The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    Korean Lunar New Year vs. Chinese Lunar New Year

  • 3

    TWICE becomes first K-pop group to win Billboard Women in Music award

  • 5

    Cute canine film 'My Heart Puppy' reunites Yoo Yeon-seok, Cha Tae-hyun

  • 7

    Korea ranks 31st in international corruption perception index in 2022

  • 9

    Free subway rides for elderly emerge as headache for Seoul mayor

  • 11

    Popular travel YouTuber recalls painful memories of being bullied at school

  • 13

    Cyber University of Korea offers online Korean language programs for foreigners

  • 15

    IMF slashes Korea's 2023 economic growth outlook to 1.7%

  • 17

    Retailers return to Myeong-dong as more foreign tourists visit

  • 19

    Le Sserafim's first Japanese single tops Japan's weekly chart

  • 2

    INTERVIEWProduction company AStory expects great success with 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' franchise

  • 4

    Garbage collector mistakes sex doll for corpse

  • 6

    Hybe acquires 56.1 percent stake in AI sound startup Supertone

  • 8

    US bill introduced to honor Korean War hero

  • 10

    South Korea, US to expand size and content of joint military drills

  • 12

    Samsung refuses to cut chip output despite plunging profits

  • 14

    Holy Moly concert series brings 4 punk bands to Haebangchon

  • 16

    Ex-Ssangbangwool chief said to have paid N. Korea $8 mil. in 2019 on behalf of Lee, Gyeonggi Province

  • 18

    AmorePacific Museum of Art brings Joseon-era folding screens to center stage

  • 20

    Korean corporations' dividend payout system to follow global standards

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
North Korea
Thu, February 2, 2023 | 08:29
North Korea leader's visit to Mt. Baekdu raises speculation?
Posted : 2017-12-10 15:57
Updated : 2017-12-10 17:06
Yi Whan-woo
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, accompanied by aides, looks around the snow-covered Cheonji crater lake on Mt. Baekdu. The Korean Central News Agency released the photograph Saturday. / Yonhap
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, accompanied by aides, looks around the snow-covered Cheonji crater lake on Mt. Baekdu. The Korean Central News Agency released the photograph Saturday. / Yonhap

By Yi Whan-woo

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's rare visit to the peak of Mt. Baekdu, Saturday, is raising questions over whether he will come up with another drastic plan to tighten his brutal grip on power.

The 2,744 meters high Mt. Baekdu is the tallest mountain on the Korean Peninsula and is significant in the setting of the repressive state's mythology aimed at propagandizing the third-generation lineage of its dynastic leadership.

Kim Jong-un purportedly trekked up the "sacred" mountain often after taking power in December 2011, as his late grandfather Kim Il-sung and late father Kim Jong-il did in bids to consolidate their respective leaderships.

The young tyrant first visited the mountain shortly before he executed his uncle Jang Song-thaek, who was considered the country's No. 2 and a mentor to Kim, in December 2013.

He visited the mountain again in November 2014, when he sought to come up with a new vision for state affairs ahead of the third anniversary of his father's death.

Given this climate, analysts said Sunday that the dictator's visit to the "sacred mountain" may also have a political message.

North Korea says naval blockade will trigger war
North Korea says naval blockade will trigger war
2017-12-10 15:41  |  North Korea

An Chan-il, the head of the World Institute for North Korea Studies, speculated Kim may be trying to wrap up the latest purge that involved the country's second-most powerful military officer, Vice Marshal Hwang Pyong-so and Hwang's top deputy, Kim Wong-hong.

The two high-profile officials were believed to have been punished amid a power struggle between Pyongyang's military and the ruling Workers' Party.

But Kim may take more brutal measures against them to help Choe Ryong-hae, vice chairman of the Workers' Party.

Choe has been considered Hwang's rival and has been put in charge of the purge.

He was among several officials who accompanied Kim to Mt. Baekdu.

A North Korean expert, who spoke on condition of anonymity, claimed that Kim abruptly decided to visit the mountain last weekend after visiting facilities and military posts on the border with China.

Kim left Pyongyang last week, leaving suspicions that he was afraid of the massive Vigilant Ace air force exercise conducted by South Korea and the U.S. according to intelligence sources.

The annual drill took place from Dec. 4 to 8 and involved 24 stealth aircraft, including F-22s.

Meanwhile, Kim "went through thick snow" before reaching the top of Mt. Baekdu, the Korean Central News Agency reported.

He ordered that a monument on the peak and a nearby education facility should be "spruced up," and that a new hotel and several rest stops should be built.

Citing Kim, the Rodong Sinmun reported that he often climbed the mountain but this was the first time to do so amid nice weather in mid-winter.

"His eyes reflected the strong beams of the gifted great person seeing in the majestic spirit of Mt. Baekdu the appearance of a powerful socialist nation which dynamically advances full of vigor without vacillation at any raving dirty wind on the planet," the newspaper said.



Emailyistory@ktimes.com Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
Top 10 Stories
1Garbage collector mistakes sex doll for corpse Garbage collector mistakes sex doll for corpse
2Free subway rides for elderly emerge as headache for Seoul mayor Free subway rides for elderly emerge as headache for Seoul mayor
3Retailers return to Myeong-dong as more foreign tourists visit Retailers return to Myeong-dong as more foreign tourists visit
4Korea seeks measures to better protect foreign workers Korea seeks measures to better protect foreign workers
54 South Korean activists arrested for executing orders from Pyongyang4 South Korean activists arrested for executing orders from Pyongyang
6President pledges support for Korean chipmakers to overcome crisisPresident pledges support for Korean chipmakers to overcome crisis
7Income gap widening among workers Income gap widening among workers
8Korea's presidential couple celebrates recovery of Cambodian boy who received heart surgery Korea's presidential couple celebrates recovery of Cambodian boy who received heart surgery
9Is non-consensual sex not rape? Is non-consensual sex not rape?
10Space industry takes off in South Jeolla ProvinceSpace industry takes off in South Jeolla Province
Top 5 Entertainment News
1[INTERVIEW] Production company AStory expects great success with 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' franchise INTERVIEWProduction company AStory expects great success with 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' franchise
2TWICE becomes first K-pop group to win Billboard Women in Music award TWICE becomes first K-pop group to win Billboard Women in Music award
3Cute canine film 'My Heart Puppy' reunites Yoo Yeon-seok, Cha Tae-hyun Cute canine film 'My Heart Puppy' reunites Yoo Yeon-seok, Cha Tae-hyun
4AmorePacific Museum of Art brings Joseon-era folding screens to center stage AmorePacific Museum of Art brings Joseon-era folding screens to center stage
5$120,000 banana, praying Hitler: Infamous art world prankster Maurizio Cattelan's first Seoul outing $120,000 banana, praying Hitler: Infamous art world prankster Maurizio Cattelan's first Seoul outing
DARKROOM
  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

  • World Cup 2022 France vs Morocco

    World Cup 2022 France vs Morocco

CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group