Korean Chef Offers Glimpse of 'Lil' Kim'

(NEWSER) - News that Kim Jong Il has settled on his youngest son as eventual successor begs the question, what's the new guy like? Details are predictably scarce, but from his days at a Swiss boarding school, where he befriended the kids of US diplomats, we know that 26-year-old Kim Jong Un speaks French and German, likes to ski, and admires Michael Jordan and Jean-Claude Van Damme, reports the Washington Post. More»

And regime's nuke ready for testing, maybe tomorrow

(NEWSER) - Thirty North Korean officials who took part in talks with South Korea were either executed or died in "staged traffic accidents" for failing to improve relations, according to Amnesty International. The human rights group's annual report found that another 200 were arrested in January as the regime transferred power from Kim Jong-il to his son, Kim Jong-un. Pyongyang typically rounds up officials who fail to satisfy the regime, even when they're only carrying out orders, the Telegraph reports. More»

Crocodile tears for Kim result in forced labor, source says

(NEWSER) - North Koreans whose mourning of their Dear Leader lacked enthusiasm have been sent to join the 200,000 of their countrymen already in labor camps, according to Daily NK . The South Korea-based website, citing sources in the North, says people who either skipped mourning sessions for Kim Jong Il or didn't seem sincere have been sentenced to at least six months of forced labor, as have people accused of criticizing the dynastic succession system. More»

Journalists or South Koreans need not apply

(NEWSER) - Where should you take your next vacation? CNN's Business 360 blog notes that North Korea is accepting tourists again after a winter hiatus. As long as you are not South Korean or a journalist, you should be able to get in as part of a tour group. One agency out of Beijing offers a four-day trip for $1,600, which includes visas and all the guides, food, lodging, and transport you'll need. Just make sure you don't lose that tour group. More»

Likely another move to shore up support for Kim Jong Un

(NEWSER) - North Korea has announced a round of special pardons for some of its prisoners in honor of what would have been Kim Jong Il's 70th birthday next month, in what the Telegraph sees as an attempt to boost the popularity of Dear Leader's heir, Kim Jong Un. The announcement, made by the state-run Korean Central News Agency, didn't specify how many prisoners would be freed, or what sorts of crimes might be forgiven. More»