Get your nose out of my...

Well, color me shocked. I was reading an article in the Chosun Ilbo about how the North was cutting back visits to Mount Kumgang. Normally, I would care less about this as I have always seen it as less of a cultural/brotherly exchange, and more of a "give the North some money" exchange.

What tweaked my interest was the reason behind the North's particular storm. Apparenty Hyundai wanted to let go of its vice chairman Kim Un-kyu becuase an internal inspection had found Kim guilty of corruption, and he resigned at a board meeting on Aug. 18. Now if your OWN company finds you guilty (in Korea), chances are you did a bad thing.

The North, apparently though, really liked this Kim guy so they objected, and then were shocked by the decision to let him go anyways. So, now the North not only wants southern dollars (ok Won) but now they want to run their companies as well?? Since when did the DPRK become management icons?

The Editor jumped on this (as would I) and said:
The resignation of Kim Yoon-kyu is the internal affair of Hyundai Asan. However much the two Koreas may differ in their political and economic systems, Pyongyang cannot presume to meddle with the personnel decisions of a South Korean corporation. That it has thrown its weight behind a man who had to resign over allegations of corruption, incidentally, is generating speculation about the exact nature of the relationship between Kim the executive down South and Kim the dear leader up North. But whatever it may have been, if North Korea keeps trying to influence a South Korean company this way, it will be hard for inter-Korean relations to improve.

The occasion shows that something must be done about the Mt.Kumgang tourism deal to make sure that the North cannot arbitrarily determine the tourist quota and expect the South to comply unconditionally. The project is not a benevolent act on the part of Pyongyang; it is a business. It needs to reflect the interests of the South.

What I wonder is; how much worse will it be when the South starts to supply electricity to the North?

Is he quitting again?

It seems that president Noh is threatening to step down if he does not get his way. I am lacking in links, but he has done this many times in the past. The whole; "well, if you guys won't do what I want then I guess you don't really want ME."

I'm getting tired of this. A president that is either so lacking in confidence that he has to whine to keep support, or one so cunning he has to play on the hearts of the ignorant.

"The greatest policy goal in the second half of my tenure should be changing the political culture and achieving national unity. I will focus on this during the latter half of my tenure," Roh said at the meeting.

Why? Why is this the greatest goal? Who is asking for it? I really wonder why he is so intent on this subject.

In reference to his approval rating, Roh suggested their was a need to discuss "whether it is right for a president with 29 percent of approval rating to continue to run state affairs."

That's the spirit, quit! Or at least threaten to I guess. This may have something to do with recent surveys that show 65% of respondents are unhappy with his presidency.

Personally, I think that reform is good. Change can also be good. Cleaning up the mistakes of the past, well, sometimes that is needed too. My problem with Noh is the fact that he does it selectivly. He chooses to honor leftist heroes but shuns anyone to the right. He is full scale supportive of investigations into prior regimes but pulls WAY back when it involves his idol Kim Dae Jung . I know hipocracy abounds in politics, I just have to write about it sometimes and complain.

My newest signature

Something a bit lighter for this blog.

Woot! They're gone!

Well it seems that my newest neighbors have finally flown the coop and have headed back to the land of the great General. I for one am glad to see them gone. With all this butt kissing in the news I was scared to hear that maybe Kim Dae Jung would step back into the lime light and try to get another Nobel Peace Prize.

Oh wait, maybe he will...
Apparently Kim Ki-nam (DPRK) has invited Ex-President Kim back to the North.

I even hear that they read a few ROK newspapers. Too bad Chung didn't let him read them all.

South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young handed over the file of news scraps to Kim, a secretary of North Korea’s Workers’ Party, inside a passenger car at a hotel in eastern Seoul at 10:20 a.m.

It was intended to let Kim, 79, know that the visit by North Koreans and their unprecedented activities, such as a visit to the National Cemetery where the war dead are enshrined, were invoking good reactions from South Koreans, a politics expert said.

Another Seoul official said the ministry staff occasionally delivered South Korean morning dailies to the North Korean delegates’ hotel rooms, as some of them wanted to read local newspapers.

To me, that last part is the most important. I'm not one to stand in the way of a countrys unification, but I would like to see the exchange flow both ways. Lately though, it really feels like the ROK gives and consents, and then gives some more.

