It's October, time for a new thread. This is a thread for Korean language learners to share ressources, experiences, or ask questions. [(previous thread)](https://lemmygrad.ml/post/363072)

Quick discussion about establishing centers for deaf and blind people in DPRK with the help of the local Deaf community and soldiers. "The Deaf set up their own centers for the deaf and blind people. The N. Korean (Joseon) Deaf and soldiers worked together to establish it. Soldiers of Joseon learned sign language and communicated through it." Followed by demonstration of some differences in north and south Korean sign language.

Members of the Youth League and students are “incensed by the US imperialists’ provocation,” the Korean Central News Agency has said Hundreds of thousands of young people in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea have expressed willingness to enlist in the armed forces, the country’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Saturday. The outlet said this was due to aggressive US posturing toward North Korea, which was “reaching the limit that can no longer be tolerated.” The KCNA claimed that on Friday alone “over 800,000 Youth League officials and young students across the country ardently petitioned for enlistment and military service in the People’s Army.” According to the report, that number “continues to increase throughout the country.” The state-run outlet named Kim Il-sung University, Kim Chaek University of Technology, Hamhung University of Chemical Technology, and Nampo Normal University among the educational facilities where students have volunteered to serve in the military. The young people’s “zeal” comes at a time when American “war maniacs” as well as “their puppet traitors,” – an apparent reference to South Korea – were embarking on an effort to destroy the North, the agency said. The report accused the two allies of “aggressively violating” Pyongyang’s sovereignty and security interests “to the greatest extent in history.” On Thursday, North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un oversaw the launch of a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), saying the show of force was intended to “strike fear into enemies” and to “deter war,” as quoted by the KCNA. Pyongyang conducted three other ballistic missile tests earlier this week. Explaining the need for the uptick in testing, Kim cited American and South Korean “open hostility toward the DPRK” which has manifested itself in the two nations staging “reckless” and “large-scale” exercises on the Korean Peninsula. Pyongyang has repeatedly stated that it views such drills by Washington and Seoul as preparation for an attack. Codenamed ‘Freedom Shield,’ the maneuvers kicked off on Monday and are set to continue into next week. The two allies have described the drill as the largest of its kind in five years, and blamed the North for destabilizing actions they say warrant increased readiness. The US and South Korea have already held several other military exercises this year, some of them involving B-52H strategic bombers.

 Pyongyang, Mar 10 (Prensa Latina) More than 110 bombs, shells, mines, grenades and other explosives of U.S. manufacture have been discovered since the beginning of the construction of houses in the region of Hwasong, it was revealed. According to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Security Directorate, its troops in Pyongyang city managed to find and remove all the devices without incident. During the Korean War (1950-1953), the U.S. Army dropped more than 428,000 bombs on Pyongyang and other cities on more than 1,400 occasions and as a result many of these explosives are still buried throughout the country without exploding.

Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un Encourages Youth Vanguard with His Stirring Speech and Shovels First Spadeful of Earth Pyongyang, February 26 (KCNA) -- In the sacred course of the Workers' Party of Korea which is translating into thrilling reality the grand plan and determination for prosperity and development of the DPRK and the wellbeing of its people, a new street will be built in the Sopho area of Pyongyang, the capital city, as a symbol of the development and future of socialism. The construction of a new street in the capital city, set forth by the historic Sixth Plenary Meeting of the Eighth Central Committee of the WPK as a major construction task for this significant year and entrusted to the youth, is a gigantic creation campaign to be carried out by the steadfast will of the WPK to provide the people with a highly-civilized and happy life as early as possible at the extraordinary construction speed of racing against time and accelerate the ongoing grand revolutionary advance with the fighting mettle and advance spirit of the fine, reliable and passionate youth. The great Party Central Committee entrusted the Socialist Patriotic Youth League and the Paektusan Hero Youth Shock Brigade with the important revolutionary task to make our young people, who have always served as a powerful driving force of the state development in the historic course of the Korean revolution pioneered in Mt Paektu, reliably carry forward the proud tradition of loyalty and patriotism in the ongoing general advance. Such great trust is giving further momentum to enthusiasm for the revolution and patriotic zeal of millions of young people across the country. A ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of a new street in the Sopho area of Pyongyang City took place on Saturday. The venue of the ceremony, which will mark another brilliant chapter in the history of the Juche-oriented youth movement, was brimming with the revolutionary enthusiasm of young builders determined to create new legendary tales about the heroic youth as standard-bearers in building socialist civilization at the worthwhile theater for translating into a proud reality the long-cherished desire of the Party Central Committee. Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, attended the ceremony. When he appeared at the venue of the ceremony together with his beloved daughter, all the participants broke into cheers of "Hurrah!", looking up to the great father who put forward the young people as the vanguard and shock brigade in the struggle for socialist construction and as the promising, young main forces taking the lead in ushering in a new era of the country's prosperity and has shown all kinds of love and affection for them, while making a new history of attaching importance to the youth on this land. Present at the ceremony were Kim Tok Hun and Jo Yong Won, members of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the WPK, Ri Il Hwan and Jon Hyon Chol, secretaries of the C.C., WPK, Pak Hun, vice-premier of the Cabinet, Ri Tu Song, department director of the C.C., WPK, commanding officers and members of the Paektusan Hero Youth Shock Brigade, officials of the youth league and young people in the city. When the ground-breaking ceremony was declared, the national anthem of the DPRK was played solemnly. Kim Jong Un made a significant speech. Expressing his pleasure over the declaration of significant ground-breaking for another modern street in the presence of young volunteers, which will be recorded as a proud page in the history of the Korean youth movement adorned with bravery and feats, he highly appreciated once again the immortal feats of the Paektusan Hero Youth Shock Brigade performed in building a monumental edifice of youth for the motherland. He said that the Paektusan hero youth spirit prevailing all campaign theaters in the country comes to be the symbol of indomitable character and fighting spirit of our socialist young vanguard and an integral part of the irresistible might of Juche Korea courageously braving hardships, and clarified our Party's determination to provide a new and big stage for young people to show once again their patriotic enthusiasm in the course of overall development of socialist construction by further elevating this great spirit. Expressing belief that the glorious Socialist Patriotic Youth League and Paektusan Hero Youth Shock Brigade would successfully build a new street in the capital city by living up to the call of the times and expectation of the people through their heroic struggle, he ardently appealed to wage a brave struggle for the high honor of the Korean youth and the eternal prosperity of our socialist state and for the sake of the capital city of Pyongyang. At the end of his passionate speech full of great trust and love for the youth, all the participants, deeply moved with high honor and happiness, raised stormy cheers again. Kim Jong Un gave the flag of the Paektusan Hero Youth Shock Brigade to its commanding officers. The young vanguard raised shouts of their firm will to create a new legendary story about construction representing the era by amplifying once again the Paektusan hero youth spirit and mettle in carrying out the grand construction project, holding aloft the honorable flag given by the respected fatherly Marshal Kim Jong Un as the banner of struggle and advance. All the young builders made a solemn pledge to report their victory to the fatherly Marshal after successfully building another ideal street for people in Pyongyang, the heart of Juche Korea, through all-out charge in the spirit and mettle of the Korean youth knowing no impossibility by carrying forward the proud history and tradition of the Korean youth who have answered the Party's call with their devoted service. The venue of the ceremony was full of roar of slogans of loyalty reflecting the faith and will of all the participants determined to devotedly defend the absolute dignity and prestige of the Party Central Committee and fully display the brave stamina of a large contingent of young people in the great era of Kim Jong Un by most creditably and perfectly carrying out the tasks assigned by Kim Jong Un no matter what ordeals and difficulties may block their way. The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un personally shoveled the first spadeful of earth, together with senior Party and government officials to mark the ground-breaking for the construction of a new street in the Sopho area of Pyongyang City. All the participants raised enthusiastic cheers of "Hurrah!", hardly repressing their surging emotion at the deep trust and love of the fatherly Marshal Kim Jong Un who personally made a passionate speech at the ground-breaking ceremony and shoveled the first spadeful of earth together with his beloved daughter, giving great strength and courage to the young people with hope that they would emerge performers of feats and victors in the forefront of the capital city construction. Kim Jong Un personally pressed the detonator. Amid the sound of blasting signaling the start of construction, fireworks were displayed in the sky of February to bless our young people turned out in the heroic struggle and advance. Very high is the spirit and stamina of our young people who devote their all to the implementation of the Party's plan, keeping the loyalty to the Party and the revolution as their greatest honor and pride, Kim Jong Un said, adding that the Paektusan Hero Youth Shock Brigade, which has built a solid fortress of faith defending our cause with ardent vigor and patriotism, and other young people should become the backbone in the ongoing grand socialist construction. Expressing expectation and belief that our youth braving any difficulties in response to the Party's call would proudly build another luxurious street, an innovative entity representing a prosperous and powerful country, deeply mindful of their sacred duty and the call of the times - "For the Victory of Our Cause!" and "For Pyongyang, Our Capital City!", he encouraged the reliable young vanguards. The construction of a new street in the Sopho area of Pyongyang City will strikingly demonstrate once again the mettle of resourceful and brave youth of Juche Korea, closely rallied around the great Party Central Committee with intense loyalty to the Party's cause, and the image of the DPRK dynamically advancing toward a bright future.    

 People’s Korea is the most independent country in the world. It has no foreign military bases and is not a member of the IMF, World Bank, WTO, WEF and APEC. There is no Mcdonalds’ or KFC in the DPRK. People’s Korea is a proud independent country that says and does what it likes. People’s Korea has free health care, education, housing and low-cost food. It abolished taxation 49 years ago. For all the above reasons People’s Korea is worthy of support with No Ifs and Buts. Today People’s Korea is under physical aggression from US imperialism and the reactionary puppet fascist regime in south Korea. Also, it faces psychological warfare and information terrorism by the US and world imperialism. Therefore we must step up many-sided and multi-dimensional campaigning in support of People’s Korea and not just on Twitter, Facebook, telegram etc but in actual meetings and on the streets. We need KFA UK members to come to our picket of the south Korean fascist embassy on Saturday 4th of March and we need KFA UK members to come to our meeting but also to come to demos and different events with KFA stuff and DPRK flags because this is how we can build the organisation up.

Pyongyang, February 25 (KCNA) -- An event of moving into new dwelling houses has been held one after another in the countryside of the DPRK, proving the validity and vitality of Workers' Party of Korea's programme for rural revolution in the new era. The new houses appeared at farm villages in Nidap-ri of Unsan County, Chojang-ri of Kwaksan County, Tongsin-ri of Ryongchon County, Pobu-ri of Kaechon City, Chongun-ri of Songrim City, Munyang-ri of Koksan County, Sanbuk-ri of Suan County, Sampho-ri of Yonsa County, Yangchon-ri of Hwadae County, Saha-ri of Puryong County, Kocham-ri of Myongchon County and Majon-ri of Hungnam District, Tonghung-ri of Hoesang District and Hojon-dong of Sapho District in Hamhung City. Those new villages bristling with modern rural houses are bases of happiness built under the energetic guidance of the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un. Ceremonies of moving into the new houses took place on the spots respectively. Present there were officials of the Party and power organs in relevant provinces, cities and counties, builders, officials of units which contributed to the construction, and agricultural workers to live in the new houses. Congratulatory speeches were made at the ceremonies. Speakers said that the auspicious events of moving into new houses in different parts of the country are a fruition of the tireless patriotic devotion of Kim Jong Un who set the housing construction as a primary and major policy task and has guided its successful implementation. At the ceremonies, licenses for the use of the houses were handed over and oath-taking speeches were made. With the start of the moving into new houses, cheerful dances were displayed by the overjoyed agricultural workers. Officials visited the new houses to congratulate their owners and share joy with them.      

We're told all the time that if one were to say anything bad about Kim Jong un, they and their family would be executed. Young Pioneer Tours mentions that, while you won't be executed, the consequences of criticizing Kim could be severe. What's the truth behind all this?

cross-posted from: https://lemmygrad.ml/post/490654 > "The Western Corporate Media often claims that “North Korea prosecutes (or even executes) its people for watching South Korean dramas.” > > It’s hard to ascertain if that’s actually the case, as fake news about North Korea is the norm. The only allegations of this phenomena come from unreliable defector testimony of known liars (like Park Yeon Mi), who are rewarded for telling hyperbolic lies; or from dubious South Korean sources like the rightwing Chosun Ilbo. > > These hyperbolic claims are then amplified by right wing anti-communist organizations (like Liberty in North Korea) and the US MSM. > > However, contrary to these dubious claims, we can ascertain with certainty that South Korea does prosecute people for screening North Korean films. > > In fact, it’s not an exaggeration to say that much of what South Korea accuses North Korea of doing can actually be attributed right back to South Korea. In other words, these claims are projection—not cinematic, but psychological."

I am collecting photographs of the DPRK and putting them on a map. I don't have much time to do it but it's probably possible to get a lot of the DPRK done, google maps has thousands of images of Pyongyang and some of the other main cities and KCNA and other DPRK sites probably have thousands of images of rural villages in the DPRK.

Pyongyang, January 2 (KCNA) -- Officials, working people, servicepersons, youth and schoolchildren in the DPRK paid high tribute to the statues of President **Kim Il Sung** and Chairman **Kim Jong Il** and mosaics depicting their smiling images across the country on the occasion of the New Year Juche 112 (2023). Floral baskets in the names of the Party, power and armed forces organs, social organizations, ministries, national institutions, units of the Korean People's Army (KPA) and the Public Security Forces (PSF) and organs, industrial establishments, universities at all levels in Pyongyang City, and bouquets were placed before the statues of the President and the Chairman on Mansu Hill. The chief and members of the Pyongyang mission of the Anti-Imperialist National Democratic Front laid a bouquet before the statues. The visitors made the first New Year's greeting to the statues. Floral baskets in the names of units of KPA and PSF, organs, enterprises and bouquets were placed before the statues of the great leaders and mosaics portraying their smiling images in different places of the capital city. Officials, working people, service personnel, youth and schoolchildren across the country visited the statues of the great leaders and mosaics portraying their smiling images in their residential quarters to pay homage to them. -0- ::: spoiler Photos       :::

Pyongyang, January 2 (KCNA) -- All the people and service personnel of the DPRK significantly greeted the New Year Juche 112 (2023). On the first morning of the new year, the masses entered the plaza of the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, the sacred temple of Juche, where President **Kim Il Sung** and Chairman **Kim Jong Il** lie in state, and paid tribute to the portraits portraying their smiling images. Working people, service personnel, youth and students visited the statues of the great leaders and mosaics depicting their smiling images on Mansu Hill and across the country to pay tribute to them. Children and pupils of primary schools across the country received gifts of love on the occasion of the New Year. Colorful art performances were given in Pyongyang and local areas to rev up the festive mood. Okryu Restaurant and Chongryu Restaurant in Pyongyang, Kyongam Restaurant in Sariwon of North Hwanghae Province, Sinhung Restaurant in Hamhung of South Hamgyong Province and other public catering establishments across the country were crowded with masses. Congratulatory cards were served at shops and bookstores in Pyongyang and New Year greetings were exchanged across the country. -0- [Photos (too many to upload)](http://kcna.kp/en/media/photo/q/32315d550cb68ee3d1c1a4dc43918a1b.kcmsf)

Pyongyang, December 31 (KCNA) -- Officials of the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of External Economic Relations of the DPRK and the Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries visited the Cuban embassy here on Dec. 30 on the occasion of the 64th anniversary of the victory of the Cuban revolution. Floral baskets in the names of the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of External Economic Relations and the Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries were laid before the portraits of President **Kim Il Sung**, Chairman **Kim Jong Il**, Comrade Fidel Castro Ruz and Comrade Raul Castro Ruz at the embassy. -0- ::: spoiler Photos    :::

Greetings comrades, I am currently testing streaming on ChosonClip with a livestream of KCTV, the audio is in Korean however.

Pyongyang, December 29 (KCNA) -- A new era of socialist rural development was open and innovative entities were born this year in the struggle to implement the new programme of rural revolution of the Workers' Party of Korea. The world's largest greenhouse farm was built at the Ryonpho area in Hamju County, South Hamgyong Province of the DPRK as a new center of creating Korean-style rural civilization and the first-stage project of reconstruction and modernization of the Kumsong Tractor Factory was completed to lay a foundation capable of mass-producing high-performance tractors and farm machines. The new-type mobile rice combine threshers, small rice harvesters, combine corn threshers and combine soil management machines produced by the workers of the DPRK took the first step of rural mechanization in the granaries around the West Sea of Korea this year. In the first year when the rural construction started on a full scale according to the programme for socialist rural construction, modern houses showing present-day civilization and the characteristics of each area were built in provinces, cities and counties. The successes of this year are ascribable to the devoted efforts of the respected Comrade **Kim Jong Un** who set forth the programme for rural revolution to usher in a great new era of making a leap forward in the development of socialist countryside by vigorously accelerating rural development and wisely led the struggle to implement it. Concerned for the issue of vegetable supply for the people of South Hamgyong Province, **Kim Jong Un** personally came to the spot and chose the site and guided the construction of the greenhouse farm as becoming its owner. Thus, the Ryonpho Greenhouse Farm was built as the new standard of the greenhouse farm in the country. He led the Kumsong Tractor Factory to be turned into a core factory which would surely guarantee the general mechanization of agriculture, and gave detailed instructions to the munitions industrial sector to produce farm machines in conformity with the actual conditions of the country. He indicated the problems arising in stepping up the state's preparations for rural construction, made sure that the layouts of rural houses were completed according to the characteristics of each area in order to provide a better living environment to the agricultural working people and led the whole course of construction. So, the appearance of the countryside began to change thanks to his devoted efforts. Through this year's struggle, the people of the DPRK have keenly realized that the road of implementing the Party's programme of rural revolution is the road of bringing earlier the bright future of the socialist countryside. -0-

Pyongyang, December 28 (KCNA) -- The second-day sitting of the 6th Enlarged Plenary Meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) continued amid the extraordinary political awareness and active zeal of all the participants to adopt the new year's action guidelines for bringing a new phase of upsurge in the prosperous development of the state with absolute trust and confidence in the victory of the Korean-style socialist cause. **Kim Jong Un**, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, went on with his report on the first agenda item. In the report, the General Secretary referred to the principles and ways for expanding the successes and experience gained in all aspects of the socialist cultural construction, including science, education and public health, during the struggle of 2022 and overcoming some serious shortcomings. And he proposed the major tasks to which great importance should be attached by relevant sectors in the next year to attain the goals set by the Party Congress. He mentioned the problems of bringing about a radical turn in the spheres of the popular masses' ideological and life culture as the revolution further progresses and the times change, steadily enhancing the function and role of the socialist laws and thoroughly establishing the law-abiding spirit, and more vigorously conducting the social patriotic movement, the mass movement with peculiar and advantageous vitality in the Korean-style socialist construction. Intensely listening to his report, the participants recollect the work of their sectors and units from an instructive and developmental point of view. The report profoundly analyzed and assessed the new challengeable situation created in the Korean peninsula and the international political situation, and clarified the principle of external work and the orientation of struggle against the enemy to be adhered to by our Party and the DPRK government for defending the national sovereignty and interests under the present circumstances. And it set forth new key goals for bolstering up the self-reliant defence capability to be pushed ahead with in 2023 under the multilaterally changing situation. The report also made an anatomical and scientific analysis of the present overall state affairs and stressed the need for the members of the leadership body of the Party Central Committee and other leading officials at all levels to decisively improve their work attitude and work style and thus fulfill their sacred and heavy duties before the Party and the revolution, the country and the people. The participants are listening in earnest to the historic report of the General Secretary clearly indicating the knack and policy for overcoming manifold challenges and extreme difficulties in the most definite and prompt way and opening up a broad avenue for fresh leaping advance in the Korean-style socialist construction. The report of the General Secretary will continue at the third-day sitting. -0-

Pyongyang, December 23 (KCNA) -- A national seminar took place at the Ponghwa Art Theatre on Thursday to mark the 50th anniversary of the institution of the Socialist Constitution. Present there were officials of the party and administrative bodies, officials of judicial and prosecution organs and public security organs in Pyongyang City and theoretical information workers in the fields of science, education, literature and art, media, revolutionary relics and the institutions for training party cadres. At the seminar Ri Kyong Hun, department director of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly, Pak Kum Hui, rector of Pyongyang Teacher Training College, Yun Kwang Won, vice-director of the Central Public Prosecutors Office, and Song Hyon Won, vice-president of the Academy of Social Sciences, in their speeches referred to the historic significance of the institution of the Socialist Constitution and the theoretical and practical issues arising in accelerating the overall development of the Korean-style socialist construction by strengthening the legal system. The speakers said that it was a historic event of epochal significance in developing the DPRK and accomplishing the revolutionary cause of Juche that President **Kim Il Sung** made sure that the Socialist Constitution was promulgated at the First Session of the Fifth Supreme People's Assembly on December 27, Juche 61 (1972). They proved that that the Socialist Constitution of the DPRK is a great political charter centered on the leader which comprehensively deals with the Juche-oriented idea and exploits of President **Kim Il Sung** and Chairman **Kim Jong Il** on nation-building. The respected Comrade **Kim Jong Un** proposed the revising and supplementing of the Socialist Constitution in conformity with the unanimous desire of all the people and indicated the orientation of revision and completed every article one by one, they noted. They called upon all officials to fully implement the plan and determination of the Party Central Committee, cherishing the firm faith that their destiny and happiness and the country's dignity and future lie in remaining loyal to the idea and leadership of **Kim Jong Un**. -0- ::: spoiler Photos     :::

Pyongyang, December 20 (KCNA) -- The new Korean-style rural civilization is making appearance in all parts of the country, revealing the bright picture of the great era of changes in which the Party's grand plan for rural construction is translated into a brilliant reality. The construction of modern dwelling houses was completed in the seat of the Namsa Farm in Rangnang District of Pyongyang City, the seat of Jungyong-ri, Wonsan City of Kangwon Province, the seat of the Phalgyongdae Farm in Orang County of North Hamgyong Province, crop-raising workteam No. 2 of the Paekam Farm in Jangjin County of South Hamgyong Province, crop-raising workteams Nos. 1 and 2 of the Tokhung Farm in Kangso District of Nampho City and various areas in Rajin and Sonbong districts of Rason City. Those dwelling houses are furnished with modern and comfortable living rooms, kitchens, bathrooms and storehouses with regional characters and trees of good species have been planted around them. Those new houses in villages are a precious fruition of the warm love of the respected Comrade **Kim Jong Un** for the people to turn the rural areas across the country into beautiful ones good to live in and make the agricultural workers enjoy the socialist civilization. Ceremonies of moving into new houses took place on the spots respectively. Present there were officials of party and power organs, builders, officials of relevant units who contributed to the construction and agricultural workers to move into the new houses in Pyongyang and relevant provinces, cities and counties. Congratulatory speeches were made before conveying the licenses for the use of houses. Then, there were oath-taking speeches. Officials congratulated the working people moving into modern rural houses and shared joy with them. -0-

Pyongyang, December 23 (KCNA) -- A spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) issued the following press statement on Friday: The U.S. is now trying to cook up a "presidential statement" of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) condemning the DPRK's exercise of the right to self-defence. The DPRK has already and clearly warned that such foolish attempt of the U.S. may entail a very undesirable consequence. It will be defiance of the DPRK's sovereignty and a grave interference in its affairs to adopt any document taking issue with the DPRK's legitimate right to self-defence by abusing the name of the UN, whether it is "presidential statement" or anything else. To usurp the right to self-defence, the core of national sovereignty, is the gravest challenge to a sovereign state, as it means that it would not recognize the sovereignty of the DPRK, and a very dangerous act that the DPRK has to counter with action. The DPRK is closely watching the reckless moves of the U.S. which is making uninterrupted irresponsible provocations. -0-

Hello everyone! I'm ChosonAdmin, the administrator for ChosonClip (A PeerTube instance for content related to the DPRK). As I want to expand the presence of Juche and other leftist/ML ideologies on the Fediverse, I decided to setup a Akkoma instance called "ChosonSocial". Although this is not a Mastodon instance, it can communicate with Mastodon servers and the rest of the Fediverse. Chosonsocial runs on a software suite called "Akkoma", which is forked from Pleroma and is supposed to run at the speed and performance of Chollima. ChosonSocial is not perfectly up and running yet. It still lacks emails (which I'll get setup this upcoming week), UI tweaks and especially the rules. ChosonSocial will not be as "liberal" as ChosonClip. One of the most important rules will be the ban on spewing misinformation on Juche and the DPRK. Posting content from grifters like Yeonmi Park will lead to a ban. Also posting unverified information will get you warned. If the DPRK-related information you want to post isn't verified by DPRK state media, think about posting twice. The most important task for me will be keeping the federation between Mastodon.social, Mastodon.online and the other large Fediverse servers up. I'd really appreciate ChosonSocial users to contribute to that. While I'll tolerate the large ones, right-wing Fediverse servers will be not tolerated and will be defederated by ChosonSocial. Nonetheless, I welcome all of you to join ChosonSocial soon!

   

[Full Panel Discussion on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQJN0Oicsr4) / [on yewtu.be](https://yewtu.be/watch?v=tQJN0Oicsr4) If you go to the channel page, you can also find shorter clips of segments of the discussion from each guest.

(Some excerpts below; click link for full article) Lee Bong-ju, president of TruckSol [Korea’s Cargo Truckers’ Solidarity Division], stated at the launch ceremony at an inland container depot in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, that “in a market where the shipper has the power to dictate transportation fees and will ultimately decide the minimum price rate, the safe trucking freight rate is the only law that protects truckers.” “The general strike will not come to an end until the government stops trying to change the safe trucking freight rate for the worse, abolish the sunset clause of the safe trucking freight rates system, and expand the system to cover more freight types,” he went on to say. The safe trucking freight rates system is a system that prevents truckers from being overworked, speeding, and overloaded by guaranteeing a minimum annual wage, and has been in place for three years since 2020 for truckers in the container and cement industry. **TruckSol has said that all 25,000 members of the union will participate in the strike. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) estimated that 9,600 workers participated in the launch ceremonies.** On the first day of the strike, distribution disruptions did occur at some factories and industrial complexes. Hyundai Steel’s Pohang production plant, which usually distributes 8,000 tons of goods a day, was unable to distribute anything on Thursday. Gangwon Province, which usually distributes an average of 75,000 tons of cement a day, was able to send out 51,000 tons through trains and marine transport. Kia’s Gwangju production plant also failed to distribute finished products and so had to prepare additional stackers at its Pyeongdong shipping plant. **The government issued a public statement on Thursday and emphasized the aggressive measures it would take in response to the strike.** Won Hee-ryong, minister of land, infrastructure and transport, held a briefing at the Seoul Government Complex with Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon and Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Jung-sik. There, he stated that **the government would impose fines on those who refuse to transport goods, and that it would also “track down those who participated in illegal activities such as obstruction of transportation and blackmail and show zero tolerance towards the relevant parties.”** Won went on to say that **if the strike leads to a serious distribution crisis, the ministry would issue an work start order** and that he was open to discussing the issue at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

>Asia News on Aug. 14 quoted a speaker at an August demonstration who said, “Conservative forces of Yoon Suk Yeol and those in the U.S. are frantically conducting aggressive war drills in sky, land and sea and are about to start large military exercises aimed at the invasion of North Korea. We must stamp out this behavior of anti-reunification forces.”

Collection of news items from DPRK regarding the BPP

>The [neo]imperialist narrative of the Korean War places the blame entirely on [the Democratic People’s Republic of] Korea, but the truth is more complicated.

This is a thread for Korean language learners to share resources, experiences, or ask questions. [(previous thread)](https://lemmygrad.ml/post/395711)

Article about it (in Korean): https://615tv.net/470 > Based on declassified US military documents and audiovisual materials, as well as testimonies from those involved, the film is an archive essay that illuminates the reality of mass bombing and civilian bombing indiscriminately on the Korean Peninsula during the Korean war > In the course of the Korean War, the United States spent the 'largest defense budget in human history'. And with this huge defense budget, weapons such as napalm, rockets, and machine guns were made and poured all over the Korean Peninsula [...] US bombers committed indiscriminate genocide that made no distinction between enemies and civilians. > During the Korean War, the U.S. Air Force poured napalm and rocket bombings and machine gun fire from both the south and the north of the Korean Peninsula. As a result, 90% of cities on the Korean Peninsula were destroyed. > Director Lee Mi-young said, "We need your help to inform the public about the genocide of the US military," and "I made this film with the mindset that such a horrific incident should never happen again." I hope that there will be more peace in this land,” he said, appealing to spread the film.

