SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea said on Monday it will send cheerleaders along with its athletes to the Asian Games in the South as a gesture of peace after weeks of firing rockets and fiery rhetoric.

North Korea, which regularly threatens to destroy its neighbor in a sea of flames, is sending 150 athletes to the Games in the South Korean port city of Incheon which begin on Sept. 19.

The two sides are technically still at war after their 1950-53 civil conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.

The North's cheerleaders have proved a huge attraction in rare appearances in the South since the war, with tightly choreographed routines and messages of peace and unification.

"It is necessary to put an end to all kinds of calumnies and vituperation that foster misunderstanding and distrust among the fellow countrymen," the North said in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency.

"We have decided to dispatch a cheerleading squad along with the athletes to the 17th Asian Games in order to improve relationships between the North and the South and to create an atmosphere of national reconciliation."

North Korea, which has threatened a fourth nuclear test in violation of U.N. sanctions, last week demanded the South halt joint military drills with the United States. South Korea rejected the demand and urged the North to take steps to end its nuclear weapons program.

The North has test-fired short range missiles and rockets three times in the past 10 days and threatened to continue doing so.

In 2005, it sent 101 cheerleaders, including Ri Sol Ju, who has since married the state's leader, Kim Jong Un, to the Asian Athletics Championships in Incheon.

(Editing by Jack Kim and Nick Macfie)

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SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un limped on to the stage on the anniversary of his grandfather's death, footage broadcast by state media on Tuesday showed in a rare display of weakness in a country where leaders are portrayed as semi-divine.

The footage showed Kim limping quickly on to the center of a large stage in front a vast smiling portrait of his grandfather, North Korean founding president Kim Il Sung, who died 20 years ago.

State media and propaganda are highly choreographed by the isolated country and any defects with its leadership are usually kept a tightly guarded secret.

Kim Il Sung, who ruled until his death in 1994, had a large and inoperable tennis-ball sized growth on the back of his neck which meant state media were forbidden from filming him from certain angles.

It was not immediately clear how Kim Jong Un developed the limp. State media has shown the 30 year-old leader conducting extensive military on the spot guidance visits on the east and west coasts in recent weeks.

North and South Korea are technically still at war after their 1950-53 civil conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.

North Korea, which has threatened a fourth nuclear test in violation of U.N. sanctions, has test-fired short-range missiles and rockets three times in the past 10 days and threatened to continue doing so.

(Additional reporting by Sanggyu Lim; Editing by Nick Macfie)

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North Korea's polarizing leader, Kim Jong-Un, is at the heart of Seth Rogen and James Franco's new movie, "The Interview," and that's not sitting well at all with the controversial country.

Now North Korea is going so far as to send a letter to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon demanding that the movie be banned, according to Reuters.

The letter is dated June 27, but Reuters just got their hands on it.

They say the letter accuses the U.S. of sponsoring terrorism and committing an act of war.

The premise of "The Interview" revolves around an American TV-host and his producer getting an interview with Kim Jong-Un. That's when the CIA recruits them to kill the polarizing North Korean dictator. 

The letter to the U.N. came from North Korea's U.N. Ambassador, Ja Song Nam, who wrote, according to Reuters, "To allow the production and distribution of such a film on the assassination of an incumbent head of a sovereign state should be regarded as the most undisguised sponsoring of terrorism as well as an act of war."

On June 25, when the story first came out, Rogen took to Twitter to address the dispute:

People don't usually wanna kill me for one of my movies until after they've paid 12 bucks for it. Hiyooooo!!!

— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) June 25, 2014

SEE ALSO: Ireland Is Having A Meltdown, And It's All Because Of Garth Brooks

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A big problem with any news coming out of North Korea is that it's so hard to verify, since reports come from the land of endless propaganda and secrecy.

A perfect example is in a media report thought to be from the regime which is completely false, but that hasn't stopped some news sites from falling for it, including the U.K. Metro, Mirror, and the Toronto Sun (Some have updated their stories after realizing the error).

Showing what appears to be a state-run media report uploaded to YouTube by "Korea News Backup," the parody video tells citizens inside the Hermit Kingdom that not only did their team whoop Japan, the U.S., and China in the World Cup, but they are headed to the finals against Portugal.

Brooks Peck at Yahoo Sports writes:

Though this is all clearly nonsense, it doesn't appear to be North Korean nonsense. The news anchor's voice doesn't match up with her lips and, according to Reddit user "crnprdian," the voiceover's dialect is all wrong. Then there's also the fact that most of the 2014 World Cup's matches are being broadcast in North Korea, albeit on a 24-35 hour delay, so the country's residents are aware of what is actually happening in the tournament.

North Korea did not qualify for this year's World Cup tournament, so residents there who have televisions will be watching Germany vs. Argentina in the finals like everyone else.

Here's the video:

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SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea on Tuesday showed detailed photos of Kim Jong Un directing rocket launches from a site close to the South in an apparent act of defiance that puts a personal face of its leader to actions provoking its neighbors.

Satellite imagery and photos released by state media show the rockets were fired several kilometers north of a popular South Korean tourist observatory near the inter-Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

The roar of rockets and the burning trails from the Soviet-era projectiles on Monday could be seen rising from clouds of smoke between mountains on the North Korean side, footage filmed by staff members at the observatory and obtained by Reuters showed.

It was not immediately clear why North Korea conducted drills so close to the border, but state media has in recent days called the presence of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier in South Korea a "sinister interference".

"They know South Korean officials will report their missile launches so they've decided to seize the initiative and announce it themselves," said Michael Madden, an expert on the North Korean leadership.

"They'll get themselves into the news cycle, or attach themselves into a story, rather than let South Korea do so," he said.

North Korea routinely fires short range missiles or rockets into waters off its east and west coasts, but state media rarely shows Kim supervising drills so close to South Korea and has only in recent weeks shown the young leader present at short-range ballistic missile and rocket launches.

Kim personally gave the order to launch the rocket barrage, the North's main newspaper, the Rodong Sinmun, suggesting his growing confidence in actions that infuriate the South and neighboring Japan. South Korean officials confirmed the reports.

"North Korea fired from a position very close to the DMZ. It represents such a threat to South Korea that even our civilian tourists were able to witness columns of water caused by North Korean shells landing in the sea," South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said at a news briefing.

"Our government takes the firm stance that we will mercilessly retaliate if North Korea fires missiles or artillery south of its border with the DMZ."

Photos carried by North's main newspaper showed mobile rocket launchers firing projectiles beside an inter-Korean railway that heads into a mountain range which North Korea has declared a special tourism zone and was once open to South Korean tourists.

North and South Korea are still technically at war after the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty. The rivals are scheduled to meet this Thursday to discuss preparations ahead of the Asian Games, due to be held in the South Korean city of Incheon later this year.

Last Sunday, state media showed Kim supervising the launch of two Scud-class missiles, in defiance of a U.N. ban on the isolated country's use of ballistic missile technology.

North Korea, whose lone major ally is neighboring China, has threatened a fourth nuclear nest in violation of U.N. sanctions and has test-fired short-range missiles and rockets four times in the past two weeks.

