CINA

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[2 September 2014, central Seoul] This afternoon, Sewol families had a press conference...

...at 1pm, announcing 4.85 million signature petitions...

...calling for an enactment of Special Law on Sewol. After the press conference, families started to make a "Three steps and one bow" pilgrimage walk...

...from Gwanghwamun square to the Presidential Office. Just after few steps, they were totally blocked by the cops:

Some mothers burst out into cry, "Why are you doing this? Didn't you all cry when the Sewol ferry tragedy happened? Are we criminals? Why are you blocking our way?"

Families decided to continue their three steps and one bow at the stop in front of the police wall. It is raining now in Seoul. It is now 5pm here and families have continued their bow for more than 3 hours... (source: Solidarity for Sewol Ferry Tragedy)

Related reports in Korean, incl. lots of pics, you'll get here:

☞ 세월호 유가족, 진상규명 485만 국민서명 3보1배 통해 청와대 향해 (KCTU)
☞ 세월호 유가족 눈물의 삼보일배…청와대 응답은 견고한 ‘경찰벽’ (VOP)
☞ 절 하는 유가족, 절 받는(?) 경찰 (OMN)

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Last month the int'l media reported that the U.K. broadcaster Channel 4 has greenlit North Korean political thriller “Opposite Number.” The 10-part drama series has been penned by British playwright and screenwriter Matt Charman, who wrote the original script for Steven Spielberg’s upcoming Cold War movie. The Channel 4 series kicks off with a covert mission to North Korea by a British nuclear scientist, who is then taken prisoner. This triggers an international crisis as he could be forced to help North Korea weaponize its nuclear technology...(more you can read here)

Well, it took a while for the N. Korean "authorities" to find out that there's another conspiracy, created just to harm DPRK's dignity. But now - as you can imagine - they're not amused, not at all!

Therefore the National Defence Commission of the DPRK issued y'day the following statement(via KCNA): Recently the British 4th TV channel producers openly made public a plan for producing and airing a serial TV drama-style movie malignantly slandering the DPRK. The movie is nothing but a conspiratorial charade painting a wrong picture of the DPRK's reality... etc. etc. etc.

But here comes the more interesting part of the statement: The British authorities should not forget even a moment the lesson drawn from the incident in which that it was sentenced to permanent death because of "poems of evil" which groundlessly slandered a country in the Mideast in the past. Reckless anti-DPRK hysteria would only bring disgrace and self-destruction...

I searched the internet for "poems of evil", but without any useful result! But I'm guessing, about what they're talking: In 1988 S. Rushdie's novel "The Satanic Verses" was published in the U.S. and Europe. His novel created a massive outcry in the conservative Islamic world and finally it resulted in a Fatwa calling on all Muslims to kill Rushdie and his publishers...

Well, I've no idea what the "National Defence Commission of the DPRK" wanted to say! An nuclear attack against UK? Possibly impossible(^^)!! But why not a "Korean Style FATWA"(^^) against UK/Channel 4/Matt Charman...

Anyway, sooner or later we'll get the answer...

Related article:
☞ NK calls new Channel 4 show a 'slanderous farce' (Guardian, 8.01)

 

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[Breaking News] Mr Kim Young-oh, Yoo-min's father, decided to stop his hunger strike... He said that he will come back to Gwanghwamun Square to continue his struggle once he recovers his health. Sewol families struggle is not over. Today is 7th day of Sewol families protest in front of the President office and people who stand in solidarity with families continue their struggle at the Gwanghwamun Square(source: Solidarity for Sewol Ferry Tragedy, 8.28). More detailed info you'll get here.

Related:
☞ More than 28,000 joining Sewol hunger strikes (Hankyoreh, 8.28)
☞ Opposition lawmaker ends hunger strike after 9 days (Yonhap, 8.28)

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* Hunger-striking father denies negative rumors(JoogAng Ilbo, 8.27)... But - surprise, surprise - today's Korea Times assumed that "There are suspicions that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) is behind the spread of negative rumors and personal attacks on Kim..."

Also today: At least 500 members of the Korean Metal Workers' Union gathered in the afternoon nearby Gwanghwamun(the main Sewol sit-in site in central Seoul) to support the struggle of the Sewol Struggle, esp. Kim Young-oh's hunger strike.

After the rally - as announced - they wanted to march to the Blue House(S.K. presidential office), but they were blocked by massive units of riot cops...

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1. Today is the 43rd day of the hunger strike by Kim Young-oh, father of Yoo-min, a high school student who died in the Sewol tragedy. Last Friday he was taken to the Seoul's Dongbu Hospital...

Now he is in "stable condition"...

...but still he's refusing to eat! Last Sat. The Hankyoreh published an impressive piece about Kim Young-oh's struggle. You can(MUST!!) read it here!

2. Today was also the fourth day that around thirty victims’ family members were holding a protest in front of Cheongwoon Hyojadong Community Center nearby the Presidential Office(aka the "Blue House"), demanding a meeting with President Park Geun-hye.

Here you'll get a summary of the latest developments.

3. Online and offline, more than 3,000 people are taking part in a sympathy hunger strike to support and encourage the bereaved family members... And there's also a kind of int'l/pan-Korean solidarity: Today's (bourgeois) Korea Times published the following: Overseas Koreans join Sewol hunger strike.

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Two days ago(8.22) KCNA proved - once again - that there is indeed a close relationship/collaboration between the ruling "Korean Workers Party" with fascist/neo-Nazi organizations...

Under the headline "DPRK's Important Days Marked in Brazil, Germany" KCNA "reported" the following:

There took place a book exhibition and round-table talks in Brazil and a meeting in Germany on Aug. 13 and 14. They marked the Day of Songun in the DPRK and the 69th anniversary of Korea's liberation...

The chairman of the Anti-Imperialist Forum of Germany said in a speech: The new history of Korea has begun since Kim Il Sung liberated the country 69 years ago. The DPRK has won victories in the confrontation with the U.S. because HE Kim Jong Il, faithful successor to the idea and cause of Kim Il Sung, built powerful capability for self-defence with his Songun revolutionary leadership. Kim Jong Un is further developing the DPRK into an invincible military power. It greatly encourages the progressive people in their struggle against imperialism. A congratulatory message to Kim Jong Un was adopted at the event in Germany.

Already one month earlier the so-called "Anti-Imperialist Forum"/in German: "Antiimperialistische Plattform"(*) recieved the following letter of appreciation signed by the N. Korean(aka DPRK) ambassador in Berlin/Germany:

* The "Antiimperialistische Plattform" is the successor organization of the former "Combat League of German Socialists", a hardcore neo-Nazi organization... And its main aim is - for the time being - the creation of a global "Querfront".

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[Breaking News] This morning at around 8am, Yoo-min's father, Mr. Kim Young-oh was sent to the hospital. He continued his hunger strike for 40 days as of today. Tears in his eyes when he was carried into an ambulance. Please stand in solidarity with Sewol victims and their families...(source: Solidarity for Sewol Tragedy)

But even in the emergency room he stated, according to the S.K. media, “I will continue my hunger strike as long as the special Sewol bill remains unlegislated!" ...

Related reports:
☞ After 40 days of hunger strike, ferry victim’s father hospitalized (K. Herald)
☞ '특별법 제정 촉구 단식 40일째' 유민 아빠 김영오 씨 건강 악화 병원 후송 (KCTU)
☞ No way out for Sewol stalemate (Korea Times)

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