With Tensions Rising North Korea Test-Fires Seven Surface-To-Air Missiles

The Guardian: North Korea fires volley of missiles into sea as South and US continue drills

Regime leader Kim Jong-un personally supervised show of force, says Seoul, with seven missiles coming down off east coast

North Korea fired seven ground-to-air missiles into the sea off its east coast on Thursday in an operation supervised by leader Kim Jong-un, the defence ministry in the South said, amid heightened tensions accompanying joint military exercises involving the US.

A ministry spokesman said Kim was understood to have been on hand when the missiles were fired early on Thursday evening from a site near the eastern town of Sondok.

More News On North Korea Test-Firing Seven Surface-To-Air Missiles

North Korea Fires Missiles Into Sea Again, South Says -- AP
North Korea test-fires seven surface-to-air missiles: South Korea -- Reuters
N. Korea fires seven surface-to-air missiles into sea -- AFP
North Korea fires missiles into sea amid tensions, says South -- BBC
North Korea Is Said to Fire 7 Missiles Off Its East Coast -- NYT
North Korea launches 7 short-range missiles -- UPI
North Korea Fires Seven Missiles Into East Sea, South Korea Says -- NBC
North Korea fires more missiles into the sea, South says -- Deutsche Welle

North Korea Celebrates Kim Jong Il's legacy. His Son Celebrates By Getting His Own 'Presidential Plane'

CNN: Happy birthday? North Korea celebrates Kim Jong Il's legacy

Given that North Korea is known worldwide for the cultish veneration of its leaders, it's not surprising that two of the country's most important national holidays commemorate its legendary heads of state.

To mark the 73rd anniversary of the birth of late dictator Kim Jong Il (who died in 2011) on Monday, North Korea will stage a military parade, patriotic chants, dance exhibitions and other activities in Pyongyang.

WNU Editor: I do not think his son cares right now .... he now has his own cool "Presidential Plane" .... All aboard Air Force Un! First glimpse inside North Korean dictator's private jet as he marks his late father's birthday (Daily Mail).

North Korea Goes Slogan Crazy

Vice News: North Korea Trumpets ‘Socialist Fairyland’ with 300 Directives to the Masses

If the slogans are true, North Korea not only wants to reconcile with South Korea, but aims to be a "socialist fairyland" where mushrooms flower in abundance and children are instructed to "play sports games in an offensive way, the way the anti-Japanese guerrillas did!"

On Thursday, the Hermit Kingdom's official mouthpiece, KCNA, printed two broadsheets worth of over 300 slogans — each ending with an exclamation mark — to honor 70 years under the Worker's Party rule since North Korea's founding.

WNU Editor: On a brighter note .... North Korean fashion is changing .... Short skirts, high heels and DIY double eyelid surgery at HOME: The beauty secrets of North Korean women braving the fashion police to look like rogue state's own 'Spice Girls' (and Kim's mysterious wife) -- Daily Mail

More News On North Korea's Slogan Campaign

Grow vegetables extensively! North Korea unveils 310 new slogans -- The Guardian
North Korean Slogan or Dennis Rodman: Who Said It? -- ABC News
North Korea fights for 'people's dreams' with barrage of slogans -- Reuters
North Korea propaganda slogans urge 'socialist fairyland' -- BBC
N. Korea bombards its citizens with slogans -- UPI
Here Are 7 of the Weirdest North Korean State Slogans -- Time

Kim Jong-un Executes Four Star General After Argument

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (C) walks with Pyon In Son (L) in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency. Pyon was reportedly executed for disagreeing with Kim. Reuters

IBTimes: Kim Jong Un Executes Top General Over Disagreement, Sends Warning That Military Must Remain Loyal Or Face Death

More News On Reports That Kim Jong-un Executed A Four Star General After An Argument

Kim Jong-un executes army general over difference of opinion -- Washington Times
Kim Jong Un executes army general in latest purge of officials -- Live Mint
North Korea: Kim Jong-un executes four star general following argument -- IBTimes

WNU Editor: I would love to know what they were arguing about. It looks like another purge of the North Korean military is now underway.