I would like to see the North open up more. If it is now legal/acceptable to view pro-DPRK websites, then should it likewise not be made legal in the norht to get news from the South?

What can Koreans learn from the Japanese?

Well, I'm not about to ask any Koreans what they think they can learn from the Japanese. The anit-foreign sentiment is just too high nowadays. But to my amazement I read an interesting article about one Japanese professor that could teach the Koreans a thing or two.

Professor Yuji Hosaka of Sejong University, who was naturalized as a Korean citizen two years ago, is a unique person. He is 49 years old and was born in Tokyo. After graduating from Tokyo National University, he made up his mind one day that he would jump into research on historic relations between Korea and Japan.

The reason I take time to explain Professor Hosaka's life story is to make you understand how different the background of his Japanese studies is from that of Korean scholars. He speaks whatever he wants to say on Japan's distortion of history. He is thorough and corroborative when it comes to history research and analysis.

That is why his studies of Japan's territorial claim of the Dokdo islands hold up. He not only analyzed the old maps of Japan, but he also analyzed all recent maps published by the National Geographical Institute of the Japanese government.

The result is a study showing that Dokdo was not included as Japanese land from the Meiji administration until 1988. (The study is published in the July issue of NEXT). Japan's reaction to this study was huge. There were groups that called Professor Hosaka a traitor, but there were a lot of Internet users who said they were surprised to see the evidence he produced. He immediately started to respond to the criticisms of the Japanese government and readers one by one and resumed debates on historic issues.

He uses hidden historical data to expose the fabrication of Japanese awareness.There is definitely a difference between Professor Hosaka's attitude to research and those of Korean historians. One Korean professor declined to give an answer when he was asked to historically analyze his contention that Dokdo is part of Korean territory. He did not so much as decline to answer as he ran away from the debate.

Another scholar got the media's attention when he produced some unreliable evidence and had failed to unfold his view logically. Korean people were too fragmentary and shallow in their research. One Korean professor clung to an anti-Japan report that was totally emotional. One elder professor ignored young scholars who objected to his Dokdo theory by saying, "What bad-mannered people..." and tried to clamp down on the freedom of study and the freedom of speech. The field of history studies in Korea is not free from the criticism that there are sanctuaries, whether right or wrong.

Professor Hosaka's study on Dokdo and other historic studies were all done by first approaching all the information he could find both in Korea and Japan. That is why a reasonable and logical discussion is possible.
-by Choi Chul-joo

Can it be? Can there be a reasonable editorial out there? Was this actually in the Joonan ilbo?

All I can say is, I hope this thought catches on.

When will they leave?

So I was riding the bus today and noticed all the "blue unification" flags around Walker Hill. Apparently the delegation from the DPRK is still in town and everyone is trying to show them a good time.

I however, am getting really miffed at the uneven enforcement of national laws by the administration and the uni-ministry. The whole flag burning thing was bad enough, but now we have labour groups giving anit-US banners to the delegation

The North Koreans were given the sashes at a meeting of North and South Korean labor representatives at the Seoul Olympic Parktel on Tuesday by two members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, who shouted, "We must throw out the USFK and unite by combining our strength!"

North Korean delegate Choi Chang-man replied "The thing that stands in the way of our unification is the U.S. military, and our workers must stop this. This sash reading 'Withdraw USFK', handed to me by the vanguard of unification, gives great strength to the laborers of North and South who wish for the withdrawal of the U.S. military."

“Now, with our home threatening to become a war zone, let us hold high the flag of peace and use our strength to protect peace.” He said the young people of North Korea, “giving their youth to turn Korea into a wealthy and powerful country and unify the nation, have never forgotten South Korean and overseas Korean students."

That reads oddly no?

Korean Bar Association spokesman Ha Chang-woo warned the developments meant Korea’s National Security Law had become “useless.” He said inter-Korean reconciliation was fine, but it would not do to brush violations of the law, which bans North Korean propaganda, under the carpet. Only the rule of law was capable of putting a country’s national identity on a firm footing, he said. Lawyer Lee Gyeong-jae said, "The string of statements were a clear violation of positive law. We must change this idea that everything is permissible as long as it’s for the sake of unification."

