The latest on the frozen funds...

This is a new article that is an update on the funds that were frozen in Macao's bank Banco Delta Asia...

So suppsedly Russia is willing lend its bank, the Far East Commercial bank, as a helping hand to the North Korean situation. Hopefully, the transfer will be smooth so that North Korea can go ahead with its promises to shut down the nuclear reactor.

Free Trade vs. Free People - US-Korea FTA

Free Trade vs. Free People

Here is the full text to the draft of the Free Trade Agreement between the Republic of Korea and the United States
http://www.mofat.go.kr/mofat/fta/eng/eng_list.htm

The FTA talks have huge implications for South Korea as it would open the economy up to full utilization by the U.S. and the deal has caused a huge wave of controversy in the country.
As reported in Wikipedia The US-Korea FTA is the second largest trade agreement ever made by the United States.

Many activists in South Korea have begun to rally together and protest. On Nov. 22, 2006 as many as 20,000 gathered at city hall in Seoul. The most vocal opposition has been South Korean farmers and labor unions.
The connection to North Korea, beyond the impact of the economic changes brought to the Rep. of Korea, is what many South Korean activists see as legislation that might allow or even encourage government surveillance and censorship. As Thomas Kim of the San Diego Union-Tribune puts it "South Korea has been a liberal democracy for less than two decades, and over the past year the trade agreement has become the latest chapter of the people's struggle to consolidate the practice of freedom. Democracy and development should not and need not be in opposition to each other, yet throughout the negotiations the administration of South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun sacrificed democratic principles while embracing authoritarian trends." - http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070403/news_mz1e3kim.html
One such trend is the sections in the FTA involving IPRs (Intellectual Property Rights) This site (http://www.bilaterals.org ) is a site that is dedicated against "bilateral trade and investment agreements that are opening countries to the deepest forms of penetration by transnational corporations" and their opionion of IPRs is very interesting - http://www.bilaterals.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=33

North Korean TV

Here is an internet site where you guys can watch some North Korean tv news clips (Chosun Central TV News) and other tv programs. Sorry that there are no subtitles, but just have some feelings of what they actually watch.

Some pictures

I found a discussion board (sorry that the site is in Korean,,) which is run by I think a former North Korean military official who defected to the South (the site mainly deals with military subjects, but also have some interesting photos, such as...)

Pictures of a "Model" North Korean house which is shown to the foreigners

North Korean Tourism Part 2

A little bit more on tourism in North Korea... I visited the Official Korean (S) site for tourism, and it was really interesting to see what kind of spin they put on tourism... Mostly they emphasized the beauty of the historic districts and the scenic natural beauties of the region. Lots of pictures of vistas and moutains and classic Korean architecture. This really caters to those interested in the great and ancient history of the Korean people, which is really evident in the tourism's summary of their history (found on the bottom of the page).

However, the majority of the sites that catered to Americans was focused on North Korea as a fascinating adventure back in time (thats how it seemed to me atleast). More of a focus on experiencing the different lifestyle, compared to the South's and gawking at Kim-centric monuments etc. Especially with the Mass Games being open to foriegn spectators since 2006, there is even more interest in North Korea.

There are also lots of "what not to do" things are mentioned so that silly Americans don't get themselves in trouble... Theres this older article I found, but its still interesting.

Here is the Lonely Planet guide's site which tends to be more neutral and informational. But theres ones like this... a bit of a different slant.

Many question whether tourism in a dictatorial regime is morally right... Should we tour this country that is an "enemy to the free world" and support them with our money? Or should we stay out completely? I think that although the North Korean government suppresses its people, maybe tourism can atleast help in the humanitarian way of injecting money into their system- and hopefully raise citizen's quality of life by a little.

North Korea Tourism

I never thought of North Korea as a tourism spot, but after a few mentions about it in class and watching the movie, I really began to see how people might be interested in it.

Not only would North Korea be fascinating as a cultural experience, but I've also seen it promoted as a part of "Touring the Axis of Evil." There is even a book about the Axis of Evil World Tour. I guess people are interested in seeing just how evil the axis is... It really would be interesting to see how regimes work from the inside and this is a main interest, but I'm sure travellers come to see that travel in the North is heavily regulated by the government... so most only see the finished product the Kims' rule without much contact with the citizens.

US alleges North Korea misused UN aid

According to the story available here, the United States has accused North Korea of misallocating United Nations Development Program financial aid. Specifically, the charges are that instead of using the funds for the benefit of the people, the government bought nearly $3m worth of land and housing in Britain, France, and Canada. The US also claims that North Korea purchased equipment that could be used for military purposes.

Tall South, Short North

I found an interesting ARTICLE about height difference between the North and South Korean. As we know, North Korea suffered chronic food shortage due to series of drought and crop failures (also the fundamental flaw of the socialist system of collective farming). The articles says that average height difference is significant, as of 2005, the average height of people aged between 20 and 39 in North Korea is 154.9cm (5.08ft) for females and 165.6cm (5.43ft) for males, while the average height for the South Korean is 159.1cm (5.21ft) for females and 172.5cm (5.65ft) for males. The gap between the two will keep growing, and as article says we, Korean might become two totally different races! (To make the matter worse, the unification of the two seems elusive at this point)

Believe It or Not - Current Trends in North Korea

Believe It or Not

While going through the news articles that were related to North Korea I actually found this rather surprising article about the "Trends of North Korea - Eye Plastic Surgery, Dica (shortened version for Digial Camera by Koreans), MP3 Players"

The article started saying that 南男北女 (character reads South-Male, North-Female) meaning that men are better off as well as wealthier/smarter in the South and women from the North are pretty or sort of like that. Anyhow, what came across quite surprisingly and shockingly to me was that there are many in North Korea who would get plastic surgery - mostly for their eyes, which costs 0.7 Euro or $0.94 US which would be just a little less than the monthly earning for the average North Korean. Some even have surgery on their nose which is considerably more expensive than the eyes.

The article then goes on to talk about how the article’s author was quite surprised to find workers at the gift shop were busy listening to their MP3 players - when asked by the author the 'worker' replied by asking, "why are you so surprised?" and that he had "downloaded" the famous OST for soaps, 'Love and Hate' from his computer. Also, he also said that "I use a smaller and slimmer version of the Canon Digital Camera than the one you've got on your neck" and goes on to say that "I bought a MP3 player for my son, 3 years ago".

The author, presumably a reporter, at the end said that words such as "hair conditioner" are very different in the South and North so an average South Korean wouldn't have a clue if a North Korean asked for it; however words such as "Dica" and "MP3" were easily converted.

Am I the only one who is surprised by this article’s contents? I mean surely North Korea too has evolved and developed over the years but we all know about their economic hardships, their problems with the BDA account and what seems like another million problems.

Since we all know how much North Koreans have to "act" to represent their "not-so-ordinary-daily lives" for foreigners from the book, the digital cameras and MP3 players I can understand but when it comes to plastic surgery for their eyes, I've seen few North Korean girls interviewed by the South Korean media when they come to cheer at the ASIAN Games or other sports related events - not surprisingly they've been very pretty (we all know that they are the best looking girls picked from the country) so I didn't really pay attention about their faces to see if they were fixed by plastic surgery or not.

It seems the more I hear, read and learn about North Korea the more confused I become - how far do they go to lie about their "real lives" just to look good for the rest of the world? Are they for real? Is what we learn about their economic burden not as severe as we've learned?

Click Here for the article

North Korea Misuses Aid Funds

According to a recent State Department report, it seems that the North Korean government has not been properly managing the funds it has been receiving for the country's poor. The report also claims that the UN made a few mistakes which allowed for such actions and even helped them to obtain equipment for a weapons program. Although not particularly surprising or new, the revelations are nonetheless disturbing. I also find it ironic that those that help out North Korea the most (South Korea, US, UN) are also some of the most criticized nations and/or international organizations in North Korea. If the NK people knew where their aid were coming from, I am not sure if they would feel the same way towards not only those entities, but also towards their own government.

If the reports are true, I think it is very sad for the people of North Korea and very immoral on the part of the government. Does that mean that organizations should stop donating to North Korea? I have mixed feelings on that question. On one hand, we don't want the funds to go towards military or weapons programs. On the other hand, I am not sure what else could be done to help the North Korean people, at least as far as humanitarian efforts are concerned. Maybe it would be better for NGO's rather than governments try to establish relations with North Korea in a way that would allow for some sort of on-the-ground oversight. Either way, it appears to be a very sticky situation.

