The United Nations&#39;&nbsp;top human rights body agreed on Friday to widen its investigation into widespread violations in North Korea with a view to documenting alleged crimes against humanity for future prosecution.

North Korea said it &quot;categorically and totally&quot; rejected the resolution adopted by the UN&nbsp;Human Rights Council. The text was &quot;a product of the US&nbsp;hostile policy towards the DPRK (Democratic People&#39;s Republic of Korea) from A to Z,&quot; its envoy said after boycotting the debate.

The 47-member state forum adopted a resolution, brought by Japan and the European Union and backed by the United States, on the final day of its four-week session without a vote. It called for North Korea to cooperate and allow access for UN investigators, which the reclusive state has never done.

International pressure is building on the country ruled by Kim Jong Un over its nuclear tests - Fox news reported on Thursday North Korea was in the final stages of launching another one, possibly within days.

The United States has imposed fresh sanctions on foreign companies or individuals for violating export controls on North Korea, as well as Iran and Syria, the State Department said on Friday.

The UN&nbsp;human rights office in Seoul would be strengthened for two years with international criminal justice experts to establish a central repository for testimony and evidence &quot;with a view to developing possible strategies to be used in any future accountability process&quot;.

The Seoul office&#39;s current six-strong staff record testimony from interviews with dozens of North Korean defectors each week, a UN&nbsp;official told Reuters.&nbsp;

&quot;This not only brings North Koreans one step closer to justice for human rights crimes they have suffered, but should also make North Korean government officials think twice before inflicting more abuse,&quot; John Fisher from Human Rights Watch said in a statement.

A UN&nbsp;commission of inquiry, in a landmark 2014 report based on interviews and hearings with defectors, catalogued massive violations - including large prison camps, starvation and executions - that it said should be brought to the International Criminal Court.

&quot;The &#39;resolution&#39;&nbsp;is nothing more than a document for interference in internal affairs of sovereign states and represents the culmination of politicisation, selectivity and double standards of human rights,&quot; Mun Jong Chol, a counsellor at North Korea`s mission to the U.N. in Geneva, told reporters.

It was a fraudulent document full of &quot;lies, fabrications and plots&quot;, Mun said.

China said it &quot;dissociated&quot; itself from the council&#39;s decision and called for dialogue.

The situation on the divided Korean peninsula is &quot;complex and sensitive&quot; and all sides should avoid provocation that might lead to an escalation, Chinese diplomat Jiang Yingfeng said.&nbsp;

The world should &quot;focus on the bigger picture,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

(Reuters)

&nbsp;

The UN?human rights office in Seoul would be strengthened for two years with international criminal justice experts to establish a central repository for testimony and evidence

The United Nations' top human rights body agreed on Friday to widen its investigation into widespread violations in North Korea with a view to documenting alleged crimes against humanity for future prosecution. North Korea said it "categorically and totally" rejected the resolution adopted by the UN Human Rights Council. The text was "a product of the US hostile policy towards the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) from A to Z," its envoy said after boycotting the debate. The 47-member state forum adopted a resolution, brought by Japan and the European Union and backed by the United States, on the final day of its four-week session without a vote. It called for North Korea to cooperate and allow access for UN investigators, which the reclusive state has never done. International pressure is building on the country ruled by Kim Jong Un over its nuclear tests - Fox news reported on Thursday North Korea was in the final stages of launching another one, possibly within days. The United States has imposed fresh sanctions on foreign companies or individuals for violating export controls on North Korea, as well as Iran and Syria, the State Department said on Friday. The UN human rights office in Seoul would be strengthened for two years with international criminal justice experts to establish a central repository for testimony and evidence "with a view to developing possible strategies to be used in any future accountability process". The Seoul office's current six-strong staff record testimony from interviews with dozens of North Korean defectors each week, a UN official told Reuters. "This not only brings North Koreans one step closer to justice for human rights crimes they have suffered, but should also make North Korean government officials think twice before inflicting more abuse," John Fisher from Human Rights Watch said in a statement. A UN commission of inquiry, in a landmark 2014 report based on interviews and hearings with defectors, catalogued massive violations - including large prison camps, starvation and executions - that it said should be brought to the International Criminal Court. "The 'resolution' is nothing more than a document for interference in internal affairs of sovereign states and represents the culmination of politicisation, selectivity and double standards of human rights," Mun Jong Chol, a counsellor at North Korea`s mission to the U.N. in Geneva, told reporters. It was a fraudulent document full of "lies, fabrications and plots", Mun said. China said it "dissociated" itself from the council's decision and called for dialogue. The situation on the divided Korean peninsula is "complex and sensitive" and all sides should avoid provocation that might lead to an escalation, Chinese diplomat Jiang Yingfeng said. The world should "focus on the bigger picture," he added. (Reuters)

North Korea crimes to be documented for prosecution someday: UN

South Korea commemorated the 66th anniversary of the beginning of the 1950-53 Korean War today in Seoul. 
 
The Korean War started on June 25, 1950, when Communist North Korean troops launched a surprise attack across the 38th parallel into South Korea. 
 
US-led United Nations forces battled Chinese- and Soviet-backed North Korea, in which three million soldiers and civilians were killed and five million became refugees. 
 
About 5,000 war veterans and civilians, along with government officials, attended a ceremony to mark the anniversary. 
 
South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, urged North Korea to give up its nuclear ambitions. 
 
&quot;It has been a long time since the sound of gunfire has stopped. But we are still facing off on each side of the ceasefire line. As a divided country, our security remains unstable,&quot; Hwang said. 
 
&quot;The government will not stand idly against North Korea&#39;s continuing provocations. We will surely defend our country and take every possible measure to make North Korea give up nuclear weapons and come out on to the path of change and reform,&quot; Hwang added. 
 
North Korea launched what appeared to be an intermediate-range missile on June 22 to a high altitude in the direction of Japan before it plunged into the sea, military officials said, a technological advance for the isolated state after several test failures. 
 
North Korea leader Kim Jong Un said after supervising the test launch of an intermediate-range missile that the country now has the capability to attack US interests in the Pacific, official media reported on June 23. 
 
&quot;Well I&#39;m really impressed with how fast things have been changed, the country. I didn&#39;t realise that Seoul is as big as it is. I didn&#39;t get there when I was over here in &#39;51. I was all along the 38th went through Incheon. That&#39;s where I came in and landed. When I got over here there was nothing left, everything was burnt,&quot; said one of the American war veterans, Vernon E. Neuharth, who attended the cermony. 
 
North and South Korea are still technically at war since the 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce without a peace treaty. 
 
(Reuters)

Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn urged North Korea to give up its nuclear ambitions

South Korea commemorated the 66th anniversary of the beginning of the 1950-53 Korean War today in Seoul. The Korean War started on June 25, 1950, when Communist North Korean troops launched a surprise attack across the 38th parallel into South Korea. US-led United Nations forces battled Chinese- and Soviet-backed North Korea, in which three million soldiers and civilians were killed and five million became refugees. About 5,000 war veterans and civilians, along with government officials, attended a ceremony to mark the anniversary. South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, urged North Korea to give up its nuclear ambitions. "It has been a long time since the sound of gunfire has stopped. But we are still facing off on each side of the ceasefire line. As a divided country, our security remains unstable," Hwang said. "The government will not stand idly against North Korea's continuing provocations. We will surely defend our country and take every possible measure to make North Korea give up nuclear weapons and come out on to the path of change and reform," Hwang added. North Korea launched what appeared to be an intermediate-range missile on June 22 to a high altitude in the direction of Japan before it plunged into the sea, military officials said, a technological advance for the isolated state after several test failures. North Korea leader Kim Jong Un said after supervising the test launch of an intermediate-range missile that the country now has the capability to attack US interests in the Pacific, official media reported on June 23. "Well I'm really impressed with how fast things have been changed, the country. I didn't realise that Seoul is as big as it is. I didn't get there when I was over here in '51. I was all along the 38th went through Incheon. That's where I came in and landed. When I got over here there was nothing left, everything was burnt," said one of the American war veterans, Vernon E. Neuharth, who attended the cermony. North and South Korea are still technically at war since the 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce without a peace treaty. (Reuters)

South Korea commemorates 66th anniversary of Korean war

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif&#39;s adviser on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz has asserted that India has always tried to &#39;maintain its hegemony &#39; in the South Asian region, but Islamabad has effectively stood in New Delhi&#39;s way. 
 
The Dawn quoted Aziz&#39;s interview with Samaa TV, where he said,&nbsp;&quot;But Pakistan rejected this hegemony and has effectively protected its interests and its stance over Kashmir, nuclear deterrence and conventional balance.&quot; 
 
He maintained that &quot;protecting Pakistan&#39;s sovereignty and vital interests is a great achievement as a nation&quot;. 
 
