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China-Japan-Koreas

North Korea 'executes envoy to US' after Trump summit failures

2019-05-31

[TheGuardian] South Korean paper claims Kim Hyok-chol has been killed and senior negotiator Kim Yong-chol subjected to forced labour North Korea executed Kim Hyok-chol, its special envoy to the United States, and foreign ministry officials who carried out working-level negotiations for the Hanoi summit in February, a South Korean newspaper has reported. Kim Yong-chol, a senior official who had been US secretary of state Mike Pompeo’s counterpart in the run-up to the second summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un, is also said to have been subjected to forced labour and ideological education as one of the officials held responsible for its collapse, the Chosun Ilbo said. The North Korean leader was believed to be carrying out a widespread purge to divert attention from internal turmoil and discontent, the newspaper said. “Kim Hyok-chol was investigated and executed at Mirim airport with four foreign ministry officials in March,” an unnamed North Korea source said, according to the Chosun Ilbo, adding that they were charged with spying for the United States. Kim Hyok-chol had been the counterpart to Stephen Biegun, the US special representative for North Korea, before the summit. Kim Yong-chol was forced to work in Jagang province after his dismissal, the newspaper’s source said, adding that Kim Song-hye, who carried out working-level negotiations with Kim Hyok-chol, was sent to a political prison camp. Shin Hye-yong, the interpreter for Kim at the Hanoi meeting, is also said to have been detained in a political prison camp for undermining the leader’s authority by making a critical interpretation mistake, Chosun reported. Kim Yo-jong, the regime leader’s sister who helped him in Hanoi, is also said to be “lying low” on her brother’s orders, the paper reported, citing an unnamed South Korean government official who said: “We are not aware of Kim Yo-jong’s track record since the Hanoi meeting.” The North Korean state newspaper Rodong Sinmun said in a commentary on Thursday: “Acting like one is revering the leader in front [of others] but dreaming of something else when one turns around, is an anti-party, anti-revolutionary act that has thrown away the moral fidelity toward the leader, and such people will not avoid the stern judgment of the revolution.” “There are traitors and turncoats who only memorise words of loyalty toward the leader and even change according to the trend of the time.” It is the first time since the December 2013 execution of Jang Song-thaek, Kim’s uncle, that expressions such as “anti-party, anti-revolutionary” and “stern judgment” have appeared in Rodong Sinmun, according to Chosun Ilbo. Courtesy of Woodrow, it wasn’t just the two: Your Fired! (at) North Korea executes 5 officials over failed Kim-Trump summit [FoxNews] North Korea has executed five officials for their part in the failed second summit between President Trump and North Korean leader Little Kim Jong A-bonbon, according to a South Korean newspaper. Citing the newspaper, Bloomberg News reported that Kim Hyok Chol, North Korea's special envoy to the U.S., and four other North Korean Foreign Ministry officials were executed in March because of the breakdown of the February summit in Hanoi, Vietnam.

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China-Japan-Koreas

NK Leader Kim Jong-Un Ascends To Top of Holy Mountain Paektu

2017-12-12

[TheSun] MOUNTAIN TENSION North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s visit to the sacred Mount Paektu is a sign he’s plotting his most extreme missile launch yet, experts warn North Korean leaders' visits to the mystical Mount have often preceded important decisions WAR-hungry North Korean despot Kim Jong-un could be set to launch his most extreme missile launch yet, according to experts. Kim visited Korea’s most mystical mountain, Mount Paektu, on Friday, and this is the sign that could mean he’s plotting some significant military action in the near future. North Korean leaders’ visits to the sacred Mount have often preceded important decisions. Kim last visited the location in September 2016, right after North Korea’s fifth nuclear test. He was also there in April 2015, just before executing former defense chief Hyon Yong-chol, and in November 2013, before executing his own uncle Jang Song-thaek among other top officials. "Kim Jong-un is following in his father’s footsteps in visiting the mountain at times of important decisions regarding the state," a South Korean government insider said to Korea Joongang Daily. He "needs to deliver tangible results on the country’s politics, economy and diplomacy. So it is likely Kim thought through what he is going to present as his vision for next year." State news agency KCNA explained Kim’s visit as a celebration "after his big achievements in November". At the end of November North Korea unveiled ICBM Hwasong-15, a new nuclear missile capable of hitting anywhere on Earth. In September, Kim conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test and fired an intermediate-range missile over Japan. Previously, North Korea successfully launched the country’s first inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) in July 2017, the first to have the capability of reaching US territory.

