MAY IT BE HIS LAST: It’s Kim Jong Il’s birthday:
The North’s main Rodong Sinmun newspaper ran a lengthy editorial full of praise for Kim for making the communist nation an “undefeatable strong country” by strengthening its “political and military force.”
“We have to unite and unite again around the leadership, upholding the slogan ‘Let’s safeguard the revolutionary leadership led by Comrade Kim Jong Il with our lives!’” the paper said, according to the North’s Korean Central News Agency.
It also vowed to build a stronger military under Kim’s “songun” or “military-first” policy, and to rebuild the economy. [AP]
Some guys can’t stop talking about how butch they are, and some governments can’t stop talking about how loyal their people are. In both cases, people tend to draw inferences to the contrary. Most North Koreans love Kim Jong Il about as much as Tom Cruise loves sneaking away to look at naked pictures of Jessica Alba. Sooner or later — recently I’ve moved in the “sooner” direction — Kim Jong Il’s falsehoods will unravel at the end of a rope.
MORE NORTH KOREAN DEFECTORS are planning to run in South Korean elections.
WHAT WERE 22 NORTH KOREANS DOING in “two motorless boats” if “they did not have any intention to defect?” This seems suspicious to me. I’m sure the North Koreans will agree.
FOR OLD TIME’S SAKE: North Korea has made an ass of Roh Moo Hyun one last time.
BARACK OBAMA is against the U.S.-Korea FTA.
THE ARMY WOULD JUST STEAL HER ANYWAY: The United States denies rumors that it will send Rice to North Korea.
are there any NK defectors who are going to run, or just NK activists? I think it’s the latter (but please do correct me if I’m wrong, that would be great).
Barack’s positions on the KORUS FTA and alliance, although many of his other policy suggestions are upsetting, are pretty smart. It gives hope for him to get smart on the other issues too.
Does Obama have a position on the alliance?
[...] Just one week remains in leftist President Roh Moo Hyun’s disgraceful term of office, yet South Korea’s Sunshine Policy continues to be deadly for the people of North Korea. That policy was generous to the man who lives in this palace, but for the rest of them, it has always meant “die in place” and “you are not welcome.” And while there’s much we still don’t know about this incident, I didn’t believe the official story from the beginning, and the more I read, the less I believe: A group of 22 North Koreans who had been returned home after their boats drifted into South Korean waters were all immediately executed by North Korean authorities, a source here said Sunday. [...]