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?

Discussing Korean human rights... in the USA

So it seems that someone is finally getting around to having a serious conference on the rights of humans within the Korean peninsula. I'm guessing that it excludes all other mammals and the like so I'm not sure what surprises me more; the fact that it is being held in the US and not Korea or the fact that someone actually acknowledges North Koreans as human.

Well, I guess I'll continue in my amazed stupor and make note of some interesting quotes.


Washington Sees N.Korea Human Rights Conference

The largest conference on North Korean human rights in the United States opened on Tuesday at the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel in Washington D.C. Some 1,000 advocates of human rights in North Korea, including about 300 from Korea, were present amid much interest from the press. The Voice of America Korean-language service broadcast five and a half hours live from the conference to North Korea...

The discussion between Sharansky, a former Israeli politician, and Kang Chol-hwan was one of the highlights of the event. Sharansky said after reading Kang’s “The Aquariums of Pyongyang: 10 Years in the North Korean Gulag”, he was surprised that despite the differences in culture, history and background, the fundamentals of fear and the mechanisms of resistance were the same. He said his happiest day in the Soviet gulag was when U.S. president Ronald Reagan called the Soviet Union an “evil empire.” He said Reagan had made it clear that as long as the Soviet Union locked up its own citizens, the U.S. could not befriend it, a strategy Sharansky claimed could also pay off with North Korea...

Kang said the human rights situation in North Korea deteriorated over the last eight years of South Korea’s “Sunshine Policy” toward Pyongyang. Rashly offering help to North Korea without appropriate criticism of the human rights issue could be seen as ethical backsliding, he added.

The conference was organized by Freedom House, a group promoting U.S. leadership in bringing about global democracy using some of the US$1.87 million the State Department has set aside for such events. The group said it planned similar conferences in Seoul this year. (??)

You know, I think I'd really like to meet Kang. He sounds like someone who would help me in my new endeavor (I've been itching to write a book called "Life in the shadow of the sunshine policy").

Anyways, if anyone sees the date for this "proposed" conference in seoul, let me know!

But as always, the man with the hair has something to say:

N.Korea Warns Human Rights Could Rupture Talks

Reacting to a conference on North Korean human rights that started in Washington on Tuesday, the KCNA said “provocative acts like slandering and showing envy of your dialogue partner” were unlikely to produce results and “can bring only conflict and rupture.” It said the U.S., by bringing up “non-existent human rights issues” and issuing “political provocations,” was robbing other neighboring states of their hopes for substantive progress in the six-party talks.

Well, I think I need to brush up on my English and learn more about that word ENVY

Edit: The Marmot also weighs in with some links.

North Korean parliamentarian defects to South Korea: official

This is interesting

SEOUL, July 17 (Yonhap) -- A North Korean parliamentarian has defected to South
Korea, a government source said Sunday.The source, requesting anonymity, said
the North Korean defector is now undergoing an investigation by the South Korean
intelligence agency.

But I'm sure it'll be some time before we get to hear it all. Actually, for some reason I doubt the current administration would release ANY bad news about the DPRK, so chances are we'll hear nothing.
UPDATE:
It seems the Chosun has more to offer now.

Kim reportedly told investigators North Korea had 4 kg of
plutonium and manufactured a one-ton nuclear weapon,
but added that North Korean scientists were doubtful about ability of the
developed nuclear weapon. That was why, he said, the Stalinist country had been
trying to make a miniaturized nuclear warhead weighing 500 kg, the magazine
reported.

Kim testified he himself visited Taiwan to sell North Korean-built
missiles, the monthly said. He also told investigators Pyongyang was
developing small submersible boats and stealth uniforms that were difficult to
detect on radar, while developing weapons for its 30,000-man Special Forces,
according to the magazine.

The NIS would not confirm the report, saying the government made it a rule never to comment on the status of defectors to protect
both them and any family they leave behind in North Korea.

