Jende Huang writes on Sino-NK about the illicit trade in crystal meth between North Korea and China. Curiously, China doesn't seem to be too keen in reprimanding the DPRK for the production and export of meth, or bingdu (冰毒) in Chinese. more ›

Remember that video of the five young North Korean accordionists' rendition of A-ha's Take On Me? It's totally gone viral since we showed it to you last Friday (watch it if you haven't!). Evan Ramstad, the Wall Street Journal's Seoul correspondent, caught up with Morten Traavik, the artist behind the performance that will soon open at Barents Spektakel, an international arts fest in Norway. He writes of Traavik's long labour of love in making the project happen: more ›

A group of young accordion players from Pyongyang's Kum Song School perform Take On Me by A-ha as part of a multi-genre project that opens next week at Barents Spektakel, an arts festival in Norway. Seriously, now. What would the Dear Leader think as he looks down on this from wherever he is now in socialist paradise? more ›

South Korea's Chosun Ilbo has translated some very interesting comments by Kim Jong-nam -- the eldest son, and at one point, the presumed successor of the late Kim Jong-il -- made to Yoji Komi, an editor at the Tokyo Shimbun daily, in private emails sent between 2004 and 2011. In the emails, Kim reveals he has never met his half-brother Kim Jong-un, that his regime will not last very long, and that the "Great Successor" once went to Japan on a fake passport. He also admitted to being "protected" by the Chinese government: more ›

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Watch the documentary after the jump... more ›

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"I will change sorrow into strength and courage and remain faithful to respected Comrade Kim Jong Un," says the woman at the end of this video from Korean Central News Agency. more ›

James T. Areddy of the Wall Street Journal paid a visit to some of Shanghai's most popular North Korean restaurants following news of the demise of the "Dear Leader" Kim Jong Il. Here's what he found more ›

Kim Jong Il, Supreme Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, passed away Saturday of exhaustion brought on by a sudden illness, according to the Korean Central News Agency. more ›

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The South Korean government has asked China not to repatriate 35 North Korean refugees that were arrested in several cities last week. more ›

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AP's Alexa Olesen recently travelled to North Korea's Rason special economic zone where it's said any foreigner may now enter visa-free as long as their trips are booked through an approved travel agency. more ›

Anthony Tao, who writes over at the Heart of Beijing blog, has just returned to China from North Korea, and he has some amazing footage from this year's mass games. more ›

Everything about it screams BACKWARD, but it's still luxurious by North Korean standards. Over the weekend, 130 Chinese tourists and journalists boarded the 39-year-old Man Gyong Bong, a former cargo ship that's just been recently renovated and remade to become the DPRK's very first cruise ship. more ›

For North Korea's fledgling tourism economy, China represents the largest inbound market. This clip from a Japanese documentary gives you an eye-opening glimpse of what Chinese travellers are shown on their DPRK tours. more ›

In Pyongyang, streams of North Korean civilians and soldiers lay bouquets and bow three times before a statue of Kim Il Sung to mark the 17th anniversary of his death. Kim has been named the DPRK's "Eternal President", and massive celebrations are expected in 2012 to mark the 100th anniversary of his birth. more ›

Woohoo! Beginning July 1, a new flight will take you from Pudong Airport to one of the world's most exotic (and reclusive) destinations. more ›

China is the happiest place on earth(!!) according to a new global happiness index released by North Korea's Chosun Central Television. China earned 100 out of 100 points, followed closely by North Korea (98 points), then Cuba, Iran, and Venezuela. Coming in at 203rd place is America (or rather "the American Empire", 美帝国), with only 3 happiness points. South Korea got a measly 18 points for 152nd place. more ›

Yesterday in Bejing, Kim Jong-Il wrapped up a seven-day unofficial visit to China, where he cruised around to various cities on his armored train looking at stuff such as salad dressing. To send him off, People's Daily online released this high def gallery of DPRK-selected-and-approved uber representative "industrial representatives." We like the pretty girls posing with industrial equipment and firearms. more ›

Rumors were swirling about plans for this trip before, but today South Korea's Yonhap news agency confirmed that Kim Jong Eun, likely successor to Kim Jong Il as head of North Korea, has indeed arrived in China. According to Yonhap, Kim crossed the border into China this Friday morning over the bridge on the River Tumen, but his exact route from there on is unknown. The trip is supposedly meant to set the stage for Kim Jong Il’s youngest sons first foreign visit as a state leader, on which he will allegedly meet with high Chinese officials. The trip might also be meant to boost the legitimacy of the only 20-something year old and untested heir. more ›

Would you take a look at what our friendly neighbour North Korea has been doing to their kindergarteners while our kids here in China waste their lives away on World of Warcraft and Weibo? We definitely need a few more Tiger Moms to get our children back on par with their DPRK counterparts! more ›

When it comes to earthquake prediction, Jiangsu province has got it all down pat. No kidding:

The government of East China's Jiangsu province is encouraging residents to report abnormal natural phenomena or abnormal animal behavior, either of which may be an omen signaling that an earthquake is imminent, according to a draft rule issued by the government. more ›

Over the last few days, South Korean media have been pouring scorn on the DPRK's Kim Jong Un, who looks set to inherit the hermit kingdom over from his daddy Kim Jong Il, who recently hit the big 69. In question is footage aired by North Korean state TV showing the "Brilliant Comrade" looking through a pair of binoculars upside down. Yonhap News Agency labelled the footage a "rare blunder" of the North's propaganda machine which typically goes out of its way to prune the image of its leaders. While the story makes for great headlines, some experts are saying that certain binoculars are made to look just that way. But if Yonhap was right, maybe we've finally found the reason behind the North Koreans' unique view of the world!
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69 years ago today, the Dear Leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Il, was born on Mount Paektu, heralded by the appearance of a double rainbow over the mountain, or so the story goes according to his official biographers. more ›

Remember how at last year's World Cup in South Africa, the North Koreans didn't have any fans of their own and the Chinese had to send in a contingent masquerading as DPRK fans? Well this time, our friends don't need our help anymore! That's because the dear leader Kim Jong Il has managed to parachute in a contingent of 200 certified true-blue North Koreans to the 2011 Asian Cup qualifiers in Doha, Qatar, and he's even outfitted them with a sporty attire that is *ZOMG!* not! the! same! colour! Despite the fact that the team has already been sent packing home (to the gulags, that is), we're sure striker Jong Tae-Se (remember him?) was so touched to see the show of support that he was reduced once again to tears. more ›

"China must make the world understand that any matter relating to the peace and stability of the Korean peninsula concerns the core interests of China. Anyone stoking the flames of war on the Korean peninsula is challenging China, and declaring war with China." more ›