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Category: Diplomacy

December 19, 2006

If I Were a Member of the North Korean Elite, I, Too Would Be Buying Up Gold and Chinese Real Estate

One of the least recognized moral responsibilities assumed by authoritarian states is the responsibility for misspent words and wealth they choose to get into the business of controlling. For example, when the South Korean government dabbles in the control of objectionable speech, whether for political or nationalistic reasons, it assumes responsibility for the decision to license, by omission, (and sometimes, even to subsidize) other objectionable or controversial speech. To a much greater extent, North Korea, which aspires to a higher...

Categories "United" Nations/China & Korea/Famine & Food Aid/Human Rights
December 18, 2006

Wobble Watch: Desperation Isn’t Enough

My fear:  the U.S., desperate for the appearance of a last-minute  diplomatic success, would sign up for Agreed Framework II at Beijing.  The reality:  the North Koreans and the Americans are both acting as if they expect the other to give more, with the North Koreans enjoying a clear advantage in chutzpah: North Korea defiantly declared itself a nuclear power Monday at the start of the first full international arms talks since its nuclear test and threatened to increase its...

Categories Six-Party Talks
December 13, 2006

Wobble Watch: Interesting Comment from S. Korean Delegate to Talks

“As the BDA account case shows us well, if we mention bilateral issues between North Korea and the U.S., we will not see much progress in the denuclearization of North Korea. Matters such as the BDA issue should not be mentioned during the six-party talks, and should be discussed in a working group or at least should be a separate part of the six-party talks. I read this as a good sign, given that the South Koreans had previously pressured...

Categories America/Six-Party Talks/WMD
December 12, 2006

The Speech Kofi Annan Should have given

During my decade as secretary-general, and indeed for some time before that, I have indulged in more than my share of half-truths, quarter-truths, cover-ups, immoral inanities and staggering hypocrisies. I have shuffled paperwork while ignoring genocides, I have rushed to shake hands with tyrants while deriding democrats; I have suffered from memory gaps while adroitly recalling just enough to know what needs covering up. I took office promising to reform the U.N., and instead produced a record that deserves to...

Categories "United" Nations
December 12, 2006

Fifth Column Update

Prosecutors have identified additional suspects in the Il Shim Hue cell, who they think provided the following types of information to the North Koreans: The suspects reportedly provided information on the six-nation talks and the internal split of the Grand National Party over the National Security Law to Mr. Jang starting early last year. Internal conflicts in the army and developments in the judicial and media communities were also provided to Mr. Jang. That information was delivered to Pyongyang, sources...

Categories Six-Party Talks/The Fifth Column
December 12, 2006

On Second Thought, We Can Too Remain Silent (Updated)

Update:   To extend the Marmot’s comment on this issue, sometimes it is necessary to call bullshit to cry freedom.  I thought it would be fun to contrast the South Korean Human Rights Commission’s  refusal of jurisdiction  to investigate or talk about human rights in North  Korea with its March 26,  2003  condemnation of the U.S.-coalition invasion of Iraq.  As I found this morning, the English versions of the HRC’s previous statements and annual reports  had recently and mysteriously vanished...

Categories Appeasement/Human Rights/Korean Politics/Unintended Humor/WTF?
December 11, 2006

Talks Watch

North Korea sounds serious about wanting to exclude Japan from the six-nation talks. “Japan is nothing but a swindler who doesn’t even have the qualifications to attend the six-party talks,” the ruling Workers’ Party daily Rodong Sinmun said in an editorial carried by the North’s Korean Central News Agency. I continue awaiting an explanation of just why it’s America’s fault that we’re failing to break through and reason with these people.

Categories Japan & Korea/Six-Party Talks/WTF?
December 11, 2006

A Human Rights Lawyer Who Can’t Read a Two-Page U.N. Resolution?

