Special to WorldTribune.com By Lee Jong-Heon, East-Asia-Intel.com SEOUL — The regime of North Korean ruler Kim Jong-Un has turned to sports as the tool to shape his image of a genial and friendly leader at home and mend fences with South Korea and the United States, officials and analysts here say. The initiatives range from inviting former […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Lee Jong-Heon, East-Asia-Intel.com SEOUL — North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-Un’s powerful aunt has not been seen in public for nearly three months and is believed to be critically ill. If so, the development could significantly impact the young leaders’ underlying power base among family members, sources and analysts here say. Kim Kyong-Hui has […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Lee Jong-Heon, East-Asia-Intel.com SEOUL — North Korean leaders have been living in fear of coming under Chinese control but had no option but to rely on the economic giant for much-needed hard currency, documents and sources said. According to the 2007 inter-Korean summit transcript disclosed by South Korea’s spy agency, then North Korean […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Lee Jong-Heon, East-Asia-Intel.com SEOUL — North Korea is thought to be progressing with the development of KN-02 ballistic missiles and is also testing longer range 300 mm-caliber rockets that can reach beyond Seoul to strike U.S. bases, military sources here said. The North launched six short-range projectiles from the country’s east coast — […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Lee Jong-Heon, East-Asia-Intel.com SEOUL — North Korea’s high-profile nuclear threats despite international warnings of consequences that could jeopardize the country’s economic future signals instability in Kim Jong-Un’s regime that could trigger internal backlash, an analyst here said. The destitute nation, during its final stage of preparations for a third nuclear test, […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Lee Jong-Heon, East-Asia-Intel.com North Korea independently built most of the key parts of the long-range rocket it launched in December 2012, indicating that the destitute nation has the capacity to build intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of delivering a nuclear weapon to the U.S., South Korean official said. After analyzing the […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Lee Jong-Heon, East-Asia-Intel.com Fleeing North Korea has been increasingly difficult due to tightened border controls and stronger internal security measures since the country’s new ruler Kim Jong-Un assumed power a year ago, South Korean officials and sources say. But defectors in Seoul say that desperate North Koreans will keep trying to […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Lee Jong-Heon, East-Asia-Intel.com SEOUL — Several additional senior North Korean officials favored by the country’s late leader Kim Jong-Il have been recently dismissed from their posts by new ruler Kim Jong-Un, who is cementing his own power base, officials and sources in Seoul say. Among those sacked in October are Minister […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Lee Jong-Heon, East-Asia-Intel.com YEONPYEONG ISLAND, South Korea — North Korea’s youthful new dictator Kim Jong-Un’s frequent visits to front-line military bases have put residents of this border island on alert over fears that the North will launch another deadly artillery attack similar to the one in November 2010. While fishermen continue […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Lee Jong-Heon, East-Asia-Intel.com SEOUL — North Korea has formed a task force to overhaul the reclusive country’s rigid economic management under new ruler Kim Jong-Un’s reform initiatives, South Korea’s intelligence officials said. The task force is reviewing a set of economic measures drafted on June 28 that focus on improving the […]
