North Korean Version of "Take on Me"

Unless you've been living in the DPRK, you probably have seen or heard about some kind of strange and funny North Korean videos. Most of the time they feature young kids playing and singing traditional folk tunes or patriotic songs. But now all the way from the Kum Song School in Pyongyang, we have a group of accordion students playing A-Ha's big 80s hit "Take on Me":



This performance is a part of "The Promised Land" project by director and artist Morten Traavik. You can read more about this production at Traavik.info Creative Intelligence Agency and at Barents Spektakel 2012.

UPDATE: Some readers have already written in and Anna from Tokyo wrote: "Didja notice how the phone rang immediately after they finished the song? Probably it was the new Best Kim (aka "The Young-Un" and "Kim Jong Iliberace")



demanding their immediate arrest and incarceration for playing that "foreign devil's music."

We also have an update from the almighty Taro, the lame who says "Japan is always better than Korea! See irrefutable proof":





And, obviously, that is correct as everyone knows that the Japanese are superior to all other humans. But don't forget that Pyongyang North Korea is ‘better’ than Tokyo!

Related:

New North Korean Videos

North Korean TV Segments

NMA TV on Kim Jong Il's Death

Always right on time, today Taiwan's Next Media Animation TV just released their funny 3D animation video on yesterday's passing of Kim Jong Il:



However the good news now is that the NEW KIM IS BEST KIM!!

Also it is well known that Kim Jong Il enjoys looking at things so now he is "relaxing" and looking at the ceiling:



Related: When Kim Jong Il was born...

North Korean Karaoke - 'Anarchy in the DPRK'

When Kim Jong Il was born...

"When Kim Jong Il was born, the clouds opened up, and he came down from heaven..."

But when The Dear Leader passed away today, he was riding on a train. The Chosun Central News Agency stated, "Chairman Kim passed away in the train on December 17th of 2011 at 8:30am due to physical overwork."



When they give him a funeral it will probably turn out to be like this:



UPDATE: Here is how many North Korean people reacted to the passing of KJI:



Here's a photo of Mr. Kim in much better "spirits".

Canadian DPRK Documentary "The Defector"

The Defector is a new, currently in production documentary film about first hand stories of North Korean escapees. The award-winning producers Fathom Film Group has been funded by several Canadian broadcasters and others who have provided support. But the group still needs some $50,000.00 to complete the next phase of production. Through satellite images, smuggled footage and advanced 3D animation, the group is recreating a never seen before look at some real harrowing tales of life in the DPRK and in North Korea's prisons. Here is the trailer:



To donate to this group's project please visit the Fathom Film Group's official Kickstarter web site.

See also: North Koreans in Japan - AlJazeera News

North Korea Wins World Champion Title!

After all, it is now true what they say and North Korea is Best Korea as the DPRK defeated Japan 1-0 in yesterday's 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers match in Pyongyang. Here are some of the game's highlights:



With this win, North Korea has also been awarded the Unofficial World Champion Football Title:

North Korea 1-0 Japan
15/11/2011, Pyongyang
Scorer: Nam Chol Pak
'Japan’s long reign as UFWC champions came to an end today in Pyongyang, as North Korea became the new unofficial football world champions. Midfielder Nam Chol Pak was the hero for the North Koreans, who fought hard for a deserved victory against an admittedly weakened Japan side. North Korea, ranked just 124th in the world by FIFA, become one of the most unlikely unofficial champions in UFWC history, proving that anything can happen over the course of 90 minutes." Continued...

So could that mean that this is true too?



See also: 2011 North Korean Amateur Open Results

Banksy in North Korea?

Via Gawker June 29th



Adrian Chen — Anti-Kim Jong Il graffiti was found on the wall of a college in Pyongyang. Of course, the government couldn't just wash it off. They locked down the entire capital to hunt for the culprit.

The graffiti, found June 24th on a wall at Pyongyang Railroad College reportedly called Kim Jong Il "a dictator who starved people to death." Not exactly Banksy, but it gets the point across.

The easiest thing would have been to erase the graffiti, then maybe demolish the wall for traitorous behavior. But instead, authorities launched a three-day investigation, cutting off the city and erecting checkpoints for all passersby.

The graffiti apparently stated, “Park Chung Hee and Kim Jong Il are both dictators; Park Chung Hee a dictator who developed his country’s economy, Kim Jong Il a dictator who starved people to death.” One syllable was a man's head and was written on a red brick wall in white chalk, making it quite striking.

See also: Banksy: Exit Through The Gift Shop

2011 North Korean Amateur Open Results

In case you missed it the first ever North Korean Amateur Open golf tournament was held last month at the Pyongyang Golf complex.



