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    atlpeachesAdrian Chen
    11/20/13 2:06pm

    Why would anyone want to go on a trip to North Korea for funsies?

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      _MCA_atlpeaches
      11/20/13 2:10pm

      Because it's a fascinating culture living in isolation? Not everyone wants to hang out on a beach.

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      ShockinglyBlehatlpeaches
      11/20/13 2:14pm

      Because it's a Stalinist state that has been able to stand through the test of time. It's like a 1940s USSR time capsule.

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    EpitomaAdrian Chen
    11/20/13 2:14pm

    If someone goes to North Korea and spreads that hateful christian bullshit, then they deserve whatever they get.

    Grandpa's going to die in a gulag because he couldn't keep his yappity mouth shut about a fictional wizard man in the sky designed to instill fear in the world for sciency shit that's been explained already for the non-stupids.

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      MichaelEpitoma
      11/20/13 2:24pm

      Where are you getting that he was trying to spread Christianity? He' wasn't a missionary. He's a retired math and science teacher and Korean War vet who just liked to travel the world.

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      T3DEpitoma
      11/20/13 2:25pm

      Merrill Newman=/=Kenneth Bae...

      Love your militant Atheism though. Way to be more enlightened and tolerant of others beliefs.

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    drunkapeAdrian Chen
    11/20/13 2:06pm

    I agree with the way North Korea deals with Christianity, but let Grandpa go!

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      Truthdrunkape
      11/20/13 2:10pm

      You're okay with with this because they deal with Christianity the same way Germans dealt with Judaism? Sending people to camp there doesn't mean the same thing it does here...

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      drunkapeTruth
      11/20/13 2:16pm

      You do understand sarcasm?

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    NefertittiesAdrian Chen
    11/20/13 2:10pm

    Honestly, what else is there to do when you're 85? You can either lay down and wait for the end or go taunt a dictatorship. I'm with Merrill on this one.

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      Missy PantsNefertitties
      11/20/13 2:17pm

      Or they could attempt to drive to Alaska, through Canada, with undeclared guns. That's always fun.

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      I can't wait to be deadNefertitties
      11/20/13 2:25pm

      In some weird cartoonish way, I hope this guy is a secret bad ass and infiltrates the government, blows them up, releases everyone in the camps, and saves Kenneth Bae swinging into America on a rope swing through clouds of fire and smoke.

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    BigPlopsAdrian Chen
    11/20/13 2:09pm

    NKNews points out that despite the State Dept. warning, a much-publicized trip by two D.C. rappers, Pacman and Peso is going on as a planned.

    What? I didn't see anything about this on PoPville.

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      WestEggBigPlops
      11/20/13 4:07pm

      Reader Reports KPA Abuse of Power

      Dear PoPville,

      My boyfriend and I had lunch recently in Pyongyang, and as we were walking home we saw this awesome 1970-something Mercury Grand Marquis. I playfully nudged him into the side of the car and asked when he'd be buying me one. Apparently the car belonged to a KPA officer, who came over and demanded our passports. My boyfriend asked if we were being harassed just because we're gay. He was shot on the spot.

      So if anyone is planning to take their PoPville t-shirt to the People's Republic, be on the lookout for petty army officers. And also for the roving gangs of urban bike riders who constantly blow through stop signs. I mean, I'm sure they would if they had stop signs here.

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    iElvis is Putting in a Bid for Gawker.comAdrian Chen
    11/20/13 2:23pm

    From all accounts I've seen, the DPRK is a fascinating country, even what they will let you see. It's just not a safe place to go if you're an American. Too much risk of being turned into a political pawn. You'd think people would know that now.

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      Official Witch of Los AngelesiElvis is Putting in a Bid for Gawker.com
      11/20/13 3:37pm

      Actually, tons of American citizens travel to the DPRK all the time with no problems whatsoever. I'm still unclear why this guy was detained, but from what I've heard, unless you give them probable cause to detain you (ie: making negative comments about the State, bringing in religious paraphernalia) you're safe regardless of you're nationality.

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    toothpetardAdrian Chen
    11/20/13 2:05pm

    He said he always wanted to see the real North Korea.

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      G3istbotAdrian Chen
      11/20/13 10:25pm

      Sounds like it could be the plot of Taken 3.

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        DurrrAdrian Chen
        11/20/13 2:28pm

        The odds are pretty good the old man did something he knew would be illegal. Hopefully they're not treating him too badly.

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          eataTREEDurrr
          11/20/13 2:55pm

          Because the North Korean authorities are well-known for never troubling anyone without a good reason? Seriously, how can you say that? If any nation on Earth would grab and detain an American national for no reason at all other than to stir shit up, that nation would be the "Democratic" People's Republic of Korea.

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          DurrreataTREE
          11/20/13 3:58pm

          This isn't remotely true. They have incredibly strict laws, but these tour groups make it very, very clear to you what you are and aren't allowed to do. Their business depends on it, and you certainly can't name a single American imprisoned in North Korea without easily being able to point to what they did to break North Korean law. I'm not saying North Korea is right, but they aren't the United States and have their own laws.

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        A_countAdrian Chen
        11/20/13 2:23pm

        They have abducted Japanese people, this case may not be too dissimilar except he wanted to be in North Korea.

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          nkcompA_count
          11/20/13 3:18pm

          It's completely dissimilar. The DPRK kidnapped Japanese and others secretly, for crazy yet strategic purposes: to teach soldiers English, or about Seoul's topograhy or SKean culture, or so the Great Leader could have some equally great sushi. Kidnapping high-profile American octogenarian tourists on the one hand doesn't make sense: they NEED tourists and their foreign currency. So either (1) he did do something, (2) they actually, for some reason, want to curtail American tourists, or (3) they want to bargain with the US government. In most cases they haven't admitted to the other kidnappings and even when big fat Japanese carrots were waved in their faces they were all, "What? What sushi chef?"

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          A_countnkcomp
          11/20/13 3:59pm

          I knew about the secret kidnapping of the the sushi chef for dear leader but not the insane reasons for the other civilians. Since this is North Korea those possibilities might all be right reasons.

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