Reuters
By Jack Kim, Reuters
SEOUL - A hacking attack on the servers of South Korean broadcasters and banks originated from an IP address based in China, officials in Seoul said on Thursday, raising suspicions the intrusion came from North Korea.
An unnamed official from South Korea's presidential office was quoted by the Yonhap news agency as saying the discovery of the IP address indicated Pyongyang was responsible for the attack on Wednesday. Read the full story.
Kyodo / Reuters
A man removes snow from a monument in Pyongyang, North Korea, Dec. 10, 2012.
Jeon Heon-kyun / EPA
South Korean divers wearing Santa Claus costumes swim in a tank during an event at the Coex Aquarium in Seoul, South Korea, on Friday, December, 8 2012.
Koji Sasahara / AP
Doves are released in prayer of perpetual peace by worshippers at the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2012. Japan marked the 67th anniversary of its World War II surrender with a somber memorial led by its emperor and other commemorations. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)
Issei Kato / Reuters
A man dressed as a Japanese imperial army soldier stands at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo August 15, 2012, on the 67th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II.
Yoshikazu Tsuno / AFP - Getty Images
Japanese Land and Transport Minister Yuichiro Hata (L) and fellow lawmakers visit the controversial Yasukuni shrine to honor the dead on the 67th anniversary of Japan's surrender from World War II, in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Reuters reports: A Japanese cabinet member paid homage at a controversial shrine for war dead on Wednesday -- the 67th anniversary of Tokyo's defeat in World War Two -- a move likely to further strain relations with China and South Korea.
Bitter memories of Japanese militarism run deep in China and South Korea and, despite close economic ties, relations with Beijing and Seoul have become increasingly fraught recently.
Bickering over rival territorial claims to rocky, uninhabited islands are the latest sign of how the region has yet to resolve differences over its past. Continue reading the full story.
Jason Lee / Reuters
Protesters hold a Chinese national flag and banners reading "Japan get out of Diaoyu islands" and "declare war against Japan" during an anti-Japan protest to mark the 67th anniversary of Japan's defeat in World War Two, outside the Japanese embassy in Beijing August 15, 2012.
By Carlos Barria of Reuters: I never imagined that a simple image on a piece of paper could have the power to transform someone’s suspicious look into an expression of surprise — the kind of surprise you might see on a child’s face as they watch their first magic trick.
But I saw this transformation a week ago, when I joined a group of journalists on a trip to North Korea. I brought a Polaroid camera along with the idea of taking a few portraits. I wanted to be able to offer these portraits to the subjects themselves.
I’ve always liked the idea of trading something with the subject of a photograph. I take his or her picture, or image, and in some circumstances, it seems appropriate to give something back. I can’t pay them, so ideally I send them a copy of the picture by email.
Knowing North Koreans have little access to the Internet, I brought a Polaroid camera instead. When I used it to take portrait pictures, I took two snaps. Then I gave one Polaroid to the person in the picture, and I kept the second for myself; one copy for them, one copy for me.
But, I didn’t count on the incredible expressions that would come over North Koreans’ faces as they watched the Polaroids slowly emerge.
Carlos Barria / Reuters
Local workers rest before the departure ceremony of a cruise ship with visitors at the port of the North Korean special economic zone of Rason City, northeast of Pyongyang August 30, 2011.
In a port where we boarded a cruise ship, I saw a group of local workers taking a break. I walked over to them with my cameras and they looked at me as if I were an alien. I took two Polaroids of the group of workers; one for them and one for me. I gave them the Polaroid but they couldn’t figure out what it was right away. Then I took it back and pretended to do a little magic on the paper. The image started to emerge. All their faces cracked into astonished smiles. Before I could get their names, their boss waved all the workers away. He apparently didn’t want me to talk to them.
Carlos Barria / Reuters
Pakn Okn Hai, 28, poses for a portrait inside a food-gift shop near the North Korean Special Economic Zone of Rason City, northeast of Pyongyang, August 29, 2011.
Walking out of a restaurant, I saw 28-year-old Pakn Okn Hai, standing in silence behind the counter of a sparse gift shop. With very primitive gestures (I don’t speak Korean) I asked her if it would be possible to shoot a picture of her and she accepted. I gave her the Polaroid, which usually takes 20 seconds to reveal an image. As her portrait was appearing she opened her mouth in surprise and then she gave me a big smile.
Carlos Barria / Reuters
Pakn Okn Hai, 28, poses with a portrait Polaroid of herself inside a food-gift shop near the North Korean Special Economic Zone of Rason City, northeast of Pyongyang August 29, 2011.
Later, when I asked through an interpreter if she’d ever had a picture of herself, she said, “No, I have never had a picture of myself”.
