Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.North Korea threatened yesterday to bombard a tourist area in South Korea with artillery shells if rights activists carry out their threat to shower the North with anti-Pyongyang leaflets.
The North's western command declared Imjin-gak, a historic site commemorating South Korean forces in the Korean War, and nearby Paju City, 35 miles north of Seoul, to be "targets of direct firing". The command warned citizens to leave the area.
Pyongyang's Korean Central News Agency said the western command would carry out a "merciless military strike" if even "a minor movement for the scattering is captured in Imjin Pavilion and in its vicinity".
The activists, a group of North Korean defectors and human rights advocates, said they had often heard such threats and would go through with plans to drop around 200,000 leaflets. "They did not stop us before," said Pak Sang-hak, one of the defectors. "This is not going to stop us this time."
Activists have already filled bags containing American dollar bills and sweets, in addition to leaflets, that they plan to attach to balloons. Many of them are expected to fall on North Korean military sites just above the demilitarised zone between the countries, potentially stirring unrest among underfed North Korean troops.
The activists say they need to step up their campaign while North Korea, under Kim Jong-un, the young leader who rose to power after the death of his father last December, shows no sign of shifting policies. Human rights groups report that the North faces severe food shortages until it carries out promised economic reforms that would give people a greater share of the crops they grow on co-operative farms and more freedom to buy and sell at local farmers' markets.
South Korea's President Lee Myung-bak made a surprise visit this week to Yeonpyeong Island, the island in the Yellow Sea that North Korea shelled in November 2010, killing two South Korean marines and two civilians.
Mr Lee, who under South Korea’s constitution, cannot run for a second five-year term, said South Korea would retaliate against any attack.
Kim Kwan-jin, the Defence Minister, said the South would carry out a "perfect response" to any North Korean assault – but gave no details.
Plain talk from Kim Jong-Un's Nephew
The nephew of North Korea's new leader, Kim Jong-Un, has labelled his uncle a "dictator" in an interview that offers a rare insight into the secretive ruling family.
Speaking from the school in Bosnia where he is being educated, Kim Han-Sol, 17, said he wanted to "make things better" for the Korean people. He said he had wanted to meet his grandfather, Kim Jong-Il, who died last year, "because I just wanted to know what kind of person he is."
Richard Hall
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments