Kim Jong Un Visits Military Science Exhibition and Attends Magic Show

Kim Jong Un watches a firearms demonstration during a tour of the KPA Military Science and Technology Exhibition. Also in this image are: VMar Kim Jong Gak (L), VMar Choe Ryong Hae (2nd L), VMar Hyon Chol Hae and Jang Song Taek (Photo: KCNA)

 

Kim Jong Un looks at a star-shaped stencil. Also seen in attendance is KWP Deputy Director Hwang Pyong So (6th L) (Photo: Rodong Sinmun)

DPRK state media reported on Friday (27 April) that Kim Jong Un (Kim Cho’ng-u’n) and members of the central leadership visited the Korean People’s Army [KPA] 26th Military Science and Technology Exhibition.  KCNA reports:

He was accompanied by Choe Ryong Hae, Ri Yong Ho, Kim Jong Gak, Jang Song Thaek, Kim Yong Chun, Hyon Chol Hae, Son Chol Ju, Pak Jae Gyong, Kim Yong Chol, Ri Jae Il, Kim Myong Guk, Yun Tong Hyon, Jon Chang Bok and Pak Jong Chon.

He first learned about the reconstruction of the exhibition on a modern basis.

He praised the soldier-builders for having splendidly reconstructed the exhibition by successfully building its exterior and interior to suit its characteristics as an exhibition of science and technology by their own efforts and with indigenous technology.

He expressed satisfaction over the fact that the successful reconstruction and modernization of the exhibition as required by the Songun era has created an important center for widely studying and introducing the military scientific and technological achievements made thanks to the direct initiative of President Kim Il Sung and under the wise leadership of Kim Jong Il.

Then he, conducted by officials, made the rounds of the first and second floors and outdoor exhibition to acquaint himself in detail with the scientific and technological work within the KPA.

It is very good that service personnel, scientists, technicians and researchers of the KPA have made through their researches a lot of valuable inventions and devices urgently needed for the combat preparations of the KPA by displaying collective wisdom and creative ingenuity and presented them to the current exhibition, he said.

Seeing the inventions and devices presented to the exhibition, I can realize that the KPA is working hard to settle scientific and technological issues related to the combat preparations true to the intention of the WPK to push back the frontiers of latest science and technology, he noted.

He repeatedly praised the scientists, technicians, researchers and service personnel of the KPA for their laudable achievements, noting that they have conducted strenuous scientific researches conducive to stepping up the combat preparations of the KPA and improving the standard of soldiers and people’s living by displaying their burning revolutionary enthusiasm and creative ingenuity in the past.

He gave precious instructions for further developing science and technology within the KPA as required by the new century.

He underscored the need to get mastery of latest science and technology in order to ensure that the level of military science and technology of the KPA surpasses the worldwide level of military science and technology and they will develop fast.

The KPA should display according to different sectors inventions and devices highly estimated and selected stage by stage in different sectors including units at various levels and military academies and put the operation of the exhibition on a normal basis as it has been wonderfully rebuilt and modernized.

He expressed expectation and conviction that the current exhibition would mark an important occasion in making a positive contribution to putting spurs to the development of science and technology of the KPA, rounding off the combat preparations and improving the standard of soldiers and people’s living.

Kim Jong Un inspects a display while touring the KPA Military Science and Technology Exhibition. Also seen in attendance in this image are: VMar Ri Yong Ho (L) and Gen. Pak Jae Gyong (3rd L) (Photo: KCNA-Yonhap)

Kim Jong Un is is briefed about a firearms display. In this image are: Gen. Pak Jae Gyong (2nd L), Gen. Kim Yong Chol (4th R), VMar Kim Jong Gak (3rd R) and VMar Kim Yong Chun (R) (Photo: KCNA)

A performer of the KPA Circus, during its magic show "For All Eternity" (Photo: KCNA)

KJU was also reported to have attended a magic show entitled “For All Eternity,” given by the KPA Circus.  KCNA reports:

Put on the stage were numbers of illusionary and movie jugglery.

The performers presented tricks of making optical changes of objects in space-time.

Kim Jong Un set forth tasks which would serve as guidelines for further developing Juche-oriented acrobatic art, a powerful means for politico-ideological, cultural and emotional education of people.

Enjoying the performance were Choe Ryong Hae, Ri Yong Ho, Kim Jong Gak, Jang Song Thaek, Kim Yong Chun, Hyon Chol Hae, Choe Pu Il, Kim Yong Chol and labor innovators of major industrial establishments, teachers and researchers of universities, officials of dongs of districts, exemplary heads of their people’s

3rd Round of UN Command-KPA Meeting Held Friday

USS Tuscon (SSN 770) transits the Pacific Ocean while leading a 13-ship formation July 26 ,2010. The Republic of Korea and the United States are conducting the combined alliance maritime and air readiness exercise “Invincible Spirit” in the seas east of the Korean peninsula from July 25-28, 2010. This is the first in a series of joint military exercises that will occur over the coming months in waters surrounding Korea. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class (SW/AW) Adam K. Thomas)

The third colonel-level meeting between the UN Command and the Korean People’s Army occurred on Friday (30 July) in Panmunjom.  After a two hour meeting, a 4th round was scheduled for 9 August, possibly to arrange a general-level session.

