Fighters for a Free North Korea [SEP] country
Balloon propaganda campaigns in Korea


organizations are the most active ones; the two main organizations for flying leaflets to North Korea are Fighters for a Free North Korea and North Korean Christian Association. Fighters for a Free North Korea, Campaign for Helping North Koreans in Direct Way, North Korean Christian Association and North Korean People's Liberation Front are among the active balloon releasing defectors' groups. However, Park Sang-hak claims that, unlike other defector groups, Fighters for a Free North Korea does not receive funding from the government—they have a couple of
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Fighters for a Free North Korea


Fighters for a Free North Korea (FFNK) is an organization formed in South Korea that is known for periodically launching balloons carrying human rights and pro-democracy literature, DVDs, transistor radios and USB flash drives from South Korea into North Korea. Over two million such balloons have been launched. The balloons, which generally reach their destination area after three to four hours in the air, are timed to release their materials in the Pyongyang area. A principal method of getting news and arts from the outside world into the so
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Park Sang-hak


defection left him angry, so he quit his job. In 2006, Park became the chairman of the Democracy Network against North Korea Gulag. As of 2013, he is the chairman of Fighters for a Free North Korea. In April 2015 Park Sang-hak was detained as protestors clashed with South Korean police over their attempts to airlift thousands of copies of "The Interview" into North Korea. Fighters for a Free North Korea is known for periodically launching balloons carrying human rights and pro-democracy literature, DVDs, transistor
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The Interview


the reasons they're so against the movie is that they're afraid it'll actually get into North Korea. They do have bootlegs and stuff. Maybe the tapes will make their way to North Korea and cause a revolution." "Business Insider" reported via Free North Korea Radio that there was high demand for bootleg copies of the film in North Korea. The South Korean human rights organizations Fighters for a Free North Korea and Human Rights Foundation, largely made up of North Korean defectors, planned to distribute DVD copies of
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Portable DVD player


, including on buses, trains and long international air flights. The popularity of low cost battery powered Portable DVD players in North Korea allows families to watch Chinese and South Korean programs on SD cards and USB flash drives. North Korean defectors run activist groups, like Fighters for a Free North Korea that smuggle DVDs and SD cards into the country "to introduce North Koreans to the rest of the world". Activist groups planned to distribute DVD copies of "The Interview" via balloon drops. The balloon drop was postponed after
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North Korea–Vietnam relations


1966: 12.3 million rubles; 1967: 20 million; 1968: 12.5 million; 1969: 12.5 million). In 1968, approximately 2,000 Vietnamese students and trainees received education for free in Korea. As a result of a decision of the Korean Workers' Party in October 1966, in early 1967 North Korea sent a fighter squadron to North Vietnam to back up the North Vietnamese 921st and 923rd fighter squadrons defending Hanoi. They stayed through 1968; 200 pilots were reported to have served. In addition, at least two anti
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International rankings of North Korea


North Korea ranks as the least democratic country in the world in "The Economist" Intelligence Unit's Democracy Index, while The Heritage Foundation and "The Wall Street Journal"s Index of Economic Freedom places the country as the one with least economic freedom. According to the Press Freedom Index, North Korea has the least free press in the world. According to the Walk Free Foundation's Global Slavery Index, North Korea has the highest proportion of people in modern slavery. The Open Doors foundation's World Watch List lists the country as
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Fighters for a Free North Korea


— whose Christmas 2014 theatrical release was initially canceled, and then released to independent and arthouse cinemas as well as online —and move them across the border and into North Korea via balloon drops. The balloon drop was postponed after the North Korean government referred to the plan as a de facto "declaration of war." North Korea Intellectuals Solidarity is another human rights organization that works with FFNK in moving contraband material into North Korea. Methods of getting the materials into the hands of North Korean citizens include standing on the South Korean
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Foreign relations of North Korea


Students from North Vietnam began going to the DPRK to study as early as the 1960s, even before the formal establishment of Korean-language education in their country. North Korea lent material and manpower support to North Vietnam during the Vietnam War, though the number of South Korean troops fighting for South Vietnam was larger. As a result of a decision of the Korean Workers' Party in October 1966, in early 1967 the DPRK sent a fighter squadron to North Vietnam to back up the North Vietnamese 921st and 923rd fighter squadrons defending
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Fighters for a Free North Korea


of South Korea, shortly after being prevented by authorities from releasing them from Paju, their usual launch site, which North Korea had threatened to fire upon if the balloon release went forward. FFNK has partnered with the Human Rights Foundation on activities to get liberty-oriented materials across the border and into North Korea since 2013. Drops have included offline copies of the Korean Wikipedia on a bootable USB memory device. Following an international geopolitical controversy in December 2014, both organizations are planning to obtain DVD copies of "The Interview"
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Balloon propaganda campaigns in Korea


by the South Korean government. Park Sang-hak says that Fighters for a Free North Korea was able to send twice as many leaflets to the North Korea using boats. In comparison, during 2014, they managed to fly only seven to eight million leaflets into North Korea. The launches have been met with resistance from the locals living nearby. Fear has also been harmful for local tourism and business. Residents of the city of Paju living near the launch site of Imjingak tried to stop balloons from being launched in October 2014
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Balloon propaganda campaigns in Korea


January 2015 by Human Rights Foundation and Fighters for a Free North Korea. Kim Hueng-kang from North Korea Intellectuals Solidarity says that the balloons are good for pressuring North Korea, even though they tend to fall near the DMZ due to the winds, where there are mostly soldiers to see the leaflets. Park Sang-hak has retained confidence in the balloons, as he says that hundreds of defectors have told to him about having been reached by the leaflets. Lee Min-bok has said that "[t]he balloon launch
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Fighters for a Free North Korea


