2 March 2010

South Korea is still in the dark about the four alleged South Korean “trespassers” in North Korean custody:

Yet no NGOs, religious organizations or defectors’ groups operating near the North Korean border with China say any of their members have been nabbed in the North. “Even a North Korean border official I spoke with over the phone recently had heard no rumors related to the latest announcement,” one NGO worker said. [Chosun Ilbo]

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Open News explains why it may take a while for China’s bailout to arrive in North Korea.

Our answer to the exercises is merciless and annihilating retaliation. If the United States and south Korean puppets launch the joint military exercises, ignoring our warnings, we will react to them with our powerful military counteraction to clearly show the aggressors how merciless and decisive our sacred retaliation war for justice is, the commentary concludes. [KCNA]

President Obama decided not to restore North Korea to the list of state sponsors of terrorism on February 3, 2010. Discuss among yourselves.

Sung Yoon Lee’s article at Foreign Policy, “Life After Kim,” has provoked a debate in the comments with one “JohnM,” who really, really wants you to believe that American anti-proliferation sanctions are to blame for starvation in North Korea. I can essentially answer that charge with three words: nice yacht, man. For the record, I think I know who JohnM is — he has a distinctively Goebbelsian proficiency with half-truths — but I won’t print it until I know for certain.