With funding from the Embassy of Canada Fund for Human Rights in North Korea (
@CanEmbKorea
), Daily NK conducted a survey of 30 women living inside
#NorthKorea
about the state of women's rights inside the country. The full report can be found here:
The recent announcement that Son Ye-jin and Hyun Bin, stars of the South Korean drama “Crash Landing on You,” are getting married is a hot topic in North Korea.
#DPRK
#NorthKorea
#K
-drama
“Backstreet Rookie,” a South Korean show that depicts the story between the hunky owner of a 24-hour convenience store and an oddball part-timer, is very popular among young North Koreans living near the Sino-North Korean border.
#DPRK
#NorthKorea
Daily NK is not a "defector-run organization." It was founded by South Korean human rights and democracy activists. Its staff includes South Koreans and North Korean defectors. Any inquiries regarding Daily NK can be directed to dailynkenglish(at).
A Daily NK source recently took this picture of North Korean soldiers wearing gas masks on patrol near Junggang-eup, Chagang Province. Border guards reportedly began wearing masks during patrols from Mar. 15.
North Korea has failed to provide rations to Pyongyang residents for the last three months, a situation that never occurred during even the height of the country’s famine period in the mid- to late 1990s.
#DPRK
#NorthKorea
Kim Jong Un handed down a mass amnesty order on Apr. 15, ordering the release of inmates from prisons around the country, including the infamous Kaechon prison camp.
#DPRK
#NorthKorea
A document from inside North Korea expresses concern that "impure propaganda materials" (including movies, music and other foreign media content) could lead to the "collapse" of the country's system.
North Korea is readying deployment of a new GPS jamming device, which may be used to conduct more aggressive jamming attacks against South Korea or US-ROK military communications.
#DPRK
#NorthKorea
Around 200 North Korean soldiers have died from symptoms indicative of COVID-19. A source reported that the military medical corps sent a report detailing the impact of COVID-19 on soldiers to military leaders.
#NorthKorea
#DPRK
#Coronavirus
#COVID19
A source in North Korea told Daily NK last Thursday that the authorities are installing concrete barriers and high-voltage wires along the North Korean border with China.
Further confirming reports from
@nknewsorg
, Daily NK sources in Pyongyang reported that panic buying is "ongoing" and that hoarding began after a government announcement restricting imports of "unnecessary" items, such as condiments.
#DPRK
#NorthKorea
A Daily NK source provides more insight into Hyang San Hospital, the facility in North Pyongan Province where Kim Jong Un's heart surgery reportedly took place.
#DPRK
#NorthKorea
A copy of North Korea's "anti-reactionary law" obtained by Daily NK says that anyone "bringing in or distributing large amounts of South Chosun (Korean) movies, videos, published works or books" will face either "a life sentence of re-education through labor" or "execution."
Daily NK's report on Kim Jong Un's cardiovascular procedure states that he is in stable condition. The report makes no mention of the leader being in critical condition or being on the verge of death.
#DPRK
#NorthKorea
Eight young people in Musan County, North Hamgyong Province, were recently put on public trial for imitating characters in South Korean TV programs or films and telling others about the dramas or films they had seen.
With North Korean police, inminban (people’s unit) heads and even district office chiefs recently joining a crackdown on streetside commerce, conflicts with local residents are growing.
North Korean authorities recently produced a video that shows the public humiliation of people who were caught enjoying and distributing South Korean TV shows and music.
Many North Korean cadres believe Pyongyang wants more from Russia than simple gifts of wheat or oil, particularly technology transfers or cooperation that can help in the development and operation of nuclear weapons.
A military source in North Korea refuted a recent CNN report claiming that there is activity at a “nuclear facility” in Pyongyang, saying that the supposed nuclear weapons facility is actually a school for training military officers.
#DPRK
#NorthKorea
North Korean authorities in the Sino-North Korean border region are intensifying efforts to identify the distributor of a video claiming that Kim Jong Un has died.
#DPRK
#NorthKorea
Nicholas Eberstadt in
@nytopinion
quotes Daily NK reporting in his article discussing the coronavirus in North Korea and Kim Jong Un's recent surgery.
#DPRK
#NorthKorea
"With the help of the organisation Daily NK, which operates a network of sources inside the country, the BBC has been able to communicate with three ordinary people."
Rumors of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's illness or even demise in the Sino-North Korean border region are spreading, but local authorities - strangely - are making little effort to squash them.
#DPRK
#NorthKorea
Daily NK and the Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG) recently signed an MOU to strengthen their collaboration on enhancing freedom of information and uncovering human rights abuses in North Korea.
North Koreans caught importing or distributing foreign media content inside their country face being executed or sent to political prison camps with their families.
Daily NK has obtained a copy of “Chammae 1.0,” a program that can bypass security authentications recently put into place by North Korean authorities on the country’s smartphones.
