“He said, ‘Did you ever Google yourself?’ Deville says. ‘So I Googled myself and it said, ‘Mark A. Deville, recipient of the Silver Star. And I said, That ain’t me.’” “ Source: A Medal Of Valor, 30 Years In Coming : NPR

“Training resumed at the Rodriguez Live Fire Complex just south of the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) along the border, after having been canceled in recent years when those living nearby complained about noise and safety concerns.” See our story about choppers over the ‘Z during the 2nd Korean War. Source: US Army Apache attack […]

“North Korea, on Friday, blamed its neighbour South Korea for the Covid-19 outbreak in the country. The highly isolated country said that the outbreak began after patients touched ‘alien things’ near the border with South Korea.” Source: North Korea says Covid-19 arrived via ‘alien things’ near the border – The Week

“There are several key differences between kimchi made in North Korea and kimchi made in South Korea, according to Lacademie,  which says that the northern variety is lighter in color and less spicy, but it is also tangier in taste. The differences, Lacademie states can be attributed to the conditions that are present in North […]

DMZ vets may recall the North Korean propaganda leaflets often found in the ‘Z. Back then the US and RoK sent their own leaflets to the North, but in recent years the RoK government has not only stopped much of its own propaganda efforts but madeit illegal for defectors from North Korea to do it […]

“The demilitarized zone metaverse ‘expand[s] the real experience of the DMZ with personalized avatars and immersive technology,’ South Korea’s Unification Ministry, which developed the platform, said in a statement.” Visit the virtual DMZ here.

“The man’s case is rare — while more than 10,000 North Korean defectors have arrived in South Korea in the past decade, just 30 have returned home, where they face the prospect of being put into forced labor camps, according to official South Korean data. But defectors and advocates say even if the man’s rationale […]

We remember being careful to avoid confusing thermal images of tall cranes (the bird) with North Koreans in the ‘Z. We’ve also always wondered if there could be tigers there. See our other posts on wildlife in the DMZ and fishing in the ‘Z Fishing The DMZ Source: Wildlife thrives in the Korean demilitarized … […]

“(T)he Reconnaissance Bureau maintains four separate reconnaissance battalions. Highly trained and organized, these five-hundred-man battalions are trained to lead an army corps through the hazardous DMZ. They likely have intimate—and highly classified—knowledge of both friendly and enemy defenses in the demilitarized zone.” North Korean SOF includes platoons of female operators, according to this report. Source: […]

Longing for loved ones left behind + financial/career woes are two motives… Source: Why do some North Korean defectors go back? | Taiwan News | 2022-01-06 12:04:00