Rason International Trade Exhibition 2012 announced
The 15th Pyongyang Spring International Trade Festival opened on May 14th. See the KCNA story here. Today, however, the Hanns Seidel Foundation has made available the marketing and information flyer for the second Rason International Trade Exhibition (RITE) which will take place from August 20 – 23, 2012. The marketing and information flyer is in a three-part PDF [...]
Read MoreUK energy company pulls out of North Korea
By Michael Rank Independent British energy company Aminex PLC has withdrawn from North Korea, citing ‘”the volatile and unpredictable politics of the area”, just two years after signing a deal covering a 50,000 sq km area off the country’s east coast. Aminex said it was “in the best interests of shareholders for the Company to [...]
Read MoreFriday Grab Bag
ITEM 1: The Adventures of Kim Jong-un! An anime perspective on the life of Kim Jong-un (College Humor): Click image to watch full video. ITEM 2: Looks like the KFA’s “Special Delegation” to the DPRK to celebrate Kim Il-sung’s 100th birthday was not so special–and more expensive to boot! A participant reports here, here, and [...]
Read MoreA Quiet Opening
Nat Kretchun and Jane Kim of InterMedia have published a quantitative analysis of the ability of North Koreans to access outside information. It is quite rigorous! Download the PDF here Abstract: This study assesses levels of access to outside information within North Korea based on research conducted among North Korean defectors, refugees and travelers, as well [...]
Read MoreChinese students in Pyongyang pose for photo-op
By Michael Rank The Chinese embassy in Pyongyang has posted photos of the latest batch of Chinese students who have come to study in North Korea. There are sixty students in total, but the report gives no details of what they are studying or at which universities. They are casually and colourfully dressed, as if on [...]
Read MoreDPRK to join Paralympics for first time
According to Yonhap: North Korea will enter the Paralympic Games in London this year, a pro-North newspaper said Wednesday, marking the first time the communist country will compete in the games for the physically disabled. North Korean Paralympic athletes left for Beijing last Thursday and will hold joint training sessions with their Chinese counterparts until [...]
Read MoreUN estimates DPRK to secure 2m tons of rice in 2012
According to Yonhap: A U.N. food agency has estimated that North Korea will secure 2 million tons of rice in 2012, up about 18 percent from last year, a news report said Wednesday. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said that the North produced 1.6 million tons of rice last fall and is expected to [...]
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