So it DOES violate the law. Hmmm, I'm wondering if it'll be enforced though.

So close I could...

Well, it seems that the North Korean delegation is staying at my place! Ok, not exactly "my place", but quite close enough. Apparently they are holed up at the Walker Hill in Gwangna-roo.

Now I KNOW it is an expensive place (evident from all the tall Russian dancers coming in and out) so I'm curious as to who is footing the bill.

Anyways, Mr BowdownandlickDPRKbutt Chung was there today visiting. If it wasn't so hot I may have taken the short bus ride just to give him a dirty look.

Oh, and I guess they (the delegation) Visited Seoul's National Cemetery and bowed. Wow, not too low fellas, you don't want to show too much enthusiasm. Also, I thought this was funny.

The 182-strong delegation of officials and civilians headed by Kim Ki-nam of the North’s Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland paid only a silent tribute but did not lay flowers or burn incense. The North Koreans reportedly said during negotiations with South Korea on Aug. 5 they were not in the habit of burning incense and rarely laid flowers.

Wow, I guess somebody should tell these kids.

A flag burnin'

Well, in my time in Korea I have seen my share of flags being burnt. None in person, but definitely enough on TV to get the idea. Most of them have been the US Stars and Stripes.... ok ALL of them have.

But, that may soon be changing. Apparently the Canadians are in for a bit of trouble with a report by a Canadian professor in Vancouver that talks about 60 or so court martials and the crimes against Korean civilians.

Now in no way do I belittle the acts. On the contrary, I am disgusted with soldiers who step out of line. However, I also acknowledge the realities of war and know such things do occur. It being now 50 some odd years after the fact, I'm really not sure what the Korean media (or this Canadian professor) hope to accomplish by releasing the information. I would hope that it is ear-marked for a history text but for some reason I think it'll be used to fuel the anti-foreigner sentiment in Korea right now.



Oh and as a side note, it seems that although it is illegal to burn the US flag in Korea (but totally socially acceptable) it is however LEGAL to burn the North Korean flag. Well, that is until this idiot gets his way. Apparently it is not ok to burn the flag of a nations that has murdered countless number of your citizens but torching the one of your strongest ally is ok.

``We cannot allow these unidentified groups to damage or burn things including North Korean flags,’’ Lee said during a meeting of senior officials on Monday. ``It cannot be tolerated anymore, politically and legally.’’
- Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan

I really wonder how long it'll take people to realize that the Noh administration is truely working with *cough* for *cough* the North.

Another great Korean blog

While the Marmot may be "The Man" for breaking Korean news, it appears that this gentleman has got the goods when debunking some Korean myths.

Here is a taste:

Apparently the Korean soldier maneuvered the Japanese soldiers into taking a ‘friendship photograph’ in order to make this childish political statement, saying that the disputed island between Korea and Japan belongs to Korea. While there has been much joy in Korea about this photograph, Koreans are so self centered that they havent considered this:
*These kind of antics will make it even harder for Japanese to trust Koreans
*Once the Japanese soldiers realize what happened, it will damage their morale and make working with the Koreans in Iraq harder, jeopardizing the mission
*Did the Korean soldiers think about the kind of treatment these Japanese soldiers will now recieve? Even though they were tricked, they will be the subject of much criticism and mockery. Perhaps they will even be punished. Then they will say ‘I made the mistake of trusting Koreans’. What will Koreans say then?
*Japanese people will think twice about extending the hand of friendship to Koreans again
This is a truly disgraceful act. Rather than glorifying this soldier, Koreans should feel ashamed. ***
***Update: Some Korean netizens are saying that the picture is photoshop, some insisting it is real (although only a couple seem to think its a bad idea - indeed, fake or not, most seem to approve). See the controversy here.
***Update2: Mithridates makes a convincing argument that the picture is fake.
***Update3 - The final analysis: According to this site, the software responsible for the altered image was either Canon Powershot or Adobe Photoshop. The uniforms of the Japanese Army that were called into question are apparently genuine. The green garb means that they are intending not to fight in the desert, and shows peaceful intentions. Also on the Japanese version of Naver, some Japanese guys demonstrated the technique. Still, it left behind a lot of angry people, here, here, and here.
So we know the photo is fake. My last post should have kept me on guard for Korean fake photos, yet for a while, I was taken in. The lesson is still the same as what I wrote above - it becomes harder to trust Koreans. Luckily, I caught it within around an hour of posting.

