North Koreans are in desperate need of warm socks and thanks to a few South Korean activists they could soon receive a shipment of socks delivered via balloon.

A group of activists in South Korea released huge gas-filled balloons filled tied to boxes of socks on Saturday, hoping that impoverished North Korean citizens will find them.

The AFP reports that socks are extremely valuable, and extremely rare, in North Korea.

The activists sent about 1000 pairs of socks in large plastic balloons despite threats from Pyongyang. South Koreans have sent leaflets denouncing the North Korean government in the past, but Sunny Kim, a spokeswoman for North Korea Peace, said that the socks were sent without any political messages. Kim said:

“We’re not interested in sending political messages or sparking any troubles there. All we want is that people in the North wear warm socks over their frozen feet. Warm socks are so rare and they can easily be traded for cash in the North. One pair of socks fetches about 22 pounds (10 kilos) of corn, which is enough to sustain a person for a month.”

Here’s a video report from a balloon launch last month that saw thousands of leaflets cross the border into North Korea.

MSNBC reports that several of the South Korean activists are defectors from the North. Earlier this month the activists sent food via balloon. North Korea has threatened to open fire on activists trying to send supplies to the North.

South Korea Sends Sock Balloons to North Korea is a post from: The Inquisitr

If the beaches of Florida are too sunny for you and you don’t care for the romanticism of Paris perhaps you’ll think about taking your next trip in North Korea. After a short winter hiatus the countries top officials have announced that the country is opened for business to everything except journalists and South Koreans.

The announcement to re-open the countries tourism sector came from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and follows a month-long winter hiatus which culminated with the death of Kim Jong Il.

While North Korea has allowed visitors for some time now there simply aren’t many takers, in fact the largest tour guide company in the country took just 1500 people in 2011.

Anyone except the two groups noted above can visit the country with the one big consideration being that you must stay with your tour group the entire time.

Leaving from Beijing group members should expect to pay approximately $1600 for a four day excursion which includes the cost of visas, food, lodging, support and guides. Among the trips highlights are Mount Paektu, visit to the northern side of the demilitarized zone and a seat at the MAss Games, a highly choreographed song and dance performance that includes tens of thousands of dancers.

While tourism is still scares in the region it has increased by three to four times over the last decade as more interested parties travel to the country to see it for themselves.

Would you be interested in traveling to North Korea to see the country for yourself?

North Korea Tourism Trips Now Available After Winter Hiatus is a post from: The Inquisitr

Let’s not think the round little dictator ended his run there.  By the time he was 8 he was able to drive so well that he was driving cars rally style at over 85 miles per hour with laser like precision.

Kim Jong Un is not alone in his supernatural abilities.  Hi father, in addition to murdering millions of people during his bloody rule also had many supernatural talents.

He was so good at golf that the first time he ever tried to play he shot 11 hole in ones.  It was probably do to all the extra time he had due to the fact that in his biography he told a reviewer that he never had to defecate in his whole life.

North Korea is considered on of the most closed countries in the world.  the Kim family has run it with an iron fist since the communist revolution there, led by Kim Jong Un’s grandfather, Kim Il Sung, who BTW is still considered the leader of the country even though he has been dead for more than 40 years.  When he was in office he took the title of “Eternal President” which means he still is the countries president now.

Are you not impressed with the ability of the Kim family?

North Korea: Kim Jung Un Was Able to Drive at Age 3 is a post from: The Inquisitr

A recent study conducted by the Korean Economic Research Institute has found that North Korea is more well equipped at starting a war and gaining the upper-hand during the first several days of conflict while the South Koreans are more apt to lose ground but ultimately defeat their enemies to the north.

According to the study the North Korea military currently employs 1.2 million military personnel along with a record number of tanks, warships and artillery for a nation is size. According to the research institute:

“The depressing reality is it would not be entirely wrong to say North Korea’s military strength is stronger.”

The group then goes on to note that South Korea however had far superior weapons and equipment which would turn the tide on the North’s aging arsenal of weapons even though the country is largely outnumbers with 700,000 troops and 28,000 US support troops.

In order to combat the early edge North Korea might have over South Korea the report says the South must aggressively attack North Korea over any act of aggression as if it was “a precursor to a full-out war … even if it is a small-scale regional guerilla war.”