President Roh Moo-hyun on Saturday told South Korean expatriates in New Zealand that preventing North Korea’s possible collapse is a “very important strategy” for our government because the North “will never wage war unless attacked or collapsing.” Seoul is therefore “concerned” about the suspension of humanitarian aid to the North under UN Security Council Resolution 1718, he added.  [link] Leave aside the sheer density of illogic in that brief statement, most of which speaks for itself.  Either Roh, a former...

Categories "United" Nations/Appeasement/Famine & Food Aid/WMD
December 9, 2006

S. Korean Businessman Praised for Helping to Print Distorted Textbooks

Books printed by the recipient of the donated printing press have been known to deny the legitimacy of the Republic of Korea, support policies that  have killed millions of Koreans,  and falsely accuse  American soldiers of an organized campaign of rape on the streets of Seoul.  Unlike past controversies over foreign textbooks, however, police predict absolutely  no outrage on the streets this time.  Foreign analysts who were asked to explain the uncharacteristic calm simply shook their heads in befuddlement and...

Categories Anti-Americanism/Appeasement/Unintended Humor/WTF?
December 8, 2006

Kim Jong Il Glimpses His ‘Pleasure Squad’ in the Afterlife

The Korea Economic Institute was kind enough to send me what turned out to be one of the most interesting and readable papers I’ve ever read on North Korea — a psychological study of Kim Jong Il. The bad news is that KEI has not released the full text yet, but the good news is that if you follow the previous link, the author will participate in a public discussion of his paper at the National War College on December...

Categories Diplomacy/Humor/Satire/Kim Jong Il/Unintended Humor
December 7, 2006

Six Party Talks: Off Again?

A North Korean diplomatic source told the Interfax news agency Wednesday that six-way talks on North Korea’s nuclear program cannot restart this year or in the foreseeable future due to ”unacceptable” conditions the United States had set.  The demands the United States put forward at talks among the heads of delegations to the six-way talks in Beijing on Nov. 28 and 29, are ”unacceptable for North Korea,” the source reportedly said.  [link] We have now been trying to  lure North...

Categories Diplomacy/Geopolitics/Six-Party Talks
December 6, 2006

Three Cheers for Silvestre Reyes

You may recall my previous post on Silvestre Reyes, the Texas Democrat picked to lead the House Intel Committee. Reyes is now setting a new standard for “realism” worthy of the name. Reyes, whom news reports then described as an “Iraq war opponent,” has called for putting more troops into Iraq. In the process, he’s given the sort of that I’ve been waiting in vain to hear from President Bush, and he begged the questions that the escapists can’t answer:...

Categories Diplomacy/Uncategorized
December 4, 2006

So Much for Excellence: John Bolton Steps Down

Ambassador John Bolton, the most effective U.N. Ambassador the United States has had in two decades, has announced that he will step down  when his current term ends.  His remarkable accomplishments  on Resolutions 1695 and 1718  on North Korea, Resolution 1706 on  Darfur,  and his valiant efforts at reform all  notwithstanding, Bolton became a victim of partisanship and a target of UN-topians  for his refusal to acquiesce to evil or surrender U.S. interests to its foes.  Although no Democrat on...

Categories "United" Nations
December 2, 2006

John Bolton on North Korea Sanctions

While looking for something else, I picked up this exchange, which I thought might interest you: Reporter: The North Korean — DPRK Sanctions Committee is going to meet today, and they seem to be rather slowly getting up to speed on their reporting and all the other work they have to do, and it’s kind of dragging on for a while. There’s some indication that perhaps some countries might be delaying action in the Sanctions Committee. Do you have a...

Categories "United" Nations/WMD
December 2, 2006

N. Korea Has 1M Tonne Food Shortfall

The U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization estimates that this year’s harvest in North Korea will be 1 million tonnes short of domestic needs. Despite an overall satisfactory food supply situation in the subregion, food shortages and emergencies persist, at national or subnational levels due to natural disasters and civil unrest. In DPR Korea, harvesting of the 2006 main season crops of rice, maize, and potatoes is underway. Lower output than last year is expected, as a result of severe floods...

Categories "United" Nations/Famine & Food Aid