This comes in the wake of the upcoming Nuclear Suppliers&#39; Group (NSG) meeting in Seoul on June 23 and 24 where the membership bid of India and Pakistan will be raised. 
 
Earlier, Aziz reportedly had telephonic conversations with his counterparts in Russia, South Korea and New Zealand in a bid to get their nod for Pakistan&#39;s NSG membership. 
 
In its case against India&#39;s bid in the NSG, Pakistan has claimed that adding India in the elite group could &#39;affect the strategic stability of South Asia&#39;. 
 
Meanwhile, with China playing a dampener saying that India&#39;s admission to the elite NSG is not on the agenda of the grouping which began its plenary session in Seoul on Monday, the United States has called on the participating governments of the NSG to support India&#39;s application. 
 
(ANI)&nbsp; 
 
 
&nbsp;

The foreign affairs adviser's remarks come before the NSG meeting in Seoul on Thursday where the bid for India and Pakistan will be raised

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's adviser on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz has asserted that India has always tried to 'maintain its hegemony ' in the South Asian region, but Islamabad has effectively stood in New Delhi's way. The Dawn quoted Aziz's interview with Samaa TV, where he said, "But Pakistan rejected this hegemony and has effectively protected its interests and its stance over Kashmir, nuclear deterrence and conventional balance." He maintained that "protecting Pakistan's sovereignty and vital interests is a great achievement as a nation". This comes in the wake of the upcoming Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG) meeting in Seoul on June 23 and 24 where the membership bid of India and Pakistan will be raised. Earlier, Aziz reportedly had telephonic conversations with his counterparts in Russia, South Korea and New Zealand in a bid to get their nod for Pakistan's NSG membership. In its case against India's bid in the NSG, Pakistan has claimed that adding India in the elite group could 'affect the strategic stability of South Asia'. Meanwhile, with China playing a dampener saying that India's admission to the elite NSG is not on the agenda of the grouping which began its plenary session in Seoul on Monday, the United States has called on the participating governments of the NSG to support India's application. (ANI)

Pakistan only hurdle to Indian hegemony in South Asia: Sartaj Aziz

China&nbsp;said&nbsp;on Monday that India&#39;s inclusion in the&nbsp;NSG was not&nbsp;even on the agenda of the group&#39;s meeting in Seoul this week and there were differences among the existing members over the inclusion of new countries.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
This statement comes just a day after&nbsp;India&#39;s external&nbsp;affairs&nbsp;minister&nbsp;Sushma&nbsp;Swaraj asserted that Beijing was not opposing India&#39;s entry&nbsp;to the Nuclear&nbsp;Suppliers&#39; Group&nbsp;(NSG).&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We have stressed that the&nbsp;NSG&nbsp;is still divided about non-NPT countries&#39; entry into the NSG,&nbsp;and under the current circumstances we hope that NSG will make thorough discussions to make a decision based on consultation,&quot; Chinese&nbsp;foreign&nbsp;ministry spokesperson Hua&nbsp;Chunying&nbsp;told a media briefing.&nbsp; 
 
Answering questions about&nbsp;foreign&nbsp;secretary S&nbsp;Jaishankar&#39;s&nbsp;visit here on June 16-17 and Swaraj&#39;s remarks, Hua said India&#39;s admission into NSG is not on the agenda of the Seoul meeting of the 48-member elite club to be held on June 24.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;As we understand&nbsp;the annual conference in Seoul this year also has no such topic. We understand that non-NPT countries are concerned about their entry into the NSG. But since NSG is still divided about the issue, so it is still not mature to talk about the entry issue in the annual conference in Seoul,&quot; she said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I want point out that the NSG agenda has never covered any issue concerning the non-NPT countries joining the NSG,&quot; Hua asserted.&nbsp; 
 
China,&nbsp;along with some other nations,&nbsp;has effectively blocked India&#39;s entry to NSG that trades in advanced nuclear material and technology.&nbsp; 
 
Swaraj&nbsp;had&nbsp;made the comments on China at a news conference held to highlight her government&#39;s achievement in their two-years of rule&nbsp;on Sunday.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;As far as China is concerned, they are not opposed to India&#39;s membership into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) but is talking about criteria procedure,&quot; she said.&nbsp; 
 