-called "hermit kingdom" of North Korea has been the use of airdrops of materials that have been flown over the border by balloon. The balloons are hydrogen gas balloons that carry a wide range of materials such as transistor radios, entertainment DVDs and brochures. The materials sent are "intended to introduce North Koreans to the rest of the world". The popularity of low cost battery powered Portable DVD players in North Korea allows families to watch Chinese and South Korean programs on SD cards and USB flash drives. According to
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North Korea


to North Korea are located in Beijing rather than in Pyongyang. In the 1960s and 1970s, it pursued an independent foreign policy, established relations with many developing countries, and joined the Non-Aligned Movement. In the late 1980s and the 1990s its foreign policy was thrown into turmoil with the collapse of the Soviet bloc. Suffering an economic crisis, it closed a number of its embassies. At the same time, North Korea sought to build relations with developed free market countries. , North Korea had diplomatic relations with 166
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North Korea–Singapore relations


North Korea–Singapore relations () are bilateral relations between North Korea and Singapore. Singapore and North Korea established diplomatic relations on 8 November 1975. North Korea maintains an embassy in Singapore while the latter has accredited a non-resident ambassador to Pyongyang from Beijing. The current North Korean ambassador to Singapore is Kim Chol Nam. Relationships between the two countries are not active at the official level, but Singapore has suspended trade relations with North Korea since November 2017. North Korean citizens could enter Singapore visa-free till mid 2016
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Balloon propaganda campaigns in Korea


the balloons are considered a low-cost solution. Fighters for a Free North Korea has considered improving their GPS capabilities to better understand their balloons' movements. Since early 2015, helicopter drones have been used to distribute materials. Imjingak's Imjin Pavilion grounds, the Tongil Park parking lot in the city of Paju and the island of Ganghwa on the west coast are common places for anti-North Korea activists to hold protests and launch balloons. Balloons have also been launched on boats, but launching from boats was prohibited in 2013
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Taxation in North Korea


Officially, there are no taxes in North Korea. The date of 1 April is the North Korean "Tax Abolition Day". North Korean propaganda claims that North Korea is the world's only tax-free country. The North Korean state, however, still collects revenue from its citizens in the form of hidden taxation through various sales taxes. In particular, the turnover tax from consumption provides for the majority of the state revenue in North Korea. The North Korean state does, therefore, collect revenues, which internationally has
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Censorship in South Korea


tools areas. In 2011 South Korea was included on Reporters Without Borders list of countries "Under Surveillance". The Electronic Frontier Foundation has criticized the Korea Communications Standards Commission for proposing censorship of the blog of an internet free speech activist. In September 2004, North Korea launched the website. Also, South Korea has banned at least 31 sites considered sympathetic to North Korea through the use of IP blocking. A man who praised North Korea on Twitter was arrested. In 2007, numerous bloggers were censored, arrested, and their
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Park Sang-hak


Park Sang-hak is a North Korean democracy activist and is the chairman of Fighters for a Free North Korea. Born in 1968 at Hyesan, Park grew up in a privileged family in North Korea. Park Sang-hak attended Kim Chaek University studying IT. After graduating, he worked at Kim Il Sung Youth Alliance. He met with other members of the community every Monday for political classes and Saturday self-criticism sessions. Park’s grandmother, returning from a rare visit to Japan, told of how much happier people
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Abraham Halpern


in Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve from Sep. 24, 1942 to Nov. 30, 1945 in European, North Atlantic, and Pacific theatres. Rank on discharge: Petty Officer. Served in Royal Canadian Navy, 1953-1957, as follows: Medical Officer, R.C.N. Hospital, Esquimalt, BC, July to Nov., 1953. Medical Officer, H.M.C.S. "Cayuga", Nov., 1953 to Feb., 1955 - Far East (Korea). Medical Officer, R.C.N. Hospital, Cornwallis, NS, Apr., 1955 to Sep.,
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Human rights in North Korea


It created an office at the State Department focused on North Korean human rights, run originally by Special Envoy Jay Lefkowitz. The NGO Freedom House has ranked North Korea at the very bottom of its "Freedom in the World" ratings since the survey was first launched in 1973. In Freedom House's 2013 survey, North Korea was one of nine countries that earned a 7 (its lowest rating) for both political rights and civil liberties. Its current report on North Korea categorizes it as "Not Free", and states
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Fighters for a Free North Korea


the "Wall Street Journal" in 2013, supporters of the balloon campaign say that it "is one of the most effective tools for change inside North Korea, where information about the outside world is highly restricted". Critics of the campaign, reported the "Journal", "oppose the move for causing inter-Korean frictions". Some balloon drops have been interrupted by South Korean authorities. In October 2012, Park Sang-hak and his colleagues released balloons containing leaflets from Ganghwa, an island off the west coast
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MiG Alley


and fighters, like the B-29 and P-51 Mustang – and early jet fighters like the F-80 Shooting Star, F-84 Thunderjet and Grumman F9F Panther – flew the skies over Korea virtually unopposed. During October, the major Communist powers – China and the Soviet Union – commenced unofficial military support of North Korea. The Soviets also committed to supply North Korea and China with its latest MiG-15 fighters, and to train Korean and Chinese pilots to fly them. China officially entered the war in support of North Korea on October 25, 1950.
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History of the Royal Air Force


strengthen Japan-UK defence cooperation. We have no specific country or region in our mind," South Korean and US officials said the drill would improve the allies’ ability to strike key targets in North Korea, including military facilities and those linked to the regime's leader, Kim Jong-un; the drill in Japan was also known as Exercise Guardian North 16 and it ended in early November. The exercises in South Korea included the first UK-Republic of Korea Fighter exercise, that took place from 4 to 11
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Radio jamming in Korea


shortages in North Korea, radio jamming activities are not consistent and are sometimes interrupted by power failures. A group by the name of Free North Korea Radio conducts numerous activities that focus on providing radio broadcasts to North Koreans. The broadcasts often include instructions on methods to leave the country and the group has contact with underground reporters within North Korea. The group primarily consists of numerous North Korean refugees and defectors. In late September 2017, the BBC World Service launched shortwave broadcasts in Korean aimed at the Korean Peninsula from its transmitters in
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Uriminzokkiri


after Australian missionary John Short was deported from North Korea for "anti-state" religious acts, Uriminzokkiri released an article using biblical terms and references to describe the country as a utopian paradise. Titled "Korea is a human paradise in which Jesus would have nothing to do even if he came", the article portrays North Korea as a land with free healthcare, free education, and no taxes thanks to Kim Jong-un. The article claimed that its title is a direct quote from a famous American religious figure who
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North Korea–United States relations