Quite a decent blogger. I'll make sure to add it to my frequent visit list.

Roh or Noh or.. ah, whatever.

So I ran across this Asia Times article today and almost spewed. The tripe that is written borders on hilarity. Here are a few excerpts;

Roh, who has authored a biography of Abraham Lincoln and on whom he models himself, like his American hero crafts speeches of great intellectual complexity.


Well, I just learned two things I did not know before. I had no idea his speaches were so complex. They must be I guess to make people jump out of their windows.

He has worked closely with North Korea on a variety of economic and social initiatives and does not see the North as a threat.

I guess giving them stuff is working closely. So, does that mean I work closely with the blind guy on the subway?

President Kim Young-sam continued many of the incestuous relations between government and business of his predecessors, even as he moved toward the rule of law.

I call BS on this. The relationships continue to this day and are all entwined in his administration. The whole "we are only covered with a little bit of poo" just doesn't cut it with me.

First, there are the conservative forces that look at the US-Republic of Korea alliance as the bedrock of foreign policy, concentrate on economic to the neglect of social issues, and rely on such sources as the conservative newspaper Chosun Ilbo for their information about the world. This newspaper has been unrelentingly critical of Roh from the day he took office.

Hmmm, would I prefer to read the Chosun Ilbo or OhMyNews? Well at least the Chosun has been consistant. Take the Joongan, they were "anti-Roh" untill their boss got promoted to US Ambassador. Hmm, I wonder how they'll swing now that he's stepped down?

The second group consists largely of younger voters known commonly as the 3-8-6 (sam-pal-yuk) generation. As students they longed for a democratic system and were willing to work hard for it. Many of this generation were involved in the student protests that turned universities into tear-gas testing grounds. These progressives are committed to social and political issues. The 3-8-6 generation is best represented by the Nosamo group (The Organization that Loves Roh Moo-hyun). This informal association of loyalists employed the Internet in an innovative manner to put him in office. They did so in spite of the overwhelming prophesies of doom produced by the conservative press that had most Americans - and many Koreans - believing that Roh did not have a chance. This group is highly critical of United States policy and imaginative in envisioning Korea's role in the world. Representing a broad spectrum of views, often crossing regional loyalties, they depend on such progressive online publications as Pressian and Oh My News for information and have embraced an interactive culture of instant messaging and video for both social and political action. The rate at which they disseminate information has transformed Korean society.


Well now, don't they just sound like the perfect bunch! Seriously, I'm glad I found this and it is definately an interesting read in regards to Roh's biography BUT for the most part this article is tripe.

Apples and ... apples

Well, apparently it has started. I knew that some "stuff" would be stirred during the break.

Bush says North Korean nuclear issue different from that of Iran
WASHINGTON, Aug. 9 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President George W. Bush on Tuesday emphasized the difference between North Korean and Iranian nuclear intransigence as the issue boiled down to who deserves to pursue peaceful uses of atomic power."North Korea is in a different situation," Bush said at a meeting with economic advisers at his ranch in Crawford, Texas. "The North Koreans didn't tell the truth when it came to their (uranium) enrichment programs," Bush said.

We were on a BREAK!

One of my favorite "themes" in FRIENDS was the whole "Ross and Rachel were on a break and Ross cheated on her but afterwards insisted 'we were on a break!'" Now, you may ask how that has anything to do with Korea, and although it's a bad transition, it does!! ;)

It seems that in the week I have taken off of blogging the 6 party talks have gone no where (surprise). They are now on a 3 week break and apparently there are a few "side-bar" meetings going on.

Ban Ki-moon, whom seems like a decent enough guy, will head to China this week to see what he can do.

"The participating countries are expected to hold separate consultations during the recess period," Ban said at a weekly news briefing. "The three-week recess is very important for smooth progress of talks when they are resumed, so we will make the most of it."

Ban indicated that North Korea needs time to build trust with the international community before it enjoys the right to peaceful nuclear activities.

