Special to WorldTribune.com By Lee Jong-Heon, East-Asia-Intel.com SEOUL — North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has continued a bloody drive to eliminate followers of his executed uncle, killing and isolating his relatives and associates, according to sources and news reports here. Meanwhile, the future of Kim’s other potential rival, his elder half-brother, is also in question. Relatives of […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By East-Asia-Intel.com”, Lee Jong-Heon, East-Asia-Intel.com SEOUL — Gen. O Kuk-Ryol, believed to have been behind production of counterfeit U.S. dollars and weapons of mass destruction, has re-emerged at the top of North Korea’s hierarchy following the execution of his long-time rival Jang Song-Thaek, sources and officials here said. “O has been spotted frequently in […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Lee Jong-Heon, East-Asia-Intel.com SEOUL — The younger sister of North Korea’s youthful leader Kim Jong-Un has been in charge of managing cash supplies for the royal family, replacing their uncle who was executed for treason and corruption, defectors’ groups and sources here say. Kim Jong-Un has recently reshuffled state agencies tasked with earning […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Willy Lam, East-Asia-Intel.com Since becoming General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and commander-in-chief 14 months ago, President Xi Jinping has devoted much of his energy to China’s power projection around the globe. Compared to his predecessor Hu Jintao, who is noted for his dour and cautious style, Xi has proven […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Lee Jong-Heon, East-Asia-Intel.com SEOUL — North Korea’s Premier Pak Pong-Ju is leading a nation-wide campaign to revive its troubled economy instead of Jang Song-Thaek who was purged and executed for “treason” and business connections with China. “Following Jang’s downfall, Pak who is leading the Cabinet has emerged as the control tower of the […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Donald Kirk, East-Asia-Intel.com WASHINGTON — Everybody here is talking about cyberspying. The National Security Agency has never had so much publicity. Until Edward Snowden came along, most people had never heard the initials “NSA.” Now President Obama is getting into the act big-time. In the hours after this newspaper comes out […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Lee Jong-Heon, East-Asia-Intel.com SEOUL — Pyongyang’s “Department 54” was integral to North Korea’s struggle to acquire foreign currency and was at the center of the recent bloody purges, officials and analysts here said. They added that another power struggle is likely shortly over who will control the agency which runs projects like coal […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Donald Kirk, East-Asia-Intel.com Why is it every time we get optimistic about North Korea “opening up” or making concessions or engaging in serious reconciliation, we get so disillusioned? Remember Kim Dae-Jung’s “Sunshine Policy?” The North Koreans repaid him for his generosity by cranking up their nuclear program and exploding their first […]
Sol W. Sanders Rather suddenly there is a welter of developments turning Asia’s dozen-odd countries into a cat’s cradle of conflicting interests — some new — that could lead to war. Central, of course, is “a rising” China. The Chinese, themselves, have given up the phrase “a peaceful rising”. That was a promise that […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Lee Jong-Heon, East-Asia-Intel.com SEOUL — A group North Korean officials accompanied Kim Jong-Un on his visit to the remote “Revolutionary Battle Site” of Samjiyon where he made a final decision to purge his uncle. These officials are being viewed as the new core members of the ruling elite, sources and analysts here say. […]