Monthly Archive: July, 2004

It’s probably too early to compare this to the mass exodus that brought down East Germany in 1989, but it has to make the power structures in both Koreas pretty nervous.   Four hundred North Korean defectors are coming to Seoul from an undisclosed country in Southeast Asia.  South Korea apparently decided it was worth going to some effort to strike this deal. This is good news in itself. While I give the South Koreans credit for making the right decision–regardless of their motivation–the...

It varies from positive to despondent, to seeming ignorance at the Korea Herald, which has had next to nothing to say on the subject.  The cumulative effect is moral and political paralysis. OhMyNews is especially entertaining as it tries to make the case that doing nothing for the North Koreans is–in spite of all appearances to the contrary–somehow the compassionate thing to do.  You could get a migraine trying to follow some of the “logic.”  In one breath, they suggest that American soldiers and...

I’ve googled around for some intel on Christopher Hill, the new U.S. ambassador in Korea.  His official bio doesn’t tell you much, other than the fact that he has Korea experience.  The CNN version is of little help, either.  This Seoul Times piece has a few hints behind a great deal of very diplomatic words for his new hosts.  One is his support for the Iraq war, which was unpopular with many in the State Department establishment. Ambassador Hill worked with Richard...

The Koreans must think Americans don’t read their papers. The U.S. side pressed us, saying that additional troop reductions would be inevitable if the amount of land were reduced, so the atmosphere of the talks was cool at one stage,” Ahn Kwang-chan, the chief South Korean delegate, was quoted as saying by Yonhap News Agency. “But we succeeded in getting a compromise after raising worsening public sentiment following the government’s decision to send additional troops to Iraq,” Ahn added. So...

Speaking of package deals, I’ve just about had it holding my head in my hands every time one of our guys in Korea screws up again.  I’m not apologizing anymore.  The fact is, if you invite 37,000 young, horny people into your country, and they happen to earn enough money to drown in soju, some of them are going to do stupid things.  And no, recognizing that fact as inevitable is not excusing it.  I’ve personally jailed my share of them.  Korea has...

Suzanne Scholte, President of the North Korean Freedom Coalition, has just reported that the North Korean Human Rights Act has passed the House unanimously. To everyone who supported this, my deepest thanks. I have personally made a complete pest of myself to every member of Congress who has represented me for at least the past decade, in addition to having personally lobbied Sen. Lugar on April 28th. The Senate is next. One other note–the version passed in the House has...

The House votes on the NKHRA this evening, in a few more hours. There’s still time to call.  Special thanks to The Marmot and Winds of Change for the links! Meanwhile, it looks like someone at the State Department wanted to give North Korea the chance to do a little lobbying of its own (warning:  safe for work but likely to induce vomiting).   Joachim von Ribbentrop was reportedly unavailable for comment.   But then, could any member of our Congress possibly be influenced by a ruthless dictator’s mouthpiece?...

Suzanne Scholte, President of the North Korean Freedom Coalition, has just reported that the North Korean Human Rights Act has passed the House unanimously. To everyone who supported this, my deepest thanks. I have personally made a complete pest of myself to every member of Congress who has represented me for at least the past decade, in addition to having personally lobbied Sen. Lugar on April 28th. The Senate is next. One other note–the version passed in the House has...

Suzanne Scholte, President of the North Korean Freedom Coalition, has just reported that the North Korean Human Rights Act has passed the House unanimously. To everyone who supported this, my deepest thanks. I have personally made a complete pest of myself to every member of Congress who has represented me for at least the past decade, in addition to having personally lobbied Sen. Lugar on April 28th. The Senate is next. One other note–the version passed in the House has...

The House votes on the NKHRA this evening, in a few more hours. There’s still time to call.  Special thanks to The Marmot and Winds of Change for the links! Meanwhile, it looks like someone at the State Department wanted to give North Korea the chance to do a little lobbying of its own (warning:  safe for work but likely to induce vomiting).   Joachim von Ribbentrop was reportedly unavailable for comment.   But then, could any member of our Congress possibly be influenced by a ruthless dictator’s mouthpiece?...

The House votes on the NKHRA this evening, in a few more hours. There’s still time to call.  Special thanks to The Marmot and Winds of Change for the links! Meanwhile, it looks like someone at the State Department wanted to give North Korea the chance to do a little lobbying of its own (warning:  safe for work but likely to induce vomiting).   Joachim von Ribbentrop was reportedly unavailable for comment.   But then, could any member of our Congress possibly be influenced by a ruthless dictator’s mouthpiece?...

The Chosun Ilbo is reporting that Congress will vote on the North Korean Human Rights Act this week. No, this bill is not as strong as the original North Korean Freedom Act, but great things have small beginnings, and a strong response from voters can help build toward better things later. In brief, this bill does the following: 1. Increases funds to broadcast to North Korea for more hours every day, and to find ways to get tunable radios to...

The Chosun Ilbo is reporting that Congress will vote on the North Korean Human Rights Act this week. No, this bill is not as strong as the original North Korean Freedom Act, but great things have small beginnings, and a strong response from voters can help build toward better things later. In brief, this bill does the following: 1. Increases funds to broadcast to North Korea for more hours every day, and to find ways to get tunable radios to...

Check out the flag at 10 o’clock in this U.S. Postal Service promotion, stuck to the front door. Maybe I’m making a big deal out of nothing. Then again, we’re talking about a government that has a massive chain of concentration camps, and possibly even gas chambers. How would you react if you saw a swastika banner stuck to the door of your post office? Hon. Paul Sarbanes United States Senator Class I 309 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC...

Check out the flag at 10 o’clock in this U.S. Postal Service promotion, stuck to the front door. Maybe I’m making a big deal out of nothing. Then again, we’re talking about a government that has a massive chain of concentration camps, and possibly even gas chambers. How would you react if you saw a swastika banner stuck to the door of your post office? Hon. Paul Sarbanes United States Senator Class I 309 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC...

Check out the flag at 10 o’clock in this U.S. Postal Service promotion, stuck to the front door. Maybe I’m making a big deal out of nothing. Then again, we’re talking about a government that has a massive chain of concentration camps, and possibly even gas chambers. How would you react if you saw a swastika banner stuck to the door of your post office? Hon. Paul Sarbanes United States Senator Class I 309 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC...

OK, now this is just plain scary.  When people who are demonstrably spies not only dare to surface, but do so right in the middle of the very government they attempted to undermine, you have a very big problem.  You have an enormous problem when they have lawful authority to intimidate the news media and opposition politicians.    This is starting to look like a paranoid John Birch conspiracy come to life.  And after all, even paranoid people have enemies...

You don�t have to read pieces like this to know that Korea is in a funk . . . just call your Korean friends and family and ask them.  The economy is gloomy; the new transportation system is gloomy; the news is gloomy; even the weather is gloomy.    The mildly encouraging side of this, however, is the sense of political realism that lies beneath the xenophobic veneer.  Korea is beginning to realize that the American empire is voluntary, but...