North Korea

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Before Kim Killed His Uncle, There Was a Firefight

Picture of what led to Jang Song Thaek's execution coming together

(Newser) - Yesterday it was reported that Jang Song Thaek met his end not because of a planned coup, but because of a business disagreement. The New York Times reported by way of South Korea's head of intelligence that Jang and his associates were unwilling to give up control of major...

Kim Jong Un 'Very Drunk' Ordering Executions

North Korea purge 'wasn't about coup'

(Newser) - North Korea's leader was "very drunk" when he recently ordered two aides close to his uncle to be executed, reports the Independent via the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun. Kim Jong Un was apparently upset when the two men questioned his demand that a business be handed over to...

Hundreds Related to Kim&#39;s Uncle Arrested
 Hundreds Related to 
 Kim's Uncle Arrested 
Local report
Dec 23, 2013 11:22 AM CST

Hundreds Related to Kim's Uncle Arrested

South Korean official doubts 'power struggle' led to execution

(Newser) - Authorities have rounded up hundreds of relatives of Kim Jong Un's recently executed uncle and ferried them to prison camps, according to a report out of Seoul. The night after Jang Song Thaek was executed, "armed men from the Ministry of State Security arrived unannounced in the Pyongchon...

N. Korea Faxes Threat to South
 N. Korea Faxes Threat to South 
Dec 20, 2013 5:29 AM CST

N. Korea Faxes Threat to South

Warns it will strike 'without notice' after rallies held in Seoul

(Newser) - North Korea has issued quite the threat to South Korea ... via fax. Yonhap reports that the North's National Defense Commission yesterday faxed the South's National Security Council, and its message contained a threat to strike the South "without notice." Yonhap explains that the fax followed a...

Rodman Back in N. Korea to 'Have Some Fun'

Will spend 4 days training basketball team

(Newser) - Dennis Rodman is back in North Korea for his third visit, and this time he has a documentary crew along for the ride. The least influential person of 2013 will spend four days training the country's national basketball team, which is due to play a team of unannounced ex-NBAers...

Business as Usual? N. Korea Marks Kim Death Anniversary

Elder Kim celebrated as purges loom

(Newser) - North Korea has marked the second anniversary of the death of Kim Jong Il with vows to unite behind his son, Kim Jong Un, and a series of events to show the world that the regime has returned to business as usual despite the execution last week of Kim's...

Kim Jong Un's Aunt Safe for Now

Reports indicate she's been appointed to committee

(Newser) - Rumors of her impending demise may have been at least premature, because the AP reports that Kim Jong Un's aunt—and estranged wife of recently executed uncle Jang Song Thaek—has been named to an ad-hoc state committee in a seeming indication that both her influence and her...

Purges Likely in North Korea

 Purges Likely in North Korea 
Analysis
Dec 13, 2013 3:54 PM CST

Purges Likely in North Korea

Experts predict Kim will move to consolidate power

(Newser) - The surprise execution of Kim Jong-un's powerful uncle, Jang Song Thaek, might signal a lot of coming bloodshed in North Korea, experts tell the New York Times . Jang's supposed treason confession is startling because North Korea rarely acknowledges internal conflict, analysts say. South Korean officials think it's...

North Korea's Kim Executes His Uncle

Jang Song Thaek accused of being a traitor

(Newser) - Less than a week after reports emerged that Kim Jong Un had staged a major power play by ousting his powerful uncle from government, North Korea has announced that the uncle has been executed, reports the BBC . The state news agency says Jang Song Thaek was sentenced to death by...

N. Korea: Kim Uncle Purged for 'Depraved Lifestyle'

Top aide believed to have fled south

(Newser) - Pyongyang has today confirmed that Kim Jong Un's uncle has been fired and it sounds like Jang Song Thaek was a pretty busy guy during his years as North Korea's second most powerful official. According to Pyongyang's statement, Jang led a "dissolute and depraved" lifestyle, using...

Freed 85-Year-Old: I Was Bored in N. Korea

Merrill Newman says he was detained in hotel, not jail

(Newser) - Life as a captive of the Stalinist regime he fought 60 years ago was actually a pretty dull experience, Merrill Newman says. The 85-year-old veteran, back in the US after more than a month in North Korean custody, says he was comfortable but bored during his detention, reports the Santa ...

Freed US Vet Arrives Home From North Korea

Merrill Newman joins wife, son in San Francisco

(Newser) - A tired but smiling 85-year-old US veteran detained in North Korea for several weeks returned home today to applause from supporters, yellow ribbons tied to pillars outside his home, and the warm embrace of his family. Merrill Newman arrived at the San Francisco airport after turning down a ride with...

North Korea Frees 85-Year-Old American

Merrill Newman deported, turns down ride with Joe Biden

(Newser) - North Korea today freed an 85-year-old US veteran of the Korean War after a weekslong detention , ending the saga of Merrill Newman's attempt to visit the North as a tourist six decades after he oversaw a group of South Korean wartime guerrillas still loathed by Pyongyang. North Korea made...

Kim Jong Un's Next Move: Purge Aunt?

South Korean media reports he wants Kim Kyong Hui out

(Newser) - Earlier this week came the news that Kim Jong Un had reportedly given his high-ranking uncle , Jang Song Thaek, the boot; now, the Telegraph reports that his aunt—Jang's estranged wife—may be canned next. Kim Kyong Hui is Kim Jong Il's sister, and is said to be...

Inmates Dug Own Graves in North Korea: Ex-Guard

And one prison is expanding, per new Amnesty International report

(Newser) - More horrific tales have emerged from North Korea via a new Amnesty International report that indicates the country's prison camps are expanding. Satellite images from May of this year indicate one of the largest sites, camp 15, features new housing blocks and production facilities; a review of images...

Kim May Have Canned Uncle in Huge Power Shift

According to reports from the South's spy agency

(Newser) - If reports from the South are correct, North Korea is seeing a major change in its leadership. Kim Jong Un's uncle, Jang Song Thaek, has reportedly been fired from his role as vice chairman of the country's powerful National Defense Commission, per South Korea's spy agency. Yonhap...

American Held in N. Korea Oversaw Guerrillas

Kuwol fighters 'Pyongyang's most hated'

(Newser) - The detention of an 85-year-old American in North Korea appears to be revenge for his actions with a group of guerrilla fighters that did immense damage to the North during the Korean War, the AP finds in interviews with former members. Surviving fighters from the Kuwol partisan unit—glorified in...

US to North Korea: Let 85-Year-Old American Go

Merrill Newman has been held for more than a month

(Newser) - The US is urging North Korea to release an 85-year-old American who's been detained for more than a month. Retired finance executive Merrill Newman, who fought in the Korean War, was taken off a plane Oct. 26 by North Korean authorities while preparing to leave after a 10-day visit....

American Tourist Sorry for War Crimes: North Korea

Merrill Newman reads apology he supposedly wrote

(Newser) - The 85-year-old California tourist detained in North Korea last month is sorry for his crimes against the state, at least according to North Korea. Authorities released video of Merrill Newman reading an apology he allegedly wrote; the AP couldn't independently confirm its veracity or whether it was coerced. In...

IAEA: There's Activity at N. Korea Reactor Site

But agency can't confirm if reactor has been restarted

(Newser) - North Korea vowed to restart its Yongbyon reactor in April, and the International Atomic Energy Agency today indicates that the country continues to head down that path. Relying largely on satellite imagery, the IAEA's chief noted that "activities have been observed at the site that are consistent with...

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