BEIJING, Dec. 12 (Korea Biwire) – Performances by North Korea’s all-female propaganda band in Beijing were canceled, an official at a Chinese theater where it was to perform said Saturday, with members of the band abruptly heading back to Pyongyang. The Moranbong Band had been scheduled to perform for three days in Beijing from Saturday, [...]
SEOUL, Dec.9 (Korea Bizwire) – A parody video of North Korea’s founding father Kim Il-sung, the late leader Kim Jong-il and current leader Kim Jong-un dancing is gaining popularity on YouTube. The 25 second long video clip named ‘I got it from my ABAY (meaning ‘father’ in North Korean)’ had reached 171,013 views as of [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 10 (Korea Bizwire) – North Korean leader Kim Jong-un stated that his country has developed not only nuclear weapons but also hydrogen bombs, according to Pyongyang’s state media Thursday. He made the remark while inspecting a historic site for the communist nation’s arms industry a day earlier, according to reports. The North has [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 4 (Korea Bizwire) - The commander of the North Korean military’s strategic missile defense branch has been promoted to a four-star general, possibly thanks to recent progress in the country’s missile development, a North Korean documentary showed. Kim Rak-gyom, previously the three-star commander of the Strategic Forces under the Korean People’s Army, was seen [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Korea Bizwire) – North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un has visited a recently remodeled facility for primary and middle school students’ extracurricular activities, the North’s media said Tuesday. The leader visited the Mangyongdae Schoolchildren’s Palace, a comprehensive after-school education center for school students, according to the Korean Central News Agency. It did not [...]
SEOUL, Nov. 23 (Korea Bizwire) – A growing number of North Korean key party and military officials has been fleeing the communist country to evade leader Kim Jong-un’s reign of terror, a source familiar with North Korean affairs said Monday. Kim has purged or executed many North Korean officials, Seoul’s intelligence agency earlier said, putting [...]
SEOUL, Nov. 18 (Korea Bizwire) - North Korea unveiled detailed plans Wednesday to develop its special economic zone in the border city of Rason aimed at luring foreign investment amid an economic slowdown and a series of U.N. sanctions. The North made public the comprehensive plan in what is seen as part of efforts to turn [...]
SEOUL, Nov. 16 (Korea Bizwire) – U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon plans to visit North Korea this week, a high-level U.N. source said Sunday, a surprise trip that raises hope for progress in inter-Korean relations and efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear standoff.’ Ban’s visit to Pyongyang will be the first time in his capacity [...]
SEOUL, Nov. 5 (Korea Bizwire) – For foreign travel agencies, the annual Pyongyang Marathon is apparently a good business opportunity. They are promoting a variety of tour programs to the secretive communist nation in connection with the event. The next one will be held on April 10 next year. Young Pioneer Tours, based in China, [...]
WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 (Korea Bizwire) — The former head of a U.N. investigative panel on North Korea’s human rights issue called Tuesday for renewed international attention to the problem, saying looking away from the issue amounts to turning away from what the Nazis did in the 1930s. Michael Kirby, a retired Australian judge who headed [...]