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February 16, 2007

Why We Should Withdraw Our Troops from Korea: Just the Latest Reason

GI Korea has an update on the case of a female American soldier who was sexually assaulted by a Korean soldier during an exercise.  The soldier was found guilty.  And how much time did he get?  Zip.  The 2 1/2 year sentence is an insult by itself, but the court suspended the entire sentence.  And people ask me why I  consider Korean courts incompetent to try American soldiers.  Granted, the assault ended when the  young American woman gave her assailant...

Categories UCMJ & SOFA
February 4, 2007

So Much for a DPRK-Friendly Congress

They’re only bills, so I wouldn’t make too much of them yet …. WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 (Yonhap) — U.S. legislators resubmitted resolutions to the new Congress demanding the return of an American naval vessel seized by North Korea and imposition of higher tariffs on imports from non-market economies, including the communist country. Rep. John Salazar (D-Colorado) introduced House Resolution 91 dated Jan. 23 that calls for the return of the U.S.S. Pueblo, a 906-ton naval intelligence ship which was attacked...

Categories Washington Views
February 3, 2007

Here Comes the Election!

Update: I’ve been expecting this, and I expect more of it: There is a fourth reason why the P.P. [the new leftist party that will officially replace Uri this month] will recover considerable support, and it’s the timeless appeal of nationalism, particularly in Korea (ht). The P.P. leaders, Comrade Chung and (especially) Kim Geun Tae, show no sign of any ethical, political, or financial restraints to stop them from setting new lows in crass appeals to those sentiments, to include...

Categories Anti-Americanism/Korean Politics/Korean Society/U.S. & Korea/U.S. Military/UCMJ & SOFA
February 2, 2007

Jay Kim’s Irreconcilible Differences

With some Americans disturbing calm waters with the suggestion of an “alliance at risk,” Korea thinks it has found a man — a “former Korean congressman” — who can quietly bridge our widening differences: A former Korean-American congressman launched on Thursday a forum led by first-generation figures like himself to help advance Korea-U.S. relations. Chang-jun “Jay” Kim said the Washington Korea-U.S. Forum will start with 16 participants who are professionally active in political, economic, judicial and academic fields and have...

Categories America/An Alliance?/U.S. & Korea/Washington Views
January 31, 2007

Hey! Clarify This!

South Korea expressed concern over “undiplomatic” remarks made by the top U.S. military officer here regarding possible delays in the relocation of U.S. military bases, a Foreign Ministry official said yesterday.  [link] Background here.  The Foreign Ministry would also like you to know that this is not an “official” warning; it’s really just the diplomatic equivalent of a fix-it ticket.  No fine, no court appearance.  Guess that “I support the alliance” bumper sticker paid off after all.  “The comment (made...

Categories An Alliance?/Anti-Americanism/China & Korea/Korean Society/U.S. & Korea/U.S. Military
January 30, 2007

An Ex-JAG’s Guide to Trouble and Lawyers in Korea

I started commenting on this thread on The Marmot’s Hole, responding to someone who may or  may not have been beaten by Korean police after a drunken “protest.”  This drew a few responses, including this one from fellow lawyer Brendan Carr: To my way of thinking, private lawyer is a waste (and I’m one of the private lawyers) — TDS counsel take great pride in fighting for their clients’ rights and contrary to your expectations, TDS counsel have no fear...

Categories UCMJ & SOFA
January 30, 2007

Almost Right

The Joongang Ilbo (among others)  writes about discontented foreigners, but disappoints by limiting itself to the financial issues faced by a limited cross-section of foreigners:  Let’s think about what it will be like if they return to their mother countries with mistrust and hate in their hearts. It will have a boomerang effect on Korean businessmen and students who are abroad. In this globalizing world, must we cut ourselves off through this exclusive attitude?  [link] Yes, and  this recognition is...

Categories Anti-Americanism/Korean Society/U.S. & Korea/U.S. Military
January 26, 2007

If He’d Just Thrown His Medals Across the Fence, He’d Be a Senator Today

Sixty Minutes will broadast a long-anticipated interview with traitor  Joe  Dresnok this Sunday, and one thing’s apparent:  he’s eating well enough. From the CBS promo story: The last American defector still living in North Korea says a billion dollars in gold couldn’t entice him to leave the country he ran to 44 years ago.  In the first communication from Joe Dresnok since he defected in 1962, the former G.I. also says his fellow defector, Charles Jenkins, who was permitted to leave...

