Domestic news from this week featured coverage of several major events. The national conference for construction workers came to a close and the annual State Commendation Ceremony honoring patriotic citizens took place. Numerous reports about the 2nd Anniversary of Kim Jong Il’s death also appeared in the news and one very long report about the military tribunal and execution of Jang Song Thaek.

2013 State Commendation Ceremony

North Korea’s annual State Commendation ceremony took place on December 14. TV coverage of the event showed a stadium packed with North Korean men adored with shiny medals, about half of which were