2016 in North Korea explained

In the year 2016, North Korea conducted two nuclear tests: one in January and the other in September. Additionally, the country conducted several missile tests. As consequence, the United Nations Security Council adopted three resolutions against North Korea.

The 7th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea was held in May. In August North Korea took part in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, winning two gold, four silver, and two bronze medals.

Incumbents

• Party Chairman and State Chairman: Kim Jong-un
• President of the Supreme People's Assembly: Kim Yong-nam
• Premier: Pak Pong-ju^[1]

Events

January

• A 5.1 magnitude earthquake near Sungjibaegam, North Korea, was suspected to be a nuclear explosion at the Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site. North Korea announced it had conducted a hydrogen bomb test (January 2016 North Korean nuclear test).^{[2] [3] [4] [5] [6]}

February

• The satellite Kwangmyŏngsŏng-4 is launched on 7 February on board the carrier rocket Kwangmyongsong.^[7]
• 7 February: S.K. begins official consultations with the United States on THAAD missile defense deployment.^[8]
• 10 February: South Korea shuts down the joint Factory Park with North Korea, the Kaesong Industrial Park, over nuclear test and rocket.^{[9] [10]}

March

• The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopts Resolution 2270 on 2 March, condemning the nuclear test and rocket launch by North Korea and imposing sanctions on it.^[11]
• The United Nations Security Council adopts Resolution 2276 on 24 March, extending the mandate of the Panel of Experts on North Korea's weapons of mass destruction until 24 April 2017.^[12]
• Security researchers have tied a recent spate of digital breaches on Asian banks to North Korea. If confirmed it would be the first known case of a nation using digital attacks for financial gain.^[13]

April

• 13 North Koreans working in a Korean restaurant in Ningbo, Zhejiang, China, defect and arrive in Seoul on 7 April.^{[14] [15]}
• A test of the Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missile on 15 April (Day of the Sun) ends in failure.^[16]
• A submarine-launched missile is tested on 23 April but flies only 19km (12miles).^[17]

May

• 7th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea^[18]

August

• 3 August: North Korea fires a ballistic missile from South Hwanghae Province in the west of the country to the Sea of Japan.^[19]
• 11 August: Egypt customs seizes more than 30,000 rocket-propelled grenades of North Korean production, off a ship.^{[20] [21]}
  • Egypt customs seized the cargo of ship Jie Shun, on arrival at Ain Sukhna port, Red Sea, on 11 Aug, after Egyptian authorities were alerted by the US intelligence on possible shipment of North Korean arms on board of this ship. The arms were hidden under bins of iron ore.^{[20] [21]}
  • It was later revealed in 2017 that much to Egypt embarrassment, it was revealed later, that ammunitions actually, were bought by Egypt itself, against the UN sanctions imposed on North Korean arms trade. Later the Jie Shun was taken to Al Adabiyah port, berthed there on 27 Aug. Since 27 Aug and as of 2 October 2017, the ship stopped transmitting its Automatic identification system.^{[20] [21]}
• 17 August: Thae Yong-ho, North Korea's deputy ambassador to Britain, defects.^[22]
• 25 August: North Korea makes a major technological breakthrough by launching a ballistic missile from a submarine near Sinpo. It flies about 300 miles before falling into the sea inside Japan's air defense identification zone.^{[23] [24]}

September

• 9 September: N.K. conducts its fifth nuclear test, amid international condemnation.^{[25] [26]}

November

• 30 November: The UN Security Council unanimously issued resolution 2321, strengthening its sanctions regime against the DPRK, in response to that country's 9 September nuclear test.^[27]

Unknown

• In 2016, Christmas was celebrated in North Korea, but with the religious overtones downplayed.^[28]

Sports

• Pak Chol wins the Pyongyang Marathon in the men's professional event and Kim Ji-hyang in women's.^[29]
• August:^[30] North Korea wins two gold, four silver, and two bronze medals at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.^[31]
• World champions at the 2016 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup and the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup^[32]

See also

• List of years in North Korea

Further reading

• Armstrong. Charles K.. North Korea in 2016: Much More of the Same. Asian Survey. 57. 1. 2017. 119–127. 0004-4687. 10.1525/as.2017.57.1.119.