Well now, Plutonium, Missiles and Secial Ops. ... Oh my?!!

I'm glad someone got ahold of this info. I truely believe that the ROK Gov. would prefer to have none of it see the light of day. There are some things the Sunshine policy likes to lighten and others it prefers to just leave in the shadows.

Worht the price of admission?

Funny how in the same day they announce that Seoul will foot the entire electricity bill for the DPRK but as a consolation prize the ROK citizens will be able to tour the wonderland known as the workers paradise.

Man, any more expensive and it'd be Disneyland!

Seoul's Mystery Proposal Includes Massive Energy Aid

Well now. I wondered what the price was for getting the DPRK back to the table, and now we know.

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young, who put the proposal to North Korean
leader Kim Jong-il behind closed doors last month, disclosed its contents to
reporters on Tuesday after a National Security Council meeting chaired by
President Roh Moo-hyun.

Under the proposal, annual shipments of 500,000 tons of heavy oil suspended
after North Korea's uranium enrichment program came to light in October 2002
would resume, with the cost shared between the five nations.

In the long term, South Korea would supply its surplus energy directly to
North Korea -- reportedly 2 million kilowatts, or the amount that would have
been produced by the two 1 million kilowatt reactors that were to have been
built under the 1994 Basic Agreement between North Korea and the U.S.
Construction of the reactors has been suspended.

So not only is the south giving the North food to support its people *cough ARMY cough* but now they are going to send "surplus" energy !!?? I always thought the South was a net imported of energy (looks at electricity bill). Wow, things 'dun changed.

Dokdo

Well I've been meaning to post for quite some time but I've been busy. This however is a "must post" and after you watch it you may see why.

It seems that in their fury to cement Dokdo as their, some Koreans have come upon the ideal to have a commercial advertising their sovereign rights.

Now, I for one am all for comedic release (and wish this was the case) but this commercial smacks of racism and it's just not cool.

Someone got the hint

It seems that the recent shooting may have led to some actual thinking. The Korean Times has an article that seems to be a rarity in Korea. They are actually talking about "planning ahead" and looking out for the future". Wow, with this type of logic, this little penisula could do even more amazing things.

Rep. Kim Myung-ja of the ruling Uri Party stressed the need to reform the
military culture to correspond with changing social trends, and to help young
soldiers develop themselves during their two years’ service, as well as to
promote the human rights of service members.

``South Korea is changing rapidly and dramatically in every sector of society. But the military has failed to keep pace with social changes, and instead is retaining its `old and rigid’ culture,’’ Kim said in an interview with The Korea Times.

``The new generation is quite different from the older generation. They place emphasis on individual freedom and human rights. They want to be respected by others and are often against authority,’’ she continued.

``It never works and it is wrong to ask them for `unconditional obedience and sacrifice’ as in the old military culture. Otherwise, deadly shooting
incidents could occur again and again.’’

That part worries me. Especially from someone who has presumably never served in the military (Kim Myung-ja) .

The government and the ruling party earlier this week agreed on a set of reforms focusing on building an information and technology infrastructure in the nation’s military camps to provide soldiers with online education programs.

Under the proposed ``e-Learning Portal System,’’ soldiers staying out of colleges due to military service are able to take regular courses for up to nine credits per year, said Kim, who is a member of the National Defense Committee of the National Assembly.

Kim emphasized the need to set up a ``culture of learning’’ in the military to help soldiers keep on developing their abilities as part of an efforts to secure quality manpower for defense.


Well, I am glad that they are finally taking a look at an antiquated system. Too many young lives are wasted within the military here. Instead of "just putting in 2 years", the young could possibly be learning job/survival skills and be a few steps ahead of where they were when they got in.

Heck, why not go all the way and make mandatory service for females as well! Honestly, if this country needs people to do a 2 year stint, then I think it should be equal, contructive and positive.

Is Korea next?

