North Korean Leadership Succession: What Does the First Party Conference in 44 Years Tell Us?
Memo #27 – For the first time since 1966, North Korea held a Party Conference and elected new leadership for the Korean Worker’s Party (KWP). Although U.S. State Department spokesman Philip Crowley cynically called it, “the ultimate reality show,” the rare Party Conference reveals important clues about the character of leadership succession in North Korea.
Mike Chinoy speaks about China’s relationship with North Korea
Memo #23 – Mike Chinoy is the former Senior Asia Correspondent at CNN. Currently, he is a Senior Fellow at the U.S. – China Institute at the University of Southern California (USC). In this exclusive 4-part interview at the Institute of Asian Research at the University of British Columbia, Mr. Chinoy speaks about the divisions on North Korea among the Chinese leadership. Kim Jong Il has refused to adopt Chinese-style economic reform and has even pursued nuclear capability. But as the Chinese government fears instability in Northeast Asia, maintenance of the status quo in North Korea is important.
Media Narratives and North Korea: Content Convergence in (Mis)reporting on the Fate of the North Korean National Soccer Team Coach
Memo #10 – News and internet channels around the world reacted with indignation, pity, and outrage to reports that the coach of North Korea’s World Cup soccer team, Kim Chong-hun, had been sent to a labour mine and forced to work for 14 hours a day after a 6 hour public harangue of most of his team and staff.
Susan Ritchie speaks about the Canada-DPRK news service (CanKor), humanitarian aid, and the future of North Korea
Memo #9 – Susan Ritchie is the Founder of First Steps, a Christian humanitarian NGO addressing childhood malnutrition in North Korea. In this interview, she speaks about the usefulness of the newly launched CanKor blog for humanitarian work. She also discusses how CanKor is an important Canadian source for comprehensive analysis of the DPRK. The Canadian government’s approach to North Korea will only improve with a better understanding of the concerns of Korean Canadians. Overall, she is optimistic about North Korea’s future.
Erich Weingartner speaks about the re-launch of the Canada-North Korea news service
Memo #3 – Erich Weingartner, Editor of CanKor, speaks about North Korea and the new version of The CanKor Blog. This Canada-North Korea news service “aims to provide information and analysis that does not get the attention it deserves in the commercial media”.