India had spoken to 23 nations on India&#39;s membership to NSG, out of which 21 had extended support while the remaining had raised questions.&nbsp; 
 
India already enjoys most of the benefits of membership under a 2008 exemption to NSG rules granted to support its nuclear cooperation deal with Washington, even though India has developed atomic weapons and never signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the main global arms control pact.&nbsp; 
 
Swaraj was optimistic that China would agree on India&#39;s entry into NSG.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&quot;When foreign secretary went to China, he said during the talks that India&#39;s credentials should be discussed instead of criteria. I believe that there is still time and we are hopeful that we will be able to convince China as well,&quot; Swaraj said.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Opponents argue that granting India membership would further undermine efforts to prevent proliferation. It would also infuriate India&#39;s rival Pakistan, an ally of China, which has responded to India&#39;s membership bid with one of its own.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Swaraj also took questions on Pakistan&#39;s bid to join the NSG and said that India was not against the entry of any country into the non-proliferation body.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&quot;As far as Pakistan&#39;s entry is concerned, we are not yet members of the NSG, so we cannot be a part in the decision-making process regarding their membership. We are not opposed to the entry of any nation into the NSG. We would want any application to be considered on its own merits,&quot; she concluded.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Membership of the 48-nation club would bring India into the nuclear fold 41 years after it tested its first nuclear bomb, and give the nation of 1.25 billion a vested interest in curbing the world&#39;s most dangerous regional arms race.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
A seat at the NSG would strengthen India&#39;s geopolitical clout and help it&nbsp;capitalise&nbsp;on nuclear trade and technology transfer opportunities.&nbsp; 
 
(Agencies)&nbsp;

The statement comes after Indian external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj's comment that China was not blocking India's entry into NSG

China said on Monday that India's inclusion in the NSG was not even on the agenda of the group's meeting in Seoul this week and there were differences among the existing members over the inclusion of new countries. This statement comes just a day after India's external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj asserted that Beijing was not opposing India's entry to the Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG). "We have stressed that the NSG is still divided about non-NPT countries' entry into the NSG, and under the current circumstances we hope that NSG will make thorough discussions to make a decision based on consultation," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing. Answering questions about foreign secretary S Jaishankar's visit here on June 16-17 and Swaraj's remarks, Hua said India's admission into NSG is not on the agenda of the Seoul meeting of the 48-member elite club to be held on June 24. "As we understand the annual conference in Seoul this year also has no such topic. We understand that non-NPT countries are concerned about their entry into the NSG. But since NSG is still divided about the issue, so it is still not mature to talk about the entry issue in the annual conference in Seoul," she said. "I want point out that the NSG agenda has never covered any issue concerning the non-NPT countries joining the NSG," Hua asserted. China, along with some other nations, has effectively blocked India's entry to NSG that trades in advanced nuclear material and technology. Swaraj had made the comments on China at a news conference held to highlight her government's achievement in their two-years of rule on Sunday. "As far as China is concerned, they are not opposed to India's membership into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) but is talking about criteria procedure," she said. India had spoken to 23 nations on India's membership to NSG, out of which 21 had extended support while the remaining had raised questions. India already enjoys most of the benefits of membership under a 2008 exemption to NSG rules granted to support its nuclear cooperation deal with Washington, even though India has developed atomic weapons and never signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the main global arms control pact. Swaraj was optimistic that China would agree on India's entry into NSG. "When foreign secretary went to China, he said during the talks that India's credentials should be discussed instead of criteria. I believe that there is still time and we are hopeful that we will be able to convince China as well," Swaraj said. Opponents argue that granting India membership would further undermine efforts to prevent proliferation. It would also infuriate India's rival Pakistan, an ally of China, which has responded to India's membership bid with one of its own. Swaraj also took questions on Pakistan's bid to join the NSG and said that India was not against the entry of any country into the non-proliferation body. "As far as Pakistan's entry is concerned, we are not yet members of the NSG, so we cannot be a part in the decision-making process regarding their membership. We are not opposed to the entry of any nation into the NSG. We would want any application to be considered on its own merits," she concluded. Membership of the 48-nation club would bring India into the nuclear fold 41 years after it tested its first nuclear bomb, and give the nation of 1.25 billion a vested interest in curbing the world's most dangerous regional arms race. A seat at the NSG would strengthen India's geopolitical clout and help it capitalise on nuclear trade and technology transfer opportunities. (Agencies)

India?s entry into Nuclear Suppliers' Group not on Seoul meet agenda: China

North Korea may have produced an additional six or more nuclear weapons over the past 18 months, possibly bringing its total arsenal to more than 21 bombs, US think tank Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) said. 
 
