North Korea Sets For Historic Conference

By ETHAN Markoff

NORTH KOREA NEWS - North Korea ruling party will create a history, at least said a statement, when declared that leader Kim Jong-il would hold a rare leadership conference to name his successor. It is expected the third son of Mr. Kim, Kim Jong-un would be promoted to a senior position.

The self-styled leader has suffered a stroke 2008 and reached at age 68. The party meeting would be a historic one as it is out of convention to talk while choosing a leader.

The Korean Central News Agency early Tuesday spread the news about the party meeting.

"The conference of the WPK [Workers Party of Korea] for electing its supreme leadership body will take place in Pyongyang on 28 September," the statement said.

There was a week long speculation about the date of the meeting, believing to happen somewhere early this month. Though there is no clue why it had been postponed.

It is believed that the meeting postponed either because of severe flooding in the north of the country or the health condition of the leader.

Kim Jong-il was promoted in 1980 and eventually became leader after his father death in 1994. He was the man behind the North Korea oblivion to outside world.

It has been reported that the leader in a recent past has underwent serious treatment in China, one of the country's few allies. Though the country has not officially confirmed the details of illness.

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September 21, 2010 | 0 comments

Northeast China Suffers From Harsh Flood

By MALILA Harris

Northeast China has seen one of the worst-ever flood in decades. At least 127,000 people were evacuated from the region after a huge deluge swept away homes and people. The torrential rains wiped away several homes along the border with North Korea. The official said that at least four people were killed and one was missing in the northeastern province of Liaoning.

From last a few month China has been suffering from severe deluge in many parts and just before the flood in northeastern region, at least 1,400 people were killed in mudslides in Gansu province.

The Yalu River separates China from North Korea and this year due to heavy rain river has broken its banks. The city of North Korea that is bordered China also faced the brunt of flood. The heavy deluge has submerged the city of Sinuiju. Korea has already deployed military to evacuate people from the region. Already 5,150 people are evacuated and no death reported so far.

The North Korean city is an important region from the point of view of trade. Much of the country’s economy is depended on the city’s daily trade deals.

North Korea has had been always a victim of natural calamity like flood and drought. The agricultural sector has got much affected by the continuous flood. Already much of forest belt is denuded for firewood and other purposes, so the region is now under frequent landslide and flash floods.

In China flood has destroyed five cities and wiped out homes and buildings, causing a huge lose of around least $100 million.

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August 22, 2010 | 0 comments