Search Results for: soldier defect

This interview was conducted entirely by e-mail because Norbert moves around so much. I believe he’s been in Pakistan helping earthquake victims there, or had at least been planning to do so with the Korean Medical Assocation, as he did after the Tsunami in January. Unfortunately, my e-mail truncated my last few questions, including the ones where I asked what was about to go down during the Arirang Festival up in the Emerald City. I’ve asked that question, and a...

This interview was conducted entirely by e-mail because Norbert moves around so much. I believe he’s been in Pakistan helping earthquake victims there, or had at least been planning to do so with the Korean Medical Assocation, as he did after the Tsunami in January. Unfortunately, my e-mail truncated my last few questions, including the ones where I asked what was about to go down during the Arirang Festival up in the Emerald City. I’ve asked that question, and a...

I am ready to pronounce a partial reversal of my view on North Korea’s Arirang Festival. For the little trifle that the North Korean regime hoped to earn from curious westerners or sympathetic South Koreans, they certainly did not expect to turn a profit. The real motives were domestic consumption and foreign propaganda–to show the world that North Korea is unified, stable, happy, and dangerous to any foe. If that was the motive, the resulting coverage fell dramatically short of...

I am ready to pronounce a partial reversal of my view on North Korea’s Arirang Festival. For the little trifle that the North Korean regime hoped to earn from curious westerners or sympathetic South Koreans, they certainly did not expect to turn a profit. The real motives were domestic consumption and foreign propaganda–to show the world that North Korea is unified, stable, happy, and dangerous to any foe. If that was the motive, the resulting coverage fell dramatically short of...

The short answer is that I don’t know, and I probably never will know. What’s more, I haven’t seen the tape–Daily NK says it won’t be broadcast until mid-October–so I’m mostly going on what I’ve seen of the stills. I’ve had suspicions about the authenticity of the video (you can see a montage here), allegedly depicting the torture of a repatriated North Korean refugee woman, since it first emerged. I summarized these suspicions in an e-mail to Life Funds for...

Welcome to the Carnival of the Revolutions edition for August 29th. Hosting next week’s edition (Sept. 5) will be Thinking-East; next up (Sept. 12) is Quid Nimis. Updates added, typos fixed. East Asia and the Pacific Rim Burma: Did the government’s army use chemical weapons against Karen rebels earlier this year? The Jubilee Campaign, a Christian human rights NGO, prints an editorial by Lord David Alton, a member of the British House of Lords. Publius reports on new rumors of...

Original Post: “Seoul Asks Pyongyang to Confirm Fate of POWs.” Well, at least they’re finally asking. Update: James Chen e-mails a link to this must-read James Brooke report in the NY Times. Until recently, the former Southern soldiers, bent with age and hard labor in Northern coal mines, were forgotten human footnotes in a deeply divided peninsula. After the end of the Korea War, North Korea tried to ease a labor shortage by secretly holding back thousands of South Korean...

With the news that Rep. Henry Hyde, R. Ill., Chairman of the House International Relations Committee, will soon retire, the race for succession appears to have begun in earnest. Two of the names most frequently mentioned as successors are those of Republican congressmen Dana Rohrabacher of California and Dan Burton of Illinois. Other candidates include Republican Reps. Jim Leach of Iowa, Chris Smith of New Jersey, Ed Royce of California, and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida. With the exception of Burton,...

As predicted, the truth of what took place during the Bush-Roh meeting is starting to leak out from behind the U.S. and Korean governments’ message machine. The “left” faction of Uri, as represented by Anti-Unification Minister (of Silly Talks) Chung Dong-Young, appears to want a do-over, and Chung has stepped up and declared himself the man for the job. Seoul’s most pliable man is now on his way to Washington to bring fresh tidings of the reformed man formerly known...

As predicted, the truth of what took place during the Bush-Roh meeting is starting to leak out from behind the U.S. and Korean governments’ message machine. The “left” faction of Uri, as represented by Anti-Unification Minister (of Silly Talks) Chung Dong-Young, appears to want a do-over, and Chung has stepped up and declared himself the man for the job. Seoul’s most pliable man is now on his way to Washington to bring fresh tidings of the reformed man formerly known...

As predicted, the truth of what took place during the Bush-Roh meeting is starting to leak out from behind the U.S. and Korean governments’ message machine. The “left” faction of Uri, as represented by Anti-Unification Minister (of Silly Talks) Chung Dong-Young, appears to want a do-over, and Chung has stepped up and declared himself the man for the job. Seoul’s most pliable man is now on his way to Washington to bring fresh tidings of the reformed man formerly known...

And how are ordinary North Koreans reacting? Brendan Brown comes through again with the views of his refugee students in Seoul. As before, not scientific. As before, Brendan is no fan of W., which only adds credibility to this: My students couldn’t hide their glee and admiration for Bush after meeting Kang Chol-hwan. I was tempted to bring them down to earth by reminding them of a few of the less honourable aspects of his presidency, but decided not to...

And how are ordinary North Koreans reacting? Brendan Brown comes through again with the views of his refugee students in Seoul. As before, not scientific. As before, Brendan is no fan of W., which only adds credibility to this: My students couldn’t hide their glee and admiration for Bush after meeting Kang Chol-hwan. I was tempted to bring them down to earth by reminding them of a few of the less honourable aspects of his presidency, but decided not to...

And how are ordinary North Koreans reacting? Brendan Brown comes through again with the views of his refugee students in Seoul. As before, not scientific. As before, Brendan is no fan of W., which only adds credibility to this: My students couldn’t hide their glee and admiration for Bush after meeting Kang Chol-hwan. I was tempted to bring them down to earth by reminding them of a few of the less honourable aspects of his presidency, but decided not to...

I simply lack the time to completely respond to Nick Kristof, but having spent a few hours assembling some facts, I realize they speak more persuasively than most of the arguments I could offer. Here is the statement Kristof uses to open his argument: “How many nuclear weapons did North Korea produce in Bill Clinton’s eight years of office . . . ? The answer to the first question, by all accounts, is zero. Never mind that neither Kristof nor...

I simply lack the time to completely respond to Nick Kristof, but having spent a few hours assembling some facts, I realize they speak more persuasively than most of the arguments I could offer. Here is the statement Kristof uses to open his argument: “How many nuclear weapons did North Korea produce in Bill Clinton’s eight years of office . . . ? The answer to the first question, by all accounts, is zero. Never mind that neither Kristof nor...

Here is a link to events in Washington–thanks to Suzanne Scholte. Events in Seoul–thanks to Dr. Norbert Vollertsen. And for those of you everywhere else, including the fellow red-staters out there, we need your help, too. UPDATE 1: Just got word that LiNK is protesting at the South Korean U.N. Mission tomorrow at 1 P.M. Details. I think Adrian’s smart to do this before the South Korean bi-elections. There’s a fine tactical mind behind that apparent Harold-or-Kumar ordinariness. Plus, South...