With tensions running higher after the death of Kim Jong Il and a government in transition the study comes out at the perfect time for South Korea to re-examine their stand on dealing with North Korea.

Do you think North Korea will even win a battle against South Korea or will worldwide support crush their aging military presence

North Korea Better Positioned For Starting War, Not Equipped To Win Against South Korea is a post from: The Inquisitr

Yet sometimes, even the KCNA slips up. According to the two images above, a spot of Photoshopping isn’t out of the question for the government mouthpiece. The top image was snapped by Japanese agency Kyodo, while the bottom image was later released by the KCNA to foreign news outlets.

The main difference isn’t hard to spot: a camera crew features on the left of the Japanese photo, while in the ‘official’ KCNA image the camera crew has been digitally purged, replaced by white blobs of what purports to be snow.

This sneaky bit of editing was first spotted by a Reuters editor, and it’s a chilling illustration of just how much effort goes into controlling information in North Korea. The snow is also brighter and purer in KCNA’s image, though this could be down to different settings on each photographer’s camera. The North Korean image certainly looks ‘cleaner.’

So why remove a fairly innocuous camera crew in this way? It seems baffling, but North Korea is probably keen to show the Kim Jong-il funeral isn’t a media circus. Much better to present Kim’s funeral as a massive and spontaneous outpouring of grief from the North Korean people. Reuters says:

“This combination picture of two handout images from KCNA shows a limousine with a portrait of the late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il leading his funeral procession in Pyongyang December 28 2011. In the top picture released by Kyodo, a group of men is seen on the left side of the picture. In the bottom picture which was sent directly to Reuters by KCNA, the group is missing. Reuters now believes the bottom picture was altered by KCNA.”

Interesting (and also sinister)!

Of course, North Korea and Photoshop have a history. In 2008, a photograph of Kim Jong-il with soldiers was found to be a hoax, after it was noticed Kim’s shadow was cast at a different angle to the shadows of soldiers stood either side of him.

Spot the Difference: North Korea Photoshops Kim Jong-il Funeral is a post from: The Inquisitr

Tens of thousands of North Koreans soldiers lined the snow filled streets of Pyongyang on Tuesday as the 2-day funeral of fallen leader Kim Jong Il began.

Walking alongside the former leaders hearse was son and successor Kim Jong Un who was followed by senior officials of the North Korean government.

As the procession continued on its way the State run TV network showed throngs of citizens in different states of ecstatic emotion.

On state media Kim Jong Il legacy was overplayed even in death with an announcer proclaiming that the snowfall reminded everyone of “the great revolutionary career” of the “great leader” as he “followed  through snowdrifts.”

On Thursday a national memorial service will be held at which time observers will watch closely to determine where officials stand inside the countries new hierarchy.

An analyst close to the countries situation tells CNN:

“What I expect to see is no sign that there’s any hiccup or difficulty in Kim Jong Il’s plan to have his son Kim Jong Un succeed him.”

As I reported earlier this week many North Korean officials including some of their top leaders had stalled their return from China in order to determine if defecting from the country made more sense as Kim Jong Un began to take over power.

North Koreans Begin Observing 2-Day Long Funeral For Kim Jong Il is a post from: The Inquisitr

With the North Korean government in a moment of transition following the death of “Dear Leader” Kim Jong Il it appears that many of the countries elite officials are considering defecting from the country during it’s moment of mourning.

Speaking to the Korea Times Do Hee-yun, secretary general of a group that works with North Korean refugees revealed:

“Many ranking North Korean officials in China are refusing to return after being summoned to North Korea.”

News of possible defections began to circulate after Pyongyang began calling senior officials back to the country during their recent China trip. According to the reports the leaders were called back before news of Kim Jong Il’s death was circulated around the country.

Do reports that many of the leaders have used stalling tactics to avoid a return to their homeland, claiming that they are still waiting to collect much needed payments for the country among various other excuses.

It’s believed that the leaders realize the countries reluctance to take strong action during the mourning period, which in turn has given them time to weigh their options.

The biggest reason for not wanting to return according to Seoul’s Sejong Institute is the fact that the new leadership may decided to purge certain top ranking officials who worked for years under Kim Jong Il.

At this time news of the defections has not been confirmed by South Korean officials who would be most likely to receive the political refugees should they choose to leave their country.

