North Korea Freedom Week 2010 in Seoul

This year North Korea Freedom Week (NKFW), usually held in Washington D.C., is being held in Seoul from Apr 24-May 1, 2010. Why? This was done, according to the Daily NK, "... to give more chance to the growing number of North Korean defectors and Seoul-based defector activist groups to get involved and make the events more diverse." Personally, I'm eager to see what organizer Suzanne Scholte and other activists do in Seoul -- apparently many defectors who have been part of NKFW delegations in the past are now taking the lead to sponsor events in collaboration with South Korean NGOs and leaders!

Highlights of the week include a special address by UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Vitit Muntarbhorn at the beginning of the PSCORE international conference on the 29th, a protest outside the Chinese embassy on the 30th, and a special release of balloons from the Freedom Bridge in the farthest corner of the Peace Park at Imjingak on the 1st.

Robert King- Special Envoy for NK Human Rights Issues

Ambassador Robert King has been appointed by the Obama administration as a Special Envoy for North Korea Human Rights Issues, the first appointee who is taking this position on full time. He seems dedicated to taking a more hardline stance on NK human rights issues, which is indicative of the progress being made with global human rights under the new administration.

Check out a recent briefing he gave in Geneva: http://geneva.usmission.gov/2009/12/10/amb-robert-king/

Also, "US ambassador Kathleen Stephens told the forum the State Department would provide three million dollars this year (2010) to promote human rights and fund radio broadcasts into the communist state."

Here's the article that is from: http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/SNAA-82D8KX?OpenDocument

Nothing to Envy

Great new fiction book out by Barbara Demick, former LA Times reporter stationed in Seoul, called "Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea" tracking 6 different mini-story lines. Has gotten great reviews, check out the website: http://nothingtoenvy.com/

New information on DPRK computer operating system

Hey HRiNK family,

Here is an article on some information that has recently been uncovered about a DPRK computer operating system called Red Star that is aimed at monitoring user activity, limiting citizen privacy (even if very few citizens have private computers to begin with...)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8604912.stm