Carlos Barria / Reuters
Ko Un Byol, 22, poses for a portrait next to a painting of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il at a local auditorium in the North Korean Special Economic Zone of Rason City, northeast of Pyongyang, August 29, 2011.
Ko Un Byol, 22-years-old, worked as a hostess at the local auditorium in Rason City. She wore a beautiful, traditional red dress and I photographed her in front of a painting of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. When I asked her through a translator if she had ever had a picture of herself she answered, “Visitors take pictures of me all the time, but I have never had a picture of myself”.
Reuters
Ko Un Byol (R), 22, looks at a polaroid taken by Reuters photographer Carlos Barria at a local auditorium in the North Korean Special Economic Zone of Rason City, northeast of Pyongyang August 29, 2011.
When I was shooting this portrait a government minder approached and told me that if I wanted to photograph the Great Leader, I would have to shoot it from further away, since it is “disrespectful” to take a picture of him without fitting his full image in the frame. He didn’t mention the woman I was actually photographing.
Carlos Barria / Reuters
A polaroid picture of Ko Un Byol (L), 22, and Reuters photographer Carlos Barria is seen at a local auditorium in the North Korean Special Economic Zone of Rason City, northeast of Pyongyang August 29, 2011.
Carlos Barria / Reuters
A hotel porter poses for a portrait in front of a painting of North Korean leaders Kim Il-sung and his son Kim Jong-il in Mount Kumgang resort in Kumgang August 31, 2011.
I was photographing a portrait of Kim Il-sung and his son Kim Jong-il when a hotel porter approached to correct me about taking a proper picture of North Korean leaders. He said I had to shoot the picture from directly in front of the portrait; another rule, I suppose, that governs how North Koreans should behave around images of their leader. Then he offered to take a picture of me.
Reuters
Reuters photographer Carlos Barria poses for a picture taken by a hotel porter in front of a painting of North Korean leaders Kim Il-sung and his son Kim Jong-il in Mount Kumgang resort in Kumgang August 31, 2011.
I accepted, and I asked if I could take his portrait picture. He said yes, and I gave him a copy.
Carlos Barria / Reuters
Hotel staff pose for a portrait in Mount Kumgang resort in Kumgang August 31, 2011.
Two cleaning ladies at the hotel in Kumgang were very curious about my colleague Ng Han Guan, from the Associated Press, as he edited pictures on his laptop in the lobby. I rushed to my room to get my camera and capture them. I shot their portrait three times; one Polaroid for each of them and one for me. They posed standing, and then they asked me for another shot, so I took another. This time they were more relaxed and more natural.
Carlos Barria / Reuters
Hotel staff pose for a portrait in Mount Kumgang resort in Kumgang August 31, 2011.
I felt they were enjoying the moment. They were happy to have the photographs, in the same way photography makes me happy.
Carlos Barria / Reuters
Local residents wave as a cruise ship with visitors leaves the port in the North Korean special economic zone of Rason, located northeast of Pyongyang August 30, 2011.
Before boarding our cruise ship, I photographed a group of young residents who were brought by local authorities for a departure ceremony. I photographed the group and gave a Polaroid to someone in the front row. As the ship left the port, I saw them circulating the picture among themselves, so everyone could see it at least once.
Jung Yeon-Je / AFP - Getty Images
A South Korea's K1 tank fires smoke shells during a joint military drill between South Korea and the US in Paju near the inter-Korean border on June 8, 2011 aimed at deterring North Korea's military threat. Tensions on the Korea peninsula are high following two deadly border incidents last year which Seoul blames on its neighbour.
We missed this picture when it crossed the wire earlier this week. Michael Shaw has an interesting take on it today at BagNews:
There are so many spiritual/supernatural suggestions here, starting with halos, though the ring in the center also looks like one of those symbolic dark clouds a cartoonist will place over a character’s head.
Read more here.
Update, 3:37 p.m. ET:
Or see FOTO8's contrary take, via their Twitter feed:
@BagNewsNotes no, its a plain pic if an Sry exercise, not art or war actually, just PR. If you want to.discuss war why not tune in to it.
Lee Jin-man / AP
Dogs stay inside the rooms at a newly opened pet hotel in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2011. The hotel has a grooming center, hospital, school and a pet store.
Check out this week’s Animal Tracks for more interesting animal pictures.
KCNA via EPA
A picture made available by the Korean Central News Agency, the state news agency of the North Korean government, on Oct. 26 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-il (third from right) and his son and heir apparent Kim Jong-un (far right) attending a mass meeting to mark the 60th anniversary of the entry of the Chinese People's Volunteers into the Korean front at the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium in North Korea on Oct. 25.