Before The Sony Cyber Attack The NSA Had Already Penetrated North Korea's Network

News Talk Florida

New York Times: N.S.A. Tapped Into North Korean Networks Before Sony Attack, Officials Say

More News On The NSA Penetrating North Korea's Computer Networks In 2010

U.S. penetrated North Korean networks years ago - New York Times -- Reuters
Before Sony hacking, NSA breached Korea -- Dallas News
NSA Broke Into North Korea's Internet Before Sony Hack: Report -- IBTimes
Report: US penetrated North Korean networks in 2010 -- YNet News
NSA tapped North Korea before Sony hacks, leading to quick verdict, report says -- Mashable

A Look At North Korea's Secretive Elite Hacker Unit

In North Korea, Hackers Are A Handpicked, Pampered Elite -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Despite its poverty and isolation, North Korea has poured resources into a sophisticated cyber-warfare cell called Bureau 121, defectors from the secretive state said as Pyongyang came under the microscope for a crippling hack into computers at Sony Pictures Entertainment.

A North Korean diplomat has denied Pyongyang was behind the attack that was launched last month but a U.S. national security source said it was a suspect.

Defectors from the North have said Bureau 121, staffed by some of the most talented computer experts in the insular state, is part of the General Bureau of Reconnaissance, an elite spy agency run by the military. They have said it is involved in state-sponsored hacking, used by the Pyongyang government to spy on or sabotage its enemies.

Read more ....

More News On North Korea's Cyberwar Capabilities

North Korea Training Secretive Elite Hacker Unit, Says Defector -- Newsweek
Inside Unit 121: The North Korean Hackers That Took Down Sony -- Vocativ
North Korea's cyber spies exposed: Inside the secretive cyber-warfare cell bureau -- The Independent
A glimpse into the world of North Korea's hacking elite -- ZDNet
North Korea's Cyber Skills Get Attention Amid Sony Hacking Mystery -- NPR
Hackers leak Sony passwords, social security numbers and salaries -- Endgadget
'North Korean hackers' leak Sylvester Stallone's social security number -- The Telegraph
North Korean Diplomat Denies His Country Hacked Sony -- Time
North Korea still a suspect in Sony attack despite denial -- Reuters

U.S. Admiral: North Korea Is Asia’s Biggest Security Threat

North Korea Is Asia’s Biggest Security Threat, U.S. Admiral Says -- Bloomberg

The reclusive North Korean regime of Kim Jong Un is the biggest threat to security in Asia, the nominee to become the next commander of U.S. Pacific Command told members of Congress.

“Our most volatile and dangerous threat is North Korea, with its quest for nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them intercontinentally,” Admiral Harry Harris said yesterday during his nomination hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

As head of Pacific Command, Harris would be responsible for the U.S.’s armed forces, including the air force, army and navy, in the region. He’d also lead the military aspects of President Barack Obama’s “rebalance” toward Asia, which calls for 60 percent of U.S. military assets to be located in the region by 2020.

Read more ....

More News On U.S. Admiral Harry Harris's Comments That North Korea Is Now Asia's Biggest Security Threat

North Korea 'Volatile and Dangerous,' Pacom Nominee Says -- US Department of Defense
N.Korea 'Most Volatile and Dangerous Threat' in Asia -- Chosun Ilbo
North Korea Most Dangerous Threat In Asia-Pacific, US Senate Committee Told -- RTT News
U.S. Pacific commander nominee says N. Korea 'most dangerous threat' -- Arirang
Incoming U.S. Pacific commander says N. Korea 'most dangerous threat' -- Korea Herald

More Threats From North Korea

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un organizes and guides a military drill in this undated photo released by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014. Reuters

North Korea Warns US, Allies Of 'Catastrophic Consequences' Over UN Human Rights Rebuke -- IBTimes

North Korea has threatened “catastrophic consequences” for the U.S. and other Western powers, in the wake of a U.N. resolution condemning the country's human rights abuses.

