Light Blogging for a While

THE OTHER PARTS OF MY LIFE HAVE CROWDED OUT the part I don’t get paid to do recently. Sorry – that might continue for a while longer.

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NORTH KOREA, WHICH WAS REMOVED from the list of state sponsors of terrorism on October 11, 2008, is targeting South Korea-based human rights activists for assassination.
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AN INTERESTING EPILOGUE to a Chinese investor’s criticism of North Korea.
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MORE ASMA CRAP about Ri Sol Ju: “Just days after triggering a debate over whether she was carrying a genuine Lady Dior Clutch bag or a “Dior-style” bag, Ri Sol-ju was on Sunday shown on North Korean television wearing a black trouser suit and jacket and white shoes.” The Telegraph’s Justin Riall then leaps to the conclusion that Ms. Ri’s “flamboyant appearances” and her husband’s Swiss education (which, by all signs, made on him) mean that he “is attempting to raise the aspirations and living standards of the North Korean people.” Yeah, either that or it means that North Korean society is more elitist and stratified than ever, only less inhibited about it. For a more balanced view, see Chico Harlan’s take in the Washington Post.
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Personally, what I’ve noticed about North Korea is that they’ve kept quiet as during the height of the election season, which suggests enough intelligence to not to become the topic of conversation, and might be interpreted as a sign of who they’d like to see win. Of course, they seem to be going full-bore with their nuclear program, so a cooperative and distracted press is part of the reason for why North Korea hasn’t become a campaign issue.