Kim Jong-Il's Health Problems

It seems that North Korea might just have another 'mortal' leader despite all the things that Kim Jong-Il claims since he is suffering from diabetes, liver and heart problems as well as constipation. Yesterday, I read an article that confirms Kim Jong-ll received, in mid-May, an emergent heart-bypass, which was performed by a group of doctors who were flown to Pyongyang just for the surgery. Being such a secretive and unknown state such information about Kim Jong-Il's health was actually confirmed by a surgeon who has close ties with North Korea and that "surgery was a success and they (group of doctors who were flown to Pyongyang) came back on the 19th (May)"
-Article were by Japan's weekly magazine, Shukangendai (週間現代)

Though I don't have any intention to ridicule someone's health but I guess Kim Jung-Il too like his father Kim Il-Sung, suffers from heart problems - I'd assume that North Koreans wouldn't be too happy with this article by a Japanese magazine which revealed not only that he had just had a major surgery but also that he suffers from constipation.

Before reading the article, I thought it was too early to ask about the next leader for North Korea but I guess after the heart-bypass, it would be fair to ask the question: "What happens after Kim Jong-Il?" Is it going to be one of his three sons or one of the top party leaders? One thing I don't think will happen is that Kim Jong-Il’s death will collapse the North Korean regime, like people predicted about Kim Il-Sung and his death. I guess being a dictator isn't easy after all - if he is suffering from all those health problems and planning the frequent missile test launches as well as showing up for photo ops. He might just live fine for another ten years but it is interesting to predict North Korea’s future without Kim Jong-Il.


link to original article (it's in Korean) Kim Jong-Il's Health Issues

North Korean "Diplomacy"

I continue to find it interesting how much stress the world seems to place on six-party talks and the hope that Kim Jong Il will suddenly abdicate his position of power in favor of energy development assistance. The Reuters article I was looking at that discusssed the ongoing nuclear debate also talked about the "hermit kindom's" lack of banking technology, a topic that I haven't heard a lot about. Another article from the International Herald Tribune (http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/18/news/north.php), Banco Delta Asia was the major financial institution for a great number of North Korea's monetary transactions and trade. In September 2005, US Treasury Department accused the bank of confterfeiting and money laundering schemes for North Korean government "companies and entities". Based out of Macao, after the Treasury Department's attacks, there was a run on the bank's deposits, which resulted in North Korea getting frozen out of not only Banco Delta Asia, but also numerous other institutions who were not willing to get involved with the country because of it's questionable reputation. Although the first things that pop into my head when I hear the words "North Korea" tend to be about nuclear weapons, I can't help but think that the USG's attacks on North Korea, and the banking issue will continue to gain momentum and become an increasingly volatile subject as six party talks continue.

The name "Choson"

The North Korea's official name in Korean is "Choson Minjujuui Inmin Gongwhaguk(democracy people's republic) . So people might think that the North Korea got its name after Choson dynasty, even though the North Korea considers Choson was backward and says they eliminated legacy of Choson. While I was in class and listened Prof.Larsen's lecture, I came up with an idea that the North Korea might choose its name after ancient Choson. There is no clear evidence to support my idea but the North Korea does not deny inheritance of ancient Choson at least. In addition, they support 'Tan-gun' story, teach the story at school and I made a huge tomb saying that it found bone of 'Tan-gun'.

article for last post

http://asiacalling.kbr68h.com/index.php/archives/467

Unifcation of North and South

Interesting that despite the fact the Korean people could benefit greatly from a unified Korea, still many oppose this action. The article discusses that the military in the North may reduce in power as a result of this occurence. I found it interesting that North Korea's Chief delegate, Kwon Ho ung stressed the need for the powers to work together, while he criticized the outside powers refering to the US as a force that has been nothing but an obstacle to this process.
Does he see the US as an obstacle becuase of the different ideologies of the North and South? Or could this actually be a tactic that he uses to create a common enemy (The Western world- US), hence unifing the North and the South?

Confucianism in North Korean State Development

I found this article in the Harvard Asia Quarterly while I was doing some research for my paper and it contains information some of you might find interesting...The author Jin Woong Kang said that loyalty and filial piety, which are Confucian traditions, are not ideals which have challenged the development of the North Korean state, but in fact have acted to stregnthen the state. It also has a lot of info on how relationships between men and women were altered throughout the development of the state, and people's response to land ownership policies.

http://www.asiaquarterly.com/content/view/173/43/

I know I'm being bad for not making a fancy shortcut, but my internet keeps shutting off and I can't figure it out! =( Sorry, kids.

South Korean movies

The history of more than fifty years of division between North and South gave impact on numerous aspects on South Korean culture (literature, song, food, etc.), one of the most prominent being the movie industry. Four out of ten movies in the top box-office record (from 1999) are depicting the conflict between the two (such as Korean War, or espionage activities of North and South), which reflects the fact that this topic appeals to almost every South Korean audiences.

Title of the movie/#of total audiences

3. TaeGukGi: Brotherhood Of War / 11,746,235 (2004)
4. Silmido / 11,081,000 (2003)
6. Welcome To Dongmakgol / 8,008,622 (2005)
9. Swiri / 6,209,898 (1999)

11. Joint Security Area / 5,830,228 (2000)

Russia to help unfreeze North Korean funds

A news article from today described how Russia is going to try to help unfreeze $25 million of North Korean funds, as long as the United States promises there will be no sanctions for Russia if it does so.

Apparently, when the U.S. froze North Korea's funds in the first part of the year to speed up the nuclear disarmament process, it ran into a speed bump because the US was unable to figure out how to unfreeze the funds, and therefore asked Russia for help in finding a solution. Is this even possible? One would think that if you could freeze someone's accounts, you could just lift the ban, or at least know how to! My question is, why would the Russians be scared of sanctions if the US had asked them for help? Something seems a bit shady to me! Of course, the idea that Russia was the first to be able to help is a little humorous too, seeing how they started the communist revolution in the first place in NK! And what will these funds be used for? Will it help the people at all? One would hope so!

A State of Mind

I just finished watching a 2003 documentary on the Mass Games by Daniel Gordon. The film is called A State Of Mind and follows two Korean girls as they practice for the mass games. I've seen one other documentary about North Korea and found it interesting how I came out with two very different feelings after each one. After watching this documentary, I found it interesting that I did not leave with a negative view of North Korea. It was obvious that North Korea was behind on modern technology etc, but there were so many scenes in which these people seemed "normal." I thought it was interesting that even when CNN interviewed Daniel Gordon he never gave an opinion about North Korea and stated that his documentary was supposed to be non judgemental. Overall, I thought it was good documentary that honestly showed North Korean life for the privledged as well as the ideologies of the state.

Adventures in Asia

My brother's fiancee is travelling throughout Asia for a year with her acting company performing"The King and I." She periodically sends us pictures of her adventures, and the most recent have been some albums of her time in South Korea. Here is a link to some Shutterfly pictures I found a nice compliment to some of the culture we are studying.

Defector's Stories

As I was finishing the last post, I just stumbled on a whole section in The Daily NK which is devoted to Defector's Stories. I thought that that would be pretty interesting for others to look at going along with the defecting family story...

Update on North Korean Defectors

As an update to a previous posting about a a North Korean family defecting and being picked up in a Japanese port , I came across an article about the Prime Minister's latest statement.

The issue concerning Japan and defectors is serious because of its implication on the relationship between the two countries. Because of the shaky past, Prime Minister Abe must be careful not to push Pyongyang too far, especially with their latest missile tests. Abe has stated that a "humanitarian approach" would be taken. This could be viewed as an attempt to take the moral highground, and I'm sure that the North Korean government is outraged. It has been ecided that the family will be allowed to travel to South Korea with a "temporal protection landing permit" from Japan.

It is also interesting to note the differences between China and Japan's defector policies, because as Christina mentioned, the Chinese have sent defectors back, recognizing them as criminals.

Kim Jung-Il Successor

I was wondering if his heir will make it a point to continue emphasis on Confucian values by waiting three years in order to take his father's position. If so what will be the implications of this?