Categories Abductions/Defectors/U.S. Military
January 25, 2007

Lawless Will Stay

No link, because I’m passing along informed gossip from after-dinner conversation (no names, and no, this was NOT from  a certain  off-the-record event).  Indeed, his portfolio there will reportedly be enhanced to add Afghanistan and Pakistan to his area of interest. If this is in fact the case, it suggests that USFK restructuring will proceed as previously planned. The other informed gossip is split:  on the question of whether we are at the cusp of some kind of graceful-exit deal...

Categories Washington Views
January 24, 2007

What Jim Webb Should Have Said

[Welcome Instapundit readers.]   My fellow  Americans,  We  have  have a long  and glorious history that I join you in celebrating here tonight.  Let me share with you this deguerrotype of my great great great great grandfather, a penniless drunkard and street-corner pugilist  who sat in a Dublin jail,  until he  was paroled and came to Virginia in 1724, just in time to join in the massacre of the peaceful Massapequasimolie Indians.  I would hope you draw strength  from this...

Categories Terrorism/Iraq/Washington Views
January 22, 2007

Phoney War (I)

It is a natural tendency of people to accomodate themselves emotionally to conditions they cannot change. At its most extreme, accomodation can explain an abused child’s seeming acceptance of an abuser’s predations. At its most benign, it can be a mostly beneficial tendency to compromise with opposing views. But there is a difference between being open-minded and fooling one’s self. I’m still leaning against belief that a Democratic Congress with a narrow margin is going into an election year with...

Categories Appeasement/Diplomacy/Six-Party Talks/Washington Views/WMD
January 22, 2007

So I Guess Charlie Rangel Is Voting for the FTA, Then

United States Congressman Charles B. Rangel received the Distinguished Order of Diplomatic Service from the Korean government on Korean-American Day (January 13) at the Colden Center for the Performing Arts theater, Queens College, New York. Congressman Rangel said that he was honored to receive the award and that his achievement is the achievement of all his Korean friends. The medal was awarded to him by the consul general in New York, Moon Bong-ju. It is given to non-Koreans who have...

Categories U.S. & Korea/Washington Views
January 22, 2007

Ban Ki Moon Orders Review of U.N. Programs

Update 2:  Reuters reports that Ban is now backtracking and saying that the new audits will focus only on  programs where the financial practices are shady.  Monday’s U.N. statement said Ban would assign auditors only to U.N. funds and programs “in countries where issues of hard currency transactions, independence of staff hiring and access to reviewing local projects are pertinent.”  Audits would be “simultaneously carried out in select cases of countries” identified by the funds and programs, it said.  Funding...

Categories "United" Nations/Famine & Food Aid/Washington Views
January 19, 2007

The Death of an Alliance, Part 64: Thank You, Secretary Obvious!

The first Democratic-controlled hearing of the International Relations Foreign Affairs Committee has met.  No bold intiatives, brilliant proposals, or clear theme  emerged.  Instead, it was  a dizzying variety of views and  partisan mutual cancellation  that rendered the entire excercise inconclusive and confusing.  One could expect little else:  both parties are advocating more talks  backed by threats that North Korea does not fear.  Both sides fail to grasp,  or at  least to admit,  that North Korea will not disarm  for  any...

Categories An Alliance?/Diplomacy/Six-Party Talks/U.S. & Korea/Washington Views
January 19, 2007

Three Minutes for Lieutenant Mark Daily

Lieutenant Mark Daily gave you his life; will you give him three minutes?   Knowing what he was getting himself into, Mark Daily sat down to write what he knew could be his epitaph.   It is composed with the poetic zen that so few writers can manage, the  expression of complex ideas in clear prose.   It is the  eloquence of a man who applied courage to his compassion and principle: Maybe the reality of politics makes all political action inherently crude...

Categories Terrorism/Iraq/U.S. Military
January 16, 2007

Eum, Yang, and Korean Diplomatic Courtesy

A few days ago, Occidentalism posted this absolutely priceless flowchart that is too telling by half about how some Koreans tend to scapegoat their way through real problems. I suppose the temptation to pin blame on others is human nature; that temptation is at its greatest when a solution to the underlying problem seems beyond reach. Witness the finger-pointing that followed last October’s nuke test (and the notable absence of constructive proposals accompanying it). I shouldn’t miss this opportunity to...

Categories Anti-Americanism/China & Korea/Diplomacy/History/Japan & Korea/Korean Politics/Korean Society/U.S. & Korea/U.S. Military