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Life in hardscrabble North Korea gets harder, as authorities crack down on a key segment of the unofficial economy. AFP/Kim Jae-Myoung PAJU, South Korea: Vehicles head to the North Korean Kaesong joint industrial zone, Nov. 24, 2008. SEOUL—Authorities in North Korea have begun enforcing a ban on the use of foreign cars in the isolated Stalinist state, putting further pressure on a population already struggling to survive. Beginning in early February, Pyongyang's National Defense Commission began enforcing a directive banning imported cars and ordered a crackdown. According to a cross-border Chinese merchant, those targeted by the crackdown are primarily officials who take bribes to fraudulently register cars to state-owned enterprises or military bases. We’re pretty much done for." Source http://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/nkor...2009112654.html North Korean car owner Authorities also want to stop North Korean mechanics from rebuilding and modifying imported cars by changing them from right-hand-drive Japanese vehicles—the Japanese drive on the left—to left-hand-drive vehicles for use on North Korean roads. "The National Defense Commission regards failure to enforce its directive banning imported cars as a provocative act," said the Chinese merchant, who is a frequent traveler to North Korea. "Various officials have been instructed to let go of the imported used cars, and many of those who failed to comply with that directive are in trouble now. In particular, officials working for the Forestry Department appear to have been reprimanded," he added. Deadlines expire In February 2007, the National Defense Commission issued a nationwide directive to eliminate imported cars. Foreign passenger cars were to be removed within three months, while foreign freight vehicles were to be phased out within two years. National Defense Commission officials were clamping down in particular on right-hand-drive used cars imported from Japan, ordering that they all be scrapped. Sources said this could be because supreme leader Kim Jong Il dislikes the sight of Japanese cars, most of which are smuggled into the country and given fake military license plates, on North Korean roads. But they also note that the North Korean military is experiencing shortages both of fuel and of the hard currency needed to buy it. One expert suggested that the National Defense Commission may want to prevent imported cars from burning the fuel that keeps military vehicles on the road. Conversion of used cars The order to scrap right-hand-drive Japanese cars prompted a rush by the owners of imported cars to convert their vehicles to left-hand drive, a complicated and expensive process. In Songpyong, a district of Chungjin city in Northern Hamgyong province, mechanics at the Soosong Tractor Plant and bus factories are switching steering wheels from right to left, sources said. Owners of the modified cars then have them registered to military bases or factories that are authorized to operate the cars, paying their officials about 300,000 North Korean won (U.S. $100) monthly for the favor. But even converted vehicles are no longer slipping through the net, North Korean car owners say. "We’re pretty much done for," one such car owner said. "From here on, the only vehicles allowed on the roads of North Korea are military vehicles." "Life is already very hard, but if our cars are taken away and scrapped, the situation will be terrible, and our very survival in jeopardy," the car owner said. Currently, Japanese cars make up around 80 percent of imported vehicles in North Korea.

ok, i only plan to go Seoul.. mainly eat and shop..any guru can advise? where to stay, what to eat, what to buy, what to shop plan to go sometime in Dec 10q

anyone tried..... ?? I ve cfm my free & ezy trip to Seoul in Dec. Seems v tedious n difficult to arrange transport for 9 of us, as we ve to go ski resort , Nami Island & Sorak Mountain. In Seoul, is much easier as we can take subway. Any other suggestion???

Sharing a photo i took some time ago when I was in Korea - Hyundai Genesis I was falling asleep in the tour bus and saw this outstanding looking coupe driving beside the bus... immediately woke up and took a photo hope to see this car in Singapore next year http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyundai_Genesis_Coupe * 2.0T o 223 hp (166 kW) (Premium Fuel) / 210-hp (regular) o 223 lb

SEOUL, South Korea

Watching the results from my PC also quote ken-cheong! http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/RTDS...shtml#TTW400202 It auto refeshs at 15 secs... Won first set...nearer to Silver now...

I know it may not be fair to compare. but since it follows in the similar price tag(yearly depreciation around 5K-5.5K). Seek your advice on which one is more value for money. Initially intended to buy a new 1.6 Japan car(Latio/Altis), browsed the sgcarmart and found some 2nd sonata's price is quite reasonable such as: http://www.sgcarmart.com/main/info-2EMKbH4-1000.html Know the road tax is 1K/year higher for Sonata. Fuel will be higher around 1.2K/year for Sonata. Will the insurance be much higher(male, 35-40 years old)? Any other disadvantage to get the bigger car(this case, sonata)? Thanks.

Hey all, any one knows which brand/model of components are not made in CHina anymore? i don mind spendin good $$ on speakers, but to see a "made in china" sticker on it suxs man.. plus comfirm the sound will be different. CDTs also made in china now rite? cheers guys..