(Addition reporting by Ju-min Park; Editing by Nick Macfie)

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Everyone's heard about North Korea, the hermit kingdom that hangs off the east coast of China.

Condoleezza Rice called it an "outpost of tyranny." George W. Bush said it was one-third of the "axis of evil." And now James Franco and Seth Rogen are releasing a comedy about it, much to Pyongyang's disapproval.

Despite all of that, we really don't know that much about North Korea. But what we do know is rather mindblowing.

If North Korea's capital were a US city, it would be the 4th-most populous.

The population of Pyongyang is 2.843 million.

The fourth-most populous U.S. city is Houston, Texas. Its population is 2.195 million.

Source: CIA

North Korea has a 100% literacy rate.

The CIA defines literacy as "age 15 and over can read and write."

According to that definition, the literacy rate is 100%.

Source: CIA

There are 28 state-approved haircuts.

According to Time, "Women are allowed to choose one of 14 styles; married women are instructed to keep their tresses short, while the single ladies are allowed let loose with longer, curlier locks."

Men are "prohibited from growing their hair longer than 5 cm — less than 2 inches — while older men can get away with up to 7 cm (3 inches)."

Source: Time

Exclusive: Hamas has paid North Korea for missiles and communications equipment in arms deal worth hundreds of thousands of dollars

Hamas militants are attempting to negotiate a new arms deal with North Korea for missiles and communications equipment that will allow them to maintain their offensive against Israel, according to Western security sources.

Security officials say the deal between Hamas and North Korea is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and is being handled by a Lebanese-based trading company with close ties to the militant Palestinian organisation based in east Beirut.

Hamas officials are believed to have already made an initial cash down payment to secure the deal, and are now hoping that North Korea will soon begin shipping extra supplies of weapons to Gaza.

“Hamas is looking for ways to replenish its stocks of missiles because of the large numbers it has fired at Israel in recent weeks,” explained a security official. “North Korea is an obvious place to seek supplies because Pyongyang already has close ties with a number of militant Islamist groups in the Middle East.”

Using intermediaries based in Lebanon, Hamas officials are said to be intensifying their efforts to sign a new agreement with Pyongyang to provide hundreds of missiles together with communications equipment that will improve the ability of Hamas fighters to coordinate operations against Israeli forces.

Like other Islamist terror groups in the region such as Hizbollah, Hamas has forged close links with North Korea, which is keen to support groups that are opposed to Western interests in the region.

The relationship between Hamas and North Korea first became public in 2009 when 35 tons of arms, including surface-to-surface rockets and rocket-propelled grenades, were seized after a cargo plane carrying the equipment was forced to make an emergency landing at Bangkok airport. Investigators later confirmed that the arms cache has been destined for Iran, which then planned to smuggle the weapons to Hizbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.

Following Israel’s latest military offensive against Hamas operatives based in Gaza, Western security officials say Hamas is now trying to persuade North Korea to provide fresh supplies of rockets to replace the thousands of missiles that have been fired at Israel since the commencement of hostilities two weeks ago.

Israeli military commanders supervising operations against Gaza believe North Korean experts have given Hamas advice on building the extensive network of tunnels in Gaza that has enabled fighters to move weapons without detection by Israeli drones, which maintain a constant monitoring operation over Gaza.

The North Koreans have one of the world’s most sophisticated network of tunnels running beneath the demilitarised zone with South Korea, and Israeli commanders believe Hamas has used this expertise to improve their own tunnel network.

The Hamas arsenal has become increasing sophisticated with foreign assistance and now boasts five variants of rockets and missiles. Its basic weapon is the Iranian-designed Qassam rocket with a range of less than ten miles but it also has a large stockpile of the 122mm Katyushas which boast a range of up to 30 miles.

The introduction of the M-75 and Syrian-made M0302 missiles means Hamas boast offensive weapons with a longer range of up to 100 miles and a much greater explosive impact.

Since the 2012 eight-day war, Hamas has increased the size and strength of its rocket arsenal. Israeli military intelligence puts its stockpile at around 10,000 rockets and mortars, including long-range rockets capable of reaching Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and the northern port city of Haifa.

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The heavily-trafficked airport that has the potential to be the site of a major military assault is far away from the ongoing turmoil in Israel, Syria, Iraq, or Ukraine.

Instead, the airport most susceptible to a rocket strike could be Incheon International Airport, near Seoul, South Korea.

Incheon is considered one of the best airports in the world. It won a 2014 Airport Service Quality Award from Airport Council International, its ninth win in as many years. The airport has a casino, a golf course, and a spa. It handled more than 41 million passengers in 2013.

With such a plethora of entertainment options, it is easy to forget that Incheon is located within striking range of the North Korean artillery pieces that ring the world's longest militarized border. 

"If North Korea decided to start a war with the U.S., where most of its verbal threats are, it would strike Incheon," Steven Frischling, a blogger and aviation security analyst, told Business Insider. "Taking out Incheon and Gimpo [the second major South Korean airport] would be the first warning shot." 

"North Korea can easily hit it," Frischling said. "They can easily target the airport far back from the DMZ." 

If North Korea were to attack Incheon, South Korea could do little to protect the aircraft or passengers at the airport. 

"None of the aircraft in Korean or Japanese airlines have any defenses. It wouldn't be surface-to-air missiles taking out the aircraft anyway; it would just be missiles and bombs taking out the airport," Frischling said. 

Incheon "would be a primary target if North Korea ever woke up and decided they wanted to do something," he added. 

Little suggests that North Korea is an immediate threat to shell the airport or to take potshots at planes flying out of South Korea's international gateway. The situation remains tense in the Korean Peninsula — but an attack on Incheon is more of an operational possibility rather than an imminent scenario.

Still, North Korea, which has the world's fifth-largest military by manpower, is prone to unexpected acts of aggression.

In May, North Korea fired at least one shell at a South Korean patrol ship. In 2010, North Korea came dangerously close to sparking a major escalation in the Peninsula when it shelled South Korea's Yeonpyeong Island, killing two soldiers and sending dozens of civilians fleeing from their homes. The north routinely fires ballistic missiles into the sea. 

North Korea has carried out limited operations against Incheon Airport in the past. In 2012, North Korea jammed the GPS navigation systems of airliners flying into the airport, although the flights managed to land without incident. South Korea claimed in January that North Korea carried out military exercises that simulated an attack on Incheon. 

South Korea and North Korea technically still remain at war, as the Korean War ended in 1953 with an armistice that is still in place.

SEE ALSO: North Korea's military in 3 maps

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At this year’s Venice Bienniale in Italy, the Korean pavilion has a curious exhibit called “Commissions for Utopia,” which we first saw over at Wired.

It includes renderings from North Korea’s top architects and artists (all anonymous), many of whom studied at the Paekho Institute of Architecture, North Korea’s state-run architectural college, and none of whom have ever left the country. 

They were asked to create a vision of North Korea’s future sustainable architecture for its expanding tourism industry. Their final products are a glimpse into what it would be like to envision the future after being entirely cut off from the present for almost 70 years. 