2, 2013, Bae was convicted of "hostile acts" and sentenced to 15 years of hard labor. The U.S. has called for his release but North Korea has rejected any possibility of allowing prominent Americans to visit the country to request his release. Dennis Rodman, who had previously visited North Korea and become friends with Kim Jong-un, tweeted a plea for Bae's release. Rodman has since said he will visit North Korea again in August and attempt to free Bae. On May 2, 2014, Pyongyang's
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Health in North Korea


Korea were assessed as having diseases caused by intestinal parasites. The government has always maintained that North Korea is completely free of AIDS. According to UNAIDS, less than 0.2% of North Korea's adult population had HIV in 2006. In 2018, WHO's North Korean office said there were no reported HIV positive cases in the country. A study in 2002 found both men and women were reasonably educated about HIV/AIDS. More than two thirds knew about ways to avoid HIV/AIDS, and there were only few misconceptions
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Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17


slower but more manoeuvrable fighters such as the F-86 and the MiG-17. Twenty countries flew MiG-17s. The MiG-17 became a standard fighter in all Warsaw Pact countries in the late 1950s and early 1960s. They were also bought by many other countries, mainly in Africa and Asia, that were neutrally aligned or allied with the USSR. The MiG-17 still flies today in the air forces of Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Mali, Madagascar, Sudan, and Tanzania, and by extension through the Shenyang J-5, North Korea.
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Malaysia–North Korea relations


to Malaysia. Beginning on 6 March, Malaysia cancelled the visa-free entry for North Koreans, citing "security issues" following the murder incident. On 4 March, the North Korean ambassador Kang Chol was declared a "persona non grata" and expelled for the next 48 hours, to which North Korea reacted in kind. North Korean authorities also reacted on 7 March by forbidding all Malaysian citizens in North Korea from entering and leaving the country. Malaysian authorities retaliated by forbidding North Korean citizens from entering and leaving Malaysia.
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United Nations Security Council Resolution 82


United States (US) occupied the country, establishing the Republic of Korea under an autocratic anti-communist leader, Syngman Rhee. As tensions rose between the US and the USSR, each government in Korea claimed it had sovereignty over the whole country. In the late-1947 United Nations General Assembly Resolution 112 established a temporary commission to monitor free elections in Korea. The UN had intended to reunify Korea under one government, but the UN commission was unable to enter North Korea. After observing elections in South Korea, the UN stated
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Mongolia–North Korea relations


visit to the country; he had previously made two trips to Mongolia, in 1985 and 1988. Unofficially, North Korean visitors show significant interest in studying Mongolia's economic reforms; according to the Mongolian side, North Koreans see them as non-threatening because they are a fellow non-Western country and went through similar experiences under communism. Mongolia's efforts to introduce free-market capitalism to North Korea also have a component of self-interest. The Trans-Siberian Railway, an essential link in the potential continuous rail
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South Korean passport


Spanish, Swedish and United States passports), as of 15 January 2019. As of October 2018, the passports of South Korea, Brunei and Chile are the only ones to provide visa-free access to all G8 countries. The South Korean (Republic of Korea) constitution considers North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) as part of its territory, although under a different administration. In other words, the South does not view going to and from the North as breaking the continuity of a person's stay
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Human rights in North Korea


Human rights in North Korea are very limited. Despite numerous rights being "de jure" guaranteed by the country's constitution, human rights groups such as Amnesty International and nations such as the United States have asserted that, in practice, there is no "de facto" right to free speech, and the only radio, television, music and news providers that are deemed legal are those operated by the government. According to reports from Amnesty International and the U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, by 2017 an estimated
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Free North Korea Radio


The Free North Korea Radio () is an independent radio broadcaster based in Seoul, South Korea. The station is run primarily by North Korean refuge]s and defectors and frequently broadcasts short-wave transmissions of information critical of the Government of North Korea to the general population inside North Korea. The radio was established by Kim Seong-min, an ex-DPRK military monitor for foreign broadcasts, who was influenced by the foreign broadcasts that he monitored and defected from the DPRK in 1996. Free North Korea Radio started broadcasting from Seoul
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15th Expeditionary Mobility Task Force


onwards Fifteenth Air Force incorporated a number of fighter escort wings and strategic fighter wings, intended to escort bombers to their targets. Among these units were the 56th Fighter Wing, 71st Strategic Fighter Wing, the 82nd Fighter Wing, and the 407th Strategic Fighter Wing. They were all redesignated and transferred to other USAF components in 1957–58 with the end of the fighter escort concept. On 25 June 1950, the armed forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) invaded South Korea. On 27 June the United
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Smoking in North Korea


patient partially, or in full by the state. In addition to regular healthcare clinics, there are eleven specialized anti-smoking centers in the country where consultation is free, but medicine is not. Of medicines, bupropion and varenicline are not legally available in North Korea, but herbal medicines are used as smoking cessation aids. There have been attempts at anti-smoking movements "across the generations" in the country, with the earliest major campaign taking place in 2004. While early campaigns had little effect, they have become
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Internet in North Korea