Olli Lehtonen from Finland was the overall winner with an individual score of 84. Lehtonen and fellow Finlander Johannes Raitio finished first in the doubles tourney with a joint score of 72. Below is a French video by Frederic Stevens showing scenes from Pyongyang and some footage of the tournament:



According to the Chosun Ilbo another player recently said that there were about 30 female caddies at the complex in their 20s or 30s, many of them graduates of the prestigious Kim Il-sung University. "Caddies were beautiful and considerate," he said. "After I finished playing golf, I came out of the shower at the club house, and there was a woman dressed in traditional Korean costume holding a towel. I instantly wondered whether there was another service waiting for me, but there was no 19th hole."

The Pyongyang Golf complex is the legendary course which was opened by Kim Jong Il in 1987. On that day, in his first ever round of golf, Kim shot a world-record 38 under par with 11 holes in one!




See also: From North Korea: 'Pyongyang Style' by Steve Gong

From North Korea: 'Pyongyang Style' by Steve Gong

Steve Gong recently went to North Korea and filmed this stunningly beautiful video with a hidden camera:



"Pretty much the only way anyone can visit North Korea is by joining a tour.  The entire time while you’re in North Korea, you’re not allowed to go anywhere without minders following you around.  These tour guides also restrict the amount of contact you can have with the locals, and it’s extremely difficult, if not impossible, to have any chances of interacting with a North Korean civilian.

This video is an insight into just that – what interacting with a North Korean civilian might be like."

Via Gizmodo

North Korea's Youtube & Twitter Hacked!

Hackers celebrate North Korea heir's birthday

Sat Jan 8, 2011

"(Reuters) - Hackers have attacked North Korea's official Youtube and Twitter accounts, posting a cartoon showing Kim Jong-il's heir apparent driving a sports car into a crowd of starving countrymen."

And here is that video:



UPDATE: S. Korean hackers trade cyber blows with N. Korea

(AFP) – 1 day ago

SEOUL — "Computer hackers from South and North Korea are waging an apparent propaganda battle in cyberspace, less than two months after their militaries traded artillery fire across the tense sea border.

Users of the South's popular website dcinside.com have claimed responsibility for hacking into the North's Twitter account and its official website, and leaving messages denigrating the ruling Kim family.

A separate and now deleted posting on YouTube showed a cartoon of Kim Jong-Un -- youngest son and heir apparent of leader Kim Jong-Il -- mowing down ordinary people in a fancy sports car.

It was apparently posted to mark Jong-Un's birthday Saturday."

Continued...


See also:

New North Korean Videos

North Korean Karaoke - 'Anarchy in the DPRK'

New North Korean Videos

In case you missed it, North Korea launched a quite popular Youtube Channel earlier this year. Since then they have uploaded many interesting videos, including this recent one featuring some of the DPRK's very cute and very talented "Genius Kids":

Coming Soon: Battlefield North Korea

Recently filmed in HD, here is a good slow-motion look at Kim Jong Il and his well-dressed military:



Remember: "North Korea is Best Korea"



FLASH NEWS UPDATE: The Dear Leader was very recently seen at a soccer match in Pyongyang.

FLASH NEWS UPDATE #2: President Obama was recently injured while playing in a basketball game.

Coincidence?

Kim Jong Il Party Photo

Despite the current economic downturn, and millions of starving North Koreans, KCNA recently released this party photo of the "Dear Leader":



See more recent photos of the "Dear Leader" at On the Spot with Kim Jong-il


And don't forget to check out the Kim Jong Il 'The Dear Leader' Video

North Korean Karaoke - 'Anarchy in the DPRK'

In March 2008, Shane Smith and Eddy Moretti risked their lives and liberty and crossed over the Chinese-North Korean border and filmed a truly amazing documentary of their trip into 'The Hermit Kingdom' in The Vice Guide to North Korea:

"Getting into North Korea was one of the hardest and weirdest processes VBS has ever dealt with. After we went back and forth with their representatives for months, they finally said they were going to allow 16 journalists into the country to cover the Arirang Mass Games in Pyongyang. Then, ten days before we were supposed to go, they said, “No, nobody can come.” Then they said, “OK, OK, you can come. But only as tourists.” We had no idea what that was supposed to mean. They already knew we were journalists, and over there if you get caught being a journalist when you’re supposed to be a tourist you go to jail. We don’t like jail. And we’re willing to bet we’d hate jail in North Korea."

"But we went for it...."

And they certainly got it! Check out this quite surreal and somewhat humorous episode: