South Korea is now reporting two civilian deaths from North Korea’s shelling of Yeonpyeong Island yesterday, raising the death toll to four. Given that the North fired 80 shells onto the island and destroyed 60 homes, it seems miraculous that more people didn’t die. Korean language reports (hat tip to my wife) are saying that kimchee may have saved lives. It’s kimchee-making season, which means that most of the civilians were down in the markets buying cabbage, garlic, and pepper...

Now that Bush is safely out of the way, the truth can finally be told: Siegfried Hecker says that North Korea is building its own light-water nuclear reactor at Yongbyon. ___________________________ North Korea bites the hand that feeds it: Rodong Shinmun, the daily publication of the Chosun Workers’ Party, asserted in an editorial on the 11th, “We should wake up to western countries’ aid diplomacy,” citing a quote attributed to Kim Jong Il, “There is no more stupid and dangerous...

Interesting: The rapid ascent of Kim Jong Eun and the building of a new ruling cast in Pyongyang is causing ripples to be felt in North Korea’s foreign currency earning apparatus. In Beijing, it is clear that anyone considered a supporter of Kim Jong Nam or Oh Keuk Ryul faces a rough ride. [Daily NK] The purge of those linked to Kim Jong-Nam isn’t a surprise at all. Jong-Nam has publicly criticized North Korea’s dynastic succession and predicted the collapse...

If South Korea’s National Assembly can’t pass a North Korean human rights law now, I doubt there will be another opportunity anytime soon. But not surprisingly, the Workers’ Party, south Chosun Branch Democratic Party remains opposed, leading to this wonderfully expressive quote from Nam Sung Wook of the Institute for National Security Strategy: Therefore, he asserted, “Hoping to pass the North Korean Human Rights Law by the mutual consent of both opposition and ruling parties is the same as looking...