A million US dollars to interview Kim Jong-un
Seoul (AsiaNews)
- In a rare gesture of détente, the North Korean government has invited
hundreds of foreigners to Pyongyang for the 60th anniversary of the end of the
Korean War: among them diplomats and journalists of leading international news corporations.
But
to talk face to face with the dictator, the young Kim Jong-un, they will have
to cough up 1 million dollars apiece. This
was revealed by an anonymous source who received a press invitation along with
the "rules" to follow in requesting an interview.
Among
those invited to the July 27event are reporters of the Associated Press, the
BBC and Japan's Kyodo News: it is not clear if any of them have accepted the regime's
expensive offer. The
first journalists arrived today in the North's capital and, according to the
source, "one or two of them may have accepted. This is because Kim Jong-un
loves aping foreign leaders and making big announcements during interviews."
July 26 is called "Victory Day" in North Korea and has always been
celebrated with military parades and large "spontaneous" manifestations
of popular joy. However,
the situation is getting worse and national parades - a source who often passes
the border between North and South tells AsiaNews - "Is a smokescreen to
try to forget the reality, of hunger and disease."
The
Kim's demand to the press "is not that surprising, because now the regime
will do anything to make money. From weapons traded with Cuba and Iran to the
blackmail against Seoul to reopen the inter-Korean areas. Pyongyang's
government must have decided that public
austerity of Kim Jong-il [late father and predecessor of Jong-un] is not worth
as much as one or two million dollars. "
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