North Korea names new vice marshal...

North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency reports that Army General Hyon Yong-chol has been named vice marshal of the North’s Korean People’s Army. Hyon’s appointment by the National Defense Commission and the Central Military Commission of the Workers’ Party comes just two days after Chief of the General Staff of Korean People's Army Ri Yong-ho was dismissed from all party posts. The state-run news agency, however, did not clarify if Hyon will succeed Ri. A South Korean Unification Ministry official said Hyon’s promotion suggests he stands a high chance of succeeding Ri, but North Korea will first have to announce Hyon as the next Chief of the General Staff. The ministry official explained that Hyon was a field army commander and promoted to a four-star general along with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in September, 2010. He was also a member of the funeral committee for former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in December last year.
(KBS World Radio, 2012-07-17)

La Corée du Nord accusée d'avoir exporté des armes via la Chine...

Le Conseil de sécurité des Nations unies a publié un rapport sur les exportations illégales présumées d'armes par la Corée du Nord, via la Chine, vers des pays comme la Syrie. Vendredi, le Conseil de sécurité a publié les conclusions d'un panel d'experts enquêtant sur de possibles violations des sanctions onusiennes interdisant les exportations d'armes nord-coréennes. Le rapport fait état d'une importante cargaison de combustible pouvant être utilisé par des missiles balistiques découverte à bord d'un cargo arraisonné en octobre 2007. Les enquêteurs ont confirmé que cette cargaison avait été transportée depuis la Corée du Nord via Dalian, en Chine, en direction de la Syrie. Le document mentionne également des véhicules spéciaux de grandes dimensions transportés, selon les gardes-côtes japonais, de Chine en Corée du Nord. Ces véhicules pourraient être utilisés comme plate-forme de lancement de missiles balistiques. Il précise que ces véhicules n'auraient pas pu être fabriqués avec la technologie possédée actuellement par le Nord, mais ne mentionne pas l'implication de la Chine, se contentant d'indiquer que le panel poursuivra son enquête.
(Radio Japon international, le 30-06-2012)

North Koreans given prison sentences for spying in Ukraine...

Two North Koreans were reportedly arrested and sentenced to eight years in prison in Ukraine by intelligence authorities after they attempted to steal classified intelligence regarding missile technology. Ukrainian media report that Ryu Song-chul and Lee Tae-kil, both employees at a North Korean trade office in Belarus, traveled to Dnepropetrovsk in 2011 and were arrested after attempting to steal information from Yuzhnoye Design Bureau, which designs satellites and rockets. The North Koreans were said to be searching for intelligence regarding missile launch technology and increasing the range of its missiles with liquid fuel-fired engines. The North Koreans apparently received their sentence in late May on allegations of spying after Yuzhnoye employees informed authorities of their suspicious behavior.
(KBS World Radio, 2012-06-09)

Une espionne nord-coréenne présumée entendue par les services de renseignement sud-coréens...

Une réfugiée nord-coréenne accusée d’avoir dissimulé sa véritable identité est actuellement interrogée par des enquêteurs du service de renseignement sud-coréen, le NIS. Cette femme serait une espionne qui travaillerait pour le département de la sécurité d’État de la Corée du Nord, l’équivalent des services secrets au Sud. Dans une interview téléphonique, un haut responsable du gouvernement sud-coréen a fait savoir en effet qu’une certaine Lee Kyung-ae, âgée de 46 ans, s’est infiltrée fin 2011 en Corée du Sud, en se faisant passer pour une réfugiée. Il a rajouté que les interrogatoires en cours avaient pour objectif de comprendre exactement comment elle a pu arriver à Séoul et quelles sont ses missions.
(Radio Corée international, le 01-06-2012)

Two South Koreans arrested for espionage for North...

South Korean police have arrested 2 men in connection with the recent jamming of global positioning systems that affected much of the country's air and maritime traffic. The 2 South Korean businessmen have been charged with violating the country's national security law. Police say North Korean spies met the two men in the Chinese city of Dandong last July and instructed them to collect intelligence information. They say the suspects had made contact with people in the South Korean military industry in the hope of collecting data on jamming devices and military technology. One of the suspects, in his 70s, was on parole after having been sentenced to life in prison 30 years ago in connection with another espionage case.
Hundreds of commercial jets and ships in South Korea experienced GPS disruptions for more than 2 weeks earlier this month. The South Korean government says the North was responsible but North Korea denies any involvement.
(Japan Broadcasting Corporation, 2012-05-31)

La radiodiffusion internationale brouillée par la Corée du Nord...

On vient d’apprendre que la Corée du Nord brouillait les émissions étrangères pendant près de 18 heures par jour, afin d'empêcher ses habitants de les écouter. Cette nouvelle provient de Radio Free Asia, qui se réfère à un responsable d’un site lié à l’information et à la communication du pays communiste. D’après cette radio américaine, si le régime de Pyongyang, en proie à la pénurie d’électricité, en consomme autant pour bloquer les émissions des stations étrangères, c’est parce qu’il prend au sérieux l’influence de ces émissions internationales.
(Radio Corée international, le 11-05-2012)

Suspected North Korean jamming disrupts South's GPS...

South Korea says North Korea may be to blame for disruptions to its satellite-based global positioning system that have affected air travel and shipping. South Korea's Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs says the disruptions began last Saturday and have affected 412 aircraft leaving and arriving at Incheon and Gimpo airports. The maritime police in Incheon says ships travelling in the Yellow Sea have also been affected. A total of 122 vessels, including 8 patrol boats, have reported problems with their navigation systems. There have been no reports of safety problems stemming from the apparent jamming, because GPS plays only an assisting role in navigation. But the government is calling for caution as many small fishing boats rely solely on GPS for their navigation. A South Korean government official tells NHK that the disrupting signals apparently originate from around the North Korean city of Kaesong, near the military border between the 2 Koreas. South Korea is working to locate the source of the signals before filing a protest with the North through international organizations.
(Japan Broadcasting Corporation, 2012-05-05)

North Korea has ability to produce at least 10 nuclear weapons...

A South Korean nuclear expert says North Korea is estimated to have enough plutonium and highly enriched uranium to produce at least ten nuclear weapons. The expert, who requested anonymity, said Wednesday that the North is assessed to have more than 40 kilograms of plutonium. He said the plutonium has been acquired through at least three reprocessing efforts since 2003. Given that it takes around six kilograms of plutonium to produce one nuclear weapon, the North currently has the ability to produce six to seven nuclear arms. The expert also said the North is regarded to have 60 kilograms of highly enriched uranium, which is enough to produce three to four nuclear weapons.
(KBS World Radio, 2012-05-03)

North Korea affects South Korean flights with jamming signals...

The government says North Korea has been emitting electronic jamming signals and disrupting the GPS systems of private South Korean airplanes. The Transport Ministry says the North's attack began Saturday and has affected 252 aircraft, eleven of which are foreign-flagged airliners. The jamming mainly occurred between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. The ministry says none of the flights were endangered, and the planes have continued to operate as usual. The ministry is also looking out for maritime damage as the jamming could have affected Navy or Coast Guard vessels, cargo ships and fishing boats operating in the Yellow Sea.
(KBS World Radio, 2012-05-02)

En Corée du Nord, de faux missiles auraient été présentés lors d'un défilé militaire...

Selon un expert allemand, l'armée nord-coréenne aurait exposé de faux missiles intercontinentaux lors du défilé organisé ce mois-ci à P'yongyang. L'ingénieur allemand Robert Schmucker, qui faisait partie de l'équipe onusienne d'inspecteurs dépêchée en Irak dans les années 1990, a accordé samedi un entretien à la NHK. Le 15 avril dernier, la Corée du Nord a exposé des missiles lors du défilé qui marquait le centième anniversaire de Kim Il-sung, le fondateur de la république populaire. Ayant analysé les photos du matériel présenté à cette occasion, M. Schmucker en est venu à la conclusion qu'il s'agissait de maquettes, pour diverses raisons. Les clichés révélant notamment des ondulations à la surface d'une ogive, l'ingénieur allemand estime que celle-ci n'a pas la résistance requise pour endurer un retour dans l'atmosphère. M. Schmucker a par ailleurs observé que les engins étaient dotés d'équipements pour le ravitaillement en combustibles solide et liquide, ce qui lui paraît invraisemblable. Il a enfin estimé que la Corée du Nord n'avait pas vraiment progressé en matière de développement de missiles balistiques intercontinentaux.
(Radio Japon International, 29-04-2012)

Chinese firm sold North Korea 8 military vehicles...

A Chinese firm reportedly sold North Korea transport vehicles that could be used as launch pads for long-range ballistic missiles.

The web version of Canadian news agency Kanwa Information Center reported on Wednesday that the firm provided 8 transport vehicles last year.

The agency, which specializes in China's military activities, said that Hubei Sanjiang Space Wanshan Special Vehicle Company accepted the order in 2008.

The company is a subsidiary of a major state-run enterprise and manufactures customized military vehicles.

An intercontinental ballistic missile shown off during a Pyongyang military parade in mid-April was mounted on a similar vehicle.

The editor in chief of the news agency says the vehicles were sold for commercial purposes, but suggests the firm may have known they were intended for military use.
(Japan Broadcasting Corporation, 2012-04-26)

Experts say North Korean missiles were mock-ups...

Foreign experts say the six missiles North Korea unveiled during its military parade on April 15th were clearly mock-ups, and the North was merely putting on a show.

A German expert on North Korean missiles and other experts stated in a report that the missiles are undoubtedly life-size replicas that have somewhat improved from the model of the North's Musudan missile showcased in 2010.

The experts argue that at a glance, the models appear to be long-range missiles with a range of ten-thousand kilometers. However, they say a closer look reveals that all of the missiles are mock-ups. The report concludes there is no proof that North Korea owns a proper intercontinental ballistic missile.
(KBS World Radio, 2012-04-24)

Kim Jong-un aurait séjourné neuf ans en Suisse...

Kim Jong-un, le nouveau dirigeant de la Corée du Nord, a séjourné en Suisse dans ses jeunes années plus longtemps qu'on ne le pensait jusqu'à présent, révèlent dimanche des médias suisses. L'actuel premier secrétaire du Parti des travailleurs de Corée serait arrivé sous pseudonyme en Suisse dès novembre 1991, à l'âge de huit ou neuf ans, et non en 1998, affirment Le Matin Dimanche et le SonntagsZeitung, citant des documents du service de police du ministère public de la Confédération versé aux Archives fédérales. Ils s'appuient notamment sur un formulaire servant à obtenir l'accréditation diplomatique délivré à un certain Nam Chol Pak, fonctionnaire du ministère des Affaires étrangères de la République populaire démocratique de Corée, précise Le Matin. Cet employé d'ambassade était accompagné de son épouse et de deux enfants présentés comme étant ses fils, Chol Pak et Hun Pak. En fait, Chol Pak et Hun Pak, n'étaient autres que Kim Jong-chol et Kim Jong-un, les deux plus jeunes fils de Kim Jong-il, poursuit Le Matin.
(La voix de la République islamique d'Iran, le 23-04-2012)

Report: North Korea ready for nuclear test...

A Japanese television broadcaster said North Korea has completed preparations for another nuclear test.

Japan’s Fuji Television cited a Japanese government official as saying all external preparations were seen to be completed for North Korea to conduct a third nuclear test, and that it would not be unusual for Pyongyang to conduct such a test at any time.