The plans, which Wired reporter Kyle Vanhemert said would fit right in at Disney World’s Tomorrowland, show futuristic bridges, alternative energy systems including solar power and wind turbines, and housing complexes in the shape of cones.Perhaps what’s most jarring is what isn’t in these images. Cell phones and computers, to start — one bedroom interior shows a rotary telephone with bedside lamps that would not look out of place in a retro home catalogue. All of the designs also seem to rely heavily on wood, glass, and steel materials.Yet some of these images also show sizable yachts, trains, and helicopters, as well as one mechanical gondola ferrying passengers above the ground in tiny pink pods. All of these modes of transportation look like machines one might see today.The series was commissioned in 2011 by Nick Bonner, co-founder of the Beijing-based North Korea tour company Koryo Tours, which has been taking visitors to North Korea for over two decades to show them the attractions, film, architecture, and cultural productions of the Hermit Kingdom.

On Koryo trips — one of which is coming up in October— visitors can see landmarks from the patriotic Kim Il Sung Square and the grand monuments of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il to the interior of a Pyongyang apartment.

Bonner and his team sometimes even bring in architectural books and magazines to North Korean architects to give them an idea of what is going on in the outside world. As Bonner said to Wired, the architects featured in the Venice Biennale exhibit may have seen Frank Gehry’s “Waterfall House" or Dubai’s skyscrapers, but they simply don’t have a fundamental understanding of the materials, tools, technology, and skills needed to build them.That’s why “Commissions for Utopia” is so fascinating. It’s a mix of yesteryear’s Jetsons-esque retro design with a present knowledge of sustainable energy and transportation that matches what’s currently on the world stage.

It’s as though North Korean architects have one foot firmly in 1948 while the other is planted in modern times. The problem is — and what these designs illustrate so well — that these architects are stuck between past and present without any real understanding of how to get to the future.The Korean Pavilion, which has already won the Golden Lion award for best pavilion, will be at the Venice Biennale until November 23. For more on what’s featured on the Korean Pavilion, click here, and keep scrolling to see more from "Commissions for Utopia."

This passenger train with deluxe skylights roams the North Korean countryside.An apartment inside a gigantic helicopter is called the "flying house."This is an aerial hotel with gorgeous views of the surrounding landscape.

These apartments are stacked on top of one another in conifer-shaped buildings. They would be connected by ski runs within the tubes.One can see Gehry's influence on this tree house home with its horizontal pillars and connection with the surrounding environment.

SEE ALSO: 20 Bizarre Things I Learned While I Was In North Korea

DON'T MISS: AP Photographer's Instagram Pictures Show What Life Is Like In North KoreA

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WONSAN, North Korea (AP) — Summer camp in North Korea? It's got one — and it's got everything from giant water slides and a private beach to video games and volleyball courts. Oh, and, of course, a big bronze statue of the late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il surrounded by adoring children.

After some on-the-spot guidance from North Korea's new leader, Kim Jong Un, and a major face-lift, the Songdowon International Children's Camp reopened Tuesday for this year's flock of foreign campers — more than 300 young children and teenagers from Russia, China, Vietnam, Ireland and Tanzania.The campers spend the eight days cooking, swimming, boating and mingling with their North Korean peers. Though heavily subsidized by the government, the camp — plus a tour of Pyongyang — costs about $270 per foreign child.

The camp, which has been operating for nearly 30 years, was originally intended mainly to deepen relations with friendly countries in the Communist or non-aligned world. But officials say they are willing to accept youth from anywhere — even the United States.The camp gives the participants an opportunity to see a country that remains a mystery to most outsiders, and North Korea a chance to show off the best it can offer — sleeping in air-conditioned rooms with TVs and video games is a luxury most North Korean children can't normally experience.

Still, teenagers have their own priorities.

"At the end there is a talent show," said 19-year-old Linus Jamal Faustin, who came with a group of 16 from Tanzania's Laureate International School in Dar es Salaam. "We are ready to show them all how to dance."

SEE ALSO: Here's How North Korean Architects Envision The Future

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SEE ALSO: Kim Jong-Un Seen Limping Across Stage

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Matthew Todd Miller, 56, and Jeffrey Edward Fowle, 24, two Americans detained in North Korea for three months on charges of "anti-state" crimes, officially sought help from the U.S. government in an interview with a local AP Television interview Friday.

AP reports Miller and Fowle described their quickly approaching trials and their concern over inevitably long prison sentences. Fowle, who arrived in North Korea on April 29, is being charged for leaving a Bible in a nightclub in Chongjin, a northern port city. He is married with three young children at home. AP noted "state-run" media in North Korea's have said Miller "entered the country April 10 with a tourist visa, but tore it up at the airport and shouted that he wanted to seek asylum."

In the interview, Fowle pleaded for help from American officials. 

"The horizon for me is pretty dark," Fowle said. "I don't know what the worst-case scenario would be, but I need help to extricate myself from this situation. I ask the government for help in that regards. I'm anxious to get home, I'm sure all of us are."

AP reported it "was not clear whether they were speaking on their own initiative, or if their comments were coerced" during the interview. 

"I expect soon I will be going to trial for my crime and be sent to prison," Miller said. "I have been requesting help from the American government, but have received no reply."

The detainees told the AP crew they were "in good health ... and were allowed to take daily walks." The location of the interview was not disclosed.

The U.S. has reportedly offered to send Robert King, special envoy for North Korean human rights issues, to Pyongyang to seek pardon for American detainees but has had no success in its efforts. 

SEE ALSO: North Korea Could Easily Target South Korea's Largest Airport

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Some of the world's most riskiest airspace is above the cloistered and sometimes trigger-happy hermit Kingdom of North Korea, the Stalinist holdout that remains in an active state of war with its southern neighbor and possesses one of the world's largest militaries. U.S. airlines are prohibited from flying over the country and even the airspace over neighboring South Korea poses some potential hazards of its own.

Blogger Martyn Williams at the website North Korea Tech used the website FlightRadar24 to track air traffic over North Korea for a single, 24-hour period. The results are perhaps unsurprising: Few international carriers are willing to fly over the country, although there are some notable exceptions, including Lufthansa, Air France, and KLM. Williams found that some South Korean airlines fly a dog-ear-style angular pattern to avoid North Korean airspace during flights to Russia's far east — eschewing a far more direct route that would take them over their northern neighbor.

But the video is still a demonstration of the depths of North Korea's current isolation. The video shows planes flocking to Seoul's Incheon airport, while the skies of a country of over 25 million people remain virtually empty.

And they look to remain that way. Today, it was reported that two Americans held in North Korea would face trial on trumped-up charges of "perpetrating hostile acts," another blatant instance of Pyongyang ransoming foreign citizens in the hopes of exchanging them for an incremental upgrade in diplomatic relations. With the UN increasingly scrutinizing North Korea's infamous human rights record and its traditional ally China pivoting towards Seoul, North Korea is arguably inching towards even greater isolation — a state of affairs that could only buttress regime elites who fear a loss in status under an even slightly more open system.