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China-Japan-Koreas

Who is Kim Han-Sol, son of slain Kim Jong-nam and heir to North Korean regime?

2017-03-08

The son of Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korean ruler Kim Jong-un assassinated in Malaysia on 13 February, made a rare video appearance, speaking publicly for the first time since his father's death. The video was published on 7 March by the Cheollima Civil Defense, an organisation that focuses on rescuing North Korean defectors and refugees, and appeared to show the 21-year-old, who identified himself as "Kim Han-sol from North Korea, part of the Kim family". Who is Kim Han-sol? Kim Han-sol first attracted international attention when he moved to Bosnia to study at the United World College in Mostar, an international boarding school offering a multicultural learning environment and a mission to create a peaceful and sustainable future. He was the first North Korean student to attend the school, and indeed one of the first members of the secretive North Korean ruling family to be interviewed in Western media. Speaking to Finnish broadcaster YLE in 2012, Kim Han-sol talked about his life, his relationship to his family and his hopes for the future. Born in North Korea, he said he lived an ordinary yet isolated life in the country, until he moved to Macau after his father, who had been tipped to be the first in line to Kim Jong-il succession, reportedly fell out of favour with the regime after attempting to enter Japan to visit Disneyland with a fake passport in 2011. He would still come back to North Korea to visit his relatives, presumably his mother's family as he said he never met his paternal grandfather. At his school in Macau he met people from other countries, including the US and South Korea, which sparked a desire about seeing more of the world and leaving Macau to study elsewhere. After graduating from UWC Mostar, Kim Han-sol moved to France in 2013 to study for a Bachelor degree in social science at the Sciences Po campus of Le Havre, where students follow the Europe-Asia programme. Following the assassination of Kim Jong-un's uncle Jang Song-thaek, Kim Han-sol was assigned police protection and asked journalists to leave him alone, as reported by South Korean media. Where is Kim Han-sol now? His current whereabouts are unknown. South Korean intelligence officers said they believe his family where living until recently in Macau under Chinese government protection, the New York Times reported. In the video posted by the Cheollima Civil Defense, Kim Han-sol said he is with his mother and sister. The group said they assisted the three family members to relocate them to safety, but that the family's whereabouts will not be addressed. In a statement, the group thanks the governments of the Netherlands, China, the US and a fourth, unnamed one, for the support received in helping the family. According to British tabloids, Kim Han-sol was admitted to Oxford University to further his education, but had to turn down the offer after his father's assassination. In the 2012 interview, Kim Han-sol said that after completing his studies, he was going to focus on volunteering and peace-building projects. "I have always dreamed one day I will go back and make things better, make it easier for all the people there," he told the interviewer. What does Kim Han-sol think of Kim Jong-un? Kim Han-sol said in the 2012 interview he never met neither neither his grandfather Kim Jong-il nor Kim Jong-un, who succeeded him as the country's supreme leader after his death in December 2011. In fact, he hardly even know who his paternal grandfather was and only understood later in life he was North Korea's ruler, after piecing together conversations his parents had. "I really did not know if he knew I existed". Kim Han-sol said he was living the life of an ordinary citizen in North Korea, before the family left the country to live in Macau. "My dad was definitely not really interested in politics. I really don't know how he [Kim Jong-un] became a dictator ... It was between him and my grandfather," he added. He expressed a strong desire for the reunification of the country. "I also dream of reunification because it's really sad that I can't go to the other side [South Korea] and see my friends there." He added: "It is just political issues that divide the nation in half."