The broadcaster said the move prompted Japan and the U.S. to step up alert for possible nuclear detonation by the North.

Earlier this month, a South Korean intelligence source said an additional shaft had been discovered aside from the two tunnels dug for previous nuclear tests the North conducted in Punggye-ri, and that construction there was observed to be coming to an end.

North Korea has already conducted two nuclear tests, one in October 2006 and the other in May 2009.
(KBS World Radio, 2012-04-23)

North Korea threatens special action against South Korea...

North Korea has threatened that its military will soon launch special action to crush what it called the “reckless provocations of traitors” in South Korea.

The Supreme Command of the Korean People’s Army said on Monday that the North Korean military and people’s rage over Lee Myung-bak and his group has peaked, calling them “rats.”

The statement carried by the North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency said the North’s special actions unit will target Lee’s treasonable forces and conservative media in the South which the statement claimed trample fair opinions.

The statement threatened that once special action is launched, the North will wipe out within three to four minutes or in a shorter period “all rats” and “sources of provocation” via special and unique methods never seen before.

The latest threat comes after the Supreme Command threatened last Wednesday to blow up all of Seoul in response to anti-North Korea rallies held in the South Korean capital. The statement claimed that the Lee Myung-bak government masterminded the rallies on April 15th as the North marked the 100th birthday of its founder Kim Il-sung.
(KBS World Radio, 2012-04-23)

Un nouveau chef pour les forces armées nord-coréennes...

On connaît maintenant le nouveau chef des forces armées du peuple nord-coréen. Il s’agit de Kim Jong-gak, un des proches du nouveau dirigeant Kim Jong-un. C’est l’agence centrale de presse nord-coréenne, la KCNA, qui a révélé hier cette nouvelle, un jour avant la conférence du Parti des travailleurs, le parti unique du pays. Âgé de 71 ans, Kim a été promu le 15 février dernier vice-maréchal des forces armées du peuple nord-coréen. Des experts estiment que d’autres proches de Kim Jong-un auraient connu une promotion. Parmi eux se trouvent le secrétaire chargé du secteur de l’emploi au sein du Parti des travailleurs et le directeur adjoint du département politique de l’armée populaire nord-coréenne. Le chef des forces armées populaires de la Corée du Nord correspond au poste de ministre de la Défense. En vertu de la constitution nord-coréenne, il est sous la tutelle de la fameuse commission nationale de la Défense.
(KBS World radio, le 11-04-2012)

La Corée du Nord a nommé mercredi un nouveau ministre des Forces armées alors que le pays prépare le lancement d'une fusée condamné par la communauté internationale qui dénonce un tir déguisé de missile balistique, ont annoncé les médias officiels nord-coréens. Le quotidien officiel du Parti du Travail de Corée, le Rodong Sinmun, a rapporté un discours de Kim Jong-gak chargé jusqu'à présent de l'organisation et de l'administration des armées, en le qualifiant de ministre des Forces armées du peuple. Il remplace Kim Yong-chun, 75 ans, qui servait depuis 1956.
(La voix de la République islamique d'Iran, le 11-04-2012)

La Corée du Nord se préparerait à effectuer un troisième essai nucléaire...

Selon Séoul, la Corée du Nord effectuerait des préparatifs pour un troisième essai nucléaire. Les services de renseignement sud-coréens ont analysé une image enregistrée le 1er avril par un satellite commercial américain. Le cliché montre un nouveau tunnel sur un site d'essais atomiques, à Poongkye-ri, dans la province de Hamgyong-pukdo, dans le nord-est du pays. Les Sud-Coréens précisent que le Nord creuse ce tunnel pour y effectuer un nouvel essai nucléaire. Il se trouve au sud de ceux utilisés auparavant pour des essais nucléaires en 2006 et 2009. Depuis le mois dernier de la terre a été accumulée à l'entrée du puits. La Corée du Nord a conduit ses deux essais nucléaires précédents dans les trois mois qui ont suivi plusieurs tirs de missiles balistiques à longue portée.
(Radio Japon international, le 09-04-2012)

La Corée du Nord est soupçonnée d'avoir entamé des préparatifs pour mener son troisième essai nucléaire. Il pourrait avoir lieu peu après le lancement de Kwangmyongsong-3 prévu entre les 12 et 16 avril prochains. D’après une source bien informée sur le pays communiste, ces préparatifs ont lieu actuellement à Punggye-ri dans la province du Hamgyong du Nord. C’est ici que le régime de Kim Jong-il avait effectué son deuxième essai nucléaire. Toujours selon la même source, des images de satellites commerciaux montrent que la construction d’un nouveau tunnel souterrain est dans sa phase finale. Des images prises le 1er avril par le satellite américain QuickBird avaient déjà identifié des amas de terre et de sable à l'entrée d'un tunnel dans le site de Punggye-ri. Étant donné que la Corée du Nord avait procédé de la même manière dans le passé avant d'effectuer un nouvel essai nucléaire, les experts estiment que le régime de Kim Jong-un est susceptible de passer à l’acte après le lancement de la fusée. Ce geste aurait pour but de faire pression sur la communauté internationale.
(KBS World radio, le 09-04-2012)

Les services secrets de la Corée du Sud affirment avoir des preuves, des images satellites, que la Corée du Nord creuse en ce moment un nouveau tunnel qui servira au troisième test nucléaire. Ce site, déjà en préparation entre 2006 et 2009, atteint donc sa phase finale et ces révélations interviennent surtout alors que la Corée du Nord a annoncé un essai de lancement imminent d'une fusée longue portée que les États-Unis et plusieurs autres pays occidentaux voient comme une couverture à la préparation d'une arme nucléaire.
(Kol Israël, le 09-04-2012)

Plusieurs sous-marins nord-coréens disparaissent après avoir quitté leur base...