A video of some people studying in a [3 week language program](https://tongiltours.com/pyongyang-summer-language-program) in DPRK. Looks like the most recent one was offered in 2019. There is also this on the website: [How to Speak the North Korean Language](https://tongiltours.com/how-to-speak-the-north-korean-language)

About the translator: > Ever since someone dumped a trove of old newspaper issues onto the Internet Archive in October 2021, I have been slowly translating and posting select articles to share my findings with the wider community. I am a US-educated Japanese person concerned about the spread of historical misinformation by Japanese far-right activists supporting revisionist and denialist viewpoints about the history of Imperial Japan, especially with respect to war crimes and atrocities. I hope that this blog will help combat historical misinformation about Imperial Japan on the Internet, and that professional historians will be inspired to start an online resource like this one, but on a much larger scale. About the Yoko vs. Hoshiko stories: > ‘Yōko versus Hoshiko’ was a Keijo Nippo newspaper serial featuring fictional educational dialogues pitting Yōko, the ‘good’ Korean woman who is selfless and cares about others, against Hoshiko, the ‘bad’ Korean woman who is selfish, greedy, and only cares about herself, as they argue about the correct way to live their daily lives governed by the Patriotic Groups of wartime Seoul. It’s a very interesting glimpse into how Koreans lived their lives in 1944 Seoul. Keijo Nippo was more than just a newspaper – it also functioned like a textbook to spread propaganda throughout Korea, so chances are that, all over Korea, each Patriotic Group leader talked with their followers about Yōko and Hoshiko during their group meetings. Patriotic groups: > Patriotic Groups (JP: aikoku-han, KR: aeguk-ban, 愛國班) were neighborhood cells which functioned as the local arm of the Korean Federation of National Power (国民総力朝鮮連盟, 국민총력조선연맹), the single ruling party of colonial Korea. They typically consisted of a few households, led by a Patriotic Group leader, who acted as a mini-tyrant micromanaging the lives of everyone within the Patriotic Group. That included things like rationing food and goods, enforcing mandatory State Shinto prayer times and shrine visits, ‘volunteering’ laborers upon the colonial government’s request, arranging marriages, holding mandatory Japanese language classes, spying on ‘ideological criminals’, etc. > The Patriotic Group leaders were often corrupt, enriching themselves and their friends and families at the expense of the rest of the group members. Many Koreans filed complaints to report such leaders, but it’s unclear whether this had any effect on reducing corruption. > It should be noted that former Patriotic Group leaders were among the first to be targeted for reprisals following Korean Independence in August 1945 – many of their homes were set on fire, as witnessed later by incoming American soldiers who were initially confused as to what was going on.