External links

• Web site: Kim Jong Un's birthday still not a holiday . . – analysis of the 2016 calendar
• Web site: North Korea 2016/2017 . .
• Web site: North Korea: Events in 2016. Human Rights Watch.
• Web site: Former Official Details North Korean Diplomacy In 2016. Forbes.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Korea, North. Central Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook. 2016. 30 December 2016.
2. Web site: North Korea claims 'successful' detonation of hydrogen bomb test. . 6 January 2016.
3. http://bigstory.ap.org/article/148519e577cc4f5e99478c07213b2ad0/earthquake-detected-north-korea-not-clear-if-nuke-test (AP)
4. Web site: North Korea Quake Near Nuclear Site Was Artificial, Says South . 6 January 2016 . www.bloomberg.com . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170119052813/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-06/magnitude-5-1-quake-detected-near-north-korea-nuclear-test-site . 19 January 2017 .
5. News: North Korea nuclear H-bomb test claims provoke scepticism and condemnation – as it happened . . UK . 18 January 2017 . https://archive.today/20160114211704/http://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2016/jan/06/north-korea-major-announcement-artificial-earthquake-nuclear-test-site-live . 14 January 2016 . live .
6. News: North Korea Quake Near Nuclear Site Was Artificial, Says South . Sharp . Andy . Cynthia . Kim . Sam . Kim . . USA . 5 January 2016 . 18 January 2017 . https://archive.today/20160114211647/http://www.bloomberg.com/company/ . 14 January 2016 . live .
7. Web site: Here's what we know about Kwangmyongsong-4 so far . . 24 April 2016 . https://archive.today/20160922094345/http://www.northkoreatech.org/2016/02/08/heres-what-we-know-about-kwangmyongsong-4-so-far/ . 22 September 2016 . live .
8. News: THAAD: A Critical Litmus Test for South Korea-China Relations . Hee Ok . Lee . . USA . 2 March 2017 . 7 March 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170302232816/http://38north.org/2017/03/hlee030217/ . 2 March 2017 . live . The decision to deploy THAAD has, in fact, severely damaged relations between China and South Korea, countries that have generally seen eye to eye on the North Korean nuclear issue. When North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test in January 2016, China issued a statement strongly condemning the North.[2] Despite that, the ROK proceeded on February 7, 2016 to begin official consultations with the United States on THAAD deployment. China fought the proposal from the start, contending that the potential step would violate its security interests and disrupt the strategic balance. China regularly voiced its criticism of the prospective deployment in even stronger terms, expressing hope that it would be “relinquished,” warning that it would “wreck” bilateral relations and linking it to a “sword dance by the US aiming at China.” When the ROK ultimately decided to deploy the system, China immediately said it had “expressed its strong dissatisfaction with and resolute opposition to the decision.”.
9. News: South Korea to Shut Joint Factory Park, Kaesong, Over Nuclear Test and Rocket . Sang-hun . Choe . The New York Times . USA . 10 February 2016 . 6 March 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160307113259/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/11/world/asia/north-south-korea-kaesong.html . 7 March 2016 . live .
10. News: N. Korea keeps Kaesong complex intact one year after shutdown . . ROK . 21 February 2017 . 6 March 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170307054534/http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/northkorea/2017/02/21/0401000000AEN20170221002500320.html . 7 March 2017 . live .
11. Web site: Security Council Imposes Fresh Sanctions on Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Unanimously Adopting Resolution 2270 (2016) . un.org . 24 April 2016 . https://archive.today/20160317172908/http://www.un.org/press/en/2016/sc12267.doc.htm . 17 March 2016 . live .
12. News: Security Council Grants Mandate Extension for Expert Panel Helping Sanctions Committee on Democratic People's Republic of Korea . UN Security Council . UN Security Council . . 24 March 2016 . 18 January 2017 . https://archive.today/20160409080716/http://www.un.org/press/en/2016/sc12302.doc.htm . 9 April 2016 . live .
13. News: North Korea Linked to Digital Attacks on Global Banks . Nicole . Perlroth . Michael . Corkery . The New York Times . USA . 26 May 2016 . 22 March 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170301062129/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/27/business/dealbook/north-korea-linked-to-digital-thefts-from-global-banks.html . 1 March 2017 . live .