China and North Korea

I just thought it was interesting how in America we tend to always focus on the relationships we have with other countries. Perhaps it was my lack of knowledge, but I had always thought that the United States had the most influence over North Korea. However, this overview of the North Korea and China article clearly shows that China has a lot invested in North Korea. I had always thought that North Korea was very much a hermit kingdom in the sense that it only exported and did not import. I find it interesting how China is basically the money behind North Korea, yet North Korea can still get China do follow their terms when it comes to things such as defectors. I was just curious as to why China doesn't take more of a powerful/demanding role in its relationship with North Korea.

Song of Ariran

This article was part of our required reading. However, we never discussed it in class so perhaps we could discuss it here.
I found the article extremely compelling and informative. It was a great read, I thought, because it told a story. It is always helpful for me to read articles about people who actually lived through an event such as Japanese annexation and the March 1st movement. This makes the event real to me and I am more willing to read other subject matter even if it is a bit dry.

Driving the streets of post-Stalinist Pyongyang is just like time travel

This article is from a British News paper, Telegraph. While the article is a little over a year old, the points that it raises are very interesting. The journalist who wrote this article drank Heineken while he was there, something that 99% of the population can not afford. He also says that citizens were skeptical in talking to him because it is illegal to have conversations with foreigners. He also says that the "teenage girls dressed in green military uniforms practising synchronised goose-stepping on parade grounds are a perfect snapshot of 1960s China". Also, the streets close down at night because the government is incapable of leaving the lights on all night because they do not have the money or capacity to maintain this.

These are just a few examples of the everyday occurrences that happen in North Korea. I can not imagine what it would be like to like in a society like this. Would I like it in my blind ignorance and find it to be a serene environment? or would I question the existence and the extremely unfair division of elite and poor? One woman is quoted as saying "Why do the Americans hate us so much?" Is this the case, I don't think so but what if that is all you ever knew? What would it be like?

Help the Average Person? Unlikely

North Korea signals goal of raising living standards

According to the above article, North Korea is supposedly transitioning from a "Army First" year to a year of helping average people. The idea is that now since North Korea has been successful in creating it's nuclear weapon program, it can focus on the economy and raising the living standards of the people. The article states that many people live on monthly wages of just $3-$6, and participate in small markets buying surplus from farmers that the Government turns a blind eye towards, allowing some people to make $25/month.

However, the government has not stated how they are going to accomplish this goal, apart from starting to build a few apartment buildings that will only house a few hundred people. In fact, the only response to how this goal will be met is "More Discipline!" I may not be an economist, but one thing I know that controlling people does not automatically lead to economic prosperity. The socialist system is obviously not working for the benefit of the poor. I think the government should take a hint from the mini capitalist version of the small markets. I think that the whole idea of the government switching from a military first position to a people position is unvalidated. I wouldn't be surprised if the propaganda for the nuclear weapons in the country included how these developments will help the people, but I highly doubt this will become a reality.

North Korean family flees country

I found the following article in today's Washington Post interesting, and thought you all might too. It is titled "Suspected N.Koreans arrive in Japan on boat" and is available online here. The gist of it is four North Koreans left that country due to it's poor living conditions. Since their arrival in Japan they have requested to be taken to South Korea, presumably for asylum. The family apparently shoved off in their small wooden boat near the Chinese border six days earlier, beginning a journey hundreds of miles long across open water. Among the provisions on board were bottles of poison, likely to be used to commit suicide in the event the four were discovered by North Korean authorities. The incident is expected to further strain relations between North Korea and Japan.

movie star

I thought you might enjoy this short video, even better then the still images we saw in class.
http://www.robpongi.com/pages/comboKIMJONGIL.html

NORTH/SOUTH TALKShttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

I dont know if anyone else found this article on the BBC yet but north and south korea have broken off their talks for promoting more peaceful relations on the korean peninsula. The south wouldn't send their rice aid shipment on time leading to a rift between the two parties. Also, the north hasn't ever shut down its reactor in accordance with an agreement in February.
On my end, it seems likethe same old tune doesn't it and isn't it a shame that the people's of the north will be manipulated to think that the evil capitalists want them to starve and have no electricity. Anyway, if anybody wants to post on the psychology of dictaors or this topic feel free.

Problems in Repatriating

Browsing the internet post-class today, I found an article (thanks, Wikipedia) that discussed repatriation of Koreans from Japan after the Korean War, with the majority of people returning between 1960 and 1961. I was primarily interested in the Japanese wives of Korean citizens, who, though moving to Korea with their husbands, were promised by the North Korean government the ability to visit their families in Japan every few years. Reality has proven this not to be an option; in fact, most women have not been able to keep up contact with relatives in Japan.

This reminded me of post-World War II Soviet Union, wherein Moscow sent Welcome Home letters to Russian ex-patriates living in France. A good deal of Russians returned, bringing their French families, only to be jailed or executed upon arrival. The lucky ones were sent to live and work in remote cities in Russia, and their French partners unable to keep contact with friends and family back in Western Europe. (If you're interested, there is a very melodramatic movie that came out in the late 90's about the topic.)

I'm curious as to just how many countries have adopted this post-conflict policy: to encourage not only ex-patriates, but their foreign families, to return home -- only to keep them locked up. A sad sort of homecoming, it seems.

North Korean Official History

I was searching google for North Korean topics and stumbled upon one of the official North Korean websites. The link that I have posted is the section regarding the Korean War, titled Motherland's Liberation. I thought many of you would be interested in this "official" account of Korean history. For example, this quote was one of the more humorous lines regarding the US economy following WWII: "Specially due to the U.S. economical crisis started in 1948, they used the Korean War to evade the problems."
The site also uses the term "Yankees" (referring to the United States), which can be funny or offensive, depending on how you look at it. Furthermore, it is interesting to compare different sections of this website with what we have learned in class and what we have read, especially in the Martin book. There is also a section on the origins of Korea, titled Old Korea, which I enjoyed browsing.
Enjoy the site! (you can also find information on visiting NK, an even closer first-hand account of the propaganda, for lack of a better word)

I think it is interesting that there is really no set date for the founding of Korea, but that there are so many stories that could potentially be the "true" beginning of the country. As Americans, we know our country declared its independence on July 4, 1776. We know George Washington was our first President. Etc, etc. We have a certain story about the birth of our country, and many of our values are based on these stories (honesty and the cherry tree story, John Hancock's name becoming an eponym for the word "signature...). It makes me wonder if Korea's lack of such a solid notion of the country's origins has had some psychological/subconscious effect on its people. Kirk told us a slew of stories that could be "the" beginning of Korea. I found myself getting confused trying to follow them all. But luckily, good ol' Wikipedia has them all collected. I originally was searching for more information on the story of Han'gun, and the page has links to a lot of the other stories (on the right side of the article). Check it out if you want to review some of them:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tan%27gun_Myth

Defining History

Kirk gave us a couple definitions of what history is. I completely agree with his argument that history consists of both what happened (and what didn't happen) AND what people believe happened (or didn't happen). The book we are reading shows North Korea to be a case-in-point of this phenomenon. I am continuously baffled at how Kim Il-Sung has molded this story of himself to glorify his own past. The worst of them all to me is how Kim dealt with the Korean War failure. He completely put all the blame on the US, UN, and South Korea. The people of North Korea are oblivious to the fact that Kim was the one who had started that war that killed so many of them. On page 89, the passage from an "official"biography states: "On top of the mountain stood Comrade Kim Il-Sung, the iron-willed brilliant commander who held in his hands the general outcome of the war, looking down the panic-stricken U.S. imperialist aggressors with calm and shining eyes." Wow.

Human Rights

I've always been extremely interested in the incredible lack of human rights in North Korea. The prisons are infamous for their poor treatment and the fact that the families are targeted when relatives escape to the North makes the situation even worse. With the poor living conditions and the lack of basic necessities, it's obvious that North Korea has a problem. However, I got to thinking who should be responsible for attempting to fix this problem? Should the UN make greater efforts? Should the US be the leader in human rights in North Korea? Perhaps South Korea? Maybe the neighboring China? Or maybe nobody should be responsible for helping North Korea in this issue. Human rights issues are a sensitive issue in any country, but especially with North Korea because of their lack of openness, I feel that the situation is even more sensitive.

My basic question is, should countries and/or organizations have a moral obligation to help North Korea deal with human rights?

