First North Korea demanded their $25 million in tainted funds frozen by U.S. treasury sanctions in Banco Delta Asia (BDA) be “unfrozen” before moving forward with the 13 February agreement. The U.S. agreed to this in a sidebar deal, though those funds are not included in the actual Six-Party agreements.
However, once the funds were actually [...]
Update: Monitoring equipment saved for a rainy day:
“A delegation of the [IAEA] confirmed during its visit to North Korea’s nuclear facilities last week that the monitoring cameras, computers and many other devices used until its inspectors were expelled in 2002 had remained intact there, an IAEA official said Monday.
The equipment was covered with dust but [...]
Update: According to Yonhap, the range of the SRBM tested in 27 June was ~100 km, which fits the description of a KN-02, but could be a different missile as well.
Original post: USFK Commander Gen. BB Bell has made headlines over his comments about North Korea’s 27 June short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) test:
North Korea’s recent [...]
Bloomberg: SK to Deliver Fuel Oil to NK Within 2 Weeks
Dong-a Ilbo: North to Start Nuke Shutdown Upon Receiving Fuel
Reuters: South Korea pledges $20 mln to UN for North’s food
Reuters: N.Korea tested advanced missiles: U.S. general
Kyodo: IAEA official hints at deal with NK over monitoring cameras
Kyodo: Chinese foreign minister arrives in Pyongyang
Dayton [...]
After missile and nuclear tests and uranium enrichment, the U.S. sanctions North Korean firms while Pyongyang reverses, making overtures. It’s not an accident, it’s a pattern of strategic disengagement.
- #Vanity Fair, of all publications, has a lengthy article on North Korea’s counterfeiting operations, including Office 39. Well worth a read. (h/t NE Asia Matters)
- #The Chosun Ilbo has an article about a new book by Chang Jin-song (formerly affiliated with the North Korean Workers' Party) that details Kim Jong-il private life, including the inside scoop on all his lady friends. According to Chang, one unfortunate young lady to get Kim's attention was, "brutally executed after she spurned Kim's persistent advances and fell in love with another man."
- #Gizmodo has an excellent array of Kim Jong-il photos; In Which We Provoke Kim Jong Il in 77 Offensive and Hilarious Ways. Some are sure to become often used classics.
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