Do you think various defections within the North Korean party can cause enough fractions within their political system to bring down the closely guarded North Korean regime?

North Korean Officials Consider Defecting, Some Delay Leaving China is a post from: The Inquisitr

While his followers are busy crying hysterically over the death of Kim Jong Il, Arizona Sen. John McCain issued an official comment about the North Korean leader.

“The world is a better place now that Kim Jong Il is no longer in it. For mre than six decades, people in North Korean have been consigned to lives of dire poverty and cruel oppression under one of the most totalitarian regimes the world has ever known.”

The Senator added that Jong Il’s death presents a “historic opportunity” for Koreans, while calling for China to play a lead role together with other countries, including the US, in shaping a peaceful transition to a unified, democratic, and independent Korean Peninsula.”

“The death of Kim Jong Il is a historic opportunity to end the long suffering of Koreans in the north and to deepen the security of Northeast Asia and the world.”

More than anything else, Senator McCain expressed his satisfaction about this death and assured where Kim Jong Il is right now.

“I can only express satisfaction that the Dear Leader is joining the likes of Qaddafi, Bin Laden, Hitler, and Stalin in a warm corner of hell.”

Senator McCain Satisfied That Kim Jong Il Is In Hell Now is a post from: The Inquisitr

Kim Jong Un, son of the late Kim Jong Il, has been dubbed the ‘Great Successor’ by North Korea’s ruling Worker’s Party following the death of his father on Sunday. Jong Un, estimated to be 27 or 28, has been groomed as North Korea’s next leader since September 2010.

North Korean state news agency KCNA described Jong Un as the “great successor to the revolutionary cause of Juche and outstanding leader of our party, army and people.” Grand, overblown titles are not new in North Korea – in his lifetime, Kim Jong Il had over 200 bestowed upon him. China has now also backed Kim Jong Un as the North’s next leader, while uncertainty grips the rest of Asia – South Korea and Japan’s militaries are said to be on full alert.

Barely anything is known about the Kim Jong Un, but we do know he was made a four-star general in 2010, the first step to establishing his hold on power. In May this year, he made a potentially crucial diplomatic visit to neighboring China.

One of the few non-North Koreans to have met Kim Jong Un is Kenji Fujimoto, sushi chef to Kim Jong Il from 1988 to 2001. In his 2003 memoir, I was Kim Jong Il’s Cook, he reflected briefly on a meeting with a teenage Kim Jong Un:

“[He] glared at me with a menacing look when we shook hands. I can never forget the look in his eyes which seemed to be saying, ‘This one is a despicable Japanese.’”

Fujimoto-san also describes Jong Un as a “chip off the old block” with a similarly quick temper to his father. Er, great to hear.

In more positive news, the picture above suggests the spirit of kimjongillookingatthings.com will live on with Jong Un. Hurray!

Kim Jong Un Announced as ‘Great Successor’ by North Korea is a post from: The Inquisitr

Kim Jong Il’s death has prompted a massive reaction on Twitter since its announcement; but not of the late dictator’s life and what some might call a legacy, rather his infamous depiction in South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s 2004 comedy “Team America: World Police”.

Just in case you missed it the first time around, “Team America” is a satirical comedy about a clandestine team of terrorist-hunters squaring off against the late dictator and his wayward Hollywood allies.

Oh, and I should mention that the film was shot using marionettes rather than using actors or traditional animation. 

Here is one of the film’s more famous scenes depicting Kim Jong Il to whet your interest while you contemplate finding the movie on Netflix:

According to NY Daily News, the film itself became a high-trending Twitter topic almost instantly after the Sunday announcement of the North Korean dictator’s death-by-heart-attack at the age of 69 in Pyongyang. Here are some of the reactions:

@imagethief posted:

“I will remember Kim Jong Il by observing 90 minutes of silence while I watch ‘Team America: World Police’ this weekend,”

FourFourTom posted:

“Kim Jong Il, Colonel Gaddafi, Osama bin Laden & Saddam Hussein all dead within the last 5 years. Conclusive proof that Team America exists,”

So does art imitate life, or is it the other way around? Kim Jong Il (the real one, not the puppet) was a film-freak himself, reportedly owning a collection of over 10,000 DVDs. His appreciation of film was so deep that he even kidnapped South Korean filmmaker Shin Sang-ok to make movies for his pleasure.

