Gruesome mementos of Shin’s past are engraved across his body: his back is covered with scars of severe burns he was administered when he was 13 — in retaliation for the attempted escape of his mother and brother. His right middle finger was lopped off as punishment for accidentally dropping a sewing machine, and both his shins are badly scarred, wounded during his escape, when his feet were temporarily tangled while he crawled through the electric fence that killed his fellow escapee.
Prison Camp No. 14 - mentioned in post above.
North Korea on Google Earth
The always amazing North Korean Economy Watch blog had a piece on Google Earth files for North Korea.
You can download the Google Earth KMZ files here.
The KMZ file is really impressive, containing agriculture, gulags, elite areas, mining, nuclear issues, schools, hospitals and tons more.
Kim Jong-il eats live fish
A x-chef reports Kim Jong-il enjoys live fish, specially prepared “so as not to puncture any of the vital organs, so of course it was still moving. Kim Jong-il was delighted.” reports the Telegraph.
I know the Japanese do this sometimes so, while it’s still sadistic and odd, Kim’s not being all that original.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has asked his country’s overseas missions to pledge loyalty to his youngest son, signaling he has been anointed as next leader of the communist dynasty, a newspaper report said on Tuesday.
Reuters
Jong-un, born in 1983, is just 26 years old. He was educated in Switzerland so, maybe there’s a chance in hell of reform.
Jong-un, born in 1983, is just 26 years old. He was educated in Switzerland so, maybe there’s a chance in hell of reform.
5 Things You Didn’t Know about North Korea
…and possibly don’t believe and are very hard to fact check.
From AskMen.com - North Korea: 5 Things You Didn’t Know
- North Korea is one of the largest fresh fruit producers
- North Korea has a 99% literacy rate
- North Korea’s Kim Jong-il shoots 38 under par
- North Korea built a film industry through kidnapping (more on this here)
- North Korea’s long-time heir apparent is an Eric Clapton fan
Don’t miss the 14 part Vice Guide to North Korea.
North Korea said Friday that it had decided to indict two American journalists who have been detained for more than five weeks on charges of illegally entering the country and committing “hostile acts.
A woman carries water she collected from the Yalu River in the North Korean city of Hyesan on April 6, 2009. (REUTERS/Reinhard Krause)- found on the Big Picture
