North Korea - how serious should we take them?

[eldar]

North Korea's economy is booming.

Its GNP was up 1% to an astounding £19.05 Billion, or 2.3% of South Korea's GNP. Pies all round.

[AreOut]

I guess sole Samsung is economically stronger

[eldar]

AreOut said:

I guess sole Samsung is economically stronger

They've had a terrible year, turnover down to £30 billion. No pies for them!

[FourWheelDrift]

Election time.

http://news.sky.com/story/1521962/north-korea-elec...

"North Korea's state-controlled elections saw a 99.97% voter turnout on Sunday, with only those absent from the country not participating, state media reported.

Almost the entire country reportedly made it to the polls, including the elderly and ill, who cast their votes through "mobile ballot boxes" for uncontested candidates carefully selected by the ruling party. "

Funnily enough the turn out was 99.97% in the last elections in 2011.

[Beati Dogu]

Mmmm.. sounds legit. Putting the "Democratic" in "Democratic People's Republic of Korea".

Whether it's show trials or rigged elections, I love how these totalitarian states still feel the need to have a pretence at the rule of law and democracy. Only the dumbest western academic would ever fall for it.

[moustachebandit]

--- Ballot papers only present one candidate to choose from, which has been overseen by Mr Kim's Workers' Party, and any dissenting votes are considered acts of treason.---

So not exactly a democratic vote - more a nation wide paper ticket exercise to ensure that you and your family don't end up being dragged off to the Kwan-li-so for "re-education" through hard labour and punishment.

[Negative Creep]

Still more legit than the FIFA election

[jmorgan]

moustachebandit said:

--- Ballot papers only present one candidate to choose from, which has been overseen by Mr Kim's Workers' Party, and any dissenting votes are considered acts of treason.---

So not exactly a democratic vote - more a nation wide paper ticket exercise to ensure that you and your family don't end up being dragged off to the Kwan-li-so for "re-education" through hard labour and punishment.

Nah, it is legit. Not 100% is it? Stands to reason.

[eldar]

Beati Dogu said:

Mmmm.. sounds legit. Putting the "Democratic" in "Democratic People's Republic of Korea".

Whether it's show trials or rigged elections, I love how these totalitarian states still feel the need to have a pretence at the rule of law and democracy. Only the dumbest western academic would ever fall for it.

Obviously got the idea from Tower Hamlet.....

[gruffalo]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33844078

Could escalate into something rather nasty?

[jmorgan]

Probably not. They attack ships and get nothing.

[2013BRM]

'Pitiless Penalty'

[mybrainhurts]

So Kim Jong un has changed N Korean time by 30 minutes to get one over on Japan.

That'll teach the Japanese, oh yes....

[FourWheelDrift]

Is he claiming it as time travel?

[AreOut]

mybrainhurts said:

So Kim Jong un has changed N Korean time by 30 minutes to get one over on Japan.

That'll teach the Japanese, oh yes....

you gotta deceive the enemy somehow...

[Negative Creep]

It's so their pilots don't get jet lag when they launch their invasion

[jmorgan]

FourWheelDrift said:

Is he claiming it as time travel?

He probably thinks that he can keep putting the clock back so it is pie time.

[KTF]

Another one bumped off.

"South Korea's government says it is monitoring reports that North Korea's vice-premier Choe Yong-gon was killed in May on the orders of Kim Jong-un.

Mr Choe was executed after he "expressed discomfort against the young leader's forestation policy"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-33882799

[cirian75]

KTF said:

Another one bumped off.

"South Korea's government says it is monitoring reports that North Korea's vice-premier Choe Yong-gon was killed in May on the orders of Kim Jong-un.

Mr Choe was executed after he "expressed discomfort against the young leader's forestation policy"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-33882799

Queen - Another One Bites the Dust
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY0WxgSXdEE

If Kim Jong-un keeps this up eventually some will shoot him.

[Ste1987]

I'm clearly missing something with this malarky; who is provoking NK? And why? Do they have oil? Or is it something to do with the fact the citizens are treated like st and 'Murica want to free them? It just seems to me that if we ignore them, they'll go away