This video is a stark visualization of how closed off North Korea really is, even in a time where air travel is cheaper and more plentiful than at any point in history.

Read the rest of Williams' post — which includes a handy guide to Japanese flights that fly almost directly over the North Korean capital of Pyongyang — here.

SEE ALSO: South Korea is airlifting choco pies to the North to troll Kim Jong Un

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Despite its confusing name, the Korean Demilitarized Zone on the border between North Korea and South Korea is, in fact, the most militarized border in the world. Currently, thousands of troops are standing guard around the clock, including 28,500 U.S. Troops .

The buffer zone stands as a physical metaphor for the conflict and aggression the two countries share for each other. Violent altercations in the DMZ, some involving U.S. military members, have resulted in hundreds of deaths since its installment in 1953.

There's no way anyone in their right mind would ever want to go out of their way to visit a place Bill Clinton once called "the scariest place on Earth," right? Wrong.

Tourists from all over the world flock by the busload to both sides of the DMZ to see history being made every day. Here, tourists view the Bridge of Freedom, partially destroyed during the Korean War, at the Imjingak pavilion in Paju, north of Seoul.Here, Japanese students pose for a photo with a statue of a South Korean military policeman at the Imjingak pavilion. While the governments don't keep statistics on the DMZ, the Korean Tourism Office says that over 1.2 million people visited South Korea in June alone.With Seoul only a half an hour away, the trip is a quick one. While skirmishes may break out sometimes, it doesn't stop the tourists. Korea's tourism website does remind everyone to bring a form of ID for identity check purposes, though.Reuters reports that visitors can stop at souvenir shops, like this one in the Imjingak pavilion, and purchase any number of DMZ keepsakes, like "DMZ T-shirts, DMZ-branded chocolates, DMZ baseball caps and pieces of 'authentic' DMZ barbed wire mounted on ceramic tiles."On the South side, in full view of the North, lies Peace Land, a theme park in the full Capitalist sense. It's complete with a viking boat ride, an antique locomotive, and blaring pop music.Much of the tourism revolves around history too, though. Here, a tourist poses for photographs in a mock North Korean classroom at the Unification Observation Platform. Hanging on the wall are portraits of the late North Korean founder Kim Il-sung and his son and former leader Kim Jong-il.A visit to the Northern side seems a bit more somber and historical (with the expected propaganda, of course), giving details of the conflict over the years. Tours are $20, a hefty fee for average North Korean citizens, who rarely visit. Recent tourists suggest bringing cigarettes to give to the guides.By creating a buffer zone in a rural area and leaving it untouched for half a century, Korea inadvertently made a pristine wildlife preserve that is home to a number of rare species of cranes, tigers, bears, and leopards. Tourists looking out over the 2.5-mile expanse of the DMZ may catch a glimpse of such animals, if they are lucky.What they're more likely to see, however, is the other side of the zone. There, they can see people looking right back at them, which is strange and exciting in its own right.Tourists can put on hardhats and check out one of the numerous tunnels, like this one in Cheolwon, that were discovered in 1972 and are suspected to have originally been made as part of a plan by North Korea to invade South Korea.Even though North Korea recently threatened to turn Seoul into a "Sea of Fire," tourists seem unfazed. "Does it feel dangerous? No way!" one visitor told Reuters. "Am I nervous? No. Just curious."

SEE ALSO: 17 Mindblowing Facts About North Korea

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SEOUL/BEIJING (Reuters) - A Korean-American who runs a Christian NGO in a Chinese city on the border with North Korea is being investigated by Chinese authorities and has had his bank accounts frozen, a source with direct knowledge of the case told Reuters on Thursday.

Peter Hahn, a naturalized U.S. citizen, has been under interrogation by Chinese authorities for the last three weeks and is not permitted to leave the country, said the source, who requested anonymity, citing the sensitive nature of the case.

The source did not know what prompted the probe, which coincides with an investigation of a Canadian Christian couple who run a coffee shop in the nearby city of Dandong on suspicion they stole military secrets.

Several people working in the region, or who are in contact with those that do, said Hahn's case appeared to be part of a wider sweep of Christian-run NGOs and businesses along the Chinese side of the border with North Korea.

While China can be suspicious of Christian groups and President Xi Jinping has launched a wide crackdown on underground churches, foreign missionaries usually operate without too much harassment.

Hahn runs a school for ethnic Korean children in the Chinese city of Tumen. Through his Tumen River Area Development Initiative (TRADI) NGO, he also operates several humanitarian projects and joint venture companies inside North Korea, including a local bus service in the Rajin-Songbon (Rason) Special Economic Zone.

The school declined to comment when asked about the case, and Tumen police could not be reached for comment.

A spokesman at the U.S. embassy in Beijing said he could not provide any information on the matter. Marie Harf, a spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department in Washington, said she was aware of the reports about Hahn's detention but could not comment further for reasons of privacy.

Hahn's company cars had been confiscated and his bank accounts frozen, the source said, adding that his NGO's humanitarian food shipments to North Korea had been suspended following the freeze.

"OPENLY CHRISTIAN"

The source said that Hahn was a Christian and was open about his faith. A description on its website said Hahn founded the NGO in 1997 to help North Korean refugees in Yanji, the capital of China's autonomous ethnic Korean region, a short drive from Tumen, where Hahn is based.

"TRADI's main goal is to sacrifice themselves for the ministry of God," a description of the NGO's vision on its website says. "Through the bridge that TRADI built around the community of Tumen and North Korea, we hope to break down the wall of oppression, imprisonment, and injustice."

North Korea espouses freedom of religion, but it is ranked as one of the world's most oppressive regimes in terms of such freedom, and severely punishes citizens who veer from a state-sponsored ideology that venerates its leaders.

It was not immediately clear why China, North Korea's main ally and economic benefactor, was cracking down on missionaries in the region, but experts said it had cooperated with North Korea in the past along the border.

"North Korean security forces and diplomatic officials are working particularly hard this calendar year to combat growth in religious activities along the border," said Christopher Green of the Seoul-based Daily NK website, quoting repeated reports from sources both inside North Korea and in cities on the Chinese side of the border.

Reuters was unable to independently verify the reports from inside isolated North Korea.

Christian activists focused on China said the two countries had been collaborating closely, despite an apparent dip in relations between Beijing and Pyongyang.

"In recent years they have not always seen eye to eye, but it's a common interest for both sides to crack down on the border, particularly refugee issues," said Bob Fu of China Aid, a U.S.-based Christian advocacy group.

China's porous border with North Korea, which snakes through mountains, is a thriving hub of cross-border black market trade as well as a route taken by North Korean refugees fleeing economic hardship and religious and political persecution.

"JERUSALEM OF THE EAST"

"Pyongyang was once known as the Jerusalem of the East," said David Alton, chairman of the UK parliament's All-Party Parliamentary Group on North Korea, referring to how the city was a thriving center for missionaries long before Korea was divided.

"North Korea's leadership is well aware that below the surface, secret religious faith remains deep in the hearts of many North Koreans," he told Reuters.

