Daily Archive: January 14, 2008

January 14, 2008

I am so ready for a North Korean spy scandal right about now …

[Update: He resigns. Kim Man-Bok claims that his motive in leaking the tape was to dispel speculation that he met with Kim Yang-Gon to try to influence the South Korean election. Using Nordpolitik is a well-established way of trying to influence South Korean elections, and I’m not sure exactly how Kim M.B. expected to reassure anyone about what’s not on the tape. To me, one missed significance of this is the casual ease with which Roh’s people accepted North Korea’s...

Korean Politics/The Fifth Column/WTF?

January 14, 2008

Anju Links for 14 Jan 08

STOP THE PRESSES! Donga Ilbo: Lee Says He’s Exceptionally Pro-Business LEAST UNEXPECTED HEADLINE OF THE DAY: Joongang Ilbo: “Lee Praises Anticipated U.S. Envoy.” On second thought, unexpected and dull is just fine, thank you. As for me, I have low expectations for the ambassador-designate, Kathleen Stephens, for the simple (maybe too simple) reason that nothing good or decent comes from the State Department’s East Asia Bureau. But there is some hope that she won’t be entirely awful: ...

Anju Links