Australia once had a floating hotel that now lies decrepit and forgotten, in North Korea.
North Korea
South Korea formed a covert military…
South Korea formed a covert military unit in 1968 with the intention of assassinating North Korea’s leader. Unemployed youths or petty criminals were recruited and trained on an uninhabited island for 3 years. The existence of the unit was covered up until the 1990s.
In 2014, Christians in South Korea put…
In 2014, Christians in South Korea put up a giant Christmas tree which was visible from the North Korean border. The North Koreans claimed it was a tool for psychological warfare and demanded it be taken down. The defence ministry claimed the tree was dismantled for safety concerns.
The CIA parachuted hundreds…
The CIA parachuted hundreds of people into North Korea throughout the 1950s to start resistance networks and, despite never hearing from most of them again, continued to parachute more in until an inquiry in the 1970s questioned the morality of such an initiative.
North Korea is obsessed with…
North Korea is obsessed with Choco Pies from South Korea. There’s a black market for them, and factories once used them to pay worker bonuses. In 2010, The Chosun Ilbo reported that choco pies could fetch as much as US$9.50 on the North Korean black market. In 2014, S Korean activists sent 10K pies to NK with helium balloons. After an injured NK defector crossed the DMZ in 2017, he was given a lifetime supply.
The CIA parachuted hundreds…
The CIA parachuted hundreds of people into North Korea throughout the 1950s to start resistance networks and, despite never hearing from most of them again, continued to parachute more in until an inquiry in the 1970s questioned the morality of such an initiative.
South Koreans have grown…
South Koreans have grown 3 inches taller than their North Koreans counterparts. They are genetically the same and have been living similar lives till divide in the last century. The nutritional difference of only 50/60 years has caused this difference.
North Korea plays basketball…
North Korea plays basketball with different rules. Slam Dunks are 3 pts, Three-point “nothing but net” shots are worth 4 pts, and teams lose points when they miss free throws.
North Korea had used ‘poo bombs’ – balloons carrying…
North Korea had used ‘poo bombs’ – balloons carrying packages of used toilet roll, on South Korea. Military officials there were forced to open and check those ‘packages’ for possible biochemical weapons.
North Korean spies stationed abroad have to receive…
North Korean spies stationed abroad have to receive training on how to shop in supermarkets, use credit cards and visit clubs, as these amenities are not commonplace in North Korea.