Now see, that is why I think Ban is a decent guy. I know he has to tow the Roh line, but he still comes off sounding level-headed.

My worry though is that something will go onbehind the scenes that may cause some problems. I especially predict that the US might be on the "outs" in regards to it's Nuclear policies and uneven enforcement (ie. India, Iran, Isreal, another "I" country?)

And the game keeps on

Well, I think this speaks for itself.

Initial high hopes gave way to frustration on the ninth day of six-party talks on North Korea’s nuclear program on Wednesday, as the Stalinist country’s delegation head failed to show for discussion of yet another draft statement of principles submitted by China overnight.

"With the exception of North Korea, all the other parties were satisfied with the final draft of the joint statement,” a South Korean official said. “We were waiting for North Korea only, but in the end we weren’t told whether Pyongyang had accepted the draft." U.S. chief negotiator Christopher Hill earlier indicated Washington was happy with the new draft. "I would say it is getting to an end-game text," Hill said.

North Korea reportedly objects to a portion of the draft that reads, "North Korea abandons all nuclear weapons and nuclear programs." That would include even peaceful-use nuclear facilities, which it wants to keep.

Well, who exactly does that surprise?

KIm Jung Ill's bodyguards

I don't usually deal with stuff like this (even though it is Korean) but I thought I'd make note of it.

This video shows some interesting scenes of the Dear Leaders bodyguards. Sure, most of it is staged but in no way does it make it less impressive/disturbing.
http://www.mediazine.org/view.php?file=1107752400

The pot calling the kettle a 6-party talk

Well, I am surprised as everyone else to note that it is China that is sounding like the sane one in recent days at the 6 party talks. Apparently they have said:

“It will be difficult to reach an agreement in this state. Let the participant nations reconfirm whether they have the will to compromise and decide whether to continue with the talks or stop,” - Wu

The divisive issue now seems to be over the DPRKs legitimacy of using nuclear power for peaceful means. The US and Japan have said NO WAY, while China, the ROK, and Russia have all in their various ways agreed to it.

Personally I really don't want to see the Norks splitting any kind of atom, however I have never really understood the US position of "we can have them but no one else should be able to develop them". I would be happy if NO ONE had them.






SO, now instead of "everyone" working towards a NUCLEAR FREE PENINSULA, we seem to have a house divided. Originally it semed like 5:1, everyone trying to rope in N. Korea, but now the numbers look more like 4:2, with the US on the outside.

I'm sure Mr. Hill is a qualified man, but I really worry if he is dropping the "popularity ball" over there in China.

Chung has competition

Well, as you have probably noticed, I am not a fan of Chung Dong Young (because of his pure bravado in ignoring the plight of those in the North). I am also not a fan of Ahn Sang-soo (the Mayor in Incheon who recently promised $2 billion to the North to fix up their ugly ass hotel).

Now it seems I have a new hate-on for someone almost as dumb.


Professor Kang Makes Another Pro-North Korean Remark

A professor who was indicted for pro-North Korean comments during a
visit to Pyongyang in 2001 made a statement justifying the North-led Korean War,
saying the conflict aimed to unify the peninsula.
Kang Jeong-koo, sociology professor at Dongguk University, said in a column posted yesterday on an Internet news site that the 1950-1953 Korean War should be
regarded not as a ``war for sovereignty usurpationÂ’Â’ but as a ``war for
the great cause of unification,Â’Â’ a statement similar to North Korean
propaganda.

``No South Korean history textbook depicts Wang Kun and Kyon
Hwon as invaders. Wang is revered as a great king who worked for unification,Â’Â’
Kang said, advocating the communist countryÂ’s reasoning behind the war.

Wang (A.D. 877-943) was the founder of the Koryo Dynasty (A.D. 918-1392), unifying the three kingdoms split from the Silla Kingdom after defeating Kyon Kwon of Hu-Paekche.

In the column entitled ``True
Knowledge About MacArthur,Â’Â’ Kang claimed the three-year war could have ended in
a month without the intervention of the United States.

``Without
U.S. intervention, Korea would not have suffered such bloodshed and destruction.
To 4 million Koreans killed during the war, the U.S. is not a lifesaver or
friend but an enemy,Â’Â’ Kang said.

