country. Bae is currently serving a 15-year state sentence of hard labor after he was discovered attempting to establish a proselytizing ring in the country, using his tourism business as a front.

    While North Korea does support state-controlled churches, it bans independent religious acts because they are seen as a threat to the state.

    Unfortunately for Fowler and others, the United States has no diplomatic ties with North Korea. If the detainees wish to leave the country anytime soon, they must pin their hopes on the Swedish embassy in Pyongyang, the representative body in North Korea for the United States.

    If North Korea’s past refusal to allow Robert King, America’s special envoy to North Korea for issues dealing with human rights, access to the country to free Kenneth Bae is the precedent to go by, Fowler and Miller may be held for yet quite some time.

    Image via YouTube

  • Kim Jong-Un’s ‘Executed’ Ex-Girlfriend Seen Alive

    North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un reportedly ordered the execution of an ex-girlfriend last summer over a sex tape she was involved in, though now the formerly presumed-deceased pop singer Hyon Song-Wol was seen on state television delivering a speech at a national art workers rally in Pyongyang on Friday.

    Song-wol, who was a lover of Jong-un when they both were teenagers, had incurred the disdain the 31-year-old Supreme Leader’s wife Ri Sol-ju, after the pop star was involved in a sex scandal. Jong-un was initially forced to separate from Song-wol years before, at the command of his late father, Dear Leader Kim Jong-il.

    It was reported last August by the South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo that Song-wol and eleven other well-known entertainers had been caught making a sex tape, and then executed by firing squad. Though on Friday, Hyon conveyed gratitude for Jong-un’s leadership and pledged to work harder to “stoke up the flame for art and creative work.”

    In North Korea, a “sex tape” could be something considered to be G-rated in the Western world. Here is the clip which supposedly put Hyon in hot water:

    Here is Hyon Song-wol’s rock video for Excellent Horse Like Lady (A Girl in the Saddle Of A Steed) from 2005, which appears to extol the graces of maintaining equine-like stamina in the workplace:

    Hyon’s band, the Unhasu Orchestra, had performed a string of patriotic hits in North Korea, including Footsteps of Soldiers, I Love Pyongyang, She is a Discharged Soldier and We are Troops of the Party. Hyon’s popularity peaked with Excellent Horse-Like Lady.

    It’s not clear if other members of the Wangjaesan Light Band and Moranbong Band, who were also said to be executed for violated North Korean pornography laws are still alive, after it was reported that they were killed by machine guns while their families watched. It was also reported that said families were then sent to prison camps for “guilt by association.”

    Executions in North Korea are said to be particularly fast and brutal, with prisoners force-fed liquor and gagged, before being killed with no chance for reprieve.

    In related news, Jong-un now has his own video game called Glorious Leader!, in which he battles drones, entire armies and the Statue of Liberty, with the help of his flaming unicorn and Dennis Rodman.

    Here is the trailer:

    Image via YouTube

  • Kim Jong-Un Stars in ‘Glorious Leader!’ Video Game

    Independent video game developer Moneyhorse has announced a title for PC and mobile called Glorious Leader!, which stars North Korea’s Great Successor Kim Jong-un as the main playable character.

    Players can guide the rotund despot through seven levels in the old-school shoot-’em-up, in scenarios that describe Kim Jong-un life-facts generated by the propaganda machine of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

    These faithfully reproduced side-scrolling facts include the time when the Dear Leader thwarted the United States when it attacked his homeland with an aircraft carrier and the Statue of Liberty.

    Other playable trials (the game recalls Konami’s classic Contra series) include the the time when Kim Jong-un was involved in the epic unicorn battle of North Hamgyong, where the puppet dictator vanquished 10,000 invading imperialists and destroyed 200 drones. Here the plump leader rides his faithful flaming unicorn:

    kim jong un

    Here is a shot of the aforementioned Statue of Liberty invasion scenario:

    kim jong un

    Here is the Glorious Leader! teaser trailer, which features NBA Hall of Famer and Kim Jong-un BFF Dennis Rodman:

    Rodman, seen below singing happy birthday to Jong-un during a bizarre basketball exhibition in North Korea in January, reportedly entered alcohol rehab soon after returning to the U.S.

    Kim Jong-un has held the titles of the First Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, the Chairman of the Central Military Commission, First Chairman of the National Defense Commission of North Korea, the Supreme Commander of the Korean People’s Army and presidium member of the Politburo of the Workers’ Party of Korea. He was officially declared the Supreme Leader following the state funeral for his father Kim Jong-il on December 28, 2011.

    Here the people of North Korea cry hysterically over the passing of Kim Jong-il:

    Moneyhorse hasn’t set a release date, and the CEO of that company commented that his team has tried to “carefully walk the line of satire without being an apologist for the (North Korean) regime.”

    Images via YouTube

  • North Korea’s State Owned News: “Obama is a monkey”

    Propaganda is usually more eloquent, combined with images of gallantry and false promises through meaningless slogans; a rhetoric that allows for no free thought or discussion – ‘you’re either with us or against us.’

    North Korea spares no elegance when it tries to make a point, whether it’s a myriad of empty threats, execution by flamethrower, or bombardments from its state-run media front; Pyongyang’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), currently threw out some bigoted comments describing President Barack Obama as a “wicked black monkey.”

    “Divine punishment to the world’s one and only delinquent Obama”, published in Korean on May 2nd, came just in time with Obama’s state visit to South Korea. The article is composed of essays penned by four different people, despite the style being indistinguishable. If it wasn’t labeled a government publication, it’d pass as satire:

    “You can also tell this by his appearance and behavior, and while it may be because he is a crossbreed, one cannot help thinking the more one sees him that he has escaped from a monkey’s body,” it stated.