La Corée du Sud est à la recherche de 3 à 4 sous-marins nord-coréens qui ont disparu après avoir quitté 2 bases sur la côte est, indique jeudi une source militaire sud-coréenne.

La source indique que les sous-marins appartiendraient à la classe de 370 tonnes. L’armée sud-coréenne a été incapable de les localiser depuis qu’ils ont quitté 2 bases sous-marines de la côte est.

Une autre source explique que « la Corée du Nord semble mener activement des exercices d’infiltration par sous-marin, à la suite d’une météo plus clémente. » La source ajoute que « l’armée sud-coréenne étudie de près la situation sans écarter la possibilité d’une provocation déguisée en exercice. »


Lire la suite...

North Korea suspected of preparing nuclear test...

South Korea says North Korea is preparing for its third nuclear test. South Korean intelligence authorities analyzed an image taken on April 1st by a US commercial satellite. The image shows a new tunnel at a nuclear test site in Poongkye-ri, North Hamkyong Province, in the northeast of the country. The South Koreans said that the North is digging the ditch for another nuclear test. The tunnel is south of the ones used in nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009. Since last month dirt has been accumulating at the entrance of the new pit. A South Korean expert says the North usually fills the tunnels with dirt when it conducts nuclear tests to measure the effect of the explosion and to keep nuclear substances inside. North Korea conducted its past two nuclear tests within three months of its long-range ballistic missile launches. The country says it will launch a rocket carrying a satellite between April 12th and 16th. The South Korean government says the North is highly likely to carry out a nuclear test, as a reaction to international criticism, following the planned launch.
(Japan Broadcasting Corporation, 2012-04-09)

North Korea test-fires 2 short-range missiles...

North Korea has reportedly test-fired 2 short-range surface-to-ship missiles into the Yellow Sea, west of the Korean Peninsula. South Korean government sources say the North launched the missiles from a base in the northwestern part of the country on Thursday morning. The sources say the KN-01 anti-ship cruise missiles are believed to have a range of about 120 kilometers. The sources say Thursday's tests have no apparent relation to the launch of what North Korea says is a satellite-carrying rocket in April. South Korea believes the North plans to test long-range ballistic missile technology. The sources say the latest tests are likely aimed at extending the range of the anti-ship missile. Observers say the North's action is also seen as a warning to South Korea and the United States over their joint amphibious landing exercise on Thursday. About 9,000 troops took part in the drill in South Korea.
(Japan Broadcasting Corporation, 2012-03-30)

Vehicles confirmed near North Korea launch pad...

A new satellite photo of North Korea's rocket launch pad suggests the country is preparing to launch what it calls a satellite next month, as it has announced. The US satellite imagery firm DigitalGlobe took the photo of the facility at Tongchang-ri in the northwestern part of North Korea, on Wednesday. A photo taken on March 20th captured only the launch pad. But the new photo shows 2 vehicles nearby. The firm also points out that a crane arm at the top of the central tower has been swung in a different direction. Japan, the United States and some other countries consider North Korea's planned rocket launch no different from a long-distance ballistic missile launch. A senior US Defense Department official has warned that debris from the rocket could fall on Japan or South Korea. The official also said that the US is suspending an agreement made with North Korea to send food aid to the country.
(Japan Broadcasting Corporation, 2012-03-29)

The site where North Korea plans to launch a long-range rocket has been revealed in images taken by DigitalGlobe, a U.S. commercial vendor of space imagery and geospatial content. The images, which depict the launch site, were disclosed on Wednesday to coincide with a hearing of the House Committee on Armed Services. Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs Peter Lavoy said at the hearing that the rocket launch could result in casualties in various countries. Lavoy said North Korea's plan reflects its lack of desire to follow through on international commitments, forcing the U.S. to suspend its activities to provide nutritional assistance to the North. North Korea claims it plans to launch the rocket to put a satellite into space, but many nations contend the launch could be used to further its ballistic missile technology.
(KBS World Radio, 2012-03-29)

North Korea transports rocket's main body to launch site...

North Korea is thought to have brought to its new launch site what is believed to be the main body of a missile. The South Korean government, after analyzing photos from a US surveillance satellite, says an object that appears to be the main body of a missile was recently brought by train to the launch site. The site is in Tongchang-ri, Cholsan County, in the northwest of the country. The launch site was completed last year, and is about 3 times the size of the one in Musudan-ri in the northeast, the scene of previous ballistic missile tests. The gantry at the new launch pad measures about 50 meters, about 20 meters taller than the one in Musudan-ri. The pad is believed to be capable of launching long-range ballistic missiles. North Korea is thought to be assembling the missile inside a facility at the launch site and preparing to fire it as announced, despite opposition from Japan, the United States and South Korea.
(Japan Broadcasting Corporation, 2012-03-26)

North Korea has reportedly made considerable progress in its preparations to launch a long-range rocket. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) on Sunday said that militaries of South Korea and the United States confirmed that the North moved the main part of the rocket to a launch facility. A JCS official said that the North seems to have made significant progress in the launch preparations, adding the South Korean and American militaries are cooperating to find out the specific schedule for the take-off. Earlier on Sunday, Japan’s Fuji Television reported that the North moved an object that appears to be the main body of the rocket to the launch facility in Dongchang-ri, Cholsan County, North Pyeongan Province.
(KBS World Radio, 2012-03-26)

North Korea may have provided arms to Iran in 1980s...

