re: #62 SixDegrees

My understanding was that they were reporting on the substantial illegal traffic involving North Koreans sneaking into China to find work, and smuggling food and goods back into North Korea. China arrests those caught and deports them back to NK; in NK, getting caught on either side of the border with this sort of thing in mind is an automatic death sentence.

My guess is that the reporters were bouncing back and forth across the border with some of the illegal NK citizens, and had the misfortune to get caught. Their “trial,” however, is strictly for show, with the ultimate goal of extortion in exchange for their release. Any NK citizens caught with them are probably already dead, no trial required.

After seeing the many photos of near empty North Korean cities with its few residents acting within strict behavior, I can only imagine the horror that is kept hidden from the rest of the world. Everything is for show in North Korea. The recent missile tests, the atomic bomb test and now these two journalists being given a death within 12 years sentenced at one North Korea’s “Reform Labor Camps” is all a part of the show.