United States Marine Corps via AP file
In this photo released by the U.S. Marine Corps, a small detail of U.S. Marines lies in the snow with rifles ready at a curve in a road near Yudan in the Chosin Reservoir area northwest of the port of Hungnam, Korea, Nov. 29, 1950. They are shown at their snowy post as the 1st and 7th Marine regiments were retiring under heavy pressure by three enemy divisions.
Because images of the Kim family are fairly rare, we try to post some here when they are released. The event the Kims celebrated yesterday, the entry into the Korean War of Chinese Communist troops, was a terrifically costly one for the United States, and presaged the epic battle between U.S. Marines and Chinese at the Chosin reservoir depicted in the second picture. According to About.com:
On October 25, 1950, with General Douglas MacArthur's United Nations forces closing in a victorious end to the Korean War, Communist Chinese forces began pouring across the border. Striking the spread out UN troops with overwhelming force, they compelled them to retreat all across the front. In northeastern Korea, the US X Corps, led by Major General Ned Almond, was strung out with its units unable to support each other. Those units near the Chosin (Changjin) Reservoir included the 1st Marine Division and elements of the 7th Infantry Division.
For more on yesterday's appearance by the Kims, see this video report from ITN.
If you're interested in a gripping, if somewhat controversial, read on the Chosin Reservoir fight, see Breakout by Korean War veteran Martin Russ. For a higher-altitude view of the conflict, with a particular emphasis on American politics during the war, I highly recommend David Halberstam's The Coldest Winter.
Lee Jae-Won / Reuters
A bride takes a nap as newlyweds attend a mass wedding ceremony of the Unification Church at Sun Moon University in Asan, south of Seoul, Oct. 10. The Unification Church founded by evangelist reverend Moon Sun-myung in Seoul in 1954, performed its first mass wedding in 1961 with 33 couples. Seven thousand and two hundred couples attended the mass wedding on Sunday.
So much for this being the most exciting day of her life.
(AP Photo)
The front page of North Korea's Rodong Sinmun newspaper of Thursday, Sept. 30, 2010 shows a group photo of senior North Korean officials, including Kim Jong Un, believed to be the third son of Kim Jong Il. The newspaper identified Kim Jong Un as being in the photo, in the front row, second from left. Kim Jong Il is in the front row, second from right.
Click here to see more of the North Korea's First Family
Korean Central News Agency via epa
Party delegates from rural areas arrive to attend a meeting of the ruling Worker's Party of Korea in Pyongyang, September 26, 2010, in this picture released by North Korea's KCNA news agency on September 27, 2010. North Korea's ruling party will hold its biggest meeting in decades on September 28 to pick a new leadership, state media reported on September 21, and likely anoint an heir to the dynasty as Kim Jong-il's health deteriorates.
Korean Central News Agency via Reuters
Party delegates from rural areas arrive to attend a meeting of the ruling Worker's Party of Korea in Pyongyang, September 26, 2010, in this picture released by North Korea's KCNA news agency on September 27, 2010. North Korea's ruling party will hold its biggest meeting in decades on September 28 to pick a new leadership, state media reported on September 21, and likely anoint an heir to the dynasty as Kim Jong-il's health deteriorates.
The upcoming meeting of the North Korean Workers' Party will give the North Korea watchers plenty to chew on. At the last meeting thirty years ago, Kim Jong-il was designated the heir apparent to his father.
The orderly march of these delegates makes me wonder if this arrival was stage-managed for the cameras, or if North Koreans really behave in such an disciplined way.
UPDATE: Leader's son promoted
SEOUL, South Korea — Hidden from even the North Korean public, the youngest son of leader Kim Jong-il has been for months the focus of speculation that he will next lead the impoverished state.
The first mention of Kim Jong-un in the North's official media came early on Tuesday, with his appointment as a military general just hours before the start of the biggest meeting of the ruling Workers' Party in 30 years.
The youngest of Kim's three known sons, Swiss-educated Jong-un is said to be 26 and his name in Chinese characters translates as "righteous cloud."
He is thought to speak English and German, and bears a striking resemblance to his father, informed sources have been quoted in the local media as saying.
South Korea's defense minister has said the North's recent military moves were aimed at helping Kim Jong-il, 68, pave the way for succession after questions of his leadership were raised when he was reported to have suffered a stroke in 2008.
This video is equally fascinating.
Lee Jung-Hoon / Yonhap / Reuters
A South Korean general addresses members of the government policy advisory committees during a briefing on a broken section of what Seoul claims to be a North Korean torpedo, which was salvaged near the disputed sea border, and displayed at the Defense Ministry building in Seoul on May 26, 2010. North Korea announced it was cutting all ties with South Korea in retaliation for Seoul imposing sanctions on Pyongyang after torpedoing one of the South's warships.
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