Internet access is available but strictly limited in North Korea; it is only permitted with special authorization and primarily used for government purposes and by foreigners. The country has some broadband infrastructure, including fiber optic links between major institutions. However, online services for most individuals and institutions are provided through a free domestic-only network known as Kwangmyong, with access to the global Internet limited to a much smaller group. Connection to the internet in North Korea is done via Naenara, a modified version of Firefox that can access approximately 1,000
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Anglican Church of Korea


arrived in Incheon Port on 29 September 1890. Nae-dong Anglican Church which is the first Anglican Church in Korea was established by him and Eli Barr Landis (1865-1898) on Sep. 30, 1891 at Nae-dong, Jung-gu, Incheon. He initiated his work in the Seoul area, including Gyeonggi and Chungcheong provinces. He first opened a number of educational institutions, medical facilities and social work centers across the country, such as the Sinmyeong (Faith and Enlightenment) schools and the hospitals in the
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Republic of Korea Air Force


an F-16 class fighter to a stealth aircraft in order to respond to North Korean pressure. The KF-X is envisioned as a medium fighter to at first supplement, then replace the ROK Air Force's KF-16 fleet. It will have capabilities in between the light FA-50 fighter and the high-grade, long range, heavy payload F-15K and F-35 Lightning II. South Korea will resume a once-aborted program to develop Medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle to bolster its monitoring capabilities of North Korea's missile
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Foreign relations of North Korea


had an embassy in Pyongyang. In an effort to boost tourism between the two countries, the DPRK announced that Malaysians will not require a visa to visit the DPRK. After the assassination of Kim Jong-nam, relations between both countries steadily worsened, and as a response Malaysia gradually withdrew its ambassador from the DPRK, cancelled the visa-free entry for the DPRK for security reasons, and decided to expel the DPRK's ambassador. The ambassador of North Korea has been declared by Malaysia as persona non grata. However,
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Free Joseon


Korea if it overthrows its current government. On March 1, 2019, Free Joseon issued the "Declaration for a Free Joseon". Within this declaration, Free Joseon enumerated nine accusations against the Kim regime in North Korea. These ranged from accusations of torture and terrorism to failures to provide food for the people of North Korea. By virtue of these accusations, Free Joseon declared the Kim regime an illegitimate government and proclaimed itself to be the true representative government of the people of North Korea: "We declare on this day
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South Korea


known as the Republic of Korea-United States Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) was signed between South Korea and the United States, but its formal implementation was repeatedly delayed, pending approval by the legislative bodies of the two countries. On October 12, 2011, the U.S. Congress passed the long-stalled trade agreement with South Korea. It went into effect on March 15, 2012. Unresolved tension with North Korea has prompted South Korea to allocate 2.6% of its GDP and 15% of all government spending to its
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Balloon propaganda campaigns in Korea


is used for the balloons. The balloons include propaganda messages written on the surface in Korean script. These balloons were developed to replace blimps previously used by the South Korean government, which were no longer being produced. After the balloons travel far enough across the border, a timer opens the plastic bags carried by the balloons. The balloons can travel up to 200 kilometers, and the maximum load for each balloon is 10 kilograms. Fighters for a Free North Korea spends approximately 500 U.S. dollars for each balloon launched; however,
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8th Fighter Wing


1950, North Korea invaded South Korea, starting a war that would last three years. As the Korean War began, the 347th Fighter Group was assigned to the 8th to fly combat missions. The wing provided air cover for the evacuation of Americans from Korea on 26 June, the day after the invasion. The wing had several additional squadrons attached to it during the first months of the war in addition to the 35th, 36th, and 80th Fighter Squadrons, these being: Other units attached to the 8th in Korea were
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My Home Village


In the presentation of the liberation of Korea in 1945, there was no mention of American defeat of Japan or of the Soviet invasion but showed the liberation of Korea as the work of Kim Il Sung's guerrilla fighters working on their own. North Korean sources tell that Kim Il-sung's son, Kim Jong-il, the future leader of the country, attended a preview of the film. Even at the age of seven, the story goes, he handed critical notes to the filmmakers pointing out that although there
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Freedom of speech by country


wearing a particular color (usually the color of a party). The UN Human Rights Commission expressed concerns about South Korea's deterioration of online free speech. Some activists send leaflets by balloons to North Korea. The police has intervened and stopped some of the balloon releases in fear that North Korea may retaliate violently. This has resulted in critical discussion on freedom of expression and its limits due to safety concerns. Officially, the South Korean government insists on activists' right to freedom of expression. The Constitution of the Republic of
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North Korea–Romania relations


early-1950s. In the following years, the two countries had little contact. On June 15, 1971, the president of the newly-renamed Socialist Republic of Romania, Nicolae Ceaușescu, visited North Korea. He took great interest in the idea of total national transformation as embodied in the programs of the Workers' Party of Korea. He was also inspired by the personality cult of Kim Il-sung. According to the British journalist Edward Behr, Ceaușescu admired Kim as a leader because he dominated his nation and broke free from
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North Korean famine


who said deaths were due to the famine could be in serious trouble with the authorities. The great famine is known in North Korea by the officially mandated phrase "konanŭi haenggun" (The Arduous March). It was a central event in the country's history, and it forced the regime and its people to change in fundamental and unanticipated ways. Only about 20% of North Korea's mountainous terrain is arable land. Much of the land is only frost-free for six months, allowing only one crop per year
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Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction


This is followed by three fighters appearing to shoot the player down with a large salvo of explosives that are impossible to completely dodge and tough to survive. These are areas that usually surround the province (with the exception of the Black Gate until after the Ace of Clubs is verified) and are marked in red. After years of military tension, the aging President Choi Kim of North Korea begins to embrace the "Sunshine Policy" of South Korea, reviving hopes of peaceful reunification of the two Korean countries. However, high
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The Ultimate Fighter 4