North and South talks in Seoul

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/29/AR2007052900209.html

The 21th reconciliation talk between North and South is being held in Seoul beginning May 29. However, as both sides are demanding something that their counterpart might hesitate to do, there is a possibility that the talks could soon plunge into stalemate. The North continuously demanded the South of its promised rice shipment to the North while South Korea decided to postpone this aid responding to the wide international concerns toward the North’s missile tests and North Korea's refusal to start dismantling its nuclear programs.

Kimjongilia

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/07/asia_pac_inside_north_korea/html/1.stm

As we continue reading the text, I just feel more and more amazed by the religion of "Kim-ism" in North Korea.

I was looking at a photo gallery entitled "Inside North Korea" and its just incredible how the Kims have established a prescence in every part of North Korean citizens' lives. They don't even spare the field of botany!

Here depicted is an exhibit of FLOWERS whose species name ARE THE NAMES of the two revered leaders... These flowers, Kimilsungia and Kimjongilia are on display for the leaders' birthdays.

Korean War Vets

Hey folks in honor of memorial day and and our country's veterans I wanted to post a link to an article concerning a US vet of the Korean War.

My grandfather was in the US Army and served in the Korean War on a tour of duty that look him far north, as far up as near the Sino-Korean border (if my memory serves me correctly). It has been a little over three years since his passing, but I'll never forget how he spoke of Korea and the War. He was awarded a Purple Heart after grenade shrapnel hit him in his leg, another serviceman had to carry him on his back to safety or else he may have died in the snow. My grandfather never forgot the cold of Korea, he said it was a cold he would never forget, that no cold weather he has ever experienced could compare the cold he experienced in Korea.

Please share your veterans stories if you have any. Perhaps someone could provide an account from the Korean perspective?

Is Kim Jong Il sick?

I read a Korean news article that the rumor of worsening Kim's sickness seems to get more reliability. It says, comparing to last year, the number of Kim's public activity is decreased as half and he has been suffering from diabetes and a heart disease. It also says American intelligence is trying to make sure the fact. Of course, possibility of rising power struggle was mentioned too. But I think that professor mentioned in class that possibility of regime inheritance is very low. Furthermore, it is often said about no strong candidate among Kim's offspring. Then what will be the future picture of North Korea? I don't expect Kim's sudden death but I worry about chaos following his death.

here's a link for someone who wants to read the news (it is written in Korean)
http://news.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2007/05/28/2007052800108.html

the complex simplicity of interpertation

As I was reading the Song of Ariran I was quickly reminded of what yo know or believe is in many cases dependent on what you want to believe. As we were discussing all the stories in class that take place in Korea, China or Japan we came across similar stories with very different interpretations. The paragraph that discusses the ease in which Koreans learn other languages, reminded me the humorous extent to which these interpretations can go. The Japanese explain this as proof to Korea being an inferior country "a natural colony." The reason for the difficulty Japanese people have learning languages, is that the Japanese are a dominant race. It is amazing, how this competition comes up in so many opportunities, and the ease at which humans can create beliefs based on nothing.

** I read the blog about Korean food, there is a great Korean restaurant Mandu, on 18th st. by Dupont Circle.

Rice to the North

Beginning June 29, the 21st minister-level talk between the north and south will be held in Seoul. The two sides managed to carry out most of the plans that they agreed upon in the 20th talk, such as test-running of each sides’ trains across the DMZ, and reunion of dispersed families which has been suspended for some eleven months. However, one problem is casting shadow upon the prospect of this coming talk, which is the south’s decision to delay (or reconsider) its food assistance to the north. As the north failed to show some understandable outcome regarding dismantlement of its nuclear facilities (even though the deadline for its completion have long been passed – NK was given 60day period since the February 13th accord), the U.S. and Japan showed their concerns about this matter, and the south could not neglect their apprehensions (and domestic concerns as well). Furthermore, the recent North Korean missile launch makes it more difficult to persuade the South Korean National Assembly and most importantly, the general public opinion regarding this shipment to North Korea.

Macau and North Korea... an interesting friendship...

I came across this article while I was looking around on BBC during my lunch break. I thought that I was reading an article just about Macao and its rising status in the casino world, along with its descent into corruption. But as I continued reading about money laundering, the author took an interesting turn to the roots of North Korea's relationship with Macao.

I thought this was interesting because the US has signed an agreement to give $25 million to Pyongyang's government for the closing of a main nuclear reactor along with other incentives- but these funds were at one time frozen in Macao banks. This article claims that this agreement is heavily reliant upon the fate of Banco Delta Asia which was recently shut down because of it's illegal cooperation with North Korea.

Personally, I think that it was a bit silly for the US to agree to the transfer the $25 million to Macau in the first place... Not only does their banking system seem to be unreliable, but if the aid is delivered successfully, it seems like we are still just waiting upon North Korean leaders to follow through with their promises...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/6685173.stm

American Perspective vs. European Perspective

I was looking through some of the few documentaries that were made about North Korea and I began to wonder if maybe the American viewpoints on North Korea is different from the perspectives of European countries. I'm in no waying trying to defend North Korea's lack of freedoms and human rights violations, but I just found it interesting that European countries are given more access and freedoms in North Korea than the US. Is it perhaps because North Korea isn't part of Europe's Axis of Evil? I mean the video clip we saw in class is a music video for a UK group. I can't imagine anything of that sort ever happening in the US.

Could the lack of access and cooperative actions from North Korea be a response to how the United States is portraying North Korea?

North Korea launched missiles again

This news made me sigh. I was looking for North Korea's reaction after the U.S.A unfreezed the money of the DPRK at Banko Delta Asia regarding the Feburary 13th Agreement. Instead I found that the North Korea tested several missiles to the Sea between the ROK and Japan. News reports that the test was one of the annual events, was viewed as not threatening as nuke and it was "the response to South Korea's launch of its first destroyer equipped with high-tech Aegis radar technology." However, it makes me worry that the North Korea's inconsistent behavior will bring iced air to the Six Party Talks again.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/25/AR2007052500269.html

Korean Food

As I said before, Korean food is probably my favorite food. They cook with a lot of hot peppers and the spicy flavors are great. My favorite dish is Dolsot Bibim bap. This dish combines meat, rice and several vegatables in a scalding stone dish. The dish is topped with a fried egg and hot red chili sauce.
Also as Professor Larsen mentioned Kimchi is a staple Korean food. Kimchi is picked cabbage with red peppers. However, Kimchi comes in many other forms such as cucumber and bean sprout. They are all delicious.
The web site with all these recipes is http://www.koreainfogate.com/taste/food/recipemain.asp.
There is also a history of Kimchi and it recommends several restaurants in the area. I recommend Cho's Garden, its in Fairfax and one of my favorites.

A "Stalinist theme park"

I came across an article in the BBC today that is relevant to something that came up two days ago in class; that is, organized tourist trips to North Korea. The article highlights much of what Professor Larsen told us in class: that the trips are expensive, difficult to arrange, and true to what we all might expect from both communist regimes and capitalist tourist ventures, strictly regimented. My favorite line speaks about various memorials that are, essentially, required reading for group travel in North Korea: "[Pyongyang's] many statues and monuments . . . are a must-see. In fact they literally must be seen, as the compulsory guides who accompany all foreign tourists are certain to include them in the itinerary."

Of course, it seems that that which may deter some (energy shortages, ghost streets) is exactly what draws others. I'm interested to see just how far North Korea is willing to allow foreign tourists to take pictures of their countryside and eat in their restaurants -- if tourism will provide another source of economic profit for the country, or if openness will ultimately lead to its (dis)integration. The article, incidentally, is a few years old.

Also, you have to love the BBC for parenthetically citing the Korean War as resulting in a stalemate.

North Korea allows Catholic TB Aid

I came across an article from today that noted that North Korea has finally allowed a Catholic aid organization to have access to pediatric tuberculosis hospitals. As a Global Public Health concentration, I find this extremely interesting and quite important for the people of North Korea.

Tuberculosis is a major problem around the world, yet it does not recieve as much attention as it should due to other more "fashionable" diseases like HIV/AIDS, which gets lots of press (as it should!). However, TB is a major factor in the spread of HIV/AIDS, as a contracting either one of the diseases puts people at a risk of getting the other. The article notes that 10% of the North Korean population is affected by TB, a number which is sharply rising, and that 30% of these people are vaccine resistant, which requires special care and dedication to ensuring a person's health. Meetings were held to discuss a joint effort for TB study and research in Pyongyang, of which both Koreas would run and the Catholic Church would fund.