    The written diatribe lists Obama as a monkey four times, as well as calling him a “clown”, “dirty fellow” and somebody who “does not even have the basic appearance of a human being”; it geared towards the United States as “paper tiger” – its strength as a nation being largely a “myth.”

    “It would be better for him to live with other monkeys at a wild animal park in Africa … and licking bread crumbs thrown by onlookers,” wrote steel worker Kang Hyok at Chollima Steel Complex, author of one of the four essays.

    Another author, a military officer named Han Jin-Sung, wrote with more madness:

    “These Yankees have no idea who they are dealing with, and we will teach them the true taste of fire and war. Our nuclear strikes of justice and our powerful baptism by fire will decimate America, that devil’s den, without a trace — that is our resolution.”

    The articles have drawn criticism from the White House’s National Security Council, which said they were “particularly ugly and disrespectful.”

    State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said on Thursday that the North Korean dispatch was “offensive and ridiculous and absurd.”

    “I don’t know how many words I can use up here to describe the rhetoric … It’s disgusting,” Harf told reporters at the Foreign Press Center in Washington.

    Yoo Ho-yeol, a professor of North Korea studies at Korea University in South Korea said that North Korea is trying to garner attention by publicizing such controversy, and that the government will distance themselves from it, attributing the remarks to their citizens who ultimately penned the piece.

    “If it was to publish such a report in the voice of the authorities it would entrap them, whereas reporting the story under some ordinary citizen’s name will give them leeway,” said Yoo.

    The published pieces are particularly a response towards President Obama’s recent visit to South Korea, where he and South Korean President Park Geun-hye held a summit in Seoul last month. During his visit, Obama said at a joint news conference with Park that he’s considering further sanctions against North Korea, and that the U.S. will not hesitate to engage in military action to defend its allies.

    Politics explode.

    Images via Wikimedia Commons (1), (2)

  • North Korea Opens Marathon To Foreign Amateurs For The First Time

    The streets of North Korea’s capital, Pyongyang, were filled with foreign runners on Sunday. The Pyongyang marathon, held annually, welcomed amateur runners from all over the world for the first time.

    The marathon, known as the Mangyongdae Prize International Marathon, has been around for 27 years. Last Sunday, thousands of North Koreans lined the streets to watch the event and occasionally gave high fives to the runners passing by. According to the event managers from the International Association of Athletics Federations, they decided to open the race to foreigners to make it a grander occasion in celebration of the nation’s founder, Kim Il Sung’s, birthday on April 15.

    The only rule that foreign runners had to follow was that they should not wear attention-grabbing or political clothing during the race. They were also banned from carrying Japanese or U.S. flags.

    The majority of North Korea is still off-limits to foreigners, but Pyongyang is more accessible with its plazas, monuments, and avenues.

    North Korea has been boosting its tourism. Group tours typically consist of visiting major attractions and watching performance art. North Korea’s tourism agencies said that they were surprised to see the large number of foreigners who wanted to participate in the marathon. However, they also said that most of them just wanted to see Pyongyang, rather than race.

    In this year’s race, there were runners from 27 countries all over the world. A total of 225 of the runners were amateurs. The race was also made easier to accommodate the amateur runners.

    The winner for the men’s event was Pak Chol, a North Korean who completed the race in 2:12:26, while North Korean twins Kim Hye Song and Kim Hye Gong finished the women’s event first and second with a time of 2:27:04.

    “I really wanted to do this race because of the location,” Jen Skym, a Briton who resides in Hong Kong said. Another runner from Nova Scotia, Jacob Young, said “I go to international races every year, but this one just strikes me as the most unique.”

    North Korea opens marathon to foreigners for the first time.

    Image via YouTube

  • North Korea Hosts International Marathon in Capital

    North Korea allowed foreign tourists to compete in the annual marathon on Sunday in its capital, Pyongyang.

    Of thousands of participants in Sunday’s event, more than 200 were from other countries.

    The race started and ended at Kim Il Sung stadium, and participants were greeted at the finish line by more than 40,000 cheering spectators.

    It is also the first time the race was open to recreational runners.

    North Korea’s Pak Chol was the first to cross the finish line, completing the men’s event in 2 hours, 12 minutes, and 26 seconds. Compatriots Kim Hye Gyong and her twin sister, Kim Hye Song, finished first and second in the women’s race. Gyong won the women’s race in 2 hours, 27 minutes, and 4 seconds.

    The race has been held annually for 27 years and is a bronze-labeled event sanctioned by the International Association of Athletics Federations.

    Organizers said they decided to allow foreign recreational runners because they wanted to hold a larger race as part of the series of sporting competitions, arts festivals and cultural events marking the birthday of the country’s first leader, Kim Il Sung, on April 15.

    Organizers also decided to make it easier for recreational runners to join by requiring only that the course be completed within four hours so the roads could be reopened. A  half marathon and a 10-kilometer run was also hosted by the organization.

    The Mangyongdae Prize Marathon is named after the birthplace of Kim Il Sung, the country’s first leader, and is held annually around the time of his birthday.

    Officials said runners from 27 countries took part in the race this year, including 225 amateurs.

    Much of North Korea is off-limits to tourists, and tourism agencies that specialize in North Korea said they received a larger than expected number of entries to the race from tourists who primarily wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to see Pyongyang close up, rather than compete in the race itself.

    Foreign runners were not permitted to carry Japanese or American flags, or wear clothing with large writing, or that was considered political or attention-getting. Runners said they were also not allowed to carry cameras during the race, though they snapped away afterward inside the stadium.

    “Basically, we just had to wear regular running clothes,” said Will Erskine, a runner from Melbourne, Australia.

    “Some people might have wanted to shoot pictures the whole time. But I don’t think it was all that unusual. It was a good experience,” Erskine said.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons