[reece(:]

Killed for watching TV: North Korea executes 80 people in public 'for viewing South Korean movies and owning Bibles'
In one, people including women and children were herded into a stadium and forced to watch eight people die from machine gun fire
The executions are reported to have taken place in several cities
JoongAng Ilbo could not confirm the deaths, but said its source is familiar with the internal affairs of North Korea and had recently visited the country.

Why the executions took place is difficult to ascertain, but the paper speculates that they may have been carried out to quell unrest and stop capitalist ideology from growing, as they took place in areas of recent economic growth.Some of the deaths may also have been a punishment for the perceived crimes of watching South Korean movies, distributing pornography, using prostitutes and possessing Bibles.


JoongAng Ilbo reported that in Wonsan, in Kangwon Province, 10,000 people were ordered into Shinpoong Stadium, and forced to watch eight people, who were tied to stakes with sacks over their heads, being killed by machine guns.
Its source said: ‘I heard from the residents that they watched in terror as the corpses were riddled by machine-gun fire that they were hard to identify afterwards.’
Other executions took place in Chongjin in North Hamgyong Province, Sariwon in North Hwanghae Province and Pyongsong in South Pyongan.
North Koreans are forced to adhere to the Juche ideology - a doctrine which mixes Marxism with the worship of North Korea's founder Kim Il Sung and his descendents.
But for the past seven years, a Colorado-based preacher, Pastor Foley, and his supporters have been been releasing hydrogen balloons carrying bundles of Bibles into North Korea.
Last year, they dropped an estimated 50,000 Bibles into the country.
Despite its illegality, Pastor Foley estimates that there are 100,000 Christians in North Korea.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ng-Bibles.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/1...n_4252610.html

If this is true then it is absolute madness (watching South Korean movies = death?!).. and it is downright disgraceful on those of religious beliefs

[Z]

It says 8, not 80... Not that that makes it any less horrific. North Korea is a terrifying place, all the mystery surrounding it... I find cult-countries creepy, like I find the concept of the Vatican City/Holy See really bizarre.

[Samuel.]

Fascinating country

[Z]

Originally Posted by Samuel.

Fascinating country

I've watched a few of those undercover documentaries about it, obviously it's poverty stricken etc but it's so strange that the people are so subservient... everybody is too afraid to rebel because of the vice grip the Kim family have over the country.

[reece(:]

Originally Posted by Zee

It says 8, not 80... Not that that makes it any less horrific. North Korea is a terrifying place, all the mystery surrounding it... I find cult-countries creepy, like I find the concept of the Vatican City/Holy See really bizarre.

"In one, people including women and children were herded into a stadium and forced to watch eight people die from machine gun fire
The executions are reported to have taken place in several cities"

[Z]

Ohh my bad! Jesus that's insane!

[MTVN]

I do think that there is a lot of misinformation around about NK mind you, a lot of it relies on rumour than any hard evidence. In a way its testament to how secretive and tightly controlled the country is that stories like this largely come from unnamed sources or what is even admitted to be speculation about the motive, makes it hard to know what's true and what's not

[Z]

I think North Korea is far more unpredictable than any of the countries that the media likes to flap over being rogue states... Iran, Russia, China et al aren't about to start World War III, but North Korea might.

[Nedusa]

Oh my God... It's Nazi Germany in the 1930's all over again

Time maybe the rest of the World said enough !!! The General public in North Korea are being kept hostage in their own country forced to play along to the whims of its Mad dictator and his army.

Surely it's time real effort was made to destabilise this country's leaders and chop the head of the regime. These poor people must be allowed self determination not forced to live under orders in mad gangster led society.

Time real measures were taken to assassinate the rulers of this country and allow revolution to start...!!!

[Tom4784]

I don't think any stories about NK can surprise me at this point. I'm not sure how anyone could change things either since simply eliminating the Kim family probably won't solve anything at this point. It's like what they used to say about the Nazis, if you removed Hitler there'd be a number of people just as bad to take his place. The whole government needs to be dealt with in a quick and decisive manner.

[BBfanUSA]

Watched a documentary where Dennis Rodman and a few Harlem Globetrotters visited the country and held a exhibition with the NK Basketball team.

It was very odd and interesting to say the least.

[smeagol]

of all the counties and pointless wars we are involved in. you'd think they'd pick one worthy like go to north korea in massive force wipe out the army re store a new power and problem solved.
most of the people are fine and have to live under that fear. bout time someone done something about them,

[Z]

Originally Posted by smeagol

of all the counties and pointless wars we are involved in. you'd think they'd pick one worthy like go to north korea in massive force wipe out the army re store a new power and problem solved.
most of the people are fine and have to live under that fear. bout time someone done something about them,

It's trickier to get involved in North Korea - that would provoke Russia and China.

[Toy Soldier]

Originally Posted by smeagol

of all the counties and pointless wars we are involved in. you'd think they'd pick one worthy like go to north korea in massive force wipe out the army re store a new power and problem solved.
most of the people are fine and have to live under that fear. bout time someone done something about them,

NK isn't like the middle east, though. We wouldn't be having full-page spreads for two of three KIA servicemen at a time like we do with the ill-equipped middle eastern states using outdated AK47s, home-made bombs and a few RPGs...

The NK isn't the BEST equipped military in the world, most of its equipment is quite old in comparison to western forces, and they could be wiped out relatively easily with a concentrated effort, however they do have:

- A workable Navy
- An airforce with over 1500 military aircraft
- A conscripted, somewhat trained army of over 1 million soldiers
- A significant number of chemical weapons with ballistic capability
- Rudimentary nuclear weapons


In short; they could be defeated and without any western collateral damage; they have no viable way of attacking Western nations or even South Korea really, who have a much higher grade of military tech, HOWEVER... it would be very expensive in terms of both military resources, and we would be counting death stats for "our own" troops rather than mentioning them by name.

[smeagol]

Originally Posted by Zee

It's trickier to get involved in North Korea - that would provoke Russia and China.

yeah i know and thats the only reason they get away with what they do. while other countries who do less we are quick to step in.

all comes down to cash

[smeagol]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

NK isn't like the middle east, though. We wouldn't be having full-page spreads for two of three KIA servicemen at a time like we do with the ill-equipped middle eastern states using outdated AK47s, home-made bombs and a few RPGs...

The NK isn't the BEST equipped military in the world, most of its equipment is quite old in comparison to western forces, and they could be wiped out relatively easily with a concentrated effort, however they do have:

- A workable Navy
- An airforce with over 1500 military aircraft
- A conscripted, somewhat trained army of over 1 million soldiers
- A significant number of chemical weapons with ballistic capability
- Rudimentary nuclear weapons


In short; they could be defeated and without any western collateral damage; they have no viable way of attacking Western nations or even South Korea really, who have a much higher grade of military tech, HOWEVER... it would be very expensive in terms of both military resources, and we would be counting death stats for "our own" troops rather than mentioning them by name.

yeah could be done though easily enough unlike the middle east it would proper warfare which is a lot easier ,but wont ever happen unless they carry out their threats like previously.
i just feel sorry for the most of the people and the south. its no way to live

.