The Chosun has this little diddy about the London attacks:

No Report of Korean Casualties in London Blasts
The Korean Embassy in London said there were no reports of Korean losses as of Thursday afternoon after a series of bombings ripped through the heart of the British capital, killing at least two people and injuring hundreds more.

Now, although I too am happy there were no Koreans killed, I really wonder about the reporting strategies of this. All to often in the Korean media I see a "Korean only" view of things. Now all countries do this, I know, but to relegate such a huge headline to a simply dismissive stance of "well, none of us died" is just a little too ignorant for me.

The truth of the matter is Korea could very well be next!
-Korea has the 3rd largest force in Iraq (behind the US and GB)
-Korea has a very exposed populous (massively packed transit system and such)
-Korea has a usually enept police force (too many forced into service)
-Korea has a lot of disgruntle 3D workers from the third world (where Islam is occasional ripe).

Simply put, Korea may be standing in line for this chopping block. If/when it does happen though I predict two things;

1) The government will shift any responsibility to somewhere else. Not only will the attack be blamed on "out-side" elements (and they would probably be correct to a large degree) but the insuing confusion with rescue workers will be blamed on someone else as well. Instead of taking this as a wake up call (as London did in the case of the year previous Madrid bombings), Seoul will most likely want to keep with the thought that "it won't happen here".

2) The Korean people will be outraged!! I am not totally sure in which direction it will head but I do know that the "Nembe" Korean spirit is not one I'd like to be in front of (well, not initially at least). Chances are, Korean will be calling for revenge against the attackers. In the Vietnam war, the Koreans soldiers were known for their ferocity, I expect it would be little different.

What the Korean government needs to do is to IMMEDIATELY start training their emergency services for just such an attack and to examine their policies in regards to foreigners (woo, there's a doosy).

Inter-Korean ties revived, normalized

Well, Chung is definately wallowing in it.

"After the fifth anniversary ceremony of the June 15 joint deceleration,
the South-North dialogue was completely revived and normalized
and found an occasion to make a fresh jump-start," Chung said in a forum in
Seoul.

"were a precious meeting that government and civil sectors
took part in and showed their capability for reunification,"

"There was sincere dialogue on the nuclear issue on the Korean
Peninsula,"

One question... how much did it cost?

Well I had planned to write a review for every book I've finished of late but sometimes I just don't seem to have time.

Anyways, this one was unfortunately a dissapointment. It had potential in possibly shining light on a much neglected subject (that being Japanese attrocities commited before and after WWII) but it feel quite short.

The truth is, I totally believe that the Japanese (and the Americans, Germans, Russians, Bristish, ect..) commited all sorts of nastyness during the war. It was a time in which "the bombing of civilians was considered good strategy".

This book though only delivers hal-hazard testimony "hinting" at a possible Unit of scientific experimentation. I'm guessing it is true but I would have felt a lot more comfortable with a more detailed and comprehensive accounting.

I'm hoping someone out there can recomend a good read on the topcis of "Japanese colonialism" and the "Massacre at Najin".

Do you smell something?

Well it seems that a new wind is blowing and i'm not sure of what direction it will take.

Among State Department officials involved with Korea policy, the most
influential are Philip D. Zelikow, an advisor to Rice and her co-author in
writing “Germany Unified and Europe Transformed”; Krasner, who is a friend of
Rice’s from Stanford; Burns, a former ambassador to NATO; and Hill. None but
Hill has much experience with Asia. By contrast, the former assistant
secretaries of state Richard Armitage and James Kelly were Japan experts.

These personnel changes signal a wider shift in U.S. foreign policy
away from the force-based unilateralism of Bush’s first term to one emphasizing
cooperation with allies and prioritizing a diplomatic solution to the North
Korean problem. But they have yet to show any concrete results in the
department’s biggest headache, the dispute over North Korea’s nuclear arms
program.

