North Korea

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March 2008
- Dressed-Up Pyongyang Hid Grim Reality
  
  Los Angeles Times | Mar 10, 08 3:05 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - North Korea's capital was prettied up last month to show off the country's nonexistent prosperity to the New York Philharmonic and the accompanying press corps, the LA Times reports. The visitors to Pyongyang ate luxurious meals in newly painted hotels, but after they finished, the lights went out. "As soon as you guys left, it was pitch dark again," said the local director of the UN's World Food Program. More »
February 2008
- Clapton Invited to Pyongyang
  
  E! Online | Feb 27, 08 11:41 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - Kim Jong Il is a diehard Elvis fan, but the Great Leader's son is seriously into Eric Clapton, which could be why North Korea has invited Old Slowhand to play a concert in Pyongyang. Though the New York Philharmonic performed there yesterday, a Clapton appearance would mark the first time a Western pop music star had been involved in a cultural exchange with the regime that more often treats rock 'n' roll as "pollution." More »
- Philharmonic Wows North Korea
  
  AFP | Feb 26, 08 7:16 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - The New York Philharmonic received a huge ovation in Pyongyang tonight after a concert that marked the first thaw in cultural relations between the US and North Korea in 50 years. The performance—which included the countries' national anthems, a Korean folk song, and works by Gershwin, Dvorak, Wagner, and Leonard Bernstein—was broadcast on state media and around the world, reports AFP. More »
- Are They Playing His Song?
  
  Reuters | Feb 25, 08 5:00 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - As the New York Philharmonic arrived in Pyongyang today, Kim Jong-Il still hadn't indicated whether he would attend the orchestra's historic concert, Reuters reports. ”It's kind of a win-win for Kim Jong-Il,” says a scholar of North Korean propaganda, because the visit will likely be portrayed as a sign of the West’s capitulation to the iron-willed dictator whether he turns up or not. More »
- Woodruff Fights for Words
  
  USA Today | Feb 25, 08 10:40 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - When ABC's Bob Woodruff reported recently from North Korea, he appeared fully recovered from horrific head injuries he suffered in Iraq. In fact, he has a lingering disorder that could have ended his career as a journalist. He discusses working with expressive aphasia, a struggle to remember words, with Christine Dugas of USA Today —who suffers from it, too. More »
- 'Bulldozer' Prez Takes Helm in S. Korea
  
  The Australian | Feb 25, 08 9:40 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - Proclaiming that "economic revival is our most urgent task," South Korea's new president took office today. Ex-Seoul mayor Lee Myung-bak, a longtime Hyundai exec known as "the Bulldozer," won the office in a landslide but is likely to struggle implementing the reforms he has promised if his conservative party fails to win a majority in April's parliamentary elections, the Australian reports. More »
- North Korea Preps for Visit From NY Philharmonic
  
  Associated Press | Feb 24, 08 3:00 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Pyongyang may be shedding some of its anti-US propaganda in preparation for the New York Philharmonic's arrival tomorrow, but many worry Dvorak symphonies Tuesday for the elite will prove an ineffectual olive branch during a time of nuclear negotiations. Pshaw, an assistant secretary of state tells the LA Times: "They are alleging that we have a hostile policy and that's why they need nuclear weapons. The presence of the New York Philharmonic argues against that." More »
- N. Korea Opens Nuke Plant to Foreign Media
  
  ABC News | Feb 23, 08 7:52 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - North Korea opened its controversial Yongbyon nuclear reactor to the foreign media yesterday, the first time the 5-megawatt plant at the core of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program and the target of international disarmament talks has been seen by journalists, ABC News reports. The visit seemed to be a sign the Communist government wants a disarmament-for-aid deal to proceed. More »
- Giant Bunnies Hit Silver Screen
  
  Der Spiegel | Feb 18, 08 12:10 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Giant bunnies overran the 2008 Berlin Film Festival, reports Der Spiegel —in the form of a 5-minute documentary on the international intrigue that ensued when a German rabbit breeder sent a dozen of his 20-pounders to North Korea to be bred to help alleviate hunger. Instead, they met a tragic end as part of a birthday feast for playboy-dictator Kim Jong Il. More »
January 2008
- Behold, the Worst Building Ever
  
  Esquire | Jan 31, 08 9:38 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - The Ryugyong Hotel in downtown Pyongyang is surely one of the worst architectural failures in history, Eva Hagberg writes in Esquire : Not only has the 105-story building—which sucked up an estimated 2% of North Korea’s annual GDP from 1987 to '92—never opened, but the pyramidal “hotel of doom” is such an eyesore that the government routinely edits it out of official skyline photos. More »
- Realism Trumps Boldness in Bush Address
  
  Washington Post | Jan 29, 08 6:56 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - In his last State of the Union address President Bush dispensed with the grand narratives and far-reaching proposals of previous years, contenting himself to repackaging earlier projects, the Washington Post observes. Gone was the boldness—even defiance—of transforming the Social Security system or overhauling immigration law; instead, last night he prodded Congress to act quickly on the $150 billion economic stimulus package and focused on "small-bore" requests like giving military spouses hiring preferences. More »
December 2007
- North Korea Still Balking Over Nuke Shutdown
  
  Reuters | Dec 27, 07 3:17 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - North Korea is still dragging its feet in disabling its nuclear program, Reuters reports. The slowdown, which began last week, is due to delays in delivery of energy aid promised to North Korea as part of a deal reached earlier this year, authorities said. "We have no choice but to take measures to adjust," said a Pyongyang official, referring to the pace of dismantling the country's nuclear facilities. More »
- North Korea Stalling on Nuke Deal
  
  Associated Press | Dec 24, 07 4:15 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - North Korea is balking at US demands that it demolish a cooling tower at its main nuclear complex and get rid of unused fuel, the AP reports. Officials insist they want the benefits from the next stage of the disarmament deal first. The US warns that North Korea could restart its reactor in just three months if it doesn't get rid of the tower and fuel. More »
- Right-Wing CEO Wins Korean Presidency
  
  Reuters | Dec 19, 07 5:39 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - Opposition leader Lee Myung-bak, nicknamed "The Bulldozer," has been elected president of South Korea by the largest margin in the country's democratic history. Lee, a former CEO at Hyundai and once mayor of Seoul, won 50.3% of the vote, trouncing his nearest rival, who captured just 26%, reports Reuters. Lee ran on a right-wing platform emphasizing improvements to the economy and a harder line with North Korea. More »
- Japan Shoots Down Dummy US Missile
  
  BBC | Dec 18, 07 5:45 AM CST