I think this research facility is a great idea. While politics, economics, and even culture can be seperated by borders, infectious disesases do not recognize political borders. By gathering the support of both Koreas, it will be a successful endeavor to address a pressing issue in global public health.

In the Loving Care of our Fatherly Leader

I have just gotten through the first 70 pages of our assigned book and does anyone else think that Kim Il-song is a genius. I really can't get over the fact that he came up with the concept to essentially adopt all of the orphans from the Korean War in order to truly create his "family" cult. I mean its a million people essentially brain-washed to do the government's (his) bidding. Also, the idea of having day care centers take children in after 7 weeks with their mother. I mean other dictatorships have had political re-education, but I really haven't ever heard of it done to this scale dedicated to one man. Just wondering if anyone else felt the same way.

Just a side note, although I think he was a genius he still scares the living daylights out of me as a human being.

Trains to reunification

Last week, two trains left from North and South Korea, crossing the DMZ to the other side. I thought it was nice that the two sides could interact with one another in such a way, but can such actions truly lead to reconciliation? I am not sure. For instance, is South Korea really willing to take on the economic burden of a reunification? Also, with such stark contrasts between the two forms of government, how can they possibly come to an agreement? With the time getting longer and longer between the separation, are two, increasingly different, cultures able to suddenly come together as one.
Still, these stories of contact between citizens and family members seem to be happening fairly often within the past couple of years, and it is apparent that many Koreans would like to see it continue. Indeed, who wouldn't like to see an close family member that hasn't been seen for years? But the question becomes, in a few decades when the close family ties wear off, will these sentiments towards reconciliation remain? While visiting Korea, I noticed a definite split between the younger and older generations in regards to reunification. This might have been unique to my own experience, but it does make sense the older generations would have much closer ties to their family up north than the younger generations. No matter how the situation is looked at though, beyond the much publicized events such as that in the mentioned article, it seems that many tough decisions must be made on both sides before a realistic reunification solution can even be considered.

National Geographic

A couple of weeks ago I saw the majority of a documentary of North Korea by National Geographic. Lisa Ling along with a doctor, Dr. Ruit, was able to go into North Korea because Dr. Ruit would be performing eye surgery on 1000s of North Koreans to help restore their vision.

I don't know much about North Korea and I've heard all the stories about the cult personality and how different these people are, but I guess it never really hit me until I saw this documentary. In the article, Lisa Ling talks about how she was surprised when every single person who was able to see again didn't thank Dr. Ruit, but Kim Jong-Il. I remember parts when Lisa Ling and her camera crew were threatened and almost kicked out of North Korea because they were taking pictures of the massive monuments at a downward angle. It was really hard to believe that in this day and age there are still places with this kind of cult personality.

I'm not sure when National Geographic will be airing this documentary again, but I think it's definitely worth watching.

The link is to the short article that Lisa Ling wrote about her experiences:
http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/channel/blog/2007/02/explorer_korea.html

Would the USA really care if Kim gets a nuclear weapon?

As we have discussed in class and read in articles and seen on TV, North Korea is trying to launch a nuclear test weapon, Tapedong II. It seems that they are doing this just so that they can prove to the Bush adminstration that they can develop weapons of mass destruction and use them if they should please, to hit "Alaska".......big woop so you kill some elk, frankly i dont care and niether do the rest of America.
Was it Kim who organized terrorist cells from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to take down the WTC and pentagon, no! So i dont worry about Kim Jung Il.
Hey kim, you know we have 30,000 nuclear warheads, and we will never be able to use any of them, so shut the hell up. You want a nuke fine, you think China, Russia and the US will let you luanch that as a premtive stirke to assume control of the penninula, um no. Also for that matter, you would risk fallout over Pyongyang, while annhilating the one beacon of hope to salvage your ravaged nation, thats right, the economic potential of Seol?
So I ask you this Kim, if you want to let your people starve and quite possibly rally in a one day coupe, organized by a more down to the earth leader, then by all means. I know its hard to give up abosulte power, but what would your father think? Kim, grow some balls, shut up and help your people.

-TL

Crash Course in Coping, how the other side adjusts to freedom

I was surfing the NY times, and this article caught my eye. Since we know htat North Korea is a uniquely different society, when defectors discover that they can openly read the newspaper, talk about politics, and enjoy the the joys of free market capitalsim, it can get overwhelming, so in South Korea they have deveoped a school to readjust the defectors to Western world normalcy. see here--> coping
"On a sprawling campus hidden in farmland here, about 300 North Koreans are learning that, no, actually, it was not the South that started the Korean War."--> this can be hard to cope with, since all you have ever known is that the USA was imperialistic dogs out to destroy the Korean people.

Kidnapped S. Korean

At the same time that the reunions between North and South Koreans have been occuring a South Korean who was kidnapped by the North when he was 16 was finally allowed to see his family again. INterestingly enough it seems he married a Japanese woman who was kidnapped but supposedly died and they had a daughter. It makes me wonder if they kept all of the citizens they kidnapped together and apart from ordinary North Koreans while they taught the North Korean spies. Click this to see the original bbc article.

MISCELLANY

A former student directed my attention to the following stories. The first is about a South Korean who moonlights as a Kim Jong-il impersonator. No pictures, alas, but a telling quote about how attitudes towards Kim and the DPRK have changed in South Korea:

But much has changed since 2000, when then-South Korean President Kim Dae-jung went to Pyongyang for a historic summit with the North Korean leader. The impersonator's big worry now is that his imitation of Kim Jong Il could chill the warming relations between their countries. "I wouldn't want Kim Jong Il to be offended by anything I do," Kim said. "I don't want to portray him as an evil person."

The second article chronicles an abortive attempt to broker a deal between North Korea and the state of Israel. Things came to a head when two Israeli delegations, one from the Foreign Ministry that was in favor of the deal and one from Mossad that opposed the deal, found themselves on the same plane to P'yongyang. No doubt that was an interesting flight.

However, the Mossad thought otherwise. The then-head of the Tevel branch, Ephraim Halevy (later Mossad chief), and one of his officials, Dubi Shiloah, had heard about the move from the Foreign Ministry. They rushed off on a secret mission to Pyongyang in an effort to beat the Foreign Ministry delegation and to torpedo the initiative. But due to flight delays, they arrived in Pyongyang at the same time as the Foreign Ministry delegation. Embarrassingly, the two delegations encountered each other when they boarded the flight from Pyongyang to Beijing.

Happy reading.

North South Reunion

Seeing as how we were talking about the future of North South reunification i thought that this pciture of North Koreans saying goodbye as they leave a reunion that I came across at bbc.com today would be interesting.

Missiles in Japan

I read this article about the US deploying interceptor missiles in Japanhere. iTs interesting because even though they're interceptor missiles they supposedly can't reach the kind of long range missile that the North Koreans are causing all of these problems over. Also, an official supposedly told a delegation of South Korean visitors to the North that there was no reason that his country would start a war and that they were arming to prevent such a war from occuring.

Why doesn't the Dear Leader ever wear suits?

By chance I came across some answers to this question of why we always see Kim Jong-Il in his jumper and not western-style business suits.As the Daily NK reports it anyways, Kim might choose the jumpers for one of two reasons- because he wants to embody and represent the masses, or because the combination of his protruding belly and a bulletproof vest don't do justice to his otherwise glorious physique. Whatever his reasons, it only seems appropriate that Kim shuns what the rest of the world's leaders consider etiquette. Other defectors have commented that Kim doesn't wear a suit because it makes him look short; indeed the article has an early picture of Kim in a suit, but wearing height-enhancing shoes. You can find the poorly translated article here: http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk02300&num=783

'Crash Course' for North Koreans

According to this article , the North Korean defectors are sent to resettlement centers, like the one in Anseong, which is about 50 miles south of Seoul, to receive three months 'crash- course' to get them settled into the South Korean lifestyle. However, it demonstrates that, even though both sides share a common language, there has been a substantial deviation in the two cultures for the defectors to familiarize with the South's capitalistic lifestyle too easily. One defector said it took him more than 10 years to understand how the South Korean society worked. Despite the fact that the North and the South Koreans are the same in essential, as the article goes to state, an enormous task is ahead if the two sides are to unite one day with 23 million North Koreans.

Who will be the next "Dear Leader"?