I firmly believe that the "korean issue" must be addressed and that leaving it to fester is not going to win the day. However, this new dream team leaves a lot to be desired (number one being Rice as its leader). I wish them (and us all) luck.

Chung to "soften" Cheney

OK I saw this and had to take a quick poke at it.

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young will visit the U.S. from Wednesday to
Saturday, apparently with a view to softening up Washington’s leading hardliner.

Well, good luck to him. If he can accomplish that I guess he is more of a politician than I give him credit for (not that that is a good thing).

So it is going to get even more expensive?

So I was reading this caption in the Chosun today and this part made me wonder;

"In order to reduce the costs of unification, we must quickly unify, and North
Korea must end its one-sided devotion to politics and the military and open up
substantially,” Prof. Hwang Eui-gak of Korea University

How much more will they really have to spend?

So far it is estimated that S. Korea Gave North US$3.5 Billion Since 1995 and that

Total South Korea aid until 1998 totaled $306.2 million, including Seoul's
contribution to the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization. But when
the Kim Dae-jung administration took office, aid to the North increased,
recording $706.5 million in 2000 and $584.9 million in 2002. Since the start of
the Roh Moo-hyun administration, annual aid to the North has been in excess of
$500 million.

I also read through this RAND report last month that stated some wild numbers.

The truth is I am not really sure that an estimate could in any way be accurate. They are trying their best to compare it to the German model (in GDP %s and population comparisons) but the Korean peninsula is a unique entity unto itself.

To truly estimate the costs of unification one must quantify 1) any long lasting effects of DPRK "education" on the people of the North, 2) the actual situation in the North right now (estimates are there but few really know the numbers), 3) the Korean spirit must be understood and managed.

If a strong leader was to bring the peninsula together under a common vision and direction I truly think that any costs would be moot. The question then comes; what direction would a unified Korea take?

The Korean War

Well, I really don't have enough time to write my thoughts on this but I did start on this day so many years ago.

Some have argued back and forth of who started it. I would like (in some ways), to go to the DPRK and "hear them out" as to their theories on how the war was started.

Yes, I know Rhee was an idiot and an egomaniac that wanted to start something/anything with the North. But from all my readings he simply did not have the means. The South at the time was militaity not able and the US had no real want to involve itself (I know McArthur wanted to but those above him preferred to draw different lines).

Kim as well seemed to be chomping at the bit to get his hands deeper into the South. The situation seems different though when looking at his backers. Initially it seems the Soviets did not want a "Korean front", but after being assured that "it owuld be a quick victory" they allowed Kim to roll into the South.

Now the simple fact is... I was not there. However, just looking at it from a strategic stand point, it would be a huge leap for me to understand how the South attacked and within moments the North was able to muster a massive sweep in retaliation. Eventually leading clear down to Busan, honestly, the legistics for that takes planning and I do not see how it could simply be explained away as a counter-attack.

Like I said, I don't know who started the war, I'm just sorry it ever happened.


Lest we forget.

Play nice

Well, I guess everyone has to

eventually kiss and make up.

Why not us?

Korean education?

Well it seems that some Korean Elementary school kids are doing their part to show Japan just how much the ROK hates it.


GORD does some nice picture taking here.




Apparently he saw these at Gyulhyeon Station


And while I do not agree with all of his conclusions (the history debate is quite interesting though) he does shine light on the sad fact of brain-washing in the Korean system. I wish I could say it was only the DPRK that is responsible but... the South all too often shows its proficiency in the area as well.

Funny DPRK humor

OK, they may not think they are funny, but the rest of the world does.




This guy actually looks like has some fun with it. Surprisingly the Korea Times seems to agree with him.

``The KCNA’s humor stems from its hyperbolic prose, strange sense of
priorities, absurd assertions that often violate common sense, and an
extreme disconnection with the rest of the world,’’ he said.

And if you haven't seen it yet, please take a momnet and watch TEAM AMERICA. If not for the great "I'm so loney" song by Kim then just for the puppet sex!