A resolution introduced by the E.U. and Japan, calling for North Korea to be referred to the International Criminal Court to face possible charges of “crimes against humanity" passed the General Assembly human rights committee by 111 to 19 with 55 abstentions last week.

North Korea's National Defense Commission (NDC), chaired by Kim, said Sunday that the bill amounted to a "war declaration," adding “The US and its followers will be wholly accountable for the unimaginable and catastrophic consequences to be entailed by the frantic 'human rights' racket against [North Korea]," it said, according to AFP.

Read more ....

More News On North Korean Threats

N.Korea warns of 'catastrophic consequences' over UN rights ruling -- AFP
North Korea warns of 'catastrophic consequences' over UN rights ruling -- Sydney Morning Herald
N Korea warns 'catastrophic consequences' over UN rights ruling -- Channel News Asia
N. Korea warns of "toughest counteraction" over U.N. resolution -- Kyodo News
North Korea threatens nuke war -- The Korea Times
North Korea warns of wiping Japan ‘off world map’ over U.N. resolution -- Japan Times
Is North Korea Backtracking on Threat of Nuclear Test? -- Alastair Gale, WSJ

Former Bodyguard To Kin Jong Il Talks About His Experiences With The Former North Korean Leader

North Korean Defector: 'I Was Kim Jong Il's Bodyguard' -- CNN

Seoul (CNN) -- Head butting stacked tiles, smashing a slab of granite on your chest with a mallet, breaking light bulbs with one finger. All vital qualifications if you want a job protecting the elite of North Korea.

Propaganda footage from North Korean TV shows a staggering array of physical feats, using taekwondo and other martial arts. Visually impressive -- although it's not certain how the skills would keep an armed assassin at bay.

Lee Young-guk was bodyguard to the late Kim Jong Il for 10 years until just before he took control of North Korea. He says he went through very similar training before he was considered fit to protect a leader.

Read more ....

Update: Former bodyguard to Kim Jong-il reveals how staff constantly feared being decapitated, one advisor was jailed for life for using his ash tray… and why Jong-un is even MORE dangerous -- Daily Mail

My Comment:He is lucky to be alive.

U.N. Investigator: North Korea Should Be Charged With Human Rights Violations

Michael Kirby, chairman of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on North Korea, speaks during a news conference.

North Korean Diplomats Get An Earful At The U.N. -- Newsweek

He flew in from Pyongyang to protest attempts by “hostile” elements, including America and Australia, to defame his country, but North Korean official Choe Yong-nam was also forced to hear an earful about his country’s human rights record Wednesday.

In an extraordinary session at the United Nations, Choe and the UN ambassador from the Democratic Republic of North Korea (DPRK), Ja Song-nam, sat through a long session, organized by Botswana, Australia and Panama, where the horrific human rights conditions in the repressive country were painstakingly detailed.

The most engaging speaker at the Wednesday session was Michael Kirby, a retired Australian High Court Justice who has led a UN-commissioned investigation into North Korea’s labor camps, its kidnappings and torture of dissidents and the policies that led to mass starvation in the country.

Read more ....

More News On The U.N. Push To Have North Korea Charged With Human Rights Violations

U.N. investigator: North Korea should be charged with human rights violations -- CNN
UN Inquiry Chief Rejects N. Korean 'Charm Offensive' -- VOA
UN rejects North Korea's 'honeyed words,' moves forward with human rights case -- CSM/AP
UN urged to refer North Korea to war crimes court -- Indian Express

WNU Editor: It appears that business as usual is continuing in North Korea .... Kim Jong-un 'purge': Six North Korea officials missing for weeks 'may have been executed (The Independent).