(Original Air Date Sep 7, 2006) Episode 5: Flip-A-Coin (Original Air Date Sep 14, 2006) Episode 6: Captain Miserable (Original Air Date Sep 21, 2006) Episode 7: Drop to a Knee (Original Air Date Sep 28, 2006) Episode 8: True Colors (Original Air Date Oct 6, 2006) Episode 9: Semi-Final Match-Ups (Original Air Date Oct 12, 2006) Episode 10: Carter vs. Serra (Original Air Date Oct 19
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F-X fighter program


the F-22 Raptor specifically for air superiority, while the F-35 Lightning II is mainly for strike missions. Some European countries that have bought the F-35 will use it in that role alongside the Eurofighter. Unlike South Korea's plan for 40 F-35s and 20 potential other fighters, EADS is promoting a deal for 40 Eurofighter Typhoons with 20 F-35As. South Korea planned to finalize the purchase for 40 F-35A fighters in the third quarter of 2014. South Korea formally decided to purchase 40 F-35A Lightning II fighters to fill its F-X III
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69th Fighter Squadron


equipped with North American F-86 Sabres after the 1953 armistice, remained in South Korea to enforce cease-fire with North Korea, squadron elements rotating frequently to Taiwan until inactivated in 1958 due to budget reductions. The squadron was reactivated at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona in October 1969. This took place when the 58th Tactical Fighter Training Wing was activated, replacing the 4510th Combat Crew Training Wing as the host unit at Luke. Concurrently, the 69th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron and the 418th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron were activated as Lockheed
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Pornography in North Korea


hands out porn for free for customers who buy pirated K-dramas. South Korean pornographic films are smuggled into the country. Propaganda balloons sent from South Korea to the North have featured sexually explicit material to appeal to North Korean soldiers, too. Henry A. Crumpton, a veteran of the Central Intelligence Agency's Directorate of Operations, explains that he has "never met a North Korean diplomat who did not want porn, either for personal use or resale." According to the Criminal Law of the Democratic People's Republic of
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Sukhoi Su-35


interest in the Su-35. These countries included Algeria, Egypt, and Vietnam. According to "Kommersant", the Algerian military had requested an Su-35 for testing in February 2016; the country was satisfied with the fighter's flight characteristics and so Moscow is waiting for a formal application. Other countries that had also expressed interest in the aircraft include Kazakhstan, North Korea, and Pakistan, although a Russian official denied that the country was in talks with the latter about the Su-35. Sudan has reportedly also expressed an interest in acquiring
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HIV/AIDS in Asia


half of domestic HIV/AIDS cases were amongst homosexual men, with the remainder transmitted through heterosexual intercourse, drug abuse, in the womb or via unknown means. Independent research has suggested that actual infection rates may be much higher, especially amongst the young. According to UNAIDS, less than 0.2% of North Korea's adult population has HIV. WHO estimates that North Korea has less than 100 people with HIV/AIDS. Officially, the country maintains that it is completely free of AIDS. South Korea cumulative "reported"
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Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore


go on student exchange to French-speaking or German-speaking countries or Korea. These students are admitted into the respective language programmes in their first year of study, and are given priority for language classes. Ideally, after two semesters of study, these students will go for a 3-week immersion programme to the respectively countries, and then after another two semesters of study, they will go for a semester-long (or 2 semesters for students on the Honours track) Student Exchange Programme (SEP) at a partner university
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North Korean cuisine


and the importation of products into the country. Some street foods exist in North Korea, such as in Pyongyang, where vendors operate food stalls. North Korea's first pizzeria opened in 2009. Alcoholic beverages are produced and consumed in North Korea, and the country's legal drinking age is 18. Some condiments used in North Korea to add flavor to foods are listed below. Alcoholic beverages are consumed in North Korea, and drinking is a part of the culture of North Korea. North Korea's legal drinking age is 18
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Eighth Air Force


Republic of Korea (North Korea) invaded South Korea. On 27 June, the United Nations Security Council voted to assist the South Koreans in resisting the invasion. Although Eighth Air Force's strategic bomber force was not committed to combat in Korea, the Eighth deployed the 27th Fighter Escort Wing for combat action in Korea and earned numerous honors and awards for their combat record during the Korean War. On 21 January 1951, Lt. Col. William Bertram, commander of the 523rd Fighter-Escort Squadron, shot down the first
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Heavy bomber


, 1945. After World War II, the name "strategic bomber" came into use, for aircraft that could carry aircraft ordnances over long distances behind enemy lines. They were supplemented by smaller fighter-bombers with less range and lighter bomb load, for tactical strikes. Later these were called "strike fighters", "attack aircraft" and "multirole combat aircraft". When North Korea attacked South Korea in 1950 the USAF responded with daylight bomber raids on supply lines through North Korea. B-29 Superfortresses flew from Japan on
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82nd Aerial Targets Squadron


South Korea in response to the "Pueblo" Incident, where North Korea had seized the intelligence ship . The 82d Fighter Interceptor Squadron maintained a presence in South Korea with a detachment of temporarily assigned aircraft (12) and personnel (TDY) to Suwon Air Base, ROK. The squadron continued this service until 31 May 1971 when the 51st Fighter Inteceptor Wing (51 FIW), along with all the other operational and support squadrons (including the 82d Fighter Interceptor Squadron) were inactivated. From 1972 to 1976, the 82d
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F-X fighter program


a direct commercial sale and government-to-government foreign military sale. The Eurofighter Typhoon was still an option, but it was likely that South Korea would choose to purchase American aircraft, as they had previously. In response, EADS offered to manufacture 48 out of 60 Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 3 fighters domestically in South Korea. Senior South Korean government officials claimed that the F-X Phase 3 competition was not aimed at defending against or striking North Korea, but for keeping pace with the fighter developments of its neighbors. With
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North Korea–Singapore relations