Kang was indicted for making pro-North Korean
remarks in August 2001 when he visited Mangyongdae, the birthplace of late North
Korean leader Kim Il-sung.

He wrote in the guest book, ``Let's accomplish the great task of national unification by cherishing the spirit of Mangyongdae.Â’Â’

In the column, the professor also made a cynical assessment of Gen. Douglas MacArthur, who has been regarded here as a hero for leading the U.N. forces on the peninsula and turning the tide of the war through the historic Inchon landing.

``MacArthur was just a war fanatic. The Korean War was a civil war for unification. But just three days after the war broke out in June 25, 1950, the general called on the U.S.
government to intervene,Â’Â’ he said.

``The favorable perception of the war maniac who caused the great tragedy to the Korean people should be scrapped. His statue should also be destroyed,Â’Â’ he added.

A statue of MacArthur in Inchon, erected in 1957 in memory of the five-star
general, has been at the center of public attention recently as some progressive
and anti-U.S. military groups rallied at the site, calling for the statueÂ’s
removal.

everyonem glad not everone is jumping of that bandwagon Apparently South Korea's Minister for National Defense, Yoon Kwang-ung still has some integrity.

Such demands from progressive civic activists "are nonsensical, indiscreet acts
over which I must express my deep concern..."

Kang is trying to put forth the argument that if the Korean war didn't happen, all would have been well. Basically he goes with the logic that if a nation is left to its own devices, it will naturally develop for the better.

The problem in that though is that the peninsula has not been "left alone" for quite some time. If the US (and that bugger MacArthur) had let the North walk its way through the south, would that have been "natural"?

The truth is that the North was all too beholden to its big Soviet brother and rarely acted on its own (at least in the early days). Dr Lankov wrote on the Marmots :

But there is another dimension. The actual Soviet control over
the emerging NK regime was very minute and very restrictive. Until 1948 at
least, even speeches to be delivered at important meetings by the NK officials
had to be edited/approved by the Soviet political officers (can you imagine
Syngman Rhee looking for Gen. Hodge to edit his speech?).

Doesn't sound like a "war waged BY KOREANS FOR KOREANS!"

Anyways, I just have one question; how the heck can I get Dr Lankov to visit my site!?!?

My buddy is back!

Well it seems that The Marmot has caught the "I hate Chung" disease again. I must say, I don't think I ever really shook off my last bout with it.

Gwangju Uprising Thwarted by 'Invisible Hand': Minister

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Tuesday the Gwangju Democratic Uprising of 1980 was thwarted by an "invisible hand." The minister was telling an Uri Party policy committee how the destiny of the Korean Peninsula has been controlled by outside forces for the last 100 years.

"A hundred years ago, the Philippines became a U.S. colony and the
Korean Peninsula a Japanese one owing to the Taft-Katsura Agreement” of 1905,
Chung said. “The division of the nation and Korean War were not our will
either," nor was the failure of the Gwangju Uprising. A century later,
Chung promised “a hot summer in which our fate will be decided not by North
Korea, China, the United States, Japan or Russia, but by our own pride and
self-determination." Chung recently told a weekly magazine the division and
war happened without regard to the will of the Korean people, as did the
suppression of the Gwangju Uprising.

The remarks “mean we must actively decide our own fate,” the minister
explained. “As for the invisible hand, take my literal meaning." Chung also
asked the Uri Party to double inter-Korean cooperation funds, which currently
stand at W500 billion (US$487 million) a year.

While I agree with his thoughts of the people (note: NOT HIM) taking a more active role in their destiny, his blaming others for the fate of the peninsula is just a play for the masses. No one wants to be told it is their fault (or their fathers), it is much better to hear that it isforeignersegners fault. Or in this case the fault of some unseen magic hand.

I have said it before and I'll say it again, the day he becomes president is the day I leave this country. trulytruely an idiot.

Ah geez.. a scandal

I think I'm going to have to wipe off my monitor. I was eating some left-over when I saw this article and I literally laughed out loud.

Now, I am no expert on the subject but it seems that for years the newspapers have been either "in bed" with the administration (of the time) or in direct and often violent opposition to it.