"Their fear of Christianity has led to suppression, persecution (and) cruel incarceration."

Many missionaries are drawn to the Rason SEZ, where foreigners, including U.S. citizens, can gain a residence permit and set up joint venture companies with the local government.

While some foreign Christians in sensitive border areas are relatively open about their faith, others are wary of being monitored by North Korea and China and use phrases like "meeting place" to describe underground or house churches.

Buses operated by Hahn's NGO with a North Korean partner in Rason bear a logo resembling a fish, a secret symbol used by early Christians persecution in the Roman Empire.

U.S. missionary Kenneth Bae, sentenced by Pyongyang last year to 15 years hard labor for attempting to overthrow the state, operated businesses in Dandong and used his tour company, Nation Tours, to take foreign missionaries across the border into North Korea.

SOUTH KOREAN FUNDS

Beyond tours, bakeries that produce small, nutritious buns that are distributed to school children and orphans in North Korean border cities are often set up by missionary groups in China, or in North Korea in cooperation with the North Korean authorities.

The bakeries distribute much-needed food to impoverished North Korea, but critics argue such humanitarian aid is often deeply intertwined with religious conversation and salvation.

Hahn, who is based in California but has a residence permit for Rason, also runs a bakery, attached to the school, which has produced bread for North Korea since 2003.

Deliveries of bread from the bakery to North Korean children had been delayed by the freeze of Hahn's funds, the source said.

A proportion of Hahn's funding came from churches in South Korean. His school received money from Pohang Baptist Church in South Korea, according to a letter from the school's vice principal on the church's website.

The investigation into Canadians Kevin Garratt and his wife Julia Dawn Garratt came a week after Canada took the unusual step of singling out Chinese hackers for attacking a key computer network and lodged a protest with Beijing.

In response, China accused Canada of making irresponsible accusations that lacked credible evidence.

"With the Garratts, that was tit-for-tat with what happened in Canada. Peter Hahn is a different issue, I think it's more related to his faith and the work he was doing," said David Etter, who was recently forced to close his Christian-run Western restaurant in Yanji, citing a lack of customers.

"He was very open about his faith and why he was doing what he was doing," he said.

(Additional reporting by Ju-min Park in Seoul and David Brunnstrom in Washington,; Editing by Mike Collett-White and Peter Galloway)

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So you want to go to North Korea? If the nuclear tests, human rights violations, arbitrary detentions of tourists, and bellicose rhetoric from the government threatening to transform places such as Seoul and even Austin, Texas into a “sea of fire” aren't enough to deter you from visiting the “Hermit Kingdom,” then perhaps nothing will.

OK, then. This is how to get into the most secretive country in the world.

1. Find a tour operator

The only way for the vast majority of people to visit North Korea is as part of an organized tour. A variety of companies run multiple tours per year, with varying lengths of time (from just a few days to nearly three weeks), cost (from a few hundred dollars to $4,000 or more), and a plethora of itineraries.

While some itineraries focus on less-visited areas in the country’s north – such as North Hamgyong Province (the same province where North Korea is said to conduct its nuclear tests) and the Rason Special Economic Zone (an area near the Chinese and Russian borders established in the early 1990s to promote economic growth through foreign investment) – the majority are centered around the country’s capital of Pyongyang and the DMZ with South Korea.

American citizens are allowed to visit North Korea as tourists. And, contrary to popular belief, signing up for a tour is as easy as filling out a few forms online and wiring money to reserve your spot on a tour.

“Basically when someone applies for a tour with us, we collate their information, make sure it is all in the format needed and then send it off to our partners in Pyongyang,” explains Simon Cockerell of  Koryo Tours, a Beijing-based outfit that has been running tours to North Korea since 1993. “We also prepare the paperwork for the visa to be issued in Beijing and send that off to the consulate.”

Koryo Tours is the largest and probably best-known organization that takes tourists to North Korea. Since its founding by Nick Bonner and Joshua Green, the company now brings about 2,000 tourists to North Korea each year. According to Cockerell, about two-thirds of the tourists they bring are male, and around 25 percent of clients come from the United States. Other nations that tourists often come from, he says, are the UK, Australia, Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands.

The North Kroean travel industry is also a growing one. “In recent years a lot more companies have started running tours as well,” says Cockerell. But, he adds, “It’s a small field.”

Koryo Tours has also been involved in several cultural exchanges and other projects, from assisting the British Embassy with the nationwide broadcast of the film “Bend It Like Beckham” in 2010 (the first Western film to be publicly broadcast on TV in North Korea) to sports exchanges that have brought international teams to face off against North Koreans. When Dennis Rodman and a squad of former NBA all-stars played a January game watched in person by Kim Jong Un for his birthday, Cockerell brought a group of tourists to witness the spectacle.

But no matter what company you choose, they will likely be partners of the Korean International Tourist Company (KITC), a North Korean government-run organization which employs the Korean guides who will accompany you while you are in the country.  

“KITC is quite a large company,” explains Cockerell. “We work with one section of that company, the same people we have worked with for more than two decades, so we know them very well, have a lot of trust with them, and can speak frankly to them. We meet very regularly and can speak to them face-to-face, by email, or by phone.”

A relationship with the KITC also allows tour companies to take visitors to areas not seen before by Western tourists and to partake in activities beyond just sightseeing.

“For the tours we don’t really ask for permission per se, we already know what can and can’t be done,” says Cockerell. “In the last few years we have innovated in making more things available in the DPRK (note: DPRK is an acronym for North Korea’s official name – Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) such as attending football matches, cycling around the country, visiting architecturally interesting sites, charting trains up the east coast and back, sports trips, school exchange tours, and so on – all things that some years earlier would not have been possible. So with patience and persistence things can be done which could not have been done before.”

Once you’ve filled out the necessary forms, submitted the paperwork (and sent photos for your North Korean visa) and paid the requisite fees (some tour operators require you to pay the entire price for a tour at once, while others ask for just a deposit), then you can proceed to the next step: getting ready for your journey. 

2. Prepare for your trip

As with any destination that is not considered the industrialized world, there are certain things one should pack to take to North Korea. Bottled water is essential, as it is not advisable to drink straight from the tap anywhere in North Korea (or China, for that matter – prior to visiting for the second time, I spent the better part of a day doubled-over in pain on the floor of my Beijing hotel after I drank water from the bathroom sink).

Although it is plentiful in Pyongyang, it is also advised to bring rolls of toilet paper if venturing outside the capital. Particularly in the more rural areas of North Hamgyong Province, the necessity can be in short supply. 

As North Korea is a highly controlled society, there are certain things to keep in mind when packing. All of your belongings may be searched upon entering and exiting the country. If you have a laptop or smartphone, you may be asked to turn it on and show a customs official your files. Pictures you might have on a camera will also be examined, and anything deemed offensive – no matter how innocuous you may think it is – may be deleted on the spot. “Adult” or obscene material may also be confiscated, as North Korea is extremely conservative.