Declassified South Korean documents have revealed that North Korea began providing arms to Iran after the Iran-Iraq war broke out in 1980. That was one of the findings in about 180,000 pages of secret documents the South Korean government made public on Sunday. Among the papers are the minutes of talks between South Korean Foreign Minister Roh Shin-yeong and US Ambassador in Seoul William Gleysteen in October 1980. At the meeting, Gleysteen said the US believes the North has been providing Tehran with ammunitions in about 2 dozen round-trips between Pyongyang and Iran. Roh said his government has confirmed that North Korea sent anti-aircraft artillery and anti-tank rockets to Iran. A report from the South Korean Embassy in Iran said that machine guns, armored vehicles and other kinds of military equipment were unloaded in Iran from 16 North Korean ships. These documents suggest that the 2 nations started bilateral arms trade more than 30 years ago. The papers also indicate that Pyongyang sent 6,000 military personnel to 31 nations in Asia, Africa and South America from 1960s through August 1981. North Korea was apparently working to forge military ties not just with Iran, but with many other countries.
(KBS World radio, 2012-03-19)

North Korea to launch satellite in April...

North Korea says it will launch a satellite to mark the centenary of the birth of the country's founder Kim Il Sung. State-run North Korean media on Friday reported an announcement by the Korean Committee for Space Technology. The announcement said North Korea will launch a working satellite, Kwangmyongsong 3, from a launch site in Pyongan-pukdo between April 12th and 16th. It said a safe launch trajectory has been set to prevent rocket debris from affecting neighboring nations. It also said the launch will strongly inspire the country's citizens and troops who are striving to create a strong and prosperous nation. The launch will apparently use the same technology for long-range ballistic missiles that North Korea has tested in the past. The announcement could draw international criticism, as North Korea promised to freeze long-range missile testing in talks with the United States last month.
(Japan Broadcasting Corporation, 2012-03-16)

North Korea says it will launch its Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite in time for the centennial birthday of North Korean founder Kim Il-sung on April 15th. The North's state-run Korean Central News Agency cited a statement made by the spokesman of the communist nation's Korean Committee for Space Technology. The committee says Kwangmyongsong-3 is an earth observation satellite that travels along the polar orbit. It says the Unha-3 rocket carrying the satellite will blast off from a satellite launching station in Cholsan County, North Pyongan Province some time between April 12th and the 16th. The spokesman said a safe flight orbit has been chosen by determined a route that to prevent any rocket debris from affecting neighboring countries. The committee says it will abide by international regulations and practices concerning the launch of satellites being used for scientific and peaceful purposes and that it will also ensure maximum transparency for the entire process.
(KBS World Radio, 2012-03-16)

Official news agency KCNA says the event will take place mid-April, to mark the centenary of the birth of founding leader Kim Il-Sung. Foreign officials have said the past launches are disguised long-range missile tests. If it goes ahead, the launch would breach a United Nations resolution passed after a previous launch in 2009. North Korea says it has already launched two experimental satellites. It says the launch will occur southwards.
(Radio Australia, 2012-03-16)

North Korea kidnaps and executes defectors with South Korean nationality...

A group of North Korean defectors based in South Korea says that North Korea abducted and then executed North Korean defector-turned-South Korean nationals in China. Citing an unidentified internal North Korean source, the group, called the North Korea Intellectuals Solidarity, says that around 15 North Korean defectors who obtained South Korean nationality were caught by the North in the North Korean-Chinese border area last year alone. The defector-turned-South Koreans were abducted in a joint operation conducted by North Korea's State Security Department, its military intelligence agency and border guards. The North Korean Intellectuals Solidarity says that most of them have been executed or detained at North Korean concentration camps in Hoeryong and Yodok.
(KBS World Radio, 2012-03-14)

40 North Korean soldiers killed, wounded during Yeonpyeong counterattack...

Radio Free Asia says roughly 40 North Korean soldiers were killed or wounded during South Korea's counterattack following the North's shelling of a South Korean island in late 2010.

The U.S. broadcaster released the report Friday citing a North Korean source in the North's South Hwanghae Province. The source apparently heard from a North Korean battalion commander that about ten North Korean soldiers were killed and 30 others wounded during the exchange of fire prompted by the North's shelling of Yeonpyeong Island.

The source said the commander saw a military vehicle transporting the dead bodies and the wounded to a military hospital known as "Hospital No. 11" in Pyongyang run by the North's Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Radio Free Asia says this source shares close ties with officials of the Fourth Army Corps, which is known to have perpetrated the Yeonpyeong shelling.

The source, who recently traveled to China and revealed the story, says the North Korean military is apparently frightened by South Korea's cutting-edge weapons and has been reluctant to fight the South since the Yeonpyeong shelling.
(KBS World Radio, 2012-03-02)

North Korea's Kim Jong-un visits front line troops to pressure South Korea, U.S....

North Korea’s state media reported its leader Kim Jong-un had visited front line troops that were responsible for the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island in 2010. KCNA said Kim had ordered the troops to retaliate in the case South Korea shells North Korean waters ahead of the joint Key Resolve training South Korea and U.S. troops have scheduled in the western coast of the Korean Peninsula. The North Korean report said Kim Jong-un inspected the fourth battalions and received plans for retaliation during a visit to a watchhouse for coast-battery and even guided soldiers through battery training. The training was attended by soldiers who had taken part in the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island, the report said. North Korea said on Saturday through a spokesperson’s statement that it would launch a “sacred war” against the Key Resolve training.
(KBS World Radio, 2012-02-26)

DPRK radio disappears...

Several of North Korea’s external radio services and its powerful jamming operation that blocks foreign broadcasts are having trouble staying on the air.

Voice of Korea, the country’s international radio outlet, was missing from several of its scheduled broadcasts on Thursday, according to monitoring from sites in South Korea, Japan and the U.S.

Two days earlier its English-language broadcast to North America, scheduled from 1500-1554 GMT (1000-1054 Eastern Time) abruptly cut off around 20 minutes into the broadcast and didn’t return. On Thursday the French program left the air five minutes early while in the middle of a song.

All these events are highly unusual for the station, which is charged with spreading North Korean news and propaganda to a global audience.

