North Korea Rebuffs New South Leader's Attempt to Ease Tensions
Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in a statement through the state-run Korean Central News Agency on Monday, rebuked Lee for what she called 'blind trust' in the US. Continued joint military drills show that Lee is no different from his predecessor, she wrote.
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Business Insider
2 minutes ago
- Business Insider
A Russian airline that used to ferry passengers to Europe is now flying to North Korea instead
Nordwind Airlines, a Russian carrier that previously serviced routes to Europe, is now flying its country's first direct flight from Moscow to Pyongyang in decades. The new eight-hour Boeing 777 flight, which launched on Sunday, comes as Russia and North Korea have rapidly strengthened ties amid the war in Ukraine. State media outlet TASS reported that Russian authorities gave Nordwind permission in early July to fly to North Korea, and that the airline is expected to run flights once a month to Pyongyang. Russia's transport ministry said in a Sunday statement that the new route was a first for Moscow in 77 years. "For the first time in more than 70 years of diplomatic relations, we are launching direct flights between the capitals of our countries," Vladimir Poteshkin, Russia's deputy transport minister, was quoted as saying in the statement. Nordwind previously operated dozens of international routes, including to Spain, Germany, the Maldives, Mexico, and Thailand. But almost all have been shut down as Russia's international relations broke down after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The European Union bans Russian flights, while many Russian airlines have also closed their international operations. Nordwind, which lists a fleet of Boeing and Airbus planes on its website, has been mostly operating domestic routes in the meantime. Its first flight to North Korea left Moscow at 7:25 p.m. on Sunday and arrived in Pyongyang at 3:30 a.m., according to the Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport's flight tracker. A return flight is scheduled for Tuesday. TASS reported that both flights, with tickets costing about $550, were fully booked. While this is the first 21st-century flight between both capitals, Russians could already fly to North Korea before this. A North Korean airline, Air Koryo, operates flights from Pyongyang to Vladivostok, a Russian city on the Sea of Japan that's roughly 80 miles from North Korea. The newest flight is a further sign of rapport between Russia and North Korea, the latter of which has been supplying the Kremlin with troops, weapons, and ammunition to maintain its offensive pace in Ukraine. The partnership is sparking deep concern in the West and South Korea, which fear the arrangement is bolstering the technical expertise and resources of North Korea's military. Nordwind's cross-capital flight also comes as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has pushed hard to reopen his country to international tourism after the COVID-19 pandemic. In May, he unveiled a massive beachfront resort that appeared to feature hotels, apartments, shopping malls, and a water park.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Rep. Nancy Mace teases decision on South Carolina governor bid: ‘Couple of days'
(NEXSTAR/The Hill) — Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) said Sunday she plans to decide in the coming days whether to launch a bid for South Carolina governor. In an interview on Fox News' 'Fox Report Weekend,' Mace hinted that she 'may be forced' to enter the race. 'I will be making a decision over the next couple of days about my future,' Mace said. 'I believe I may be forced to run for governor because I can't watch my beautiful red state of South Carolina go woke. It's gone woke over the last couple of years.' Rep. Ralph Norman announces run for South Carolina governor The congresswoman was asked about local coverage of her Friday event in New Hampshire, which anchor Jon Scott said the local paper reported 'all but confirms a run for South Carolina governor.' Mace would enter a crowded GOP primary race, with candidates including state Attorney General Alan Wilson, state Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), who launched his campaign in recent days. But Mace, in the Sunday interview, sought to present the election as a two-person race against Wilson. 'This is a two-man race, if I get in, between me and Alan Wilson, the South Carolina attorney general, who likes to put pedophiles on trial and give them one day in jail serve,' she said. 'And so I don't believe that the South Carolina people will go for that,' she continued, 'but we'll be making a decision about my future over the next couple of days, and we're excited about it.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
North Korea's Insta-Fail: Cringe-Worthy Propaganda