#DPRK
#NorthKorea
One of our defector journalists, Kang Mi Jin, has started a new YouTube channel (in Korean) that explores various aspects of North Korea's markets. Check it out here:
#NorthKorea
#DPRK
Thank you so much
@annafifield
for this incredible piece on the lives of ordinary North Koreans under Kim Jong Un's rule and for featuring inside footage filmed by Daily NK/Unification Media Group's intrepid citizen journalists.
#NorthKorea
"The BBC has secretly interviewed three ordinary people in North Korea, with the help of the organisation Daily NK which operates a network of sources in the country."
As North Koreans continue to suffer "food insecurity, severe hunger, malnutrition, [and] widespread health problems" due to their government's anti-coronavirus measures, Daily NK joins the rest of the world in celebrating Human Rights Day.
#NKHumanRights2021
#HumanRightsDay
A mother who saved her children from a house fire in Onsong County, North Hamgyong Province, is currently under investigation by the Ministry of State Security (MSS) for failing to save Kim family portraits from the fire.
#NorthKorea
#DPRK
North Korea’s leadership recently appointed Kim Son Il as the new deputy director of the Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB), which appears to have undergone a massive reshuffle in recent weeks.
#DPRK
#NorthKorea
Daily NK recently obtained a copy of “Bidulgi 1.01,” a program that can bypass the smartphone security authentications that were recently put into place by North Korean authorities on the country’s smartphones.
Kim Yo Jong is taking a hard-line against South Korea as part of efforts to expand upon her “revolutionary achievements,” a key measure of leadership in the country.
#DPRK
#NorthKorea
North Korea recently showed military officers a documentary featuring North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's mother, Ko Young Hee, and his wife, Ri Sol Ju - the first time both women have been featured in the same film for the military.
#DPRK
#NorthKorea
North Korea’s government recently ordered North Korean trading companies in Russia to select personnel to send to Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine so they can take part in reconstruction efforts.
Kim Yo Jong is reportedly reviewing how well North Korea's public bonds program is going, while a recent financial review of the program suggested that it has only achieved 8% of its foreign currency collection target.
#DPRK
#NorthKorea
North Korean authorities dispensed with ordinary trial procedures when they sentenced a middle school student to 14 years of forced labor for watching just five minutes of the South Korean film “The Man from Nowhere.”
Though
#NorthKorea
has yet to officially confirm any cases of
#COVID19
and authorities are working hard to prevent the spread of the virus, sources report that cases indicative of COVID-19 infections have already appeared deep inside the country.
#DPRK
Daily NK sources have confirmed that North Korea has issued public bonds - the first time in 17 years. (The image is of bonds issued in 2003)
#DPRK
#NorthKorea
Kim Jong Un's personally signed directives to provincial party committees and government agencies were absent for the past two weeks - until yesterday, when a directive with a different "tone" than usual was released.
#DPRK
#NorthKorea
The North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs has established a new organization specializing in strategic policy towards the United States said to be run by Kim Yo Jong.
Barbara Demick's latest in the New Yorker cites Daily NK reporter Kang Mi Jin who argues that the North Korean people wouldn't allow Kim Yo Jong to take over the reins - partly given the rarity of women in high positions.
#DPRK
#NorthKorea
A Daily NK source in Pyongyang reports that officials in the city are "worried" about Kim Jong Un's health and find it "shocking' that Kim failed to participate in Kim Il Sung's birthday commemoration on April 15.
#DPRK
#NorthKorea
Amid North Korean government efforts to prevent information leaks by “wiping out” Chinese cell phone use in the country, Daily NK has learned that the country’s authorities have recently begun encouraging people to report on others for using cell phones.
A North Korean patrol boat recently fired live rounds at a Chinese boat illegally fishing in North Korean waters, leading to multiple deaths.
#DPRK
#NorthKorea
North Korean military units near the inter-Korean border are still on a high state of combat readiness despite North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s decision to “postpone” military action against South Korea on June 23.
#DPRK
#NorthKorea
Despite heavy crackdowns by
#NorthKorea
's government on the viewing of South Korean media, young people are finding various ways to continue watching shows and movies anyway.
North Korea has cut electricity and even fuel supplies to certain parts of the country in what may be efforts to divert these resources to construction-related factories supplying the Pyongyang General Hospital construction site.
#DPRK
#NorthKorea
A soldier with the “Storm Corps” deserted his post after shooting a superior to death, leading authorities in the region to lockdown several areas on the Sino-North Korean border as they continue to search for him.
#DPRK
#NorthKorea
North Korean authorities recently produced a video that shows the public humiliation of people who were caught enjoying and distributing South Korean TV shows and music.
Daily NK contributor
@gabrielabbernal
argues that despite the fact that North Korea crossed a red line twice this year, Seoul continues to refuse to give up on its failing "unconditional engagement strategy."