The country’s jamming of overseas broadcasts, which involves the broadcast of noise over the top of a radio station to make it unintelligible to listeners in North Korea, has also been sporadic.




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North Korea Sends 1000 Technocrats to China...

A Japanese daily says North Korea has sent roughly one thousand technocrats to China under the North's new regime led by Kim Jong-un. Citing multiple North Korean and Chinese sources, the Tokyo Shimbun said North Korea sent the officials, including mid-level managers, to private firms and factories in northeastern and southeastern Chinese cities from late January. It is believed the officials were broken into small groups of ten members or less to tour companies and plants in major Chinese cities including Shenyang, Yanji, Dalian and Shanghai. They also apparently met with economy- and trade-related officials in China. The newspaper says North Korea could be eyeing these Chinese regions as a model for economic reform, and the North's new regime may be considering changes based on its findings.
(KBS World Radio, 2012-02-15)

Pyongyang satellite monitoring station...

In the northern Pyongyang suburb of Hyongjesan there are twelve large satellite dishes on a hillside. The dishes, easily visible in satellite photos, have been there for at least a decade and while their function is unknown, their close proximity to North Korea’s signals intelligence headquarters might be a clue to their purpose.

Some of the dishes have buildings next to them while others are surrounded by trees. Their exact size is difficult to determine, but most appear to be around 16- or 18-meters in diameter. That makes them large enough to receive signals from many satellites in orbit above Asia, but what are they being used for?

TV and telecommunications is thought to flow through the Pyongyang Earth Station, which is located in Sadong in the south of Pyongyang. It maintains North Korea’s links with the Intelsat and Intersputnik satellite systems. In the last few years there has also been significant expansion of the facilities at Pyongyang TV Tower, which went from just a handful of dishes in 2005 to currently more than 20.

Hyongjesan are the third large concentration of satellite dishes in Pyongyang.


TO BE CONTINUED...

North Korea prohibits use of firearm on escapees near chinese border...

A South Korean organization on North Korean human rights says North Korea has instructed its military to not use firearms on escapees. "Good Friends" said Wednesday that the North’s Workers’ Party of Korea apparently ordered its military to take steps so gun shots will not be heard along the North’s border with China. The statement was published in a magazine released by a North Korea research institute that is run by Good Friends. The organization said the recent move was apparently made in consideration of the North’s relations with China. Good Friends said the Workers’ Party instructed that while efforts should be made to boost vigilance along the North Korea-China border, firearms, which could negatively affect friendly ties between the two nations, should not be used. The Workers’ Party instead ordered the military to work together with China’s frontline units to catch North Korean escapees. Shortly after Kim Jong-il’s death late last year, the North reportedly permitted the shooting of people trying to escape the North as part of efforts to boost citizen supervision.
(KBS World Radio, 2012-02-09)

Kim Jong-un en visite officielle au commandement de la 324e unité...

Le nouveau dirigeant nord-coréen Kim Jong-un poursuit ses déplacements dans les bases militaires, comme le faisait de son vivant son père Kim Jong-il. Selon l’agence officielle du pays communiste, la KCNA, Kim vient de visiter le commandement de la 324e unité de l’armée. Il s’agit de son dixième déplacement du genre depuis le début de l’année. Il était accompagné du chef d’état-major interarmées, du ministre de la Défense ainsi que de plusieurs généraux. Cette unité se trouve à Hamheung, au sud-est du territoire nord-coréen. L'ancien leader Kim Jong-il s'y était lui aussi rendu en février 2009. Pour certains observateurs, si le nouveau leader nord-coréen continue à visiter les troupes d’élites, c’est pour asseoir son pouvoir au sein du régime, tout en mettant en garde Séoul.
(Radio Corée international, le 08-02-2012)

North Korea possibly developing unmanned drones...

North Korea is currently developing an unmanned fighter jet based on the United States' high speed target drone. According to a military source, North Korea is said to be developing the aircraft based on several MQM-107D drones it acquired from Middle Eastern countries, possibly including Libya. The drone, which is currently also in use by the U.S. and South Korea, is used for missile training. South Korean intelligence authorities have said North Korea has tried to accommodate the drones to carry missiles but does not yet have the technology. If North Korea succeeds in developing the drones, the drones are expected to be placed in Hwanghae Province to target the South's northwestern islands.
(KBS World Radio, 2012-02-05)

North Korea developing smartphone applications...

North Korea has been making its own applications for smartphones.

A video that appeared on the video-sharing Web site YouTube on January 29th entitled “North Korean Android System for Smartphones” introduced North Korea’s smartphone application technology, which has rarely been seen before.

In the video, a North Korean professor said the Android system is dominant in smartphones around the world and North Korea is currently developing ways to bring the smartphones to North Korea.

The Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency said the video had been presumably shot in North Korea during the 22nd nationwide exhibition for programming, which started on October 27th.
(KBS World Radio, 2012-02-04)

Plus d'un million d'utilisateurs de téléphones portables en Corée du Nord...

Plus d'un million de Nord-Coréens utiliseraient les services de téléphonie mobile auprès de l'opérateur égyptien Orascom, si l'on en croit l'agence de presse américaine Bloomberg qui cite la compagnie égyptienne. Malgré la main mise du régime communiste sur les informations circulant à l'intérieur et en dehors de ses frontières, le nombre d'utilisateurs de téléphones portables ne semble donc cesser d'augmenter. Par ailleurs, d'après la KCNA, l'agence centrale de presse officielle nord-coréenne, le patron d'Orascom, Naguib Sawiris, s'est entretenu hier avec Kim Yong-nam, président du comité permanent de l'Assemblée populaire suprême. La KCNA parle d'un « entretien amical » entre les deux hommes. C'est en 2002 que P'yongyang a introduit pour la première fois un service de téléphonie mobile, avant de le suspendre deux ans après plus tard. En 2008, Orascom y a lancé son activité, par le biais d'une joint-venture baptisée Koryolink.
(Radio Corée international, le 03-02-2012)

Un iPad 2 pour Kim Jong-un...