A flood of propaganda videos targeting American users has hit Instagram and X over the past year, many featuring stiff dialogue, clumsy editing, and bizarre rhetorical questions that attempt — and often fail — to portray North Korea as a thriving, free society. One of the more prominent accounts in this wave is @MoveToNorthKorea, a mysterious Instagram page that posts upbeat propaganda targeting English-speaking audiences. It is unclear whether the account is state-run, operated by a private contractor, or simply run by a sympathizer. The effect, however, is the same: a stream of overly rosy portrayals of life inside one of the world's most repressive regimes. The propaganda clips tend to follow a pattern. Many are scored to Hundred Miles by Yall featuring Gabriela Richardson and begin with a rhetorical question starting with 'Who said…' The videos are often narrated in broken English by an AI voice that occasionally refers to North Koreans not by nationality but as 'esteemed citizens of the DPRK.' The editing is rudimentary, and the messaging leans on crude reversals of common criticisms — often to surreal effect. Here are four recent examples that highlight just how far some of these efforts miss the mark: 'Action!': The Dinner Scene That Spoils Itself In one widely shared clip, a girl named Zin-Mai sits down for dinner with a man implied to be her father. The premise is simple — a wholesome family meal — but the guise is subverted in the first second when someone audibly shouts a word translated as 'Action!' revealing the scene to be staged. The father's dialogue is stilted and repetitive, as he aggressively insists they have plenty of food and repeatedly urges his daughter to eat more soup and kimchi. The pacing and conversation do not suggest that dialogue is spontaneous. However, North Korea is not alone in staging dining scenes. It's not just North Korean propagandists who stage mealtime settings to shape public perception. During the 2024 campaign, then-Vice President Kamala Harris was criticized for allegedly clearing out diners from a Pittsburgh restaurant so that campaign staff and supporters could pose as patrons during a campaign stop, as reported by the Daily Mail. Google? Maybe — If You Don't Touch the Keyboard 'Who says Google doesn't work in North Korea?' asks another clip, as a man sits at a desktop computer with Google's homepage open. Yet at no point does he type anything, click a link, or interact with the browser. He merely stares at the screen. No attempt is made to demonstrate actual use of Google or internet access. Instead, the scene appears constructed solely to suggest a normalcy that contradicts what human rights experts have long confirmed: the vast majority of North Koreans lack access to the global internet. North Korea's intranet system, called Kwangmyong, offers only limited, state-approved content, and real internet use is typically restricted to a tiny ruling elite and tightly controlled government entities. A 'Fair Trial' in the Hostage Confession Room 'Who said North Korea doesn't have a fair judicial system?' another video asks, before cutting to footage of a crying man in what appears to be a press conference, flanked by guards. A reverse image search identifies this man as Kim Tong Chol — a South Korean-American preacher reportedly imprisoned in North Korea on espionage charges — speaking inside a wood-paneled room infamous for its use in forced public confessions. Chol's name is sometimes spelled as Kim Dong Chul, depending on the news outlet. This appears to be the same setting where Otto Warmbier, another detained American, was paraded before cameras in 2016. Warmbier died soon after being returned to the United States in a vegetative state. Chul was released in 2018. He has kept a low profile since returning to the United States. 'I Have… Always Exciting!' 'Who said North Koreans don't speak English?' This clip opens with a young man struggling to form a sentence. After a long pause, he declares, 'I have… I am … always exciting!' A young woman follows, more fluent, and says she studies at Kim Il Sung University — but when asked about her major, she appears confused and unable to answer. The clip then ends before the woman names a major. Behind these awkward social media posts lies a country where information is tightly controlled and dissent is met with brutality. According to Human Rights Watch, North Korea continues to its own citizens in labor camps, restrict movement, ban free expression, and enforce loyalty to the ruling Kim dynasty through surveillance and repression. A 2021 United Nations report found that more than 40% of the population suffers from food insecurity. The Korean Peninsula was split after World War II, with the U.S. supporting the South and the Soviet Union backing the North. After a bloody civil war in the 1950s, the North remained under communist rule. Over decades, the Kim regime has relied on isolation, propaganda, and militarism to hold power, while neighboring South Korea has embraced a more Western-style government and economic growth. As previously reported by The Dallas Express, North Korea's state media strategy has undergone significant evolution in recent years. YouTube vloggers like 'YuMi' and 'Song A' have tried to humanize the country by posting cheerful, English-language videos that depict life in Pyongyang as modern and upbeat, often in stark contrast to reports from defectors and human rights organizations. 'They are exploiting the social media environment where it is increasingly difficult to ascertain what is real and what is not,' Irina Tsukerman, a national security lawyer, told The Dallas Express. Whether these influencers are state agents or merely sympathetic amplifiers, the outcome is the same: a disjointed, heavily curated vision of a regime that remains one of the most closed and repressive on Earth. Solve the daily Crossword