14. Web site: N. Korean waitresses: 'Defectors' tricked . Ripley . Will . CNN . 20 April 2016 . 24 April 2016 .
15. Web site: 13 North Korean restaurant workers defect . Kwon . K.J. . Botelho . Greg . CNN . 8 April 2016 . 24 April 2016 .
16. Web site: North Korea Ballistic Missile Launch a Failure, Pentagon Says . Schmidt . Michael S. . Choe . Sang-Hun . The New York Times . 15 April 2016 . 16 April 2016 .
17. Web site: North Korea Fires Ballistic Missile From Submarine, South Says . Choe . Sang-Hun . . 23 April 2016 . 24 April 2016 .
18. Web site: The 7th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea in 2016: Return to a "New Normal" or Risk a "Take-Off"? . Frank . Ruediger . . 11 November 2015 . 25 November 2015 . U.S.-Korea Institute (SAIS) . https://archive.today/20170118170215/http://38north.org/2015/11/rfrank111115/ . 18 January 2017 . live .
19. Web site: North Korea Fires Ballistic Missile Into Sea: South Korea . Reuters . The New York Times . 2 August 2016 . 3 August 2016 .
20. News: A North Korean ship was seized off Egypt with a huge cache of weapons destined for a surprising buyer . Joby . Warrick. . USA . 1 October 2017 . 23 November 2017 .
21. News: Chinese freighter with North Korean arms seized in Egypt . Erofey . Schkvarkin . Maritime Bulletin . 2 October 2017 . 22 November 2017 . 2 October 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171002113127/http://maritimebulletin.net/2017/10/02/chinese-freighter-with-north-korean-arms-seized-in-egypt/ . dead .
22. News: North Korea's deputy ambassador to Britain defects from London . Anthony . Faiola . Anna . Fifield . . USA . 17 August 2016 . 10 January 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170118033418/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/north-korean-diplomat-defects-from-london-embassy/2016/08/17/0e9ba354-6480-11e6-b4d8-33e931b5a26d_story.html . 18 January 2017 . live .
23. News: North Korea fires a ballistic missile as Trump prepares to host China's Xi . Anna . Fifield . Washington Post . USA . 4 April 2017 . 15 April 2017 . https://archive.today/20170415184245/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/north-korea-fires-a-ballistic-missile-as-trump-prepares-to-host-chinas-xi/2017/04/04/8983fa36-1988-11e7-8003-f55b4c1cfae2_story.html . 15 April 2017 . live .
24. News: North Korea hails 'greatest success' of submarine-launched ballistic missile . Anna . Fifield . Washington Post . USA . 25 August 2016 . 15 April 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170415185017/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/north-korea-hails-greatest-success-of-submarine-launched-ballistic-missile/2016/08/25/6a7b9160-35ef-4d7c-a411-8ecdcc376fa5_story.html . 15 April 2017 . live .
25. News: North Korea Tests a Mightier Nuclear Bomb, Raising Tension . Sang-Hun . Choe . Jane . Perlez . . USA . 8 September 2016 . 18 January 2017 . https://archive.today/20160925021417/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/09/world/asia/north-korea-nuclear-test.html?_r=0 . 25 September 2016 . live .
26. News: North Korea's Nuclear Blasts Keep Getting Stronger . Michael . Forsythe . . USA . 9 September 2016 . 18 January 2017 . https://archive.today/20170118165524/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/10/world/asia/north-korea-nuclear-weapons-tests.html?_r=0 . 18 January 2017 . live .
27. News: Security Council Strengthens Sanctions on Democratic Republic of Korea, Unanimously Adopting Resolution 2321 (2016) – With Secretary-General Hailing Measures as 'Toughest Ever', Some Warn against Military Build-up on Peninsula . UN Security Council . UN Security Council . . 30 November 2016 . 17 January 2017 . https://archive.today/20161212090957/http://www.un.org/press/en/2016/sc12603.doc.htm . 12 December 2016 . live .
28. News: Christmas in N. Korea: Lights and trees, but void of Jesus. Eric. Talmadge. AP. 2016.
29. Web site: More Than 1,600 Runners Take Part in Pyongyang Marathon . Associated Press . VOA . 10 April 2016 . 24 April 2016 . https://archive.today/20160924010516/http://www.voanews.com/a/pyongyang-marathon-runners/3278426.html . 24 September 2016 . live .
30. Web site: Rio 2016 Olympics – Medals, Results & Video Highlights . International Olympic Committee . 11 March 2017 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170309113122/https://www.olympic.org/rio-2016 . 9 March 2017 .
31. Web site: Democratic People's Republic of Korea – National Olympic Committee (NOC) . International Olympic Committee . 11 March 2017 .
32. Web site: 2016 a dream double year for DPR Korea . Asian Football Confederation . 5 December 2016 . 16 September 2017 .