Several years ago Kim Jong Il’s eldest son, Kim Jong-nam, was believed to be the favorite to succeed him as the next leader of North Korea. However, his apparent drunkenness and an embarrassing incident in Japan have caused him to fall from favor. Now it looks like Kim’s half brother, Kim Jong-Chul, who was recently spotted at an Eric Clapton concert in Germany, may be the new favorite.

Of course there is no guarantee that the Kim dynasty will survive at all. There are rumors that Kim Jong Il is not respected by the military as his father was, and some generals tried to take power and execute him and his family in the 1990s. There have been other attempts to kill Kim also in recent years. Look at this article for a pretty good analysis of who might be the next “Dear Leader” of North Korea.

Do they want to leave or is home truly in the heart?

The North Korean people, I have found, from the videos we have watched and through our readings, are somehow, for the lack of a better word "content" with their lives. To us, the WEST, it is shocking to admit this. For the way most North Koreans live, brings no guarenteed heat, food, or even electricity. Going one step further the class system that is irreversable except for a downward demotion, would be worse enough for me to leave my nation. Yet, the North Koreans have simply lived with this all their lives. Any attempt to recruit spies to inflitrate their system and overthrow their governemnt has proven difficult due to the stubborn nature of the North Korean people who are trained to be suspicious of the west, and seek to take care of any problem domesticly, without interational intervention. Essentially, they are a proud people and choosing to flee as a refugee because you disagree with a decision by the Kims or are un satisfied by the current status quo, it seems, in a cut and run mentality, would admit that the West is right, and that Korean Communism is wrong. In admiting this you are admiting that a purly Korean take on communism, will never work. In doing this, you pin your nation back to square one, enslaved and ruled by a foreign peoples ideals and cultural practices.
Finnaly as heard in class on thursday, many refugees in South Korea soon discover, that "we dont like being in the South, lets try somthing else". Perhaps it is the North that they really long for but with a better social standing. Who knows, but one thing is for certian, if given a chance to start anew, North Korea is always their home.

PyeongChang South Korea, can an olympics bring peace?

Sochi, Salzburg, Pyeongchang for 2014 Games, interesting that they would select this area despite all of the missile talk going on? Perhaps the west thinks it can pacify the region by then or use it a means to help close the gap between the two nations some more. Just found it very intersting, that Korea almost won for the 2010 games as well
here and here

Kim Jong Il

Interesting facts and descriptions on the Dear Leader.

Indeed, it is questionable whether his popular "irrational mad-man" image illustrated throughout the world is really a true reflection of the man who succeeds in leading his people to have utter 'faith' in him; utter loyalty and reverence. From our readings though, there seems to be other aspects of the Leader that works to inspire his people, especially his gift of practically incomprehensible senses for taste and hearing.
But still, in the article, it mentions how Kim Jong Il also follows international events closely through internet. He must surely then be in knowledge of how he is being perceived by the rest of the world. One would think, as a leader of a country, he would seek to change his appearance to create a better image to portray to the outside world; say, maybe try to look more charismatic, legitimate, authoritative etc., not just for his sake but for his people's sake too. By this I mean, maybe people of the world would be more 'understanding' if Kim did look like such a character for people to follow him unquestioningly. It is not so reasonable and superficial, I know, but a country's leader does seem to have some bearing on how the world perceives his country and countrymen.
But clearly, Kim seems to take no notice of his 'crazed-out' image, whether intentionally or not it is hard to know. Kim may want to be viewed as this irrational crazy person, totally unstable and unreliable. Such image does add fear to the outside world in some respect; no one can predict his behaviour or assume about his motives; there is not a clear direction to take to deal with such a character.
But even if it was not tended, there seems to be no reason to why he should care really when at home he is worshiped like a god, however he looks.

Who wants to go to the DPRK this summer?

For those of you pondering a trip to North Korea, here is an interesting link to a tour company specializing in guided group and individual tours; http://www.newkoreatours.com/index.html. Of particular interest is the tour rules and tips link. I can think of other methods of attracting customers than repeated warning about putting your guides in serious danger by wandering around on your own.

98's/Current missile test and some ironies

Some of you might still remember...this current missile threat is not the first time.
On August 31st, 1998 without informing to anyone, North Korea shot the DaePo-Dong 1st. As Professor Larsen briefly talked about North Korea's missile, DaePo dong is consist of three different missiles. In 1998 missile test, the third part of the missile reached up to 6000km (distance from North Korea to Alaska). *The first part of the missile fell in Japanese side Pacific Ocean, but their patriot system did not detect it, so they were shocked. 4 days after missile test, KCNA said they launched the satellite KwangMyung 1 (the bright star). In following September, North Korea waived its missile program on the stipulatin that the US easing economic sanction on North Korea.

According to various sourses, the missile is beleived to be a long-range DaePo-Dong 2 (upgraded missile from 98's) test missile which could reach as far as the mainland of the US. The US is considering about reffering North Korea th the UN Security Council.

South Korean government's principle is to cooperate with the US on this missile issue, but they do not want this issue to be reffered to the UN. Former president Kim Dae Jung is still planning to go North Korea and meet Kim Jung IL during his visitJune 27-30. The purpose of visit is to celerbrate their summit meeting of 2000. North Korean delegation is currently visiting South Korea. They made two nonsense comments; 1. If Hanara (the opposition party to current S.Korean government) gets the power, the Korean peninsula will have another Korean War. They are the biggest obstacle for the unification. 2. South Korea should not be worried about North Korea's missile test. ( I really want to give my middle finger to them).

Ironically and Unfortunately, in South Korea, not many people care about the current missile issue because their all intentions are focused on the dramatic performance of the National Football Team at the World Cup. Also, Roh's government and his advisors are saying North Korea's nuclear weapon is for self-defense and the missile is for satellite.

'Magic' Water discovered in North Korea

While browsing through the KCNA website, I came across an article titled Chongsaengsu, Medicinal Water. The water supposedly contains over 80 elements. The over the top claim comes from the illnesses it allegedly cures "hepatitis, pancreatitis, gastroenteritis, diabetes, nephritis, pyelitis, hypertension, arteriosclerosis, myocarditis, myocardial infraction, leucopenia and cancerous diseases and the prevention from the radiation damage." Obviously these claims are medically unsubstantiated, but I found the article amusing to say the least. The water literally cures everything and helps intellectual development of children, strengthens the immune system, and prevents aging. Now only if we could get a sip of this magic water...

Who knew that our neighbors down under could help?

Japan, allies warn North Korea on missile launch. See link here-->Australia -- which unlike the United States and Japan maintains diplomatic relations with the North -- said it had summoned Pyongyang's ambassador and warned against a test. The missle has been confirmed to be real and will be launched, effectively it has been fully fueled. I find it very interesting that despite all of this, the Austrialians actually communicate regularly with Pyongyang officials on a freindly basis. A nation which had no reason to fear North Korea, as it has yet to step on anyones toes nor actively try to undermine the regime, wants to help stop a potential WWIII scenario that seems all to real should North Korea decide one day to build another "test missle" and use it to unite the korean pennisual by force.

A Nuclear Test for Diplomacy, If bilateral talks replaced the six-party forum

While i know this is a little dated, may 16th, I think it sheds a very interesting light on the nuclear talks in Korea as paralled to Iran and why they are so delecate. Especially with all the talk now if real missle ready to be fired from North Korea. This is an article by Henry Kissinger, who we know spear headed the cold war efforts of containment and held steadfast his views of stopping communism at all costs. see here

Missile Launch

Some press reports from Japan say that N.K. has fueled some long-range ballistic missiles. N.K. might be planning more missile tests but there is some speculation whether the missiles will be launched or not. If missiles are launched, what will be the reaction from other countries? What would be Washington's response? According the article the "United States, in particular, said the launching of the Taepodong-2 will compel it to take action."

KPA Warning

The creativity of NKPR news propaganda continually amazes me in regards to its creative language and myopic scope. Nevertheless, in a recent article posted on the KCNA web site, a warning was issued to the American military in regards to spy flights. In light of recent claims that the DPRK is attempting to test a new missile, the warning carries some weight as one considers to the fashion that the intelligence was attained. Does North Korea possess the ability to respond? How will this warning influence US policy?

There has to be a way.

On Friday June 16th, I read an interesting article in the Washington Times that examined US economic sanctions on North Korea. The article focused on the counterfeiting issue involving Banco Delta in Asia and other alleged illegal action by North Korea. The article also highlighted the further isolation that North Korea has faced in light of actions such as this.