Gaddafi, UBL, Kim Jong Il, all in the same year. Are there any more Roger Moore Bond-era villains left in the world? And what about you? Are you renting “Team America: World Police” tonight?

Twitter, Team America: World Police, and Kim Jong Il’s Legacy is a post from: The Inquisitr

With the death of North Korea’s strong man Kim Jong-il at the age of 69, the country’s state media showed this footage of people hysterically weeping for their leader. The death was announced late Sunday with reports that the leader died of a heart attack on a train.

North Koreans Hysterically Weep for Kim Jong-il (Video) is a post from: The Inquisitr

North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il passed away on December 17, and now the hermit nation has announced 12 days of mourning in his honor, reports Daily NK. The period of formal mourning will stretch from December 17 until the 29th, two days longer than the official ten-day mourning period for Kim’s father, Kim Il-sung.

North Korea’s state media revealed the planned mourning, with the Chosun Central News Agency (KCNA) announcing:

“The body of National Defense Commission Chairman Kim will lie in state at Kumsusan Memorial Palace during the period of mourning from the 17th to the 29th. Visitors will be received between the 20th and 27th. The ceremony for his parting will be performed on the 28th in Pyongyang. Central memorial meetings to honor Chairman Kim will open on the 29th. At that time in Pyongyang and sites in every province there will be an artillery salute and 3 minutes silence, and all official vehicles and vessels will sound their horns.”

Daily NK also reports that North Korea closed its border to China at 1AM on the night of the December 18, before Kim’s death was announced. The move was probably made to prevent civilian unrest and potential mass defection attempts.

In further news, one witness claiming to be in Pyongyang has emailed the BBC claiming gunshots can be heard in the center of Pyongyang:

“I’m in Pyongyang – silence was broken by what seemed to be gunfire near the Kumsusan Memorial Palace – this is very unusual. Some people are on standby to stay put because of elevated troop movement within Pyongyang. There are several extraordinary things happening in Pyongyang.”

I’m not ruling out the validity of that claim entirely, but I will say I find it dubious – Internet access is virtually non-existent in North Korea, limited to only a select few party elites. But it’s very interesting (and a tad scary) if true!

Kim Jong-Il Death Triggers 12 Days of Mourning in North Korea, Gunshots Heard in Pyongyang? is a post from: The Inquisitr

North Korea’s long ruling dictator Kim Jong Il is finally dead, he was said to be 69-years-old however his real age has long been shrouded in mystery although researchers believe he was born in the Far Eastern region of the Soviet Union on February 16, 1942.

The son of ruler Kim Il Sung, his father founded North Korea with help from the Soviet Union following World War II.

As a young boy Kim Jong Il watched as the Korean War started in 1950 when his communist North invaded the American-supported South. When the war ended with a South Korean victory Kim Jong Il began to preach his father’s “juche” philosophy of self-reliance.

While the two countries have not officially fought in many years they also never signed a peace treaty and for technical purposes they still remain at war with the two countries separated by one of the world’s most treacherous demilitarized zones.

When his country broke out into war in 1950 Kim Jong Il was sent to Manchuria, returning just three years later when the war drew to a close.

As he grew into his small stature and hysterical hair Kim Jong Il was groomed to take over the country that his father ruled with an iron fist, shutting off the countries borders to outsiders while sending thousands of his own citizens to the equivalent of World War II concentration camps while most of the country continues to live in squaller until this very day.

Kim Il Sung designated Kim Jung Il as his official successor in 1980 when he was given senior posts in the  Politburo, the Military Commission and the Party Secretariat. Those roles were transcended in 1991 when he was given the titleof “commander-in-chief” for the countries armed forces. Three years later when Kim Il Sung died of a heart attack at 82-years-old his son took over the post.

With the countries failed relationship with the Soviet bloc and China just several years earlier it was believed Kim Jong Il would lead the country into collapse as the country went for broke with a failing state-run agricultural system that was leading many citizens towards starvation.

When first taking power Kim Jong Il went into hiding only to return soon after with a new feel for his consolidated power while taking the titles of  general secretary of the Workers Party and chairman of the National Defense Commission.

