Volvos in North Korea

[j-dawg]

Nothing super-new here - the 144s sent above the 38th parallel, and never paid for, are not a secret - but this is a nicely put-together story that encapsulates the relationship between Sweden and North Korea, and how the Volvos fit into the bigger picture.

[j-dawg]

Oh wow. Didn't know it would embed the NPR page. Click the title and it'll take you to the text if you'd rather read it.

[mrbrian200]

the 144s sent above the 38th parallel, and never paid for, are not a secret

In the article:
"Sweden still sends twice-yearly reminders to Pyongyang." Aka a past due notice. 40 years later.
There's some sort of comedy gold buried in that. I'm sure the credit insurance agency sitting on $322 million doesn't consider it a laughing matter, though.

[abscate]

Noteworthy that the owner goggles ". Volvo P0442" once a year when he gets his annual one hour access to the 300 baud People's modem.

Posted with apologies to the state of the people in the DPRK.

Abby, age 9..." Why is it whenever they call it the Democratic Peoples Republic of Something, it never is?"

[wizechatmgr]

Rumor has it they've offered to pay in full - but the ship keeps being turned back. Something about having too small a payment button for paypal...

They're a special form of democracy. Here's your choices: Vote (A) for the current folks in power or instead join line (B) for bang!

On the other hand - no one will ever be accused of buying an election there =p

[mrbrian200]

Each successive generation of the Ils seems to behave worse than the last. KJI will likely be the last one. Exactly how he and party/military command officials gets thrown out of power remains to be seen. It won't happen until the general population decide they've had enough and the lower ranks of the military join them in staging a revolt against high command. There really isn't much the rest of the world can do to help until the people of the DPRK make the first move.

[abscate]

Sounds like successive generations of leaders follow a common trend, but I'll give W a break, as GHWB was a tough act to follow.

I just have to exceed putting someone on the moon to up my roots.....shinola...

[Rattnalle]

the 144s sent above the 38th parallel, and never paid for, are not a secret

In the article:
"Sweden still sends twice-yearly reminders to Pyongyang." Aka a past due notice. 40 years later.
There's some sort of comedy gold buried in that. I'm sure the credit insurance agency sitting on $322 million doesn't consider it a laughing matter, though.

The credit agency in question is tax funded so it's us the tax payers being owed really I guess. Although their website says that the agency is supposed to pay for itself by charging correctly for the risk involved in each particular deal. Wonder if they did..

[mrbrian200]

Like any insurance, the money would be recovered through fees generated from the list of other transactions that don't go sour.