The think tank&nbsp;based the estimates on the amounts of weapons-grade plutonium and highly enriched uranium Pyongyang is believed to have produced at its Yongbyon nuclear complex. 
 
The report came after International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Yukiya Amano said last week that North Korea might have reactivated a plant at Yongbyon for reprocessing plutonium for use in nuclear weapons. 
 
In late 2014, ISIS estimated the North&#39;s nuclear arsenal at somewhere between 10 and 16 weapons. 
 
Since then, the North has added another four to six weapons to the stockpile for a total of 13 to 21 or more today, ISIS said. 
 
The 13-21 estimate did not take into account the additional contribution of a possible second centrifuge plant the North may have built to produce weapons-grade uranium, it said. 
 
&quot;Nonetheless, this exercise, despite not being comprehensive, shows that North Korea could be significantly increasing its nuclear weapons capabilities&quot;, the Washington-based think tank said. 
 
Most of this increase since 2014 can be attributed to the production of weapons-grade uranium, it added. 
Amano, citing satellite imagery, said last week in Vienna: &quot;The indications that we have obtained... (are of) activities related to the five-megawatt reactor, expansion of enrichment facilities and activities related to (plutonium) reprocessing.&quot; 
 
The type of plutonium suitable for a nuclear bomb typically needs to be extracted from spent nuclear reactor fuel. 
North Korea mothballed the Yongbyon reactor in 2007 under an aid-for-disarmament accord, but began renovating it after its third nuclear test in 2013. It carried out out a fourth test on January 6. 
 
The director of US national intelligence, James Clapper, warned in February that the North could begin recovering plutonium from the reactor&#39;s spent fuel &quot;within a matter of weeks to months&quot;. 
 
IAEA inspectors were kicked out of North Korea in 2009. Amano did not say when the activities spotted by satellite took place.&nbsp; 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The estimate is based on the amounts of weapons-grade plutonium and highly enriched uranium produced at its Yongbyon nuclear complex

North Korea may have produced an additional six or more nuclear weapons over the past 18 months, possibly bringing its total arsenal to more than 21 bombs, US think tank Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) said. The think tank based the estimates on the amounts of weapons-grade plutonium and highly enriched uranium Pyongyang is believed to have produced at its Yongbyon nuclear complex. The report came after International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Yukiya Amano said last week that North Korea might have reactivated a plant at Yongbyon for reprocessing plutonium for use in nuclear weapons. In late 2014, ISIS estimated the North's nuclear arsenal at somewhere between 10 and 16 weapons. Since then, the North has added another four to six weapons to the stockpile for a total of 13 to 21 or more today, ISIS said. The 13-21 estimate did not take into account the additional contribution of a possible second centrifuge plant the North may have built to produce weapons-grade uranium, it said. "Nonetheless, this exercise, despite not being comprehensive, shows that North Korea could be significantly increasing its nuclear weapons capabilities", the Washington-based think tank said. Most of this increase since 2014 can be attributed to the production of weapons-grade uranium, it added. Amano, citing satellite imagery, said last week in Vienna: "The indications that we have obtained... (are of) activities related to the five-megawatt reactor, expansion of enrichment facilities and activities related to (plutonium) reprocessing." The type of plutonium suitable for a nuclear bomb typically needs to be extracted from spent nuclear reactor fuel. North Korea mothballed the Yongbyon reactor in 2007 under an aid-for-disarmament accord, but began renovating it after its third nuclear test in 2013. It carried out out a fourth test on January 6. The director of US national intelligence, James Clapper, warned in February that the North could begin recovering plutonium from the reactor's spent fuel "within a matter of weeks to months". IAEA inspectors were kicked out of North Korea in 2009. Amano did not say when the activities spotted by satellite took place. (AFP)

North Korea may have 21 nukes or more: US think tank

For an hour each day, Kim Chung-seong, a defector from North Korea and a Christian missionary, takes to the microphone in a small Seoul studio.

