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June 5, 2006

Stolen from the Bellies of the Starving

“At least since 2000 when we began providing assistance to the North, no one there has been starving to death. ““ UniFiction Minister Lee Jong-Seok, May 2, 2006 News that North Koreans are again starving to death may cause you to wonder where all the money is going. The report said North Korea increased its submarine fleet from 70 in 2004 to 88 today. Those submarines have the capability to mine Korea’s major harbors, such as Busan or Pohang, in...

Categories Famine & Food Aid/NK Military
May 18, 2006

Is North Korea About to Test a Missile?

It could be nothing, then again …. TOKYO (Reuters) – North Korea may be preparing to launch a long-range Taepodong ballistic missile that could have the capacity to reach all of the United States, Japanese national broadcaster NHK reported on Friday. Quoting unidentified South Korean government officials, NHK said satellite pictures showed there have been signs since early this month around a launch site in northeastern North Korea that pointed to a possible firing in the near future. South Korea’s...

Categories Diplomacy/NK Military/Six-Party Talks/WMD
May 17, 2006

Nationalism, Meet Socialism, Part 2

Behind chilling practice lies chilling theory, as expounded by a North Korean general: “Our nation has always considered its pure lineage to be of great importance — I am concerned that our singularity will disappear. Instead of contradicting him, the South Korean delegation said such dilution of the bloodline was “but a drop of ink in the Han River,” adding this would cause no problems “if we all live together.” Let’s not bicker and argue over who diluted who…. But...

Categories Diplomacy/Human Rights/Korean Society/NK Military/Racism
April 29, 2006

Corruption and Malnutrition Sap NK Military’s Morale and Readiness

Required reading for DPRK military watchers, via the Daily NK: The most serious problem is malnutrition spreading in the North Korean military. Before the food shortage, 800g of rice, 200g of meat was the official amount provided for one day, the soldiers have not been receiving the official amount for more than 10 years. It does not seem to be improving either. Rice has been replaced with corn or potato, and meat is only provided for holidays. Military bases try...

Categories Famine & Food Aid/Inside NK/NK Military
April 12, 2006

One Big, Leaky Basket

South Korea has arrested a Taiwanese man for spying for North Korea. What’s not entirely clear is whether the man was spying for prodigal son Kim Jong Nam, and what JN’s relationship is to North Korea these days: The information sent to the North, according to prosecutors, included Newsweek Korea magazine’s coverage of the detention and expulsion of Kim Jong-nam from Japan in 2001 after he tried to enter that country on a fraudulent passport. The man also forwarded tapes...

Categories Appeasement/Korean Politics/Kremlinology/NK Military/North Korea/ROK Military/Washington Views
April 3, 2006

Gordon Cucullu on N.K. Tunnels

Well, I admit it. I’m jealous that GI Korea scooped me on covering Cucullu’s lecture at the Rayburn House Office Building last Friday, which I had to miss because of the demands of my day job. Fortunately, I did run into Gordon at a meeting the evening before, and I was able to join a group where he was being shown ground-penetrating radar images of North Korean tunnels that purportedly run beneath (among other places) Kunsan Air Base, at the...

Categories NK Military/North Korea