set up by Singaporean businesspeople. Instances of relations noticeably souring include 2016 when a Singaporean Chinpo Shipping Company was fined $125,700 in violation of United Nations-led sanctions smuggling disassembled radar systems, missiles, MiG fighter jets and engines from Cuba to North Korea. With a series of nuclear tests from North Korea in 2017, Singapore has officially suspended trade ties with North Korea under UN sanctions w.e.f. November 2017. Any person that imports or exports commercially traded goods from or to North Korea will be charged of an offence and if
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North Korea–Russia relations


government had provided much support to North Korea during the Cold War. North Korea was once under the rule of the Soviet Civil Administration from 1945 to 1948. The Soviet 64th Fighter Aviation Corps took part in the Korean War where they provided North Korea and China with badly needed pilots. However the Soviet government under Gorbachev began to reduce aid to North after 1985 in favor of reconciliation with South Korea. Military equipment continued to be provided until a last batch of MiG-29s was delivered in 1989. During the Soviet era, Kim il
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Censorship in North Korea


journalist will normally go through a probation period of 4 to 5 years and is then stationed after an assessment. In North Korea, journalism as a job is to guard, defend, and advocate for and defend both the party and party leaders. Since the role is defined as being a political activist and a fighter who can mobilize a crowd, a journalist in North Korea should be a true Kim Il-sung-ist and a fervent political activist, with a war correspondent spirit and political qualification. Journalists in North Korea
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North Korea at the 2006 Winter Olympics


North Korea competed as the "Democratic People's Republic of Korea" at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. At the opening ceremony, the athletes of both North and South Korea entered the stadium together behind the Korean Unification Flag. Last place after short program, the pairs team of Jong Hyong-hyok and Phyo Yong-myoung withdrew from free skate after Phyo was injured after crashing into the boards while training. Key: CD = Compulsory Dance, FD = Free Dance, FS = Free Skate, OD =
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Communist Party of Korea


Korean communists changed considerably. The country was divided into United States and Soviet occupation zones, and the working conditions for the party were very different in the two zones. In the South, the party leader Pak Hon-yong, who had been a resistance fighter, and became active in Seoul upon his release in 1945. He reorganized a Central Committee, of which he became the Secretary. Being based in Seoul, he had limited contact with the Soviet occupation forces in the north. The Soviet Red Army liberated northern Korea
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Neoconservatism in Japan


especially with the middle-aged population. The term is used in China, North Korea, and South Korea, as well as in Japan, to describe them. As members of the post-war generation, they view themselves as free of responsibility or guilt for Japan's conquests and wartime history and Japanese war crimes. They view China as a country that harbors historical grievances for political gain, rather than accepting Japan's apologies. They express strong patriotic pride and stress Japan's international role. They view the North and
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Freedom of the press


", "Partly Free", or "Not Free". In 2009 Iceland, Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Sweden topped the list with North Korea, Turkmenistan, Myanmar (Burma), Libya, Eritrea at the bottom. According to Reporters Without Borders, more than a third of the world's people live in countries where there is no press freedom. Overwhelmingly, these people live in countries where there is no system of democracy or where there are serious deficiencies in the democratic process. Freedom of the press
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SEP-IRA


deducted from the net profit. The result is then multiplied by 20% to arrive at the maximum SEP deduction, $9,293. SEP contributions and earnings are held in SEP-IRAs and can be withdrawn at any time, subject to the general limitations imposed on Traditional IRA. A withdrawal is taxable in the year received. If a participant makes a withdrawal before age 59½, generally a 10% additional tax applies. SEP contributions and earnings may be rolled over tax-free to other Individual retirement account and retirement plans.
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8th Fighter Squadron


F-80Cs meant that the 49th had to move to South Korea in order for them to be effective. The squadron moved to Taegu Air Base (K-2) on 1 October 1950, becoming the first jet fighter outfit to operate from bases in South Korea. During the autumn of 1950 and spring of 1951, the squadron flew combat missions on a daily basis from Tageu, flying escort missions for Boeing B-29 Superfortresses over North Korea and engaging Communist MiG-15 fighters in air-to-air combat. When the Chinese Communist Forces (CCF
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7th Fighter Squadron


49th had to move to South Korea in order for them to be effective. The squadron moved to Taegu Air Base (K-2) on 1 October 1950, becoming the first jet fighter outfit to operate from a base in South Korea. During the autumn of 1950 and spring of 1951, the squadron flew combat missions on a daily basis from Tageu, flying escort missions for Boeing B-29 Superfortresses over North Korea and engaging Communist Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 fighters in air-to-air combat. When the Chinese Communist Forces Intervention Campaign
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Yevgeny Pepelyaev


the deployment of the US troops in Korea until March 1946, when the unit was sent back to the Soviet Union. In December 1947 he became the executive officer of the 196th Fighter Aviation Regiment. In 1949 the unit began receiving the MiG-15 jet fighter. The Korean War began in June 1950 when the Soviet and Chinese Communist backed North Korea invaded United States-backed South Korea. By October 1950 Pepelyaev commanded the 196th Fighter Aviation Regiment. Secretly the USSR sent several air regiments equipped with the MiG-15 to the Chinese base Antung
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McDonnell F2H Banshee


Corps. Due to its good performance at high altitude, the F2H-2 initially proved its worth as an escort fighter for USAF bombers, which were supporting United Nations Command (UNC) ground forces. From mid-1950, the F2H-2 had negligible exposure to hostile aircraft over Korea, due to several factors. During the opening weeks of the war, the North Korean air force was almost completely annihilated by UNC fighter units. From that point onwards, North Korea and its allies were unable to open new airfields near combat zones in South Korea
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Hike Messenger


across the globe in over 200 countries. In Sep 2015, Hike launched free group calls with up to 100 people in a conference call. In October 2016, Hike introduced a Video calling feature for their users. The messenger provides free video-calling over 2G, 3G and Wi-Fi across the globe in over 200 countries. Hike has received more appreciations on this feature. In the Timeline, users can share pictures, videos, links or text updates with their friends or everyone on Hike, based on
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Canada–Korea Free Trade Agreement


