Giant Robot Store and GR2 News
A new challenger is entering the smartphone marketplace. Get ready for North Korea’s Arirang! The latest innovation from the hermit nation is its very own smartphone. No need to rely on foreign technology (well, except from countries that still export to NK and presumably provided all the parts and possibly the technology) and apps to help you negotiate life in Pyongyang. What are your friends up to on Foursquare? Where’s the nearest coffee sho- oh wait, nevermind, still no internet unless you’re a high ranking government official. No Foursquare badges for you. Maybe they’ll at least be able to get Candy Crush on their phones and tablets. Because everyone likes Candy Crush. Could be the perfect remedy for chasing the blues away when your husband is wasting away in a gulag. I hope they aren’t just stuck with Angry Birds, cause that’s so five years ago… According to nknews.org’s story, North Korea has been taking careful notes on what the US government has been doing, but with considerably more transparency about their activities: “North Koreans now have more opportunities to talk between themselves than ever. In the long run, this is likely to have political consequences. But the North Korean authorities understand the risks and they work hard to cushion the politically negative impact of the ongoing changes. Aside from the censorship and eavesdropping, the North Korean authorities use numerous technical and administrative measures to make it difficult to use the new IT network to spread politically suspicious content.”
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Pictures of fleeing Hyundais strapped down with merchandise at the Kaesong Industrial Complex may be more exciting than old pictures of Kenneth Bae, but we should take a minute to think about the reality he’s now up against. In November of last year, while leading a tour group in North Korea, Bae was detained, found guilty of an unknown crime, and has now been sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in a N. Korean gulag. The North Korean government hasn’t said what the alleged crime was, and probably won’t. Without the recent nuclear threats, would Bae’s story be making headlines? He’s been there for a while now… Maybe we can send Dennis Rodman back to talk to his buddy Kim Jong Un, and explain that detaining people isn’t good for his public image. I guess threatening to launch missiles at people isn’t either though. Take a minute to read about Kenneth Bae’s story. A Facebook page has been created to share updates and news about his detainment. Maybe also take a few minutes out of your day to contact your representative in Congress and ask them what they’re doing to help free Kenneth Bae. All the Facebook likes in the world won’t get through to North Korea, but maybe letting our representatives know what’s at stake to their constituents, will help.
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Taken by a Swedish Photographer here’s some images that you might haven’t seen before. People look normal for once. Girls giving the peace sign (yes those must be Kim Jong Un pins affixed to their outfits, people picnicking, but there’s plenty of struggle as well. (expressen – North Korea)
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What can you say about a person who has experienced North Korean hell. It’s probably about the same as someone who escaped Vietnam, Pol Pot, WWII, Hitler, and the list goes on to the current day.
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After a spirited PR stunt that landed Dennis Rodman on some basketball diplomacy that made great headlines, a few days later, it’s North Korea threatening more nukes, etc. “North Korea threatened Tuesday to nullify the armistice agreement that ended the Korean War in 1953, citing U.S.-led international moves to impose new sanctions against it over its recent nuclear test, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported.” (CNN – Armistice)
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