Laura Ling

North Korea could be a perennial news highlight, however in 2012 the isolated country looks to face at a crossroads. The death of Kim Jong-il and therefore the ascendance of the previous leader’s heir apparent have pundits round the globe speculating the isolated country’s next move. can the amendment in leadership create the North Korean government additional reactionary? Or can it offer a chance for the country to open up to new reforms? These are the queries of the day for many folks who...Read Full Story

CHARLES HUTZLER Associated Press BEIJING The scenes of mass grief coming from North Korea — people falling to the ground weeping and cries of anguish amid somber crowds — look forced. More than theatrical, the mass mourning over the death of dictator Kim Jong Il is being driven by a mix of forces. Loss and fear of an uncertain future — the same emotions that many feel at the death of a loved one — become contagious in crowds. Added to that are...Read Full Story

Story 1 : North Korea punishing those who ‘didn’t display enough sadness over Kim Jong Il’s death’ North Korean authorities are reportedly punishing citizens who did not display enough sadness over the death of long-term ruler Kim Jong Il. The Daily NK, an online newspaper based in South Korea quoted a source, as saying that the “authorities are handing down at least six months in a labor-training camp to anybody who didn’t participate in the organized gatherings during the mourning...Read Full Story

Human Rights Watch on the death of North Korea’s tyrannical sociopath, Kim Jong-Il. Kim Jong-Il exercised total control for 17 years over one of the world’s most closed and repressive governments. He was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands, and perhaps millions, of North Koreans through widespread preventable starvation, horrendous prisons and forced labor camps, and public executions. Kim family rule, starting with his father, Kim Il-Sung in 1948, is projected to continue...Read Full Story

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda arrived in Beijing on Sunday on an official visit expected to focus on regional security after the death of North Korean strongman Kim Jong-Il. Following his arrival, Noda was slated to hold talks with China’s President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao during the visit, his first since coming to power in September, a Japanese embassy spokesman said. Ties between the two regional powers have been dogged by economic and territorial disputes. Japan has...Read Full Story

North Korean Border guards taking a break outside their guardhouse on the South Korean border. They are ordered to shoot any who attempt to escape their country. Dear Friends, Let me tell you about Mrs. Sun (not her real name), a North Korean woman who is not all that she seems to be. To the North Korean government and many of her influential friends and family, she is a doctor and a loyal, upstanding citizen. To hungry and impoverished North Korean Christians, she is a Good Samaritan...Read Full Story

WASHINGTON ( Reuters ) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Monday the United States hoped for improved ties with the people of North Korea after the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and was in touch with its partners in the six-party nuclear talks. Clinton spoke after meeting with visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba , who said Washington, Tokyo and Seoul all agreed on the need to maintain stability and repeated a call on Pyongyang to take "concrete action" to...Read Full Story

New York Times New Signs of Kim's Ascendance as S. Koreans Visit New York Times SEOUL, South Korea — Kim Jong-un, the new leader of North Korea, met Monday with a private delegation of prominent South Koreans, his first face-to-face encounter with any visitors from the estranged South since assuming the top spot a week ago when ... North Korea Projects Image of Stability as Questions Remain About Roles of New ... Fox News Kim Jong Il's heir meets with South Korean delegation USA TODAY South...Read Full Story

CTV.ca World In N. Korea, huge crowds at Kim's funeral march 4 of 9 CBS News PYONGYANG, North Korea – North Korea's next leader escorted his father's hearse in an elaborate state funeral on a bitter, snowy day Wednesday, bowing and saluting in front of tens of thousands of citizens who wailed and stamped their feet in grief for … After Kim Jong-il funeral: collapse or continuity for North Korea Read the original post: World In N. Korea, huge crowds at Kim’s funeral march 4 of 9 – CBS News...Read Full Story

December 19th, 2011 10:37 PM ET .. Video: Ling recounts captivity in North Korea Laura Ling, who spent five months in captivity in North Korea, reacts to the death of Kim Jong Il. Her sister, journalist Lisa Ling, recounts time spent shooting a documentary in North korea prior to Laura's imprisonment.Read Full Story