At 1 a.m., his show, &quot;Hello from Seoul, the Republic of Korea,&quot; sends a mix of gospel music and news into North Korea, defying the isolated state&#39;s efforts to keep its people in the dark about the world, religion and the truth about its leaders.

&quot;Brothers and sisters in the North, I hope this time can be a moment of prayer for a miracle that every party member of North Korea at the party congress can meet God, not take a further step into the cult of personality,&quot; Kim said.

He was referring to the meeting of the North&#39;s ruling Workers&#39; Party this month, where young leader Kim Jong Un was unanimously elevated to party chairman.

&quot;I am desperately praying that North Korea&#39;s Kim Jong Un and all administrators under him kneel down in front of God and repent for their sins, leave the path of tormenting their people,&quot; Kim, who came to the South in 2004, said in his studio at the Far East Broadcasting Company.

North Korea strictly bans access to outside information, but a growing number of North Koreans consume illicit media, including South Korean TV dramas that show the prosperity of life across the heavily fortified border, via contraband USB sticks and DVDs smuggled from China.

The impoverished North is still technically at war with rich, democratic South Korea because their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a treaty. It has also been slapped with UN and other sanctions for its nuclear and missile programmes.

Robert King, U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights issues, told a Senate panel in October that up to 29 percent of North Koreans had listened to foreign radio and said the medium, including the U.S. government&#39;s Voice of America, remained the most important way to get information into the country.

&nbsp;

&quot;LISTENING UNDER THE BLANKET&quot;

Kim Myung-jun,&nbsp;professor at Sogang University&#39;s school of mass communications in Seoul, said smuggled USB sticks and DVDs were more about&nbsp;entertainment, whereas radio carried news.

&quot;Once you listen in, you tend to keep listening under the blanket. It gets you addicted,&quot; he said. &quot;AM radio stations like Far East Broadcasting Company have pretty good signals and can be listened to clearly in much of North Korea.&quot;

Kim, the broadcaster, said he tried to delegitimise the three-generation Kim family dictatorship and preach Christian gospel on his show, often with fellow defectors as guests.

&quot;I am not saying everything is bad in North Korea,&quot; said Kim, 39, who has hosted the show for six years.

&quot;But, for example, if the party congress is meant to worship one particular person and make 20 million people that person&#39;s slaves, that is meaningless. That&#39;s what I am talking about on my show.&quot;

North Korea&#39;s constitution guarantees freedom of religion provided it does not undermine the state, but outside of a small handful of state-controlled places of worship, no open religious activity is allowed.

It is also illegal to own a radio that can be tuned, and the only radio or TV sets permitted are those pre-set to state channels. However, many tune in to foreign shows with smuggled Chinese radios and illegally altered North Korean sets.

One weekly guest, defector Ko Ji-eun, said she was a fan of Kim&#39;s show while hiding in China for several years.

After she arrived in Seoul last year, Ko met a fellow defector who had listened to the show while inside the North last year and has since fled to the South.

&quot;North Koreans are now using Chinese earphones not to expose themselves to authorities,&quot; Ko said. &quot;Many people inside North Korea are listening to this radio a lot.&quot;

For an hour each day, Kim Chung-seong, a defector from North Korea and a Christian missionary, takes to the microphone in a small Seoul studio. At 1 a.m., his show, "Hello from Seoul, the Republic of Korea," sends a mix of gospel music and news into North Korea.