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China-Japan-Koreas

U.S. expert expects collapse of N. Korean regime

2015-11-16

North Korea's regime could collapse at any time due to the reign of terror of its young leader Kim Jong-un, a U.S. expert on Northeast Asian affairs said. Bruce Bennett, senior defense analyst at the RAND Corp., authored a report in 2013 that warned of the likely collapse of the North Korean regime. Two years on, he said that the possibility remains as Kim continues to rule the country with an iron fist, executing his once powerful uncle Jang Song-thaek and changing his defense minister five times in less than four years. "We have to think that sooner or later someone in that military chain is going to consider that if they don't do something about Kim Jong-un, they will be next," Bennett told South Korean journalists in a meeting Friday organized by the Korea Press Foundation and the East-West Center. "Even in Germany during World War II, where security was extreme, there was still an assassination attempt against Adolf Hitler by the military. So it could happen." For a peaceful reunification, South Korea should take steps now to convince the North Korean elite that they will be granted amnesty for their crimes and have a better life, he said. Bennett also challenged President Park Geun-hye's theory that inter-Korean reunification will be an economic "bonanza" for the two sides and a blessing for neighboring countries, saying China may have a different view. "China will have many reasons for going into North Korea in such a situation," Bennett said, referring to the possibility of a North Korean regime collapse or a similar event that could lead to reunification. If North Korea collapses, about 3 million North Koreans are expected to come into South Korea as refugees. As few North Koreans live close to the inter-Korean border, more of them -- some 5 million -- could try to cross the border into China, according to Bennett. "For many reasons, China wants something less than zero of them coming in," he said. "The only way they can do that is by projecting military forces 50 to 100 kilometers into North Korea and setting up refugee camps in North Korea rather than in China." Bennett questioned the idea South Korea will gain large economic benefits from tapping into future infrastructure projects in the North. "China will want to continue to own all of the property Chinese companies have purchased in North Korea, which will undermine President Park's 'jackpot' or 'bonanza,'" he said.

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China-Japan-Koreas

Pudgy Has Yet to Consolidate Power

2015-04-19

Hat tip Josh Stanton at One Free Korea. Excellent point to consider on a Sunday. Washington -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has not fully consolidated his power and could be marginalized into a "puppet" unless he brings in more money and buys support from within the regime in a couple of years, a U.S. expert said Monday. That is why Pyongyang is largely maintaining its charm offensive toward South Korea while refraining from major provocations in an attempt to prod Seoul to improve inter-Korean relations and "open up the coffers," said Ken Gause, a top North Korea expert at CNA Corp., during a lecture. "The royal economy, which is part of the economy surrounding the Kim family, is losing money. They can't bring in as much money. He's having to spend about twice as much money than his father did to buy support within the regime," Gause said. "He doesn't have the resources to be able to consolidate his power and buy relationships." Every thug knows that money is the secret to staying in power. Saleh in Yemen has been able to make deals and get back to Sanaa because he had a couple billion stashed away. Saddam, Castro, Hugo, the mad Ayatollahs, Assad, and most especially Putin all have or had a rainy day fund that was carefully controlled by their most trusted advisors and salted away in the best western investment houses. They each spend/spent billions more keeping the various factions in their countries in line. Billions more on a military counter-balanced by a secret police (or two, one to watch the other). If Pudgy is unable to raise funds his time in power will be cut short -- literally. Power struggles, which have been frozen in place since Kim's execution of his uncle Jang Song-thaek, could thaw out in one to two years, and if those power struggles happen, Kim no longer has the regent structure around to protect him, the expert said. "He is now directly exposed to those power struggles and he can be undermined by that. Not toppled, not coup, but marginalized and turned into a puppet. I think that would happen within the next two to five years. I really think he needs to do this within the next couple of years," Gause said. So the real question is whether, indeed, Fat Boy is having cashflow problems. He's still able to afford luxury goods for the inner circle, and the people of Pyongyang still have enough calories (barely). That suggests he has resources (trade with China, those western bank accounts) that we haven't been able to touch. The economic problem is one of three things Kim must address to consolidate the power he inherited from his father, Kim Jong-il, who died in late 2011, the expert said. The two other tasks are to purge potential adversaries and bring in people and to make progress in defense systems, such as the missile and nuclear programs. The economic question is why North Korea reached out to Japan and Russia, he said. "A part of why they reached out to Japan was to put pressure on South Korea. It's all about South Korea. That's why they're playing ball with the Russians right now," he said. "It's all getting South Korea to open up the coffers. That's what it's about." The economic reason also explains why the North hasn't launched another provocation, Gause said. "They don't want to undermine the charm campaign. There's still, if you read their rhetoric, if you read the media, it does suggest that even though they're talking a harsh language towards the South Koreans, they're keeping the door open for potential engagement," he said. "If they go and test a missile and especially if they test a nuke, that's going to really undermine that, especially if they return to something like Cheonan, or whatever. It's game over at that point," he said, referring to the North's 2010 sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan. However, if the North makes a determination at some point in the near future that South Korea is not going to play ball, the North may become much more aggressive in terms of provocations, he said. Should the North's young leader visit Moscow next month for celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory in World War II, it would suggest there's "stability inside the regime, that he can leave the country," the expert said. Another factor that should be watched closely is whether Kim's second child is a girl or boy, Gause said. Kim's first child is a girl. "If it's a girl and Kim Jong-un were to die or become incapacitated, then you've got a major transfer of power issue," he said, raising the possibilities that Kim's brother, Jong-chol, could take over or the North could establish collective leadership.

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China-Japan-Koreas

NK executes entire family of Kim's uncle

2014-01-27

[Bangla Daily Star] North Korea has reportedly executed almost all relatives of Jang Song-thaek, the purged uncle of the North's despotic ruler Kim Pudge Jong-un ...the overweight, pouty-looking hereditary potentate of North Korea. Pudge appears to believe in his own divinity, but has yet to produce any loaves and fishes, so his subjects remain malnourished... , underscoring the communist regime's reign of terror. Once dubbed the North's No. 2 man, Jang was himself executed last December for plotting to subvert the regime, which presaged the purging of many with ties to the disgraced elite, who had a wide network of associates in the ruling Workers' Party, military and state organs. The reports said Jang's sister Jang Kye-sun and brother-in-law Jon Yong-jin were executed in early December, while Jang's nephew Jang Yong-chol met the same fate last month. Jon was the North's ambassador to Cuba while Yong-chol served as the top envoy to Malaysia. Multiple sources also said state agents had killed all direct descendants of Jang's older brothers, who were onetime general officers in the North Korean military before dying of natural causes. Children were among those killed, the sources said. Seoul's Unification Ministry neither denied nor confirmed the reports. North Korea traditionally purges all family members over the age of 15 after executing a government official in fear of future Dire Revenge™ against the regime, said Ahn Chan-il, director of the World North Korea Research Center. Pointing to Jang's role in fostering economic cooperation with China, Ahn added that the recent execution of Jang's associates and relatives could help explain why Pyongyang is eager to mend fences with Seoul. "North Korea is suffering from a partial oil embargo imposed on them by China," Ahn said. "Pyongyang officials are genuinely scared because they have barely enough fuel to run their tanks and airplanes while the South and the US get ready for a military exercise," he said, referring to the annual South Korea-US military drills slated to begin in late February. Last Friday, Pyongyang proposed holding the reunions of families separated during the 1950-53 Korean War. The proposal came after it rejected South Korean President Park Geun-hye's proposal on January 6 to hold family meetings unconditionally.

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China-Japan-Koreas

Executing Pudgy's Uncle Won't Affect China Ties

2013-12-28

SEOUL -- The recent execution of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's once-powerful uncle will not directly affect Pyongyang's relations with China, a former Chinese official said Friday. Jang Song-thaek, who was executed earlier this month for attempting to overthrow the regime, had been considered a key link between Pyongyang and Beijing. His execution raised speculation that relations between the two neighbors could suffer. The execution was so sudden and shocking, said Zhao Qizheng, former chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, in an interview with Yonhap News Agency. He said, however, it will not directly affect the North Korea-China relations. Zhao said he read in detail South Korean news reports about Jang's execution, and China does not have as much information regarding the issue as South Korea. Regarding the speculation that Pyongyang had informed Beijing of the execution beforehand, Zhao said he was not aware of it. Jang's execution was widely believed to have been part of the young leader's efforts to further solidify his grip in the one man-controlled nation. Questions have been raised how the shocking incident would affect the North's relations with China, the biggest and almost only sponsor of the fellow communist country.

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China-Japan-Koreas

Fatty Kim "very drunk" when he ordered execution of uncle's two aides

2013-12-24

North Korea's leader Kim Pudge Jong-un ...the overweight, pouty-looking hereditary potentate of North Korea. Pudge appears to believe in his own divinity, but has yet to produce any loaves and fishes, so his subjects remain malnourished... was "very drunk" when he ordered the execution of two aides close to his purged uncle, according to Japanese newspaper reports. The young leader ordered the execution of two aides after they reportedly failed to respond immediately to a request to hand over a profitable business to the military. The two aides were close to Jang Song-thaek, Kim's uncle, who only weeks later was dramatically stripped of his powerful posts and executed in an effort by the leader to consolidate his grip on power. The failure of Ri Ryong-ha, the first deputy director of the administrative department of the state's ruling Workers' Party, and Jang Su-gil, a deputy director in the same department, to respond quickly to his order reportedly left Kim "upset". They were believed to be among at least eight aides from Jang's circle who were believed to have been executed in the run-up to his own execution this month, the Yomiuri Shimbun added. As a result, the purging of Jang was reportedly predicted by the South Korean government, which apparently learnt of the executions of his aides via wiretapping conversations. "Those who were close [to the two aides] were surprised by their execution, and made phone calls to their friends living abroad, and the South Korean government [spy agency] wiretapped their phone conversations," the newspaper said. "The South Korean government then concluded that the purge of Jang Song-thaek was inevitable, based on the testimony of people involved with the case."

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China-Japan-Koreas

Pudgy's aunt retains position after husband's execution

2013-12-16

The North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's influential aunt Kim Kyong-hui remains a part of the regime's inner circle, following the execution last week of her husband, the second most powerful man in the country. Pyongyang announced late on Saturday that 67-year-old Kim Kyong-hui, the daughter of the country's founder Kim Il-sung, had been named as one of the funeral committee members for the ruling party, a prestigious position. Kim's uncle Jang Song-thaek was executed last week just days before the second anniversary of the death of Kim Jong-il, the father of North Korea's current ruler. Pyongyang said Jang was executed for attempting to seize power and for driving the economy "into an uncontrollable catastrophe". After his downfall, the fate of Kim Kyong-hui had been unclear. North Korea's KCNA news agency said on Saturday that she had been asked to prepare the funeral of Kim Kuk-thae, chairman of the control commission of the ruling Workers' party. The funeral committee list is one of few indications of North Korean officials' status. Kim Kyong-hui is one of the few blood relatives of Kim Jong-il, who died in December 2011. North Korea will mark the second anniversary of his death on Tuesday.

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China-Japan-Koreas

N. Korea sells gold in sign of imminent economic collapse

2013-12-16

SEOUL -- North Korea has begun to sell large amounts of gold to China in a bid to tide over its economic crisis, multiple sources familiar with North Korea affairs said Wednesday. The disposal could be an indication of an imminent economic collapse as it goes against founding leader Kim Il-sung's order to never sell the country's gold, according to the sources. "Since several months ago, North Korea has begun to sell even its gold," one source said, asking that he not be identified. "Overseas sales of gold are a barometer of whether the North Korean economy is in a crisis or not." It is the first time that North Korea has sold gold since its leader Kim Jong-un took power in late 2011 following the death of his father Kim Jong-il, the sources added. Kim Il-sung is the current leader's grandfather. According to South Korean government data, North Korea holds about 2,000 tons of gold reserves worth at least US$8 billion. North Korea's economic situation is expected to worsen following the recent purge of Jang Song-thaek -- Kim Jong-un's once-powerful uncle and guardian -- as he had handled all economic projects with foreign countries, another source said. He also handled most of the economic links with China. An economic collapse in North Korea could lead to greater economic cooperation with South Korea but also increase the risk of a military provocation against the South, experts said.

