Pyongyang news stories on Newser

Kim Gives 1st Public Speech

Polly Davis Doig — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 09:43:47 CDT

That whole rocket launch may not have worked out so well, but such minor inconveniences didn't stop North Korea from putting on a display of pomp for the occasion of founder Kim Il Sung 100th birthday that belied the nation's enduring poverty. Kim Jong Un himself surprised the throngs gathered...

North Korea Escapes UN Penalties, for Now

John Johnson — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 16:02:37 CDT

The UN Security Council criticized North Korea today for its attempt to launch a rocket but didn't impose sanctions or other penalties. US ambassador Susan Rice said the council "deplored this launch" and agreed to "continue consultations on an appropriate response." The Washington Post says some council members, including China,...

North Korea: OK, Rocket Was a Dud

Rob Quinn — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 07:59:09 CDT

In a rare concession to reality, the North Korean regime has admitted that its rocket launch was not a complete and resounding success. "The Earth observation satellite failed to enter its preset orbit," the state-run Korean Central News Agency admitted hours after the rocket fell apart within 90 seconds of...

North Korea Rocket Fizzles

John Johnson — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 20:31:46 CDT

It's not polite to laugh: North Korea defied the world and launched its long-range rocket—and it stayed up all of about 90 seconds. South Korea confirmed a "failure," reports AP , and Reuters adds that the rocket broke into pieces and landed harmlessly in the sea off the western coast...

No NK Rocket Launch Yet— but Will It Even Work?

Evann Gastaldo — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 07:57:51 CDT

Thanks to bad weather, North Korea's anticipated rocket launch did not come to pass today, but Pyongyang still appears determined to go through with the launch—or, as the US and other allies see it, a long-range missile test—sometime before Monday, the AP reports. But the Los Angeles Times...

North Korea Digging Tunnel for Nuke Test: Seoul

Matt Cantor — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 07:04:35 CDT

North Korea looks to be preparing a third nuclear test, the AP reports: New photos show work on an underground tunnel—at the site of two earlier such tests—is nearly finished, say South Korean intelligence officials. "North Korea is covertly preparing for a third nuclear test, which would be...

Images Show North Korea Close to Rocket Launch

Evann Gastaldo — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 07:43:00 CDT

Satellite images taken last week show that North Korea's preparations for a rocket launch this month are "more extensive … than previously understood," experts tell the AP . The images show a mobile radar trailer, necessary for any launch, as well as apparently empty fuel and oxidizer tanks, evidence that Pyongyang...

Giant Hotel Opening in North Korea, 23 Years Late

Matt Cantor — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:22:24 CST

More than two decades ago, North Korea began work on a hotel taller than the Chrysler Building. This spring, after years of ridicule, a portion of Pyongyang's Ryugyong Hotel is set to open, the Washington Post reports. The 105-story building made of concrete still isn't ready for tourists, however: It...

Kim's 2-Day Funeral Begins

Rob Quinn — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 07:50:53 CST

Tens of thousands of soldiers lined the snowy streets of Pyongyang today as North Korea began two days of funeral services for Kim Jong Il. Successor Kim Jong Un walked alongside the hearse, followed by other senior officials who included his uncle, Jang Song Thaek, the AP reports. State television,...