If you’re concerned about certain photos being deleted, one idea is to bring extra memory cards for cameras. If photos are deleted upon entering or exiting, swap out memory cards. When back home, there are a number of ways to restore deleted photos, as long as the memory was not written over. Swedish photographer Johan Nylander was able to do just that, showcasing the photos North Korean officials had “deleted” in a 2013 CNN article.

Religious material such as Bibles and Qurans are allowed, as long as they are for personal use only. Just make sure not to leave anything behind – in May, 56-year-old Ohio resident Jeffrey Edward Fowle was arrested for allegedly leaving a Bible written in English and Korean and including his name, phone number, and photos of himself and his family in a toilet bin in the northeastern city of Chongjin at the Seamen’s Bar, the same place I was treated when I became seriously ill while visiting the country for the first time, and acting “contrary to the purpose of tourism.” He is still being held.

In 2012, Korean-American Kenneth Bae was arrested in Rason for “crimes against the state.” He is currently serving a 15-year sentence. Part of the evidence that helped secure his conviction was the large amount of religious material he possessed, including Bibles and religious DVDs.

Clothes-wise, what to wear naturally depends upon the season. Although at roughly the same latitude (39 degrees north) as US states including California, Missouri and Virginia, and with summer temperatures averaging in the low 80s Fahrenheit, most highs on winter days in Pyongyang hover at around freezing, with lows typically in the teens – and more northern cities like Chongjin or Hoeryong can be even colder.

Cold, dry winds are common, and with snow falling for an average of nearly 40 days a year, a thick winter jacket or many layers is recommended if visiting from November to March. Although Most North Koreans tend to wear dark colors, this is by no means the rule.  

Due to North Korea’s conservatism, any exceptionally revealing clothing (plunging necklines, very short skirts, etc.) is not recommended for tourists, especially as it can reinforce negative stereotypes about the West. And it almost comes without saying that anything featuring the flags of South Korea or Japan are frowned upon.

It is also recommended to pack some kind of gift for your North Korean guides as a sign of your appreciation.

Cartons of cigarettes are particularly popular, but so are boxes of chocolates and other candies. Photos of your family or home – if only just to show your guides – are also nice gestures.  Just remember not to go too extravagant with your gifts – guides sometimes have to report them to their superiors. 

With everything packed (it’s recommended to bring no more than a backpack and single suitcase as – particularly on longer tours involving several cities – you may change hotels often), you’re all ready to board your flight to Beijing, leaving you just a single step away from entering the country Reporters Without Borders has ranked second-to last in its 2014 Press Freedom Index.

3. Attend a pre-tour briefing

Many tour operators ask that you attend a pre-tour briefing prior to entering North Korea. Usually taking place in China, at the briefing you’ll receive practical information about what to expect, any last-minute changes to the itinerary (though this can also change when you’re actually there), safety information, and pay any fees still owed.

China will also be the last chance to freely stock up on supplies, so it’s a good time to buy snacks, bottled water, and gifts for the guides.

Stocked up on supplies, electronics fully charged and mind full of useful information about what to expect, can then send farewell messages to friends and family – and finally set foot inside North Korea in spite of a U.S. State Department Travel Warning.

4. Experience North Korea - but follow the rules

Unless you’re entering overland from China (an exceptionally rare occurrence for Westerners), your journey in North Korea will begin with an early afternoon flight from Beijing Capital Airport’s Terminal 2 on North Korean flag carrier Air Koryo. Although rated as the “world’s worst airline” by Skytrax, the roughly two hour flight to Pyongyang Sunan International Airport is actually usually quite comfortable.

Utilizing primarily Tupolev Tu-204s, there are even drop-down LCD TVs that will play either an endless stream of cartoons or show concert footage from the Moranbong Band– an all-girl group whose catchy pop tunes like “Let’s Study!” and “Without a Break” will soon get stuck in your head regardless of whether you understand the lyrics or not. Flight attendants will serve an inflight meal, but it may consist of nothing more than a cold hamburger with meat of questionable origin.

There will also be North Korean newspapers to read, including the English-language Pyongyang Times. It makes a great free souvenir.

After the flight, you’ll be asked to remain on the plane while business class passengers exit. Then you and the rest of the passengers may deplane, and will be taken into the main arrivals/departure area of the airport. While heading there, you may notice a large amount of uniformed men and women, some of whom are soldiers. Resist the urge to photograph them – you’re usually not allowed to photograph anything relating to the military unless you’ve been given permission to do so, and the consequences for breaking the rules can be severe.

Once inside, you’ll be asked to present your passport and visa to a customs officer. Since the tour company should have given you your visa already, it shouldn’t be much of an issue. The customs officer might ask you in English why you’re in North Korea. Your answer should be “tourism.” She or he will then stamp your visa paper – not your passport (it is exceptionally rare to receive a North Korea stamp in your passport) – and you’ll be free to pick up your luggage from the single conveyor belt. You’ll then be introduced to your Korean guides (who will speak great English), and the adventure will really begin. 

If staying in Pyongyang, chances are your accommodations will be the Yanggakdo International Hotel, a 47-story structure (the second-tallest building in North Korea) built by France’s Campenon Bernard Construction Company that boasts 1,001 rooms.

While the exact number is anyone’s guess, what is known is that the hotels features, among other amenities, a bowling alley, spa, karaoke facilities, post center, in-house tailor and dry cleaner, massage parlor, pool hall, bar, revolving restaurant on the top floor (which offers incredible views of Pyongyang), several small stores selling items such as pins and books written by Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, and even an underground casino (though North Korean citizens are not supposed to gamble there).

In the ornate lobby, there’s even a sea turtle in an aquarium (the second turtle known to live there, and who Koryo Tours’ Cockerell says has been there for about four years). The windowed, carpeted rooms are also quite nice, with twin queen beds with warm blankets and a full bathroom (with working hot water and electricity) being standard. There’s even TVs which receive international channels like the BBC, in addition to locally produced Korean Central Television (KCTV), and a telephone (it is unknown if outgoing calls are monitored).

But for all its opulent massiveness, don’t expect to be able to sneak out at night: the hotel lobby is staffed by a uniformed doorman, and even if you were to elude his watchful gaze, the Yanggakdo is on an island only accessible by a single bridge; get caught, and you could find yourself in serious trouble. 

While in Korea, you will be at the mercy of your guides; their word is law. Many of the guides are more versed in Western culture than one might think. When I last visited Pyongyang in January, one of the guides had a university degree in English literature, and was intimately familiar with British classics such as Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales” and Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein.”

Other guides might express a fondness for certain types of Western music; The Beatles are especially popular. While some of the rules (such as only taking photos of statues from the front side, and including the whole statue in the photo) may seem odd, understand that the guides themselves could get in trouble: should you break the rules, they too could get in trouble.

Sumptuous meals of everything from kimchi to crabs and, if you feel so inclined, dog (though it is never a surprise and quite expensive to order) – and lots and lots of rice – will be the fare you’ll be eating. There will also be gallons of tea and alcoholic beverages, including North Korean-produced beer and soju. Venues for meals might include one of the restaurants at the Yanggakdo, a microbrewery in Pyongyang (which has on tap, as God is my witness, a “coffee stout”), a pizza parlor, or – if  visiting the northern city of Rason – the offices of travel companies.