Korea, and South Korea will eliminate 98.2% of its tariff lines for goods imported from Canada. The two countries began discussing establishing a free trade agreement in 2005, and held 14 rounds of bargaining sessions before finalizing the agreement. Canada's trade with South Korea had dropped by about after the conclusion of the European Union–South Korea Free Trade Agreement and the Free trade agreement between the United States of America and the Republic of Korea. Canada's primary exports to South Korea in 2012 were non-renewable resources such as
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North Korea–Seychelles relations


North Korea–Seychelles relations refers to the current and historical relationship between North Korea and Seychelles. Neither country maintains an embassy in their respective capitals. During the 1977–2004 rule of President France-Albert René, the socialist and non-aligned government of Seychelles – a small African Indian Ocean island nation – maintained close relations with the Democratic Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea. The country received significant North Korean developmental aid. Much of the cooperation was military. Uniformed North Korean soldiers were present in the country in 1980
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Malaysia–North Korea relations


in information-related areas. In 2017, both countries signed a memorandum of understanding in the exchange of culture. North Korea has been working together with Malaysia's tourism sector to promote travel to North Korea. Since 2001, more than 1,000 Malaysians have visited North Korea. In 2011, North Korea opened an air route to Malaysia to attract more tourists from the country. In early January 2017, the Malaysian government had decided to stop allowing North Korean state airline Air Koryo access to the country following the implementation of recent United
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William J. Hovde


Fighter Squadron between March and September. He then served with the 71st Fighter Squadron and the 12th Reconnaissance Squadron at March Field for the next two years. In September 1948, he went to Ecuador to serve as an advisor to the Ecuadorian Air Force for P-47 training. Hovde was sent back to the United States in September 1950. In October, he was stationed in Korea. In Korea, he was an operations officer, executive officer, and the commander of the 335th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group, flying the North
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South Korea–Peru Free Trade Agreement


The South Korea-Peru Free Trade Agreement is signed between the governments of Korea and Peru on March 21, 2011 in Seoul, Korea. On July 6, 2011, the Korean Parliament passed a bill ratifying the agreement concluding the process of establishing the second FTA between Korea and a South American country. The FTA did not need to be ratified by the Peruvian parliament. In the 2005 APEC meeting held in Busan, Peru proposed Korea the establishment of an FTA between the two nations. On November 2006, the two countries
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Demographics of North Korea


that such devices are distributed free at clinics. Demographers determine the age structure of a given population by dividing it into five-year age-groups and arranging them chronologically in a pyramidlike structure that "bulges" or recedes in relation to the number of persons in a given age cohort. Many poor, developing countries have a broad base and steadily tapering higher levels, which reflects a large number of births and young children but much smaller age cohorts in later years as a result of relatively short life expectancies. North Korea does
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North Korea–South Korea relations


Service poll, 3% of South Koreans viewed North Korea's influence positively, with 91% expressing a negative view, making South Korea, after Japan, the country with the most negative feelings of North Korea in the world. However, a 2014 government-funded survey found 13% of South Koreans viewed North Korea as hostile, and 58% of South Koreans believed North Korea was a country they should cooperate with. On January 1, 2015, Kim Jong-un, in his New Year's address to the
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Heavy bomber


behalf of the United Nations. But the supply to North Korea's army from the Soviet Union was physically and politically out of reach. There were no worthwhile strategic targets in North Korea. The Soviet mentored Northern forces easily routed the South Korean army. The distance to North Korea was too great for fighter escorts based in Japan. So the B-29s flew alone. In November, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15s flown by Soviet pilots started to intercept the US bombers, over North Korea. The MiG-15 was specifically designed to master US heavy
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2018 North Korea–United States Singapore Summit


North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho said he was “alarmed” by U.S. insistence on maintaining sanctions until North Korea denuclearizes and what he said was U.S. reluctance to declare a formal end to the Korean War. United States Forces in Korea maintains several nuclear bomber fighters and DPRK is demanding USA safety guarantee for giving up nuclear weapon programs of Pyongyang. On October 7, 2018, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Kim met in Pyongyang and agreed to a second U.S.–North Korea summit, with South Korea's presidential office stating that
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Textile industry in Bangladesh


of China's incredibly cheap, ubiquitous manufacturers, much "dreaded by competitors." Starting in 1974 the Multi Fibre Arrangement (MFA) in the North American market ensured that trade in textiles and garments remained the most regulated in the world. Among other things the MFA set quotas on garments exports from the newly industrialising countries of Asia, but had exceptions, most notably the state of Bangladesh. Entrepreneurs from quota-restricted countries like South Korea began "quota hopping" seeking quota-free countries that could become quota-free
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Visa requirements for Bulgarian citizens


categories of official Bulgarian passports have additional visa-free access to the following countries - Azerbaijan , China , India , Indonesia , Iran , Kazakhstan , Kuwait , Mauritania , Mongolia , North Korea , Qatar , Russia , South Africa , Turkmenistan and Vietnam . Holders of diplomatic or service passports of any country have visa-free access to Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Mali and Zimbabwe. When in a non-EU country where there is no Bulgarian embassy, Bulgarian citizens as EU citizens have the right to get consular protection from the
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Asian Century


attempts of both are opposed by other Asian countries (i.e. India's bid is opposed by Pakistan; Japan's bid is opposed by China, South Korea, North Korea). An Asian regional bloc may be further developed in the 21st century around ASEAN and other bodies on the basis of free trade agreements. However, there is some political concern amongst the national leaderships of different Asian countries about PRC's hegemonic ambitions in the region. Another new organization, the East Asian Summit, could also possibly create an EU-like
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North Korea–Venezuela relations