In light of stalled six party talks and a governing structure within North Korea that seems to contradict every principle of a free society, one must question international policies that aim to both engage and constrain. To put it simply nothing seems to work and within the context of a stalling economy and a desire to maintain a national prestige how will effective foreign policy be developed for North Korea?

The 'First Family'

I found this article which gives brief descriptions of Kim Jong Il's 'secretive' family. I didn't know he had three wives and three sons, who are virtually kept completely out of the spotlight. It would be interesting to contemplate, if it were to happen and is probably likely to happen, which son might succeed the Dear Leader and how the son will go about in achieving the same kind of legitimacy, the god-like images, his forefathers had.

Team America and Kim Jong Il

Continuing on with the political cartoons shown in class yeterday, I've posted two clips below from the puppet based film "Team America." I found the satirical depictions of Kim Jong Il hilarious, especially the part when Hans Blix requests to inspect all of Kim Jong Il's palace, and he says something to the effect 'or else we will be very very angry with you, and write you a letter telling you how angry we are.' Please enjoy the clips for its entertainment value not factual or academic value.
WARNING: The video contains profanity.

North Korea missile test may be imminent

In a recent Reuters article,US government officials expressed their concerns Thursday of an imminent North Korean missile test. There seems to be military and diplomatic factors behind the possible test. As stated in the article, Pyongyang is dissatisfied with the shift of the international attention towards Iran. A test of the Taepodong-2, a long range missile which experts believe can reach portions of the United States; will certainly put North Korea back on the international spot light. On the military front, Taepodong-2 remains untested; therefore it is in the military interest of the DPRK to test out the multiple stage missile.
How will the missile test affect the six party talks? It may negatively affect the six party talks, but the talks as it stands today is in a stale mate, therefore I don't foresee a significant impact on the six party talks. According to an AP article, democratic senators Hillary Clinton, and Carl Levin sent a letter to the White House requesting the Bush administration to change its ineffective current policy on North Korea. In light of the US accusations of an imminent missile test, North Korea is publicly accusing the US of intruding its sovereign airspace. North Korea reports an increased activity of a US spy plane off of its north eastern waters. North Korea is threatening to "punish" the US spy plane. If North Korea does decide to attack a US plane or ship, it will not be unprecedented. As discussed in class, the 1968 Pueblo incident is widely celebrated in North Korea, and the captured spy ship is showcased as a trophy in its victory against US aggression.
The recent escalation of tension in East Asia puts a dent to those hoping for a peaceful resolution to the nuclear weapons issue in North Korea. The Bush administration needs to recognize the failure of the six party talks and needs to redraft its policy. I feel as though we are taking backwards step in international relations with North Korea, and I believe it is largely due to poor leadership and policy by the United States. If North Korea does indeed go ahead with the missile tests, I feel North Korea will achieve its objective of attracting international attention, and validating its military capabilities assuming the test is successful. The US will be sidelined as a spectator unless more proactive steps are taken to diplomatically engage with North Korea

Unseen North Korea

I found some interesting pictures on the BBC. They were taken by a Western businessman who traveled throughout North Korea. In contrast to the video TK Park posted, these pictures show the good side of North Korea. The organized and industrious North Koreans keep the seldom-used roads well maintained, and their small yards are kept neat and tidy. The people seem that they are making the best of a bad situation, as if they have lost all hope of change in the DPRK. Nevertheless, I feel that there are still a few who hope that the government will reform the system one day.

North Korea congratulates the South

I was reading the sports newspaper of Ole (from Argentina) and I came across this article. Because it is in Spanish, I will translate some of the passages:

"Through Kim Yong dae, the vice president of the Supreme Popular Assembly (?), North Korea congratulated the South for its victory over Togo yesterday, and encouraged the South Korean players to reach the finals. He remembered that in 2002, South Korea had the privilege to be among the four best teams and said that North Korea wishes they reach that instance.

Furthermore, Ahn Kyung-ho, the chief of civil representatives (?) said: "Since we are a single "pueblo" (I would translate this into "people"), we were excited about South Korea's victory over Togo."

Did they really mean all this or is it just another way to show the world that not everything is bad in the relationship between the North and the South? Still, I believe it is good to hear these kind of things from the North. What do you guys think?

Video on North Korea

I was searching in video google to see if there were more videos like the one Austin posted, and came across this documentary. It is approximately 45 minutes long, but well worth watching. It shows orphans that are left roaming in the streets, ignored by the state (very different from what Kim Il-Sung used to do with the war orphans)... We also see what is shown at night on TV, including Kim Jong-Il's "on-spot guidance" for which his father was known for.
Enjoy the video.

2002 World Cup

As many people know, the World Cup started this past Friday in Germany. While reading an article at the New York Times, I came across an article that outlined the importance of this competition and how much it means to the countries involved. For example, the Ivory Coast was fighting a civil war a few months ago. However, they stopped the fighting as soon as the leader of the country said something along the lines of: "If this war continues, we won't be participating in the World Cup." Now they are a country united backing their national team (though what is to happen in August after the World Cup is over is yet to be known...). So what does this have to do with North Korea? Well, the article said that in 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, South Korea's relations with the US, and its neighbor on the North were affected. "The South Koreans began broadcasting the World Cup across the demilitarized zone as a kind of propaganda tool. Then all of a sudden North Korea just started broadcasting the games themselves. They had no rights to the broadcasts. Part of the World Cup was held in Japan as well, so that long feeling of enmity between the two countries played out" (From the NY Times article, for those people who do not have a sign in name).

It is incredible what a game of futbol can do, don't you think?

More Travel to N.K.

I had some trouble posting the weblink in the comment so I'll just make a new post. The Korean Friendship Association (KFA) has annual trips to North Korea. Next one is in August I believe. They exclude South Korean passport holders though. The link also has a video promotion although the quality is quite bad. Some pictures from a past trip can be found here.

Mass Games

I came across this article on asiasource.net, a site recommended to be by another GW history professor, Prof. D. Yang.

Anyhow, it talks about a British filmmaker who is making a documentary about two girls' preparation for the Mass Games. The Mass Games are, apparently, a festival composed of acts like the ones we saw in the music video that Prof. Larsen showed us. These two girls are some of the best gymnasts in North Korea, and are finishing up preparations for the Games at the end of the summer.

It's interesting how the filmmaker, Daniel Gordon, made another film about North Korea, The Game of Their Lives, which is about the North Korean soccer team when it knocked off Italy in the 1960s (more information on this here).

Gordon claims that his access was more or less unfettered by the authorities, especially in light of his previous film, which is a source of pride for North Koreans. I found this in stark contrast to what Martin said about his visit there... has North Korea "loosened up" that much since then? I suppose it is plausible, but I still have my doubts. There were, however, "guides and translators" with the film crew the whole time. I guess that hasn't changed.

Also interesting is that this further illustrates the point Prof. Larsen was making about the collectivist nature of performance in North Korea. Heck, they're called the Mass Games. Where the U.S. has its Miss America pageants and such, these 11- and 13-year-old girls are living their dream of being part of the elite group, not individual glory.

Diplomacy of a kind

Just like the "Taekwondo diplomacy", there is also something called, the "cell-phone diplomacy". Last year, one of the biggest mobile phone companies in South Korea, 'Anycall', put together extraordinary and ambitious efforts to produce TV commercials aiming to promote not just its products but also the unification of the two Koreas. It brought about an occasion where, for the first time ever, a North Korean 'celebrity', together with a South Korean one, was casted as the main model. When I first saw the commercial, I was very surprised and also skeptical; skeptical with whether the North Koreans were 'real', including the celebrity. I was living abroad and did not hear much news about the commercial and so just took it as yet another 'fictionalized' situation for TV. When I found out that the whole thing was real(as in, they are really North Koreans), filmed in China, I was rather taken aback. I remember thinking out loud, when did the two countries become so 'close' to make such a commercial, also being shocked at the fact that North Korea actually allowed such a thing. Basically, I realized I had been way too ignorant with issues of my own country.

You can see the clip here. It is very obvious with the message it's sending.

Also, on the discussion of how different the two Koreas are, this clip emphasizes a lot of those differences; starting from the appearance of the two representive celebrities, what they are famous for etc. I think that the makers of this commercial may have brought out those differences more strongly than was neccessary, acknowleging the fact that we are very different and trying to convey that even though we are this much different we can still be one, using comments that emphasize familiarity and oneness; the slogan being "One voice/echo".

