Foreign journalists in North Korea told to prepare for 'big' event

[webfact]

Foreign journalists in North Korea told to prepare for 'big' event

By James Pearson

REUTERS

 

FILE PHOTO: A North Korean flag flies on a mast at the Permanent Mission of North Korea in Geneva October 2, 2014. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo

 

SEOUL (Reuters) - Foreign journalists visiting North Korea have been told to prepare for a "big and important event" on Thursday, although there were no indications it was directly linked to tensions in the region over the isolated state's nuclear weapons programme.

 

Around 200 foreign journalists are in Pyongyang as the country marks the 105th birth anniversary of its founding president Kim Il Sung on April 15, North Korea's biggest national day called "Day of the Sun".

 

Officials gave no details as to the nature of the event or where it would take place, and similar announcements in the past have been linked to relatively low-key set pieces.

 

In 2016, for example, foreign journalists underwent hours of investigation by North Korean officials ahead of what turned out to be a pop concert to mark the finale of a ruling Workers' Party congress.

 

But tensions are running high, with a U.S. Navy strike group steaming towards the western Pacific in a show of force and North Korea warning of a nuclear attack on the United States at any sign of American aggression.

 

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a peaceful resolution to the North Korean problem in a telephone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday.

 

In April, 2012, North Korea attempted to launch a long-range rocket ahead of the 100th Day of the Sun. State media later confirmed the launch had failed.

 

On Wednesday, North Korean officials told foreign journalists in Pyongyang invited to mark the national holiday that their schedule had been cancelled, and to instead meet early on Thursday to prepare for a "big and important event".

 

Visits by foreign journalists to North Korea are rare and tightly coordinated, and security checks at events attended by leader Kim Jong Un are especially rigorous.

 

North Korea often uses such visits to showcase new construction projects. In recent weeks workers have been putting the finishing touches to the skyscraper-lined "Ryomyong" street in central Pyongyang.

 

Kim has made frequent visits to the street to inspect construction work there, according to state media. North Korea has in the past marked its April 15 holiday with tightly choreographed military parades.

 

(Reporting by James Pearson; Editing by Mike Collett-White)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-04-13

[Thechook]

So little kim will roll out all his miltary hardware for the parade as a show of force.

[jollyhangmon]

^ Yeah, probably.

A 'big event' would be if the fat ill-bred brat would ride one of his missiles Baron-Münchhausen-style ... 

 

 

[Sydebolle]

Well, he is doing this in third generation. 

Maybe it is time to get the Chinese to turn off the power - the world is getting sick and tired of this little fat clown. Get rid of the latter, let South Korea pick-up the bill and get on with life.

Clear is, that sooner or later the country will implode; question is only if of internal or external triggers 

[ujayujay]

1 hour ago, Sydebolle said:

Well, he is doing this in third generation. 

Maybe it is time to get the Chinese to turn off the power - the world is getting sick and tired of this little fat clown. Get rid of the latter, let South Korea pick-up the bill and get on with life.

Clear is, that sooner or later the country will implode; question is only if of internal or external triggers 

South Korea is not willing to do this, this is a Fairytale, as same, China is not willing. There are 25 Million North Koreans. If this Country implodes, there will be a human Desaster. The problem to delegate to South Korea is cheap.

[Chip Allen]

What if the "big event" is to be held hostage until Kim gets his way??? The hermit kingdom gets crazier by the day.

[trainman34014]

The only 'Big Event' i wan to hear of in North Korea is the death of this madman !

[boomerangutang]

11 minutes ago, trainman34014 said:

The only 'Big Event' i wan to hear of in North Korea is the death of this madman !

ok, but there are 50 other madmen waiting in the wings to take over.

[KhunBENQ]

2 hours ago, ujayujay said:

If this Country implodes, there will be a human Desaster. The problem to delegate to South Korea is cheap.

Absolutely.

Who wants to pay for building up this completely run-down country?

South Korea, even though an economic powerhouse would be dragged down for decades.

It would need help from other countries/organizations.

 

I lived through the time when East Germany (DDR) broke down.

A country that was not nearly as desperate as N.K.

West Germany being one of the worlds biggest economies.

After 28 years there is still no total equivalence.

 

 

[Leicamera]

East/West Berlin. Come to mind?

[the guest]

I wouldn't send foreign journalists into a hostile environment, it could be a ruse to use them as a bargaining chip, in the event US decides to launch a strike at the regime.

[ballpoint]

8 hours ago, jollyhangmon said:

^ Yeah, probably.

A 'big event' would be if the fat ill-bred brat would ride one of his missiles Baron-Münchhausen-style ... 

 

 

I think you'll find he's actually a fat, il-bred brat.

[jollyhangmon]

10 minutes ago, ballpoint said:

I think you'll find he's actually a fat, il-bred brat.

Had to look it up, sorry no bonus in the dictionary but urb-dic says 'ilbret = true beauty, breathtaking'   

 

Admit, how many tight-mixed long drinks - or double-spliffs for that matter - you had already ...   

[ballpoint]

9 minutes ago, jollyhangmon said:

Had to look it up, sorry no bonus in the dictionary but urb-dic says 'ilbret = true beauty, breathtaking'   

 

Admit, how many tight-mixed long drinks - or double-spliffs for that matter - you had already ...   

Whoosh.

Kim Il Sung fathered Kim Jong Il, who fathered Kim Jong Un.  Definitely Il-bred.  I'd lay off the drinks too if I was you.

Edited April 13, 2017 by ballpoint

[jollyhangmon]

7 minutes ago, ballpoint said:

Whoosh.

Kim Il Sung fathered Kim Jong Il, who fathered Kim Jong Un.  Definitely Il-bred.  I'd lay off the drinks too if I was you.

Dammit, now i too got it ... my bad ... il(l)-translated, quasi.

Didn't mean stop the booze, on the contrary, will have some more, can only help, even more so on this topic ...  

Edited April 13, 2017 by jollyhangmon

[ballpoint]

4 minutes ago, jollyhangmon said:

Dammit, now i too got it ... my bad ... il(l)-translated, quasi.

Didn't mean stop the booze, on the contrary, will have some more, can only help, even more so on this topic ...  

The font doesn't help. It's hard to distinguish a capital I from a lower case l.  See what I mean?  That's why I wrote il in my first post.  Damn it, this is getting all too complicated for Songkran. 

 

[mikecha]

Any of you been there

[Sydebolle]

On 4/13/2017 at 0:12 PM, ujayujay said:

South Korea is not willing to do this, this is a Fairytale, as same, China is not willing. There are 25 Million North Koreans. If this Country implodes, there will be a human Desaster. The problem to delegate to South Korea is cheap.

Well, the Germans managed 27 years ago and Koreans are pretty much Asian "Germans"; they for sure could do it. 

[mrwebb8825]

why bother to rebuild it? Let S. Korea manage the coal mining and give everyone a job. No reason to go in after and remake a potential playhouse for some new nutter "waiting in the wings".