Kim Jong Il’s extremist ways with absolute rule eventually led to the the defection of Hwang Jang Yop, the man who invented the juche philosophy. Hwang’s defection in 1997 was the first time a high-ranking official south asylum in South Korea.

By the 1990′s Kim Jong Il seemed more ready then ever to accept alliances with countries around the world, leading to billions of dollars in international aid until the country sent a test missile over Japan in 1999.

In what may be the oddest moment in his iron first rule the man with an obsession for movies kidnapped South Korean actress Choi En-hui and her director husband Shin Sang-ok in 1978, forcing them to direct and act in movies until they eventually managed to escape back into North Korea in 1986. According to the couple while his people lived in squaller Kim Jong Il spent millions of dollars on film productions.

Speaking to a Washington Post reporter the couple said Kim was a “micro-manager” who made every single important decision for North Korea. Shin added that Kim Jong Il had no guilt about his iron fist rule because of his upbringing.

Kim Jong Il will be missed by pretty much nobody.

Korean Dictator Kim Jong Il Dead At 69 is a post from: The Inquisitr

It might sound like a plot right out of a James Bond movie but in North Korea the idea of needle wielding assassins has quite possibly become a reality with two people murdered and one other person recovering in the last several weeks from the same symptoms.

All three of the attacks occurred in South Korea and according to one survivor of the attacks he felt a “prick” in his lower back before he collapsed.

In one case a South Korean pastor who helped North Koreans escape to China died after he fell over in the street, his face and fingers discolored.

While the three cases may have been seen as a coincidence, South Korean intelligence says they stopped a similar attack against an activist who sent anti-Kim Jong Il leaflets into North Korea.

According to a Seoul-based group it’s believed that Kim Jong Un, the youngest son of Kim Jong IL is behind the attacks. The group says he:

“Doesn’t fear international censure. He is only thinking about increasing his power within the system.”

In the meantime the dead pastor’s autopsy has not turned up any type of poisoning.

Would you put it beyond North Korea to employ needle wielding assassins?

Needle Wielding North Korean Assassins Kill 2 People, Injures One is a post from: The Inquisitr

North Korea fired a short-range missile off the countries western coast in the middle of last week reports the Yonhap News Agency.

According to their reporting Pyongyang fired a KN-06 short-range missile in an attempt to increase firing ranges for their arsenal of weapons.

The last time the country conducted such tests was in July 2009 when they fired various missiles off the east coast, angering the international community.

Over the last year 50 South Koreans have been killed as tensions continue to build and at this time South Korean officials are refusing at this time to comment on the missile tests. Last week North Korea announced that they had cut off all ties with their foes to the South and threatened to strike with military force.

North Korea Test Fires Missile, After Cutting Off Ties With South Korea is a post from: The Inquisitr

Er, wow. This close-to-the-bone advert for Kaos Studios and THQ’s Homefront has been appearing recently on YouTube in Australia, where it’s already terrified a fair few users with its claim that North Korea has attacked an unnamed enemy.

Sporting subtitles such as ‘WORLD LEADERS IN SHOCK’, this newsy-looking ad speaks of an ‘ACT OF UNJUSTIFIED AGGRESSION’ from the isolated state. This, of course, is the reality in Homefront, a game in which North Korea invades Asia and then North America.

Not exactly the most tasteful spot, right? It’s already got people talking on Twitter and other gaming sites, which I guess is what they were aiming for. Though, er, admittedly most of the comments are like this:

@JimLenoir: Stay classy THQ. This is a terrible and tasteless attempt at advertising a game.

“Almost freaked out at the YouTube homepage banner ad for Homefront, thinking it was a real headline on a North Korean attack. Not cool.”

“I find the front page advertisement for HomeFront on Youtube to be offensive. I thought North Korea had actually attacked. Misleading.”

[Via Australian Gamer]

North Korea attacks, claims tasteful game advert is a post from: The Inquisitr

A terrifying report by Amnesty International on conditions in North Korea describes harrowing living conditions, marked by widespread food shortages and appallingly sparse medical care.