The American-led United Nations Command (UNC) and North Korea agreed to hold another working-level meeting early next month to arrange general-level dialogue on the sinking of a South Korean warship, an official for the UNC said.

The agreement was reached at the end of the third round of working-level military talks attended by colonels from the UNC and North Korea on Friday, the official said, adding that the meeting was held for about two hours at the border truce village of Panmunjom.

Meanwhile, there are rumors in the ROK of a recent cyber attack by the DPRK, which may or may not be related to the recent declaration of “sacred war”:

The presidential office is on alert against a cyberattack by North Korea after receiving intelligence reports, the Blue House said yesterday.

“The National Cyber Security Center [NCSC] obtained intelligence on a possible cyberattack from North Korea,” Blue House spokeswoman Kim Hee-jung told reporters. A relevant team at the Blue House is on emergency alert footing from Tuesday in cooperation with the NCSC, she added.

The possible cyberattack seems to be associated with the North’s threat of a “sacred war” to retaliate against the large-scale joint naval drills between South Korea and the United States in the East Sea, which ended yesterday, she added.

NK’s PR Cyber Blitz in South Korea

The Mirim War College, which contains the country's Electronic Warfare Research Institute, one of the country's premier cyber warfare education and training institutions.

KJI and the propaganda managers in the Central Party are fond of using proxy writer campaigns to advance a particular ideological motif.  It seems the DPRK’s crack electronic warfare operatives have exported the proxy writer campaign south, to reiterate the country’s denials and other statements about the Cheonan investigation.  The use of cyber warfare (although this is relatively low level) is not entirely unexpected, as several former ROK officials anticipated in late April some type of electronic activity from the DPRK targeted to the South.

ROK officials say that the DPRK are posting online comments and essays, as well as sending letter, signed with the names of ROK citizens whose “residential identification numbers.”  These ID numbers were believed to have been taken during previous NK hacking.  Chosun Ilbo reports:

North Korea has launched a cyber campaign denying all involvement in the sinking of the South Korean Navy corvette Cheonan in the face of crushing evidence to the contrary. Using stolen IDs of South Koreans, the North is spreading claims on South Korean portal sites that the sinking was fabricated.

A South Korean intelligence officer on Tuesday said Pyongyang is posting articles on major websites denying all accusations. “The North used stolen residence registration numbers and IDs of South Koreans,” he said.

The posts are broadly the same as a statement from the North’s National Defense Commission, its top policy body. It was uploaded on the state-run North Korean website Uriminzokkiri.

Another article which the North posted on a Korean-Chinese website under the title “Organizations that have benefited from the Cheonan sinking” has also found its way to some South Korean portal sites.

Kim Sung-min, the president of Free North Korea Radio, said, “There has been a sudden increase in the number of posts calling the Cheonan incident a fabrication on our website. We suspect that there are systematic propaganda tactics behind these articles.”

The North seems to be using South Korean residence registration numbers and IDs stolen in past computer hacking attacks. South Korean intelligence believes that the North used mainly the personal details of elementary schoolchildren, housewives and elderly people.

Sam Kim reports in Yonhap:

An intelligence official here who spoke on condition of anonymity said the communist country has apparently used South Korean residential identification numbers to post online messages that regurgitate its denial. Almost every South Korean adult is assigned such a number, often using it to validate a Web account.

“It is our understanding that the North is using South Korean people’s IDs to post messages and create Internet opinion that the investigation was a fabrication,” the official said.

Residential identification numbers, despite their wide use, are often criticized for being vulnerable to hacking.
The official did not elaborate, but his comments came after intelligence officials said last week that North Korea has sent letters to civilian South Korean organizations to claim it has nothing to do with the sinking.

Kim Tae Hong writes about the letters being sent in Daily NK:

A marine products importer based in Jung-gu, Busan received the same letter on the 2nd. The president of the company, Mr. Park, found the letter on the fax machine in his office and alerted the police. Another marine product importer in Saha-gu, Busan also received the letter today.

The receiving companies had all previously done business with North Korea through the National Economic Cooperation Federation in Beijing, from which the letter appears to have been faxed.

The five-page letter entitled “Public Letter to the South Chosun People” apparently originated from the central committee of the Fatherland Reunification and Democracy Front, which is an espionage organization rooted in “united front” tactics.

Alongside claiming that the Cheonan incident was fabricated by South Korea, the letter also says that voting for the ruling Grand National Party on June 2nd is the same as inciting a war, and asserts raising tensions is deleterious to the national economy.

According to the police, others have received another form of the letter entitled, “Informing the South Korean Brethren,” supposedly sent by the Korean Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation.

You can read two previous vignettes on the DPRK’s electronic (cyber) warfare activities here and here.