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China-Japan-Koreas

S.Korean presidential candidate vows unconditional aid for North

2012-08-21

Hat tip Josh Stanton. SEOUL, Aug 17(Reuters) - Moon Jae-in, the most popular South Korean opposition presidential candidate, said on Friday that if elected this year he would offer no strings attached economic aid to North Korea in a radical departure from current policy that has seen ties between the two states frozen. If he wins and opens up the money spigot to the North, we bring home all our troops from the South. No argument. Let the ROK figure out how to deal with the north, we'll move the troops to Guam, Hawaii and Washington state. The current policy of not kissing the Nork buttcrack is a radical departure from the policies of the previous administration... Moon, 59, a former human rights lawyer and confidant of ex-president Roh Moo-hyun whose policies of openness to the North were overturned by conservative President Lee Myung-bak, said that engagement was key to moving beyond the current stalemate between the two states, which remain technically at war. It's more than a technicality to Fat Boy and his uncle... "I would like to handle North Korea issues comprehensively. The current Lee Myung-bak administration has certain preconditions to resume talks with Pyongyang, saying we will not respond to the North unless it gives up its nuclear ambition. However, such approach makes both sides hard to take a step further," Moon told journalists at a briefing. There have been signs recently that North Korea's new ruler Fat Boy Kim Jong-un is more willing to open up than his father who he succeeded in December in a bid to revive the impoverished country's ailing economy, which is fraction of the size of the South's. He's all for openness right to the moment the North can strike... Kim's right hand man and uncle Jang Song-thaek is currently in Beijing seeking greater economic cooperation with China, its sole major ally, and Moon warned that unless South Korea took the lead, the North would fall completely into China's orbit. That is laughably clueless and is the sort of codswollop that only a socialist would believe. North Korea is and has been China's lapdog. South Koreans will elect a new president in December and Moon has 10 percent poll support versus conservative candidate Park Geun-hye's 36 percent approval rating, according to pollster Gallup. So the South Koreans aren't completely suicidal... Park, the daughter of South Korea's assassinated dictator Park Chung-hee, has also pledged to improve ties with North Korea, although she says the North would have to abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions before Seoul would reach out. Moon's opposition Democratic United Party will hold its primary on Sept. 16, while Park's Saenuri party will hold its primary on Monday.

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China-Japan-Koreas

New sign of rising power for new Sonny Boy's uncle

2011-12-26

SEOUL: North Korean state TV footage on Sunday showed Jang Song-thaek, the power behind the communist state’s throne, wearing a military uniform with the insignia of a general, another sign of his rising influence after the death of Kim Jong-il. Kremlinologist heaven in a photo at the link. The footage, which state TV said was taken on Saturday, showed Jang at the front of rows of top military officers who accompanied Pudgy Kim Jong-un, the youngest son of Kim Jong-il and his anointed successor, paying their respects in front of Kim’s body. Kim Jong-un was hailed by state media on Saturday as “supreme commander” of the North’s 1.1 million-strong armed forces, the title held by his father. While the younger Kim has been described as the “Great Successor,” a senior source told Reuters this week Pyongyang will shift from a strongman dictatorship to a coterie of rulers including the military and Jang, Kim Jong-un’s uncle. Jong-un, in his late 20s, has also been called by his official title of vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission of the North’s ruling party. Jang married the daughter of the country’s autocratic founder, Kim Il-sung, in 1972, to join the ruling family. A Seoul official familiar with North Korea affairs said it was the first time Jang has been shown on state TV wearing a military uniform. His appearance was interpreted as meaning he has secured a key role in the North’s powerful military, which has pledged its allegiance to Kim Jong-un. Sources with close ties to North Korea and China have said Jang is the real power behind Pyongyang’s succession process. North Korea’s state media have geared up their propaganda machine since Saturday in an apparent bid to smooth the untested Kim Jong-un’s succession and show his grip on the military, which is trying to develop a nuclear arsenal.

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