**Note:** Hankyoreh is a mainstream liberal outlet, kind of a "center left" liberal publication, so take the perspective of the article with a grain of salt. Anyway, things have been pretty clownish in south Korea's political sphere since president Yoon (conservative party, "PPP") came to office earlier this year. I haven't posted about it since it's just typical bourgeois nonsense and media circus but as public opinion on Yoon has reached such a low, I thought I would list some of what has been going on to lead to so many protests and public outcry against him. Polls by Gallup Korea show the president's approval rating remaining below 30% for five consecutive weeks. (as per the article mentioned in the title) > At 4 pm on Saturday, a coalition of progressive groups called Action for Transition to a Candlelight Victory (Candlelight Action) kicked off a “candlelight march” near City Hall Station in Seoul to call for South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol to step down and for a special prosecutor to be named to investigate first lady Kim Keon-hee. Yoon's presidency has just been riddled with various blunders and scandals and people have had a low opinion of him from the start. Some have been calling for him to be ousted from the get-go, but more people are dissatisfied with him now. People also want his wife to be investigated because it seems that she [plagiarized her dissertation](https://english.khan.co.kr/khan_art_view.html?code=710100&artid=202209071818377&medid=enkh). > **This candlelight rally was much bigger than the string of smaller rallies that had come before it. The police estimated that about 15,000 people were taking part by 5 pm — more than double the 7,000 people they had originally expected. The organizers claimed that 300,000-400,000 people showed up.** Noting that conservative counter-protests are also underway, the article says "it’s possible that the focus of politics will shift to street demonstrations. Even so, we must prevent politics from malfunctioning and keep the situation from moving toward an extreme showdown." **Serious problems of the Yoon government are his conservative policies, for example planning to [abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family](https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20221005000581) and taking a pro-US stance and an aggressive posture toward DPRK through US-ROK-Japan military cooperation.** List of clown activities: * Not Yoon, but another member of PPP. Shortly after Yoon taking office, there was severe rain and flooding in parts of Seoul, and PPP members went in afterward to assist in the clean up of the flood damage from heavy rains. One of them was caught on camera, standing in the middle of a flood damaged neighborhood, saying, ["Honestly I hope it rains a bit, so the pictures come out good"](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2022/08/356_334354.html)--then was quickly smacked on the arm by someone who seemingly knew he was saying this in front of a camera ([Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvYLoZV865s)). Later that day there is footage of the guy sitting miserably in a stairwell as the controversy spread on social media * "The presidential office used a photo of President Yoon Suk-yeol crouching down to look into a semi-basement flat in Gwanak District, Seoul, to make a promotional image for Yoon on its website and social media. The photo was taken at the site where a family of three, one of whom had a developmental disability, died after getting trapped in the home when it flooded with rainwater ... The image read that the president will promptly restore and support the damaged area, thoroughly examine regions where housing is not safe and prepare measures to support safe housing for the vulnerable. Online users bombarded the presidential office's website and social media comment section for its lack of consideration and exploiting the family's deaths for promotional content. The post was deleted the following day and the presidential office apologized for its inappropriate actions." ([Same article as above](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2022/08/356_334354.html)) * President Yoon was supposed to go to Queen Elizabeth's funeral but then he got caught in traffic and missed it * Yoon is perceived as doing "begging diplomacy" with Japan, where he basically begged for a meeting with Japan's PM to the annoyance of Japanese politicians. He finally got a 30min meeting, which Yoon called an "informal summit" and Japan called a "discussion" * Yoon was playing up how he was going to have important foreign meetings and have a summit with Biden, but when he showed up to an international event, everyone ignored him, Biden entered the room without greeting him, and they later had a "48 second meeting" (as people are calling it) when they shook hands at the end of the event. After that, Yoon was caught on camera saying, ["If those fuckers in Congress don't pass this, Biden's going to be so embarrassed"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ioao77zwWQs) and then he [started lying about it](https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/South-Korea-s-Yoon-scapegoats-media-after-U.S.-hot-mic-slur), saying he said something else that sounds somewhat similar in the audio, and claimed he was talking about ROK's congress not the US, and not talking about Biden but something else that sounds similar, and then he started trying to [sue media outlets](https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20221005000516) for the "fake news" about this incident while his approval ratings fell below 30% * The education minister also tried to lower the school entry age to 5 years old, which angered a lot of people, as it was proposed very suddenly and with no regard for children's development; "groups say the policy is only focused on producing manpower and growing the workforce and are criticizing the Yoon administration for pushing such a policy without any prior public consultation" ([Source](https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/1053260.html)), "Education minister resigns 34 days into term as Yoon’s approval rating dwindles": "Park’s ignominious resignation comes 34 days after she was appointed without a confirmation hearing on July 4, despite revelations of drunk driving and allegations of academic plagiarism. In the interim, she faced a heavy backlash over what was widely viewed as a half-baked plan to revise the school system. The Ministry of Education ended up facing a firestorm of public opinion after announcing plans to lower the elementary school admission age by one year to students aged at least 5 years old, along with additional plans to abolish foreign language high schools. The school system revision plan in particular has played a major part in Yoon’s approval rating tumbling below 30%." ([Source](https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/1054103.html)) Anyway, I don't follow the news about these things super closely, but those are some of examples of the kind of thing behind people's growing disdain for Yoon's administration, along with his policies in general and the various contradictions of south Korea's society.

Excerpts (full article in link): After having worked 10 hours of her 12-hour graveyard shift, the young woman, who worked at a bread factory affiliated with the parent company of Paris Baguette, SPC, suffered a terrible accident and died after ::: spoiler cw: accident description getting caught in a sauce mixing machine ::: at 6:15 am that day. > After the accident, the mother was angered by media reports describing her daughter as a young girl toiling away to earn money to support her family. This is because her daughter didn’t voluntarily choose to work the night shift. > “The company lacked workers and since my daughter worked well and was kind, I think the company pressured her into working the night shifts at first,” the mother said. “It was almost half-forced to make up for the [small] number of people [working at night].” >On Monday, two days after the accident, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions’ Korean Chemical Textile & Food Workers' Union held a press conference. They exposed the factory’s lack of night shift workers, saying, “We have continuously demanded more workers be hired due to a lack of night shift personnel, but our calls went unheard.” >During the funeral, many company officials including Huh Young-in, chairman of SPC Group, visited the funeral home. But no one offered an explanation for why the deceased was killed working alone at the factory. >“Nobody explained to us why the machine had no safety equipment or why the working manual, which requires working in teams of two, was not adhered to. Is it so hard to install one safety device on a machine? How could they make workers use such machines unless they saw the employees themselves as machines?” >The young woman’s mother had no idea that there had been a similar accident a week ago and that there had been countless accidents before that as well. Further info: https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2022/10/281_338290.html