Selon des sources de la NHK, le nouveau dirigeant nord-coréen Kim Jong-un a commandé un iPad2 lors du lancement au printemps dernier de cette tablette numérique dont le succès fut instantanément planétaire. Le jeune dirigeant a passé plusieurs années pendant son adolescence en Suisse et il est réputé pour être un partisan de l'informatique afin de moderniser les industries de son pays. Le iPad2 connaît un sursaut de popularité à P'yongyang parmi les fils et les filles des hauts responsables gouvernementaux. Cette tablette numérique pourrait d'ici quelques temps être reliée à l'internet en Corée du Nord par l'intermédiaire d'une importante entreprise de téléphonie mobile fondée par une compagnie égyptienne de télécommunication. Le nombre d'usagers potentiels en Corée du Nord risque cependant d'être limité car le gouvernement pourrait s'inquiéter de la perte de contrôle social qui résulterait de l'usage de cette tablette.
(Radio Japon international, le 03-02-2012)

North Korean leader may meet Egypt's telecom...

North Korea's new leader Kim Jong Un could make his diplomatic debut by meeting the head of an Egyptian company that operates cell phone services in the country.

North Korea's state-run media said on Wednesday that the chairman of Orascom Telecom, Naguib Sawiris, arrived in Pyongyang this week and laid flowers at a mural of late leader Kim Jong Il and his father Kim Il Sung.

Orascom Telecom launched mobile network services in December of 2008 under strict North Korean control. The firm is also building towering hotels in Pyongyang.

Sawiris met Kim Jong Il and was welcomed with an official dinner banquet when he visited Pyongyang in January 2011. Kim Jong Un's guardian and uncle, Jang Song Thaek, was also at the banquet.
Following Kim's succession, the North's leadership is trying to show it can improve the lives of the country's citizens.

There is speculation that Kim Jong Un will meet with Sawiris in order to attract more foreign companies to invest in the country.
(Japan Broadcasting Corporation, 2012-02-02)

La Corée du Nord préparerait une parade militaire sans précédent...

La Corée du Nord se prépare à une parade militaire sans précédent pour début 2012, pour célébrer les anniversaires de ses deux précédents dirigeants, grand-père et père du dirigeant actuel, a indiqué lundi la presse sud-coréenne.
Un grand nombre de soldats des armées de terre, de mer et de l'air s'entraînent depuis des mois sur la base de Mirim, près de la capitale P'yongyang, a précisé l'agence sud-coréenne Yonhap qui cite un responsable du Sud sous couvert d'anonymat.
(La voix de la République islamique d'Iran, le 31-01-2012)

Chinese military able to enter P'yongyang in 2 Hrs. in event of war...

A Japanese daily says the Chinese military is boosting the mobility of its troops stationed near China’s border with North Korea in a bid to prepare for possible contingencies.

In a special report on Sunday, the Asahi Shimbun quoted a Chinese military official as saying that the Chinese military is raising its mobility so that it has the ability to enter P'yongyang in roughly two hours in case of an unexpected event occurs in the North.

The daily added that the Academy of Military Science, which is a think tank of the People's Liberation Army, has been operating a research team on managing possible crises on the Korean Peninsula since 2007, which is when rumors of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il’s health was deteriorating began to emerge.

The Asahi Shimbun said the think tank also drew up a secret report in 2010. The report is said to stipulate that in the event major changes occur within the North, priority must be placed on preventing nuclear proliferation as the North’s nuclear weapons development is linked to the possibility of a full-scale war breaking out on the Korean Peninsula.
(KBS World Radio, 2012-01-22)

Kim Jong Un spearheaded nuclear testing...

North Korea says its new leader Kim Jong Un spearheaded nuclear testing, as well as long-range missile tests, before emerging as the heir apparent of his late father Kim Jong Il 2 years ago.

North Korea's Committee for the Peaceful Unification of Korea made a statement on Friday. It described the young Kim as fully equipped with the qualities of an extraordinary general even in his late teens at Kim Il Sung Military University.

This was the first time that North Korea has referred to the new leader's involvement in nuclear testing.

North Korea conducted underground nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009. Last month, after the death of Kim Jong Il, the country stressed it will continue its nuclear development program, saying that nuclear deterrence is a revolutionary inheritance.

North Korea apparently aims to use the statement to show that Kim Jong Un inherits military-led rule promoted by his late father and to deflect criticism that the young Kim is inexperienced.
(Japan Broadcasting Corporation, 2012-01-21)

Les communications diplomatiques nord-coréennes interceptées par un amateur d'écoutes...

Une transmission diplomatique Nord-coréenne en provenance de P'yongyang et à destination d'une station diplomatique non identifiée a été captée vendredi 13 janvier, à 13h06 GMT, par un amateur sur 14558.5Khz.
La transmission cryptée était en mode numérique...

Sankei: North Korea fired 3 ballistic missiles into East Sea...

A leading Japanese daily says North Korea fired three short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea on Wednesday.

The Sankei Shimbun quoted several Japanese government sources as saying on Friday that the North fired the missiles toward the East Sea on Wednesday morning. The report said the North apparently fired the missiles to test improved models.

The North is currently developing ground-to-air KN-06 missiles and short-range ballistic KN-02 missiles, which are an upgraded version of missiles produced by the former Soviet Union.

The North also fired two short-range missiles into the sea off the North’s east coast just hours after the death of the North Korean leader was announced on December 19th.
(KBS World Radio, le 13-01-2012)

Sortie prochaine d’un livre d’entretiens avec le fils aîné de Kim Jong-il...

