East Asia

North Korea News Today

Japan Launches 2 Intelligence Satellites Amid Tensions with North Korea

Japan launched two intelligence satellites, an operational radar satellite and an experimental optical probe, into orbit.   Both of the satellites were launched atop the Japanese-produced H-IIA rocket and were planned long before North Korea’s latest missile test and international provocations.   Japan’s intelligence satellite program began in 1998 after North Korea successfully launched a […]

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Science & Technology

Republic of Korea Successfully Launches Naro Space Rocket

South Korea successfully launched its first-ever space rocket, the Naro, according to Lee Ju-ho, minister of education, science and technology.   The Korea Aerospace Research Institute announced the Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1 (KSLV-1) – or Naro – deployed its payload, the Science and Technology Satellite-2C and placed it into orbit above the Earth.   South Korea’s 2009 and […]

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North Korea News Today

North Korea Declares Martial Law, Signaling Possible Nuclear Test

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has declared a state of martial law according to a news release by the Joongang Daily with Kim Jong-un telling his troops to be prepared for war. The nuclear test was expected on February 16 in order to celebrate the birthday of departed Dear Leader Kim Jong-il but these […]

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News

The Rise of Macau: How the World’s Gambling Capital Transformed Itself

Macau, once a colony of Portugal and only handed back over to China a little over a decade ago, is the gambling capital of the world with five times the annual gambling revenue of Las Vegas.   Benjamin Carlson’s Broken Tooth and New Macau for Foreign Press is a tale of gambling, organized crime, and urban resurgence that uses […]

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North Korea News Today

North Korea and the Opportunity for a Chinese-Led Solution

Often the People’s Republic of China takes a lenient stance towards its ally the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which is why it was surprising that China signed a UNSC resolution condemning North Korea’s missile tests and authorizing the imposition of further sanctions on the regime in Pyongyang.   China’s willingness to rein in its […]

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News

Portraits of Marx and Lenin Removed from Kim Il-Sung Square in Pyongyang

The once dominant portraits of Marx and Lenin that were featured alongside a portrait of Eternal President Kim Il-Sung in Kim Il-sung Square (김일성광장) were removed in October 2012 and have not been replaced.   The pictures feature prominently in North Korean military parades and were visible ties to its Soviet-satellite past.   North Korea […]

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News

People’s Republic of China Debuts New Y-20 Jumbo Airfreighter

The People’s Republic of China debuted its new jumbo ‘multifunction airfreighter’ the Y-20, in a test flight on Saturday, January 26.   The new jumbo aircraft is intended for domestic, international, and cargo flights. The development of the aircraft is part of a general programme to modernize and bolster China’s national defense capabilities.   [Global […]

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North Korea News Today

Beijing and Washington Announce ‘Strong Consensus’ About North Korea

Pyongyang may have alienated its strongest regional ally with its announcement of further nuclear tests, specifically directed at its avowed enemy the United States. An announcement by Glyn Davies, Washington’s special envoy for policy on North Korea, declared that a ‘strong consensus’ was reached with his PRC counterparts.   In a meeting Friday, January 25 […]

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News

State Media in the People’s Republic of China Warns DPRK Over Planned Nuclear Test

In a change of tone, official state media outlets in the PRC are criticizing North Korea’s latest round of bellicose posturing, threatening aid cuts if the DPRK proceeds with yet another nuclear test.   The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s main ally, China, has criticized the regime through official media outlets after North Korea threatened the United […]

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