Anju Links for 10 July 2008

IT’S A FEW DAYS OLD, but this New York Sun report on Republican revulsion at President Bush’s appeasement of Kim Jong Il is worth a read, particularly because of the signals McCain is sending.  If McCain were to oppose this vocally, Bush would probably have a hard time keeping the Republicans togther, and some Democrats would probably also feel the need to pivot.  Related editorial here.

ONE WAY YOU COULD help push public opinion (here, anyway) modestly in the right direction would be to  a positive response to this appeal from the producers of the film “Abduction,” which tells the story of Megumi Yokota.  The North Koreans  kidnapped Yokota  from her  home town at the age of 13.  The North Koreans told Japan that she  had died  and sent a box of ashes back to her family.  They weren’t Yokota’s ashes. 

As some of you know, Patty Kim was featured on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric on Monday night. It was the first time a network news broadcast had told the story of Megumi. See it by clicking on this link:  [here].

We are also writing to let you know that “ABDUCTION The Megumi Yokota Story” has been nominated for a PBS Audience Award following its very successful US Television premiere recently. If you have a moment, please click on the link below [here] and vote for the film. All votes must be cast by this Friday evening in order for them to count. Thank you again for all your support.

NOT THAT YOU’D GUESS IF YOU READ Korean newspapers, but foreigner crimes rates in Korea are quite low.   If we could ever see statistics that were adjusted for the incomptence of Korean police and the tendency of Koreans to settle some crimes informally, the gap might widen.

GI KOREA PILES ON CHARLES HANLEY:  Don’t miss this one.  Once again, neither Hanley nor Syngman Rhee comes out of it looking very good.