For an hour each day, Kim Chung-seong, a defector from North Korea and a Christian missionary, takes to the microphone in a small Seoul studio. At 1 a.m., his show, "Hello from Seoul, the Republic of Korea," sends a mix of gospel music and news into North Korea, defying the isolated state's efforts to keep its people in the dark about the world, religion and the truth about its leaders. "Brothers and sisters in the North, I hope this time can be a moment of prayer for a miracle that every party member of North Korea at the party congress can meet God, not take a further step into the cult of personality," Kim said. He was referring to the meeting of the North's ruling Workers' Party this month, where young leader Kim Jong Un was unanimously elevated to party chairman. "I am desperately praying that North Korea's Kim Jong Un and all administrators under him kneel down in front of God and repent for their sins, leave the path of tormenting their people," Kim, who came to the South in 2004, said in his studio at the Far East Broadcasting Company. North Korea strictly bans access to outside information, but a growing number of North Koreans consume illicit media, including South Korean TV dramas that show the prosperity of life across the heavily fortified border, via contraband USB sticks and DVDs smuggled from China. The impoverished North is still technically at war with rich, democratic South Korea because their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a treaty. It has also been slapped with UN and other sanctions for its nuclear and missile programmes. Robert King, U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights issues, told a Senate panel in October that up to 29 percent of North Koreans had listened to foreign radio and said the medium, including the U.S. government's Voice of America, remained the most important way to get information into the country. "LISTENING UNDER THE BLANKET" Kim Myung-jun, professor at Sogang University's school of mass communications in Seoul, said smuggled USB sticks and DVDs were more about entertainment, whereas radio carried news. "Once you listen in, you tend to keep listening under the blanket. It gets you addicted," he said. "AM radio stations like Far East Broadcasting Company have pretty good signals and can be listened to clearly in much of North Korea." Kim, the broadcaster, said he tried to delegitimise the three-generation Kim family dictatorship and preach Christian gospel on his show, often with fellow defectors as guests. "I am not saying everything is bad in North Korea," said Kim, 39, who has hosted the show for six years. "But, for example, if the party congress is meant to worship one particular person and make 20 million people that person's slaves, that is meaningless. That's what I am talking about on my show." North Korea's constitution guarantees freedom of religion provided it does not undermine the state, but outside of a small handful of state-controlled places of worship, no open religious activity is allowed. It is also illegal to own a radio that can be tuned, and the only radio or TV sets permitted are those pre-set to state channels. However, many tune in to foreign shows with smuggled Chinese radios and illegally altered North Korean sets. One weekly guest, defector Ko Ji-eun, said she was a fan of Kim's show while hiding in China for several years. After she arrived in Seoul last year, Ko met a fellow defector who had listened to the show while inside the North last year and has since fled to the South. "North Koreans are now using Chinese earphones not to expose themselves to authorities," Ko said. "Many people inside North Korea are listening to this radio a lot."

Good morning, North Korea! Defector preaches dangers of cult worship

Gory pictures on cigarette packets depicting the dangers of smoking have helped people kick the butt. But despite all the images of the diseased lungs and heart, the number of girls taking to the habit of smoking is on the rise. One of the prime responsibilities and a large opportunity in public health in the 21st century is to prevent the increase in smoking among women. 
 
 
In what could sound alarming, according to the WHO reports, tobacco smoking currently kills five million people a year worldwide and, according to estimates, will probably kill eight million people a year between now and 2030 and one billion over the course of the 21st century. 
 
The World No Tobacco Day was a theme initiated in 2010 with an intention to draw a relation between gender and tobacco, with an emphasis on marketing cigarettes to women. This theme was chosen &quot;to draw particular attention to the harmful effects of tobacco marketing towards women and girls&quot;. And this continues to be observed year-on-year. 
 
In the garb of being modern, fashionable, independent and self confident, women/girls consider smoking as an expression of independence. While it is imperative that women`s empowerment continues, attention must be paid to its potential link to increased smoking among women and to the ways in which the tobacco industry is capitalising on societal changes to target them. 
 
The most common time when women initiate smoking is in their teens, and the number of adolescents who initiate smoking increases every year from grades nine through 12. Moreover, there is growing evidence that the reasons girls initiate smoking is different from the reasons why boys begin. Many of the factors that contribute to smoking initiation have been elucidated; the strongest appear to be peer smoking and parent smoking. 
 
Parent connectedness also plays a vital role. Adolescents desire greater connectedness to parents, school, and community. Unfortunately, today`s busy adults frequently relinquish responsibility and supervision of teens allowing them greater opportunities to participate in unhealthy behaviours. When the adolescent is unable to meet her need for affirmation within the family, in this case, the daughter with the mother, the affiliation with the peer group may be greater. 
 
Half a century ago, the risk of death from lung cancer among men who smoked was five times higher than that of women smokers. But by the first decade of this century that risk has equalised: for both men and women who smoked, the risk of death from lung cancer is 25 times greater than for non-smokers. 
 
A study has indicated that women who continue to smoke die on an average more than 10 years sooner than those who never smoked. While lung cancer is the most infamous hazard linked to smoking, the habit also raises the risk of death from heart disease, stroke, pulmonary disease and other cancers, including breast cancer. 
 
Interestingly, what several are unaware are the changes in manufacture of cigarettes that has led to increased dangers. The use of perforated filters, tobacco blends that are less irritating, and paper that is more porous has made it easier to inhale smoke and has encouraged deeper inhalation to achieve satisfying blood levels of nicotine. The result of deeper inhalation is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). 
 
Women who smoke are also more likely to have fertility problems. A single butt can result in more than 7,000 chemicals spreading through the entire body and the organs. This could lead to ovulation problems, damage to reproductive organs, damage to eggs, premature menopause and increased risk of miscarriage.&nbsp; 
 
It`s never too late to reap the benefits of quitting. The younger you are when you stop smoking, the greater your chances of living a long and healthy life. And we can do a lot better to reduce the prevalence of smoking with the tools currently in hand if government agencies, medical insurers and the public work in tandem. 
 
(Dr. Rajat Arora is an Interventional Cardiologist and Medical Director at Yashoda Hospitals in Delhi. The views expressed are personal. He can be contacted at drrajat@yashodahospital.org) 
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Gory pictures on cigarette packets depicting the dangers of smoking have helped people kick the butt. But despite all the images of the diseased lungs and heart, the number of girls taking to the habit of smoking is on the rise. One of the prime responsibilities and a large opportunity in public health in the 21st century is to prevent the increase in smoking among women.

Gory pictures on cigarette packets depicting the dangers of smoking have helped people kick the butt. But despite all the images of the diseased lungs and heart, the number of girls taking to the habit of smoking is on the rise. One of the prime responsibilities and a large opportunity in public health in the 21st century is to prevent the increase in smoking among women. In what could sound alarming, according to the WHO reports, tobacco smoking currently kills five million people a year worldwide and, according to estimates, will probably kill eight million people a year between now and 2030 and one billion over the course of the 21st century. The World No Tobacco Day was a theme initiated in 2010 with an intention to draw a relation between gender and tobacco, with an emphasis on marketing cigarettes to women. This theme was chosen "to draw particular attention to the harmful effects of tobacco marketing towards women and girls". And this continues to be observed year-on-year. In the garb of being modern, fashionable, independent and self confident, women/girls consider smoking as an expression of independence. While it is imperative that women`s empowerment continues, attention must be paid to its potential link to increased smoking among women and to the ways in which the tobacco industry is capitalising on societal changes to target them. The most common time when women initiate smoking is in their teens, and the number of adolescents who initiate smoking increases every year from grades nine through 12. Moreover, there is growing evidence that the reasons girls initiate smoking is different from the reasons why boys begin. Many of the factors that contribute to smoking initiation have been elucidated; the strongest appear to be peer smoking and parent smoking. Parent connectedness also plays a vital role. Adolescents desire greater connectedness to parents, school, and community. Unfortunately, today`s busy adults frequently relinquish responsibility and supervision of teens allowing them greater opportunities to participate in unhealthy behaviours. When the adolescent is unable to meet her need for affirmation within the family, in this case, the daughter with the mother, the affiliation with the peer group may be greater. Half a century ago, the risk of death from lung cancer among men who smoked was five times higher than that of women smokers. But by the first decade of this century that risk has equalised: for both men and women who smoked, the risk of death from lung cancer is 25 times greater than for non-smokers. A study has indicated that women who continue to smoke die on an average more than 10 years sooner than those who never smoked. While lung cancer is the most infamous hazard linked to smoking, the habit also raises the risk of death from heart disease, stroke, pulmonary disease and other cancers, including breast cancer. Interestingly, what several are unaware are the changes in manufacture of cigarettes that has led to increased dangers. The use of perforated filters, tobacco blends that are less irritating, and paper that is more porous has made it easier to inhale smoke and has encouraged deeper inhalation to achieve satisfying blood levels of nicotine. The result of deeper inhalation is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Women who smoke are also more likely to have fertility problems. A single butt can result in more than 7,000 chemicals spreading through the entire body and the organs. This could lead to ovulation problems, damage to reproductive organs, damage to eggs, premature menopause and increased risk of miscarriage. It`s never too late to reap the benefits of quitting. The younger you are when you stop smoking, the greater your chances of living a long and healthy life. And we can do a lot better to reduce the prevalence of smoking with the tools currently in hand if government agencies, medical insurers and the public work in tandem. (Dr. Rajat Arora is an Interventional Cardiologist and Medical Director at Yashoda Hospitals in Delhi. The views expressed are personal. He can be contacted at drrajat@yashodahospital.org)

Every cigarette rots you, inside out

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