Posts tagged Kim Jong Un
Kim Jong Un’s new year address
Jan 2nd
For the second year in a row, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appeared on state TV and radio on January 1 to deliver a new year address to his nation.
The direct address was something of a surprise when it happened last year as Kim’s father, Kim Jong Il, was rarely heard speaking on state media. For many years, he delivered his annual address through an editorial in the Rodong Sinmun newspaper.
This year’s speech comes at an interesting time, happening just weeks after Jang Song Thaek was arrested and executed for crimes against the state. Reports suggest a major purge More >
Pyongyang gets 3D movies
Sep 17th
Could North Korea be on the cusp of a 3D movie boom? A movie theater capable of showing 3D motion pictures has been built at Pyongyang’s Rungna People’s Pleasure Park, according to a weekend report by the state-run Korea Central News Agency.
The theater, which also includes video game rooms, was inspected recently by Kim Jong Un, who called for similar theaters to be built across the country, the report said.
Movies were a passion of Kim Jong Un’s father, Kim Jong Il. He is said to have had a massive collection of movies that spanned the the classics to modern films More >
Kim Jong Un visits ‘cell phone factory’
Aug 12th
Kim Jong Un visited on Saturday the Pyongyang factory where North Korean cell phones are supposedly made, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency.
The Android-based AS1201 “Arirang” cell phone, reportedly produced by the May 11 Factory in Pyongyang.
Photos of the visit, released by KCNA, show Kim touring the May 11 Factory and talking to officials. There’s also a picture of what’s said to be the latest cell phone on the North Korean market, an Android phone called “Arirang.” (See right, click for larger image.)
The visit came two years and two weeks since Kim Jong Un last visited the factory. That More >
English transcript of Kim Jong Un’s speech
Apr 18th
Here’s an English translation of the speech delivered by Kim Jong Un on April 15th, 2012, at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang:
[Update: I should have originally mentioned, this is not an official translation. The DPRK has, to my knowledge, published no transcript of the speech.]
Heroic officers of the army, the navy, the air force and the strategic rocket unit of the Korean People’s Army (KPA), and officers of the Korean People’s Internal Security Forces; members of the Worker-Peasant Red Guards and the Young Red Guards; working people of the entire country and citizens of Pyongyang; the people in the South More >
North Korea meets Internet rumors
Feb 11th
It’s not often the North Korean authorities have a global Internet rumor to deal with, but that’s what officials in Beijing will be waking up to on Saturday morning. The Chinese and global micro-blogging sphere is alight with rumors that Kim Jong Un was assassinated while visiting his country’s Beijing embassy.
The source of the initial rumors is unclear and the only “proof” being offered is a bad cell phone image of cars – supposedly parked in the embassy car park, and supposedly more than usual. Here’s a look at what happened, collated into a Storify timeline:http://storify.com/martyn_williams/north-korea-meet-internet-rumors
KCNA website adds Kim Jong Un section
Jan 10th
The sudden death of Kim Jong Il has North Korea’s propaganda machine scrambling to build stories about the life of Kim Jong Un.
The stories are a staple of the North Korean media and occupied hours of broadcast time and columns of newsprint during the era of Kim Jong Il.
Designed to build a personality cult around the leader, his tireless work for the people, warm heart, tough travel schedule or boundless knowledge were all regular features.
Some of the first such stories about Kim Jong Un appeared in the days shortly after Kim Jong Il’s death when state media reported on Kim More >
What North Korea’s media is calling Kim Jong Un
Dec 29th
The ascent of Kim Jong Un to the top spot in North Korea appeared on track Thursday as the country wrapped up two days of funeral events for Kim Jong Il.
State media has bestowed an ever increasing number of titles on Kim since his father’s death was announced on December 19.
It started the same day when the state-run KCNA news agency called him “great successor to the revolutionary cause of Juche and prominent leader of the [Workers’] party and the army and people of the DPRK.”
Over the following days the same phrase was repeated alongside the more formal “vice-chairman of More >
State websites raise name of Kim Jong Un
Dec 25th
North Korea’s state-run websites began on Saturday printing Kim Jong Un’s name in a style previously reserved for Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.
The Korea Central News Agency, Voice of Korea and Rodong Sinmun started using a heavier or larger font when spelling out his name.
Here’s how it looked on the KCNA website on Saturday. If you look closely you’ll see Kim Jong Un’s name appears slightly larger.
Not only had KCNA started using the additional coding, it had gone back through its database of stories and adjusted each instance of Kim Jong Un’s name.
And here are the Voice of More >
Kim Jong Il visits ‘LCD TV factory’
Jul 30th
North Korean state media has reported on a visit by Kim Jong Il to the “May 11 Factory,” which it described as “a modern scientific research and production center which researches and develops varieties of electronic goods including liquid crystal display TV sets.”
The KCNA report mentioned the LCD televisions several times and was accompanied with many photos of the TVs, so they appear to be something the North Korean government is proud of. There’s a gallery of stills from the KRT evening news report below.
Look through them and you’ll notice the pictures all appear to show the final stages of assembly More >