Is such a diplomatic tactic effective?
I think so, to a certain degree. Although I do not know if the commercial was ever shown in the North, it does bring close the issue of North Korea to the general population in the South, at least, for a while and 'superficially' and it does reflect a level of development in the relationship of the two sides. However, we saw in the film JSA, the soldiers do get along very well over 'superficial' issues, not seeming so different to each other. But when serious, fundamental issues were put on the table, we also saw the sudden tension, a dramatic change in the atmosphere; they all froze, seized in fear and shock.

A trip to North Korea anyone?

If only I was also a holder of a US passport, I would seriously have considered this chance to experience the "last bastion of communism on Earth". If anyone decides to go, I envy you! and DO share your experiences when you come back!

The Rift, how does the north see it with clear eyes, and not Kim Jung Il gogles

The movie Joint Security Area, that we are currently watching seems to portray the elders or high ranking officials as the ones responisble for the rift beteween the two koreas. Now that is from a famous South Korean director, who can say what he wants about society without persecution. I'm wondering, what if any, movie produced in North Korea, would show their viewpoint of the conflict. Because obviously Kim Il Sung or Kim Jung Il wouldnt be to blame in any film that is made for the public, but as a westerner i see that as a biased, does anyone know of any good North Korean moveis that would address this topic? A underground video that the North Korean people would have made? thanx

Fuel to the fire...

North Korean news agency released new findings on the Assination of Queen Min, stating that a
south Korean newspaper: Dong-A Ilbo reported about the discovery of the evidence proving the Japanese government's involvement in the murder of Queen Min. I saw this, here

Other attempts to reunite Koreas

During a four-day meeting, the South’s Unification Ministry failed to persuade North Korea to agree on a trial run for train service between South Korea and North Korea. Yet this does not prevent South Korea from continuing to try to to reunite the Koreas. I read this article from the AP posted on Yahoo News about Taekwondo grandmaster Woo Jin Jung who is trying to unite the Koreas through the Taekwondo diplomacy. He compared this to the 'pingpong' diplomacy during the 1970's that led to better relationship between the US and China. I wonder if this kind of approach will be better than the government officials in the two countries who can't even arrange train service.

BLOGS

There is a growing number of blogs that focus on various aspects of Korea in general and/or North Korea in particular. Among the ones that I take a look at from time to time are:

The Marmot's Hole: A good all-purpose blog on contemporary Korean affairs, culture etc. etc. GW North Korea even ranks a mention on this blog here.

NKZone: All North Korea, all the time.

One Free Korea.

Let us know what you've discovered on your own.

Shinhwa in North Korea

Japan vs. North Korea

I recently read this article on the New York Times. It seems that Japan wants to get ready if North Korea decides to do something...

Does History Repeat Itself?

It is easy to see the similarities between Iran and North Korea. Both are small nations of an anti-Western persuasion seeking legitimacy in the international community. If history can provide insight into the future, then perhaps diplomats discussing the possibility of a nuclear Iran, should look no further than to the “Agreed Framework” of the Clinton Administration.

While I will not be so bold as to offer an opinion on the situation in Iran, I will say the Iran-North Korea comparison is extremely interesting.

This article does a good/concise job of comparing the situations in Iran and North Korea.

Is N Korea following the footsteps of China?

I read an interesting article on the US-Korea free trade agreement. The possible future agreement is being viewed as "the biggest U.S. free-trade deal since the North American Free Tree Agreement and the most important development in U.S.-South Korean relations since the two countries signed their military alliance in 1953." There is no question as to the economic impact of the deal on the US-Korea bilateral trade. What really caught my attention was the issue of North Korea and the Kaesong industrial park. I googled Kaesong to find more information on the project. According to wikipedia, North Korean government designated part of Kaesong as an industrial zone which would allow foreign investment. It seems similar to that of the Chinese special economic zones that were established in China, which played a significant role in the Chinese economic development. In Kaesong industrial park, the wages are set at around 50$ a month, a great economic incentive for south Korean investors. 50$/month is artificially low wage, and a great bargain compared to the rising labor prices in South Korea. In addition, the workers are educated and there is no language barrier. North Koreans seem to finally understand the changing times of the global economy and seem ready to embrace certain elements of market economy. In my opinion, it seems like a win win situation for both South and North Korea, and signals the beginning of economic integration.
The US government does not seem to be pleased with the Kaesong Industrial Park, and the increase in trade between the two Koreas. Many lawmakers in the US congress believe the industrial park goes against the strict economic sanctions placed against north Korea.
Rather than criticizing the recent economic reforms like the Kaesong Industrial park, the US interest may be best served by encouraging economic integration. China is an example of how economic development can positively influence bilateral diplomatic relations. Other critics believe north Korean economic development will only help sustain the north Korean authoritarian regime. I believe economic integration will smoothen the political transition and with the ultimate goal of unification. The European Union comes to mind when thinking about how economic integration can lead to political integration. The EU originally was formed as the European Coal and Steel Community. The economic integration over the years led to political integration with the creation of the European parliament, and other supranational political bodies. If the US have it their way, North Korean regime may topple in the future, but it will most likely incur a heavy cost. Instead of letting the north Korea fall further deep into poverty, the most effective policy is to show a positive example and encourage change through moral suasion, an element of Confucianism.
What are your opinions on this issue?

Reference:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060604/pl_nm/trade_korea_usa_dc_2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaesong_Industrial_Region
http://today.reuters.com/News/CrisesArticle.aspx?storyId=SEO131951

Left off the list?

I found a short blurb on BBC about a speech that Rumsfeld made, where he was ostensibly reaffirming the United States' continued interest in building and maintaining ties in Asia. It struck me as somewhat odd that it did not mention North Korea at all, especially with all of these new developments surrounding negotiation with them.

That's pretty short commentary but I also noticed something else on a site called TechCentralStation (one might say it's a conservative-leaning website, but I've also had it described to me as more 'rationalist' than anything else). Anyways, I read on that site that despite North Korea's reputation as a "pariah state," it still has extensive economic ties to China (who allegedly supply a large portion of North Korea's energy) and South Korean companies that have "significant" investments there. I somewhat doubt the accuracy of this site. There are many good articles about the U.S. and world economies, but I'm not sure North Korea falls under their particular purview. You can check out the article I read here.

I apologize for the slightly short nature of this post, but I have to say that honestly one of the reasons I'm taking this course is to be able to discourse with people about U.S. security policy, which is what most interests me right now on this topic.

Tokyo's good deed

During the period of their colonial rule, the Japanese treated the Koreans so brutally and inhumanely. I think the most humiliating to Koreans was to force them to change their names since one’s name symbolizes one’s roots and ancestry. Today, I’m delighted to read this article that the University of Tokyo has agreed to return to Korea 47 volumes of the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty that a colonial official took out of the country in 1913.

Japanese Rule over Korea, is it to blame for the two Koreas?

As we know, Korea is divided into two groups: Socialists in the north and free market capitalists in the south (as I see them today). Both of these groups grew out of a united Korea, which up until western persecution to get "with the times and become civilized" had been a very prosperous and peaceful nation. Should we blame the Japanese occupation and illusion of grandeur for "100,000 million heart beats for a single emperor" as causing the rift to occur?
On the one hand I want to say yes, if the Japanese didn’t invade and occupy, causing the horrific tragedies that it did the Korea perhaps would still be a united and peace loving nation (both halves that is). Kim Il Sung wouldn’t have become the ever immortal dictator, and today we wouldn’t be on the precipice of a nuclear conflict in the region.
ON the other however, it seems that perhaps Korea just was destined for this, they were shunned by the west when they tried to become westernized, they were shunned when they attempted to voice their redress about the Japanese, and yet they were persuaded by China and Russia who had socialist emerging basis. Perhaps we should be thankful that they nation did become split between two opposing views on how to handle exiling the Japanese.

Your thoughts?

North Korea Invites US Nuclear Envoy to Pyongyang

Is it a sign of the times? no pun intended. Have the North Koreans successfully given into the US demand to halt their program? As i was perusing the web i stumbled upon this article published today in the new york times:

"If the U.S. has a true political intention to implement the joint statement we kindly invite once again the head of the U.S. side's delegation to the talks to visit Pyongyang and directly explain it to us."

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-korea-north.html?_r=1&oref=slogin