A Look At The Men and Women Who Help Rule North Korea

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, accompanied by his wife Ri Sol-Ju, greets athletes who won gold medals at the recent Asian Games, in this photo released on Sunday, October 19, 2014.[Photo: Imagine China]

Meet The Men and Women Who Help Rule North Korea From the Shadows -- Keegan Hamilton, VICE News

They are the world's most fearsome bureaucrats.

One is a cyber warfare expert and counterfeiter described by one expert as the "North Korean version of Dick Cheney." Another is the former chairman of the country's youth soccer and taekwondo associations. One is a thuggish enforcer, one is a mild-mannered consensus builder. They are the old, stern-faced men lurking in the background of propaganda photos while Kim Jong-un grins, points, and smokes cigarettes.

They helped Kim take over the regime, and they may ultimately be the people who rule for years to come.

Plenty of scrutiny has recently been focused on Kim, the country's Supreme Leader, who was conspicuously missing from public view for more than five weeks before seemingly reappearing in state-run media on Monday. Whether Kim was seriously ill, recovering from ankle surgery, being held captive, or merely spending time in the "hearts and minds of 25 million proud North Koreans," as the rumors and jokes suggested, the regime has appeared to withstand his absence.

Read more ....

My Comment: Keegan Hamilton is correct in his analysis that even if the North Korean regime should fall tomorrow .... from the ashes will be the same people who have been running the place for decades. Goodbye to the old boss .... hello to the new boss .... but the bureaucracy lives on forever.

North Korean Banker In Charge Of Kim Jong-un's Slush Funds Has Defected (With $5 Million)

A man, who managed money for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, is believed to have defected in Russia and is seeking asylum in a third country. (KCNA/Reuters)

North Korean Money Manager For Kim Jong-un Defects In Russia -- CBC/Reuters

Yun Tae Hyong was a senior representative of North Korea's Korea Daesong Bank

A senior North Korean banking official who managed money for leader Kim Jong-un has defected in Russia and was seeking asylum in a third country, a South Korean newspaper reported on Friday, citing an unidentified source.

Yun Tae Hyong, a senior representative of North Korea's Korea Daesong Bank, disappeared in Nakhodka, Russia, last week with about $5.4 million Cdn, the JoongAng Ilbo newspaper reported.

The Daesong Bank is suspected by the U.S. government of being under the control of the North Korean government's Office 39, which is widely believed to finance illicit activities and was blacklisted by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2010.

Read more ....

Update #1: N. Korean banker linked to slush funds flees -- AFP
Update #2: Handler of Kim Jong Un's cash defects in Russia: report -- Kyodo News Agency

My Comment: I am willing to bet that this banker does not only know where the money is coming from .... but he also knows where it is hidden.

North Korea At Night Time

Compared: Lights can clearly be seen in North Korea's surrounding countries of Russia, China and South Korea - where the capital Seoul just 35 miles from the border

North Korea Is So Secretive You Can't Even See It From Space! Nasa Satellite Image Shows How Kim Jong-un's Hermit State Is Invisible Compared To Its Neighbours -- Daily Mail

Kim Jong-un runs one of the world’s most secretive societies - so secret that despite it covering 47,000 sq miles, you can’t even see it from space.

This is the extraordinary image of North Korea almost completely in the dark, apart from a small amount of light coming from its capital city Pyongyang.

Lights can clearly be seen in its surrounding countries of Russia, China and South Korea - where the capital Seoul just 35 miles from the border.

The night image from the International Space Station is so clear thanks to the European Space Agency's NightPod, installed there two years ago.

Nasa said it incorporates a motorised tripod that compensates for the station's speed of about 17,500mph and the motion of the Earth below.

Before the NightPod, that motion could blur images - although astronauts compensated with high-speed films and manual tracking.

Read more ....

My Comment: I always find this satellite photographs of North Korea at night time fascinating.