Via CBS: “The latest word from North Korea is that Joe Dresnok’s health continues to deteriorate because he refuses to stop smoking and drinking. And he still intends to remain in Pyongyang until his dying day.” See the earlier post on Joe Dresnok.
It’s not surprising, or shouldn’t be, that defectors and refugees from North Korea might have high instances of mental health issues. However, the story of Shin Dong Hyok, a North Korea defector who escaped from a “total control” concentration camp and eventually made his way to South Korea, highlights an additional area to consider. I [...]
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.
- #Missed it on the 30th as I was working late, but it's now been four years since DPRK Studies has been in blog format.
- #From the Japan Times: "Yasushi Chimura and his wife, Fukie, abducted by North Korea in 1978 but repatriated in 2002, expressed relief Friday that their children [now ages 27, 25, and 21] are adapting smoothly to Japanese life as they marked the fifth anniversary of their arrival in Japan."
- #Via the NYT: "Former President Roh Moo-hyun of South Korea, who had been under criminal investigation for corruption, died on Saturday from a fall while hiking on a hill near his retirement home... it was unclear whether the fall was accidental or whether Mr. Roh had committed suicide ... Roh left a will, indicating that the death might have been a suicide." While the man never should have been president, it's sad to see what likely was a suicide.
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