No matter where in North Korea you may be going, your itinerary will be a busy one. Each day will be a whirlwind of monuments, museums, and more stories about the accomplishments of the Kim family than you ever thought imaginable.

From the USS Pueblo (a U.S. Navy spy ship captured in 1968 that holds the distinction of being the only U.S. naval vessel currently held by an enemy) to the bustling Pyongyang Metro (a two-line, 17-station subway system chock-full of socialist realist artwork) to performances by local schoolchildren, there won’t be a dull moment. One place many tour groups visit is the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) with South Korea, where you can sometimes stare down South Korean and the occasional American officer. 

Although dubbed the “scariest border in the world” by National Geographic, there is little to fear: as the guides will tell you beforehand, the North Korean soldiers stationed there (allegedly the tallest people in the North Korean military, to psychologically intimidate South Korea and the U.S.) will protect you.

For those that desire a good image to send to family and friends, the DMZ is usually the only place you’re allowed to take pictures of (and sometimes even with) soldiers.

5. Return to the rest of the world

Eventually, your time in North Korea will come to an end. You’ll pack your bags, say farewell to your guides, and return to the airport, where you’ll fly back to Beijing. You’ll be forced to hand in your North Korean visa to the customs officer before leaving. After that, it’ll be another Air Koryo flight to Beijing Capital Airport. 

For some, readjusting to life may be difficult. Exposed to a constant barrage of propaganda, even a few days in the country can lead to a mild form of brainwashing.

By the end of my first visit to North Korea in June 2013, I honestly believed that – despite being in the country for only eight days – Kim Jong Un had offered to make peace with the United States, South Korea and Japan once and for all, but that they had rejected the offer. It may also take some time to catch up on world events; while in North Korea that first time, I had no idea the Miami Heat had stormed back to win the NBA Finals, or even knew who Edward Snowden was.

What may be harder is describing your experiences to family and friends. While some may be impressed that you went to North Korea and lived, unless they are Korea watchers or otherwise employed in a profession where they must be familiar with the country, they will likely not be able to entirely relate to what you saw and did. Comments such as “that must have been interesting” could be common.

Fortunately, unless you went on a private tour (many tour companies offer this service, albeit for a premium), there will be at least some people you can relate to. Many outfits provide an email list of everyone who participated after a tour concludes, allowing you to stay in touch with new friends you might have made. And sometimes it goes beyond friendship: according to Koryo Tours’ Cockerell, some people have even hooked up on tours and forged relationships. 

But no matter what, your experiences in North Korea will stay with you. Although you may be wracked with guilt for indirectly helping finance a government with a questionable human rights record, you might feel you have gained at least some perspective on the country and its people. You may even feel drawn to return. I know I did after my first visit, and went back a few months later.

As someone much older than myself – and who has been to Korea many more times – told me one night while in the country: “Korea… it’s like a drug. Most people never go. But when you do, it gets into you. You come back again and again. You can’t let go of it, really. That feeling. It’s a thrill. A sick, twisted thrill.”

Ben Mack is an American journalist based in Berlin, Germany. A 2012 graduate of Boise State University, he has written for outlets including Deutsche Welle, Air India Magazine, The Local Sweden and The Hillsboro Argus. You can follow him on Twitter @benaroundearth or check out his blog at Ben Around Earth.

NOW: I Saw Another Side Of North Korea While Traveling Undercover [PHOTOS]

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How much do you really know about one of the most controversial countries in the world? 

Learn some mindblowing facts about this hermit kingdom that hangs off the east coast of China.

Produced by Matthew Stuart. Research by Elena Holodny.

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SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea fired three short-range rockets off its east coast on Thursday, South Korea's Ministry of Defense said, shortly before Pope Francis arrived in Seoul on his first visit to Asia.

The rockets were fired from multiple launchers in the North Korean port city of Wonsan and traveled 220 km (135 miles) before landing in waters east of the Korean peninsula, a defense ministry official said.

The last rocket was fired 35 minutes before Pope Francis was due to arrive at an air base in Seoul, where the pontiff started a five-day visit to South Korea.

The launches came ahead of U.S.-South Korean military exercises scheduled to start on Monday. Seoul and Washington say the exercises are defensive in nature but North Korea regularly protests against the drills, which it sees as a rehearsal for war.

(Reporting by Kahyun Yang; Writing by James Pearson; Editing by Paul Tait)

SEE ALSO: On Russia's Border With Ukraine, Fighters And Military Gear Move Freely

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In a sign of the continuing decline in relations between North Korea and China, Pyongyang moved a number of tanks and armored vehicles away from South Korea to the Chinese border, according to The Chosun Ilbo, citing an anonymous source. 

North Korea has reportedly deployed 80 tanks to Ryanggang Province, directly across the border from China. The tanks were reinforced with armored infantry units, multiple rocket launchers, and a sharpshooter brigade. 

According to Chosun Ilbo, this is the first time that such military units had been deployed in Ryanggang Province. Ryanggang was the birthplace of former North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il, and it is subsequently revered by the North Koreans. The province is also strategically located, as it shields North Korea's eastern port cities. 

The tanks are part of North Korea's 12th Corps. Established in 2010, the 12th Corps is one of the North's most modern units and, according to Chosun Ilbo's source, it has been "turned into an attack force."

The shifting of some of North Korea's most high-tech military units away from the border with South Korea and toward China highlights the increasing distrust between China and Kim Jong-Un.

In May, North Korea reportedly hung signs reading that China is a "turncoat and our enemy" in one of the country's military education institutions. An internal North Korean memo in April derided China as "being in the bed with the imperialists" for having criticized the North's nuclear ambitions. 

In April, China is believed to have conducted military exercises along the North Korean border, although Chinese officials denied these claims. Still, in a sign of the rising tensions, Chinese President Xi Jinping said, likely alluding to North Korea, that no one state "should be allowed to throw a region and even the whole world into chaos for selfish gains."

Relations between China and North Korea have been strained — even though China is the North's only official ally, ever since Kim Jong-Un had his uncle, Jang Song-Thaek — killed last year. Jang had led a number of diplomatic missions between the two countries. 

North Korea is also a troublesome ally to have. The country has tested nuclear weapons on three occasions since 2006, and it produces a stream of economic and political refugees that cross into China. If the Chinese have decided that the alliance is more trouble than it is worth, then North Korea has settled on an odd way to go about repairing the relationship.

SEE ALSO: Here's the military exercise that had North Korea freaking out

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U.S. intelligence agencies believe North Korea is building a submarine capable of launching ballistic missiles, potentially increasing the threat posed by the nuclear-armed rogue state.

A missile launch tube on a North Korean submarine was observed recently by U.S. intelligence agencies and is raising new concerns about the missile and nuclear threat from the communist regime in Pyongyang, according to two defense officials familiar with reports of the development.

Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Jeffrey Pool declined to comment on the North Korean missile submarine program. “We do not comment on intelligence matters, but we do urge North Korea to become more transparent in their defense sector in order to reduce tensions in the region,” he said in a statement.

Details of the missile submarine remain closely held within the government.

Disclosure of the missile submarine work followed a recent report from North Korea showing photographs of dictator Kim Jong Un riding in the conning tower of a rusty North Korean submarine at sea.

Military analysts expressed surprise at the intelligence on the missile submarine program and speculated the submarine could be a modification of one of North Korea’s Russian or Chinese design Romeo-class diesel submarines.

A second possibility is that the new missile submarine is a copy or modification of a Soviet-era Golf-class missile-firing submarine purchased by Pyongyang — ostensibly for scrap metal — in the mid-1990s.

North Korea’s current submarine force includes around 70 submarines. Most of the vessels are older diesel submarines, including 22 Romeo-class or Chinese design Type-031 subs — the type of submarine Kim was photographed on in June.

The majority of the North’s submarines, more than two dozen, are small, Sango-class mini-submarines used for covert commando operations to infiltrate South Korea during a conflict. The North Koreans also have four 1940s-design Whiskey-class submarines from Russia.

North Korea’s use of submarine warfare was evident as recently as 2010, when it carried out a torpedo attack on South Korea’s Choenan coastal warship, killing 46 sailors. A North Korean mini-submarine is suspected in that attack. North Korea denied it was behind the strike.

Additionally, U.S. intelligence agencies believe North Korea already has submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs). The North covertly obtained several SS-N-6 SLBMs from Russia. The missile has been adapted into North Korea’s new intermediate-range missiles.

Until the recent discovery of the modified submarine, there were no intelligence signs North Korea is interested in developing its own submarine-launched missiles.

Pyongyang is one of the largest producers and exporters of ballistic missiles in the world, and makes several types of short-range Scuds, medium-range Nodongs, Musudan intermediate range missiles, and long-range Taepodongs.

Its missile arsenal is estimated to include between 600 and 1,000.

North Korean Reverse-Engineering?

If the modified submarine is based on the Golf, it is likely the technology or actual missile tubes were derived from the decommissioned submarines obtained in the mid-1990s.

The authoritative Jane’s’ Fighting Ships revealed in May 1994 that North Korea purchased 40 decommissioned submarines from Russia, including several Golf-class and Romeo-class submarines.

Former British Navy Capt. Richard Sharpe stated in the foreword to the 1994 publication that the Golf submarine sale raised concerns about their missile capabilities.

It is “possible that the missile tubes may be adaptable for other weapons,” including ballistic missiles, he stated.

Rick Fisher, a military analyst, said he suspects one of the Golf-class submarines obtained by the North Koreans included one or more SS-N-6 missiles in its launch tubes as part of the deal.

North Korea then may have used the past 20 years to reverse-engineer a version of the Golf, which was designed to carry up to three ballistic missiles, Fisher said.

“In North Korean service, a Golf-size ballistic missile-carrying submarine could potentially carry two Musudan-size liquid-fueled missiles or a larger number of long-range cruise missiles,” he said.

If the missile submarine development is confirmed, it would mean North Korea could use one of its submarine missiles to attack Anchorage from waters near Russia’s Sakhalin Island. Another potential target for the North Korean missile submarine could be U.S. forces on Okinawa, Philippines, or Guam from the Yellow Sea. The missile could have a range of between 1,500 and 2,500 miles.

Eric Wertheim, an analyst at the U.S. Naval Institute, said he is skeptical North Korea could develop missile firing submarines, either indigenously or by copying or refurbishing a Golf.

Possible Development Setbacks

“There are very many hurdles that would need to be overcome for North Korea to develop an SLBM and turn a diesel submarine into an operational platform able to launch guided SLBMs,” Wertheim said in an email.

“If not a Golf class, launch of SLBMs would probably require another large class of submarine and most recent North Korean submarine production seems to have focused on smaller subs or less than 1,000 tons,” he added.

A former intelligence analyst also said North Korea’s refurbishing of the Golf subs would be very difficult, and that the North Koreans would need satellite navigation for the missile.

South Korea press reports, however, have indicated recently that China is sharing its Beidou satellite navigation technology with North Korea.

A 2009 State Department cable made public by Wikileaks revealed that North Korea developed a new land-mobile intermediate-range missile based on the SS-N-6 SLBM.

The missile was deployed on Russia’s Golf submarines, indicating that the Golf missile tubes could be used or copied for the new North Korean missile submarine or as launch tubes on a converted submarine.

A modified SS-N-6 engine was used to build what is now called North Korea’s road-mobile Musudan missiles.

“Development of the Musudan with this more advanced propulsion technology allows North Korea to build even longer-range missiles—or shorter range missiles with greater payload capacity—than would be possible using Scud-type technology,” the cable on North Korean missile development stated.

A second 2011 cable revealed that North Korea shared the SS-N-6 missile technology with Iran for use in its Safir missile. The cable said “the second-stage of the Safir utilizes steering engines that are almost certainly derived from the Soviet-era SS-N-6 (Soviet designation: R-27 or RSM- 25) submarine-launched ballistic missile.”

“U.S. information was clear that Iran purchased these [missiles] from North Korea and that its technology was far more advanced than SCUD technology,” a third cable from 2007 said.

That cable quoted Russian officials, in talks with U.S. officials, denying any SS-N-6 missiles were sold to North Korea, claiming all were destroyed as part of the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty, which the State Department recently said was violated by Moscow through development of a new cruise missile.

Additionally, the Russians in 2007 said North Korea and Iran could not master the technology of the SS-N-6. “The Russians argued that the technology was customized for underwater use; and that the missile would not work without the water pressure at specific depths,” the cable said.

Fisher said another possible source for North Korea’s submarine-launched missile program is China, which has produced a version of the Golf known as the Type-031 and which was used until 2013 as an SLBM test platform.

“Given China’s habit of assisting North Korea to obtain earlier generation strategic weapons, the chances are greater that China would have aided North Korea’s rebuilding of the scrap Soviet Golf class submarines,” Fisher said. “Chinese assistance would have been crucial for North Korea to rebuild the pressure hull, missile tubes and to equip the sub with modern command and control systems.”

Fisher noted covert Chinese missile assistance in the past to North Korea’s KN-08 long-range missile, specifically the transfer of Chinese-made transporter-erector launchers.

“The emergence of a North Korean ballistic missile carrying submarine raises many questions for U.S. strategy and force levels in Asia,” Fisher said. “Should it now be considered a great error for the Obama administration to have retired and dismantled U.S. nuclear-armed cruise missiles for U.S. submarines in 2010?”

A missile-firing North Korean submarine also will require increased U.S. and Japanese anti-submarine warfare forces, he said. “Both will have to consider an additional number of submarines to check North Korea,” Fisher said.

Another concern is that North Korea will share or export missile-firing submarines in the future to Iran. North Korea cooperated with Iran on submarine training in the past.

SEE ALSO: North Korea moved some of its most advanced weaponry to the Chinese border in a sign of rising tensions

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