Un livre rassemblant les emails échangés entre un journaliste japonais et Kim Jong-nam, le fils aîné qui fut un temps considéré comme un possible héritier du dirigeant défunt Kim Jong-il, sortira le 20 janvier au Japon. Cet ouvrage comprendra aussi le contenu de longues interviews de cet héritier déchu avec le journaliste.

Si l’on en croit l’agence de presse japonaise Kyodo, le livre s’intitule « Mon père Kim Jong-il et moi » et le journaliste japonais qui a échangé des emails avec Kim Jong-nam s’appelle Yoji Komi, un rédacteur du quotidien Tokyo Shimbun.

Dans un email que Kim a écrit au journaliste après les obsèques de son père, il a pointé du doigt la succession dynastique sur trois générations au Nord. Il y a aussi affirmé que Kim Jong-il était strict mais chaleureux et que son père avait dit autrefois qu’il ne chercherait pas à ce qu’un de ses enfants lui succède.

Yoji Komi avait rencontré par hasard Kim Jong-nam en 2004 à l’aéroport de Pékin. Depuis, ils se sont écrit et l’année dernière, le journaliste l’a interviewé pendant environ 7 heures à Pékin et à Macao.
(Radio Corée international, le 07-01-2012)

North Korean man indicted on spying charges...

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office has indicted a North Korean man on charges of disguising as a North Korean escapee to conduct espionage activities for the North.

The man, identified only by his surname Kim, entered South Korea last June after passing through Thailand under orders from the intelligence command of the North’s Korean People’s Army to carry out spying missions.

Prosecutors found that Kim used to work as a spy for the North’s military intelligence agency and then was sentenced to eight years and three months of hard labor for drug smuggling and human trafficking. While serving his sentence, Kim was released on bail and received an offer in April of last year to operate as a spy in the South.
(KBS World Radio, 2012-01-05)

United Nations probing suspected North Korea violation...

The United Nations is reportedly investigating a suspected violation by North Korea of UN resolutions prohibiting the country from exporting weapons.

UN officials say the case involves the seizure by Greek authorities in November 2009 of ampoules of reagents believed to be related to chemical weapons. The shipment was found in a cargo ship bound for Syria that stopped at a Greek port.

The Greek government reported the case to the United Nations. The officials say a UN team of international experts have begun an investigation into the case.

Trade in weapons with North Korea is banned by UN resolutions adopted after North Korea's nuclear weapon tests in 2006 and 2009.

The resolutions require all UN member countries to report any moves suspected of being a violation.

North Korea and Syria have been accused of cooperating in nuclear and missile development. UN officials say the United Nations has evidence in a different case of weapon exports by North Korea.
(Japan Broadcasting Corporation, 2012-01-05)

L'armée nord-coréenne n'a jamais été aussi puissante...

Les forces militaires du pays communiste sont les plus puissantes de son histoire. C’est en tout cas ce qu’estime le KERI, l’Institut de recherche économique de Corée du Sud.

Dans un rapport publié aujourd’hui, l’institut estime que l’an dernier le Nord comptait 1 020 000 soldats de l’armée de terre et qu’il possédait le plus grand nombre de chars ou de bâtiments de guerre de son histoire. Et il disposerait de moins d’avions de combat par rapport à 1986, mais ses forces aériennes sont elles aussi plus puissantes, car le régime communiste a acheté à partir des années 1990 des Mig-29 très modernes. Le rapport souligne plus particulièrement l’augmentation du nombre de sous-marins.
(Radio Corée international, le 04-01-2012)

Le fils ainé de Kim Jong-il se serait rendu secrètement à P'yongyang...

Le fils aîné du dirigeant nord-coréen Kim Jong Il se serait rendu à P'yongyang secrètement afin de rendre un dernier hommage à son père. L'absence de Kim Jong-nam aux funérailles et lors des autres manifestations officielles liées à la mort de son père alimente les rumeurs d'une possible lutte de pouvoir avec son demi-frère Jong-Un, qui a été nommé à la tête de l'Etat. Jong-Nam, 40 ans, aurait effectué un voyage en Corée du Nord le 17 décembre, à l'aide d'un faux passeport. Il serait ensuite retourné sur l'île de Macao, où il réside désormais.
(La voix de la République islamique d'Iran, le 02-01-2012)

North Korean leader inspects tank division...

North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) says the North’s new leader and supreme commander of the nation's military, Kim Jong-un, visited a military tank division on New Year's Day.

The inspection marks the young leader's first visit to the military since the death of his father Kim Jong-il.

The KCNA said the tank division was the first to enter the South Korean capital Seoul during the Korean War.

Kim Jong-il visited the division with his father, the late Kim Il-sung, on August 25th, 1960, which is celebrated as the day marking the beginning of the North's military-first, or seongun, politics.

Kim Jong-un's visit on Sunday is believed to be aimed at conveying his will to carry on this policy of military-centered politics.

Kim was accompanied by his uncle and vice chairman of the National Defense Commission Jang Song-thaek and Army Chief of Staff Ri Yong-ho and other military leaders.
(KBS World Radio, 2012-01-02)




North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un inspected a tank force on Sunday.

Korean state media said that his inspection was conducted along with Jang Song Thaek, Kim Jong Il's borther-in-law and Ri Yong Ho, the chief of the Korean People's Army General Staff.

Kim Jong Un said that the tank force should prepare for action and maintain its readiness to react to any situation as quickly as possible.

Earlier on Sunday Kim Jong Un revisited the Kumsusan Memorial Palace where his father Kim Jong Il and grandfather, the founder of the country, Kim Il Sung lie in state.

Our correspondent says that Kim Jong Un wants to strengthen his position as successor to his father by visiting a military unit at first.

On Saturday North Korea's state-run media reported that Kim Jong Un was officially appointed supreme commander of the military -- a position held by his father.
(Japan Broadcasting Corporation, 2012-01-02)