This ain't Hell, but you can see it from here

Category: North Korea

  • Korean DMZ Tensions Rise

    This time, we have actual shooting.

    A few weeks ago, two South Korean soldiers on a DMZ patrol were injured by a land mine.  South Korean authorities claimed the landmine had been clandestinely planted by North Korean soldiers working in the DMZ.

    South Korea then resumed high-volume propaganda broadcasts (via loudspeaker) across the DMZ.  They’d been suspended for a while.

    North Korea in turn called this a provocation.  They resumed their own propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts.  But they also gave the South Korean authorities a deadline to terminate their broadcasts.

    That’s where things stood until yesterday.

    Yesterday, North Korea’s “deadline” passed.  So according to South Korean authorities, North Korea fired several artillery rounds.  However, only one reportedly made it to South Korean territory.  The rest reportedly failed to make it across the North Korean side of the DMZ.   (Edited to add:  other sources say that North Korea fired one rocket.)

    South Korea responded in kind.  South Korea says they fired “dozens” of 155mm artillery rounds into the North Korean sector of the DMZ.

    Yahoo News has an excellent article from AFP on the incident.  It’s not too long, and is IMO worth reading.

    I guess ND:tBF (AKA the “Dork of NorK” AKA “Fatboy Kim”) must have needed another distraction for his population to take their minds off the fact that they’re starving.  Either that, or he was frustrated because his starving peasant underlings had eaten all the bugs in NorKland.

    But I’m thinking a North Korean artillery unit may be in deep sh!t if reports that all but 1 round fell short of South Korea are correct.

  • What Will ND:tBF Think of Next?

    Well, Emmentaler aficionado and pettty tyrant Fatboy Kim* – AKA “ND:tBF” and the “Dork of NorK”– is at it again. He’s got a Brand New Idea that will enhance the lives of his people.

    His Brand New Idea is – establish a New Time Zone!!!!

    That’s right, folks. As of next week, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea will return to the Korean time zone of 1908 – offset by one-half hour from its current time.  Currently, both Koreas use the same time zone as Japan.

    South Korea tried that from 1954-1961. But they found no real benefit, so they went back to the same time zone as Japan uses.  They’re not changing next week.

    But ND:tBF will make this work out for the DPRK.  It will undoubtedly dramatically improve the daily lives of his people!  All hail the Glorious Leader!!!!

     

     

    *Author’s Note: in case anyone was wondering about the nickname “Fatboy Kim” for ND:tBF, that’s because it’s rather descriptive – and it’s also my theory that this must be that freaking narcissist’s favorite song.

     

    I’m guessing no one has yet pointed out to the Dork of NorK that the song wasn’t written to paean him – though thousands if not millions would truly love to do the latter.  Maybe that’s because they want to keep breathing.

  • “Worker’s Paradise”, Eh?

    Earlier today (Korea Daylight Time), a young North Korean soldier decided he’d had enough.  So he quit.  He defected to South Korea – and freedom.

    The defection of people from North Korea to South Korea isn’t that uncommon any more.  However, the defection of a member of the North Korean military or government is somewhat rare.

    What’s particularly noteworthy in this case is the way the man defected, though.

    He defected by walking across the Korean DMZ.  He turned himself in at a South Korean guard post after crossing and was taken into custody.

    Cojones muy grande, indeed.

    Both Fox News and the Korean news agency Yonhap have stories concerning the defection.  However, details are scanty in both articles; the South Korean government is still interrogating and processing the defector and has released little information so far.

    Welcome to the free world, young man.  I hope you make the most of your new life.

  • North Korea caught photoshopping again

    North Korea caught photoshopping again

    Needle Dick the Bug Fucker

    The North Koreans discovered that launching their missiles from submarines is tougher than they thought it would be, so they decided to photoshop their launch tests instead of actually launching missiles, according to Reuters;

    [German aerospace engineers Markus Schiller and Robert Schmucker of Schmucker Technologie] said photos of the launch were “strongly modified”, including reflections of the missile exhaust flame in the water which did not line up with the missile itself.

    North Korea, which regularly threatens to destroy the United States, had a record of offering faked proof to claim advances in missile technology, Schiller and Schmucker said, such as poorly built mockups of missiles on display at military parades in 2012 and 2013.

    The pair agreed with analysis posted by experts on the websites 38north.org and armscontrolwonk.com that the missile was likely launched from a specially designed submerged barge, and not from a submarine

    A photo on state television showed a missile high in the sky leaving a trail of white smoke, whereas other photos from state media showed no white smoke, suggesting the two photos were of different missiles with different propulsion systems, Schiller and Schmucker said.

    I guess that NDtBF is taking lessons from the Dutch Rudder Club trying to terrorize the United States with altered photos. I suppose next he’ll have an Icelandic-hosted website with fake commenters weighing in.

  • Bet His Replacement Stays Awake

    According to reports from the South Korean National Intelligence Service, the North Korean People’s Armed Forces Minister – Hyon Yong Chol – was a bit drowsy during a meeting recently. He dozed off.

    At some point, he apparently also “talked back to” his boss – Kim Jong Un, known here at TAH as “ND:tBF”.

    ND:tBF apparently didn’t like that. So he removed the guy from his position as Armed Forces Minister.

    Then he had him executed.

    Using anti-aircraft gunfire.

    In front of hundreds of onlookers.

    At a shooting range at the Kang Kon Military Academy in Pyongyang.

    Seriously.

    I’m guessing the guy’s successor won’t be dozing off in any staff meetings.

  • North Korean Defense Chief executed with ZU-2

    North Korean Defense Chief executed with ZU-2

    ZU-2

    According to AFP, Hyon Yong-Chol, the North Korean defense minister was executed with an anti-aircraft machine gun that may have been the ZU-2 14.5 millimeter weapon;

    In a briefing Wednesday to a parliamentary committee, Han Ki-Beom, the deputy director of NIS, said hundreds of people witnessed the execution of defence minister Hyon Yong-Chol, which was believed to have been carried out around April 30 at a military academy in northern Pyongyang.

    Han told lawmakers that intelligence sources suggested Han was shot to pieces using an anti-aircraft gun firing 14.5mm calibre rounds.

    Such a violent method of execution has been cited in various unconfirmed reports as being reserved for senior officials who the leadership wishes to make examples of.

    It’s been reported that Hyon was executed because he fell asleep during a rally.

    Here’s a demonstration of the 14.5mm DShK 1938 in an anti-tank configuration.

  • Lest We Forget . . . .

    Forty-six years ago today – just before midnight EDT on 14 April 1969 – Deep Sea 129 was shot down by North Korea.

    Burn in hell, Kim Il-Sung. Burn in hell.

  • Hollywood chickens out in war against terror

    Hollywood chickens out in war against terror

    There’s another movie coming out this week called “The Interview” wherein the two main characters are invited to do an interview with the leader of North Korea and as a result of the invitation, they’re recruited by the CIA to assassinate that leader. Apparently, North Korea didn’t like the premise of the flick and they’ve either hired hackers, or they’re hacking the producer, Sony, themselves. Someone issued a threat in regards to the movie, according to Hollywood Reporter;

    “Soon all the world will see what an awful movie Sony Pictures Entertainment has made,” the message from the hackers read in part. “The world will be full of fear. Remember the 11th of September 2001. We recommend you to keep yourself distant from the places at that time. (If your house is nearby, you’d better leave.)”

    So the two main actors, Seth Rogen and James Franco, cancelled personal appearances to promote the flick and the premiere has also been cancelled out of fear of an attack. Last night, Carmike Cinemas, cancelled it’s planned screenings of the movie.

    If we here at TAH acquiesced to every terroristic threat, our “Stolen Valor” page would be empty. On September 12th, 2001, my wife and I toured the White House for the first time – there was no line. I plan on going to to see this movie in a theater – I never go to theaters and the movie sounds like utter crap, but in this case I will just because someone tells me I shouldn’t.

    The Department of Homeland Security says that there is no credible threat to moviegoers, but Hollywood caves to a message posted on line. Way to encourage more threats, Sony.