The report indicates that patients are routinely operated on in substandard conditions, and tuberculosis is spreading rapidly due to widespread malnutrition. One young man’s account of an amputation without anesthesia is particularly difficult to read, and provides a frightening complement to reports of hospitals without electricity and a shortage of affordable medications:

Hwang, a 24-year-old man, described how his left leg had been amputated from the calf down without anaesthetic after he crushed his ankle in a fall. “Five medical assistants held my arms and legs down to keep me from moving,” he said. “I was in so much pain that I screamed and fainted from the pain. I woke up a week later in a hospital bed.”

The report goes on to say that doctors are frequently paid in cigarettes and alcohol, and that problems stemming from substandard healthcare are exacerbated by malnutrition, particularly in children, the elderly and the pregnant women:

The state’s failure to feed its people has produced a generation of stunted children, with almost half of under-fives suffering from the condition, it says…

Hunger is forcing people to risk their lives. Park, a 27-year-old man, said he became seriously ill after hunger drove him to look for food in the mountains. “I almost died eating poisonous mushrooms,” he said. “I also ate food we normally feed to pigs.”

[Image]

Report: N. Koreans enduring amputations with no anesthesia, electricity is a post from: The Inquisitr

Having been granted a “special pardon” thanks to ex-president Bill Clinton, Euna Lee and Laura Ling are finally on their way home.

The women were arrested near the border of North Korean and China in March and have remained imprisoned since. Earlier today, Clinton sat down in a rare meeting with reclusive leader Kim Jong Il, who granted the pardon, as explained by CNN:

Clinton expressed words of sincere apology to Kim Jong Il for the hostile acts committed by the two American journalists against the DPRK after illegally intruding into it,” the news agency reported. “Clinton courteously conveyed to Kim Jong Il an earnest request of the U.S. government to leniently pardon them and send them back home from a humanitarian point of view.

Ling and Lee had originally been sentenced to 12 years in prison, much to the horror of their families and supporters stateside. Thanks to Clinton’s intervention, the Ling and Lee’s families await their arrival in Los Angeles.  The outcome was not a total surprise, though- analyst Mike Chinoy told CNN:

“I suspect that it was made pretty clear in advance that Bill Clinton would be able to return with these two women, otherwise it would be a terrible loss of face for him.”

Aww, yeah- Bill Clinton brings home two journalists jailed in N. Korea is a post from: The Inquisitr

In what has to be their boldest public statement yet, Communist North Korea has threatened to “Wipe United States off the Map.”

About a week ago, a ship, the Kang Nam left the North Korean port of Nampo on it’s way to Myanmar allegedly carrying weapons, or materials to build weapons. Given the new U.N. Security Council resolution that requires member states to seek permission to inspect suspicious cargo, the USS John McCain, a U.S. Navy destroyer moved into position to intercept the Kang Nam.

In response to the U.S. ship moving in, North Korea issued a statement via the official Korean Central News Agency that “If the U.S. imperialists start another war, the army and people of Korea will … wipe out the aggressors on the globe once and for all.”

North Korea has been getting more and more vocal in recent months. Back in May they launched a long range rocket that fell into the Pacific about 1000 miles north of Hawaii, and just a few weeks ago they detonated a nuclear device in an underground test. They have also been bullying the international community by banning ships in or near their waters in order to test short range and mid range missiles.

This time though, they’ve all but declared war on the United States and their allies. For a country to threaten to wipe another country and all it’s people off the globe… that’s not a statement to be taken lightly.

North Korea Threatens to “Wipe United States off the Map” is a post from: The Inquisitr

The USS John McCain is moving into position and preparing to intercept a North Korean flagged ship that is thought to be carrying weapons.

The US military has been tracking a ship since it left a North Korean port Wednesday and is believed to be headed for Singapore. The USS John McCain, a navy destroyer, will intercept the ship, Kang Nam, as soon as it leaves North Korean waters off the coast of China. The ship is believed to be carrying weapons, missile components or nuclear materials, which is in direct violation of UN Resolution 1874 which put sanctions in place against Pyongyang Friday.

According to a senior U.S. defense official. the order has not yet been officially given to confront the vessel, but the US destroyer is moving into position.

This will be the first direct military contact with North Korea since tensions started to heat up recently when the north detonated a nuclear device underground in the region in May. North Korea has also been test firing short range missiles and has threatened to declare war against any country who interferes with their weapons and nuclear development efforts.

USS John McCain to Intercept North Korean Ship thought to be carrying Weapons is a post from: The Inquisitr