The Joongan Ilbo is just one of those papers. Although I have not been in Korea for all that long, in the short time that I have been here I have noticed something interesting. A few years back when Noh Moo Hyun was elected, most of the major papers (joongan included) tore into the guy. They arely gave him a moments peace. Then about a year ago the administration decided to "curb the monopoly" on news and threatened to break up certain newspapers (funny how they all seemed to be the ones opposed to Noh).

Anyways, soon after that the editor for the Joongan Ilbo was appointed as the Ambassador to the US (!!??). With little/no prior diplomatic experience he was given the crucial post of securing a 50 year alliance. Soon there after I noticed the 중앙일포 was decidedly less aggressive towards Noh. Funny how all that worked out.

However, apparently there were some tapes of then JoongAng Ilbo President Hong Seok-hyun and aides of (then president) Kim Dae-jung secretly doing... stuff! The tapes have yet to be released to the public but already they have caused quite the stir.

The other day I noticed the 중앙일포 printed an apology that was ... Interesting.

In view of the gravity of the case, the JoongAng Ilbo offers its deepest
apologies to the people...

After being appointed Ambassador to the United States in February, Mr. Hong resigned as leader of the
JoongAng Ilbo...

The JoongAng Ilbo endured great suffering in connection
with the 1997 presidential election. The Kim Dae-jung administration pressured
the JoongAng Ilbo after its victory, and Mr. Hong was detained on charges of tax
evasion in 1999. The so-called "Bokwang tax evasion scandal" was actually a
result of the Kim administration's displeasure with the Joong-Ang Ilbo for
supporting Mr. Kim's opponent. At the time, Mr. Hong himself offered a public
apology. He served his jail term...

Learning from its mistakes, the JoongAng Ilbo matured. It learned there would be no way for it to be a right-minded member of the press without ending inappropriate relations with the political circle.

Interesting history, but do they even read what they write? Seriously, how does "distancing yourself from politics" and "becoming the US ambassador" belong in the same statement?

Well it seems that today the dung finally hit the fan , or at least someone decided that it smelt enough to get out.

Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Man-soo said Tuesday that Korean
Ambassador to the United States Hong Seok-hyun had submitted his resignation to
President Roh Moo-hyun on Monday night, and President Roh had decided to accept
it. Accordingly, Hong will leave his ambassadorship just five months after he
was officially appointed on February 15.

Let the games begin

Well, it seems that the dance is about to start and the first couple matched up is the US and DPRK.

Well now, don't I feel like a wallflower.

I'm very curious how this whole dance will play out and, just how many toes will be stepped on.

Hill on Monday only smiled when asked about reports that the U.S. has proposed setting up a U.S. liaison office in Pyongyang, which represents the lowest possible level of a diplomatic relationship. This was mooted during 1994 talks between the two countries but rejected by Pyongyang at the time.

Well, at least they made him smile

Peace?

Well, it seems that the DPRK is taking a step towards peace. Earlier today I caught this headline on Yonhap.

Pyongyang calls for peace settlement with Washington . It seems that they are finally looking to settle down and draw a line.. or are they? What is leading the DPRK to this table? Is it the fact that they are trying to seriously open up and let the modern world in, or is it just another negotiating tactic like so many before it?

The truth is it is hard to tell. Lately the nes has been chalk-full of "attempts by Pyongyang" to make some peace. They are letting a US congressman come for a visit and are on their way back to the 6-party talks (albeit with a slightly different format).

But, how far are they willing to go? If they are really interested in peace, for paces sake, then would they not lay all their cards on the table? If they are seriously interested in reform and change, would they not allow inspections of food aide distribution (much less nuclear facilities)? The truth is I believe in a nations sovereignty and in now way does it surprise me when Pyongyang doesn't let inspectors in. But, when out of one side of their mouth they are expressing feelings of peace, and from the other side, mismanaged direction in regards to the DMZ and the like it begs to be asked... what DO they want?

In just one day, the headlines read all across the board. From demands of more electricity in return for the dropping of their nuclear program and denials of defection, to efforts to coordinate fishing rights, setting up fiber optic cable links, and setting up a private phone line between the two Koreas. It often makes me wonder if the is a united consensus in the North. Is there really just one direction the DPRK is wanting to go or is it more akin to different departments jockeying for position/achievement?