North Korea–Venezuela relations are relations between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Venezuela is one of the five countries in Latin America that has an embassy of North Korea along with Peru, Cuba, Brazil and Mexico. Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1965 and Venezuela recognized North Korea as a sovereign state in 1974. Relations have gradually improved under the governments of Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro. The two countries are both critical of the United States. In the 1990s, due to the
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Song Min-soon


agreement were that: This Joint Statement led to the shutting-down of North Korea's plutonium producing plant at Yongbyon in July. In October, Pyongyang started to disable the Yongbyon plant by removing eight thousand fuel rods from the nuclear reactor. Another significant achievement while Song was in office was the conclusion of the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) in 2007. This is the largest FTA that Korea has signed with a single country, and the first U.S. FTA to be signed with a major Asian economy. The FTA
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North Korea–United States relations


U.S. Military flew B-1B bombers from Guam, along with F-15C Eagle fighter escorts from Okinawa, Japan flew in international airspace over waters east of North Korea. Unlike on previous missions, the U.S. aircraft were not accompanied by South Korean or Japanese planes. Afterward North Korea said a missile strike against the U.S. is "inevitable all the more". On September 30, 2017, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the U.S. and North Korea were in "direct contact", and "probing" the possibility of talks. On
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Vinylon


Gi accepted and defected to the North. After the liberation of Korea in 1945, North Korea was under Soviet occupation and thus provided with aid by the Soviets as a means to stabilize the country. Beginning at the end of the Korean War in 1953, the Soviet Union, China, and other socialist countries began actively providing foreign aid to North Korea. Therefore, the North Korean economy heavily depended on aid from other socialist countries. However, in the 1960s, the aid from the Soviet Union decreased. North Korea was
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Taxation in North Korea


however, did not have any significant effect on state revenue because the overwhelming proportion of government funds—an average of 98.1 percent during 1961–1970—was from sales taxes such as turnover taxes, deductions from profits paid by state enterprises, and various user fees on machinery and equipment, irrigation facilities, television sets, water, and so on. This is in line with similar practices in other socialist countries. Another form of tax in North Korea is periodic requirements for citizens to donate materials or work free of charge on government projects. Special
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Kim dynasty (North Korea)


to lead the Soviet-backed North's provisional government, becoming the first premier of its new government, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (commonly known as North Korea), in 1948. He started the Korean War in 1950 with hopes to reunify the region. Kim developed a personality cult that contributed to his uncontested 46-year rule and extended to his family, including his mother Kang Pan-sok (known as the "mother of Korea"), his brother ("the revolutionary fighter") and his first
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Football in North Korea


Association football in North Korea is governed by the DPR Korea Football Association (KFA), which was established in 1945. Due to the state's secrecy, attendances and popularity for club matches in the country are hard to gauge. Football is the most popular sport in the country. The KFA oversees the North Korea national football team, the North Korea women's national football team and the North Korean football league system, including the DPR Korea League. The body became an AFC affiliate in 1954 and a FIFA affiliate in 1958
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Mongolia–North Korea relations


Mongolia–North Korea relations (, ) are the historic and current bilateral relations between Mongolia and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea). The two countries established diplomatic relations on October 15, 1948. Mongolia was the second country to recognize North Korea after the Soviet Union. Mongolia provided assistance to North Korea during the Korean War, although it did not directly participate, and it also contributed to the post-war reconstruction of the DPRK. On the basis of an aid agreement signed at the end of
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Freedom of the press


, jurists, and human rights activists. The survey asks questions about direct attacks on journalists and the media as well as other indirect sources of pressure against the free press, such as non-governmental groups. In 2016, the countries where press was the most free were Finland, Netherlands, Norway, Denmark and New Zealand, followed by Costa Rica, Switzerland, Sweden, Ireland and Jamaica. The country with the least degree of press freedom was Eritrea, followed by North Korea, Turkmenistan, Syria, China, Vietnam
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North Korea Strategy Center


North Korea Strategy Center (NKSC) is a defector-led NGO that was established in Seoul, South Korea in 2007 to raise awareness about North Korea's human rights conditions, and advocate for freedom and unification in Korea. Understanding the power of media and information to open minds and bring change, NKSC seeks to bring free press and media into North Korea by working with North and South Koreans, as well as the international community, raising awareness, with emphasis on the need for freedom of information and expression in North Korea
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Myanmar–North Korea relations


its weapons export arm Korea Mining and Development Trading Corporation. There is a North Korean embassy in Myanmar. Myanmar is one of the top-10 recipients of exports from North Korea. Myanmar–North Korea relations have affected Myanmar's relations with countries such as the United States and Japan. These countries have supported normalization of relations among themselves and Myanmar so as to deter North Korea from gaining an ally in Southeast Asia. Myanmar and North Korea are often compared to one another. Both neighbor China, both are heavily militarized societies with ongoing
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4th Fighter Squadron


first North American F-86D Sabres then Convair F-102A Delta Daggers. Also train pilots of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, the Republic of Korea Air Force and the Royal Thai Air Force, and flew combat missions over Korea and Vietnam. In June 1965, the 4th moved to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, and was renamed the 4th Tactical Fighter Squadron, under the aegis of the 33d Tactical Fighter Wing, becoming the fourth Air Force fighter squadron trained in the McDonnell F-4C Phantom IIs. Deployed in July 1967, to Ubon
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House of Yi


sufficient protection to prevent a direct invasion, but this ambuscade of the Russian fleet gave Japan free rein over north China, and Korea was left at the mercy of the new regional naval power Japan. Korea became a protectorate of Japan in 1895 when Japan forced Emperor Gojong to abdicate and Japanese assassinated his consort. Japan annexed the country in 1910, and Korea became a colony of Imperial Japan. During the colonial rule, the members of Yi family were mediatised into the or made . Emperor Gojong had nine sons and four daughters
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