#DPRK
#NorthKorea
A source told Daily NK on Monday that North Korea’s First Corps has been hit so badly by malnutrition, desertions, and quarantines related to COVID-19 that only half of its personnel is able to take part in this year’s winter training (December-March).
North Korean authorities recently provided two months of food to agents of the Ministry of State Security. However, agent morale is sagging despite the measure since the provisions fell well short of the mandated amount and omitted family allotments.
Daily NK sources report that Kim Jong Un has ordered a reorganization of North Koreans' songbun as part of efforts to get a better handle on the "ideological consciousness" of the country's younger generation.
#DPRK
#Northkorea
A N. Korean woman in her 40s who was caught using an illegal Chinese mobile phone in Yanggang Province was sent to a concentration camp for political prisoners in early December.
Three soldiers with a unit under the Korean People’s Army Air and Anti Air Force Command were arrested during a tour of Mount Paekdu last summer after they were caught mimicking dance moves from the video of BTS’s “Blood Sweat & Tears.”
In the first of a new series of articles exploring Kim Jong Un's "legacy projects," Daily NK explores the current status of the Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone, a construction aimed at fueling the country's tourism sector.
North Korean border guards fired on a group of five North Koreans fleeing over the Yalu River into China, killing four. The authorities appeared to have known about the broker and her activities and may have targeted the group in advance.
#NorthKorea
#DPRK
A North Korean smuggler was recently shot dead by the North Korean border patrol in Yanggang Province. This follows an announcement earlier this month that anyone caught in designated “strict security zones” near the border will be shot.
#DPRK
#NorthKorea
In the run-up to the Nov. 26 elections, N. Korean authorities have introduced a brand new election method: allowing multiple candidates to run and letting citizens choose the winner. This development has sparked a wide range of responses from N. Koreans.
Who funds Daily NK? Who does Daily NK hire as stringers in North Korea? When has Daily NK's reporting been confirmed by other sources? Check out Daily NK's new FAQ page that answers some basic questions about the organization:
Daily NK contributor Gabriela Bernal reviews "Defector," a recently published book written by a former documentary producer who spent two decades speaking to North Koreans living on the Chinese side of the Sino-North Korean border.
Daily NK interviewed a high-ranking cadre in Pyongyang and a resident of Yanggang Province about the recent appearance of the Supreme Leader's daughter.
As North Korean authorities continue to crackdown on the consumption of foreign content in the country, Daily NK recently learned that six students in Nampo were arrested and given prison sentences for secretly watching South Korean videos.
Two political officials with North Korea’s Panmunjom mission were recently arrested and turned over to the military’s security department for allegedly leaking state secrets.
North Korean soldiers involved in the exchange of fire with South Korean troops last month in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) were punished by having “political” privileges taken away from them for three years.
#DPRK
#NorthKorea
North Korea is reportedly investigating the results of its five-year economic development strategy, leading to fears among various Cabinet ministry officials that they will be held responsible for the strategy's failure.
#DPRK
#NorthKorea
North Korean authorities appear to be jamming radio broadcasts produced by Unification Media Group as part of efforts to prevent North Koreans from listening to foreign radio programs.
Four doctors at a North Korean military hospital in Nampo reportedly died after suffering from symptoms similar to those infected by COVID-19.
#DPRK
#NorthKorea
An North Korean investigation of the country's military has found "larger-than-expected" levels of corruption that has "shocked the leadership."
#DPRK
#NorthKorea
Detention facilities for North Korean defectors in China are reportedly at "full capacity." A source recently told Daily NK that arrests of North Korean defectors have increased as more North Koreans cross the border due to economic difficulties at home.
Daily NK Editor-in-Chief Lee Sang Yong recently explained the impact of North Korea's new "anti-reactionary thought law" to the BBC: "The system of mutual monitoring encouraged by the North Korean regime is aggressively reflected in this law."
In the lead up to the Nov. 26 local people’s assembly elections, North Korean authorities are re-examining citizens’ residency registration cards and cross-checking local and central government-issued ID cards.
Swedish National Radio recently profiled Daily NK's work: "Our goal is to become unnecessary. When North Koreans get enough freedom, we will no longer be needed," said Daily NK co-CEO Lee Sang Yong.
North Korean military authorities ordered units patrolling the maritime military demarcation line (MDL) off the country’s eastern and western coasts to adopt “top combat posture” on Monday morning.
#DPRK
#NorthKorea
A recent outbreak of unexplained fevers in Ryanggang Province's Taehongdan County have led to rumors that COVID-19 is spreading in the area, which is very close to the Chinese border.
#DPRK
#NorthKorea
A North Korean suffering from a high fever died in Pyongyang on Feb. 15, leading the Pyongyang Party Committee to immediately call an emergency disease prevention meeting 10 minutes into a weekly criticism session.
#NorthKorea
#DPRK
#Coronavirus
#COVID19
North Korea has quietly begun efforts to repair North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s villa in Sinuiju, in what might be preparations for a visit by Kim Jong Un to China.