All posts by Ben Mack

Ben Mack is a New Zealand-based reporter who has written for outlets including The Southland Times, the Sunday Star-Times, Stuff, The Press, Villainesse, Business Insider, Deutsche Welle, Idealog and The Local Sweden. You can follow him on Twitter @benmack_nz or on Facebook.
19
Dec 2014

Is North Korea really behind Sony hack?

Is North Korea really behind Sony hack? After a massive hack, Sony Pictures decided to cancel the film “The Interview,” which depicts the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Could the cyber-attack have been carried out by North Korea? “The Interview” never had a chance in the busy holiday movie season. Following the release of internal emails, personal health and financial information, and even the leaking of a draft script for the upcoming James Bond film “Spectre,” a group calling itself “Guardians of Peace” threatened September 11-style attacks on moviegoers if they went to see the Seth Rogen […]
1
Oct 2014

I Had A Scary Encounter With North Korea’s Crumbling Healthcare System

I saw North Korea’s notorious healthcare system first-hand when I got sick on a recent trip to the rogue state. Although they took good care of me, I’m glad that I was a Westerner and that I was not sicker. Once well-respected, North Korea’s health infrastructure is “crumbling” and “in dire need of help,” according to Amnesty International. The country spent less on healthcare per capita than any other country in 2009  — under US$1 — according to the World Health Organization. Meanwhile, pervasive malnutrition has led to a tuberculosis epidemic, while infant mortality rates are far higher than neighboring South Korea, among other health […]