Dr. Norbert Vollertsen, the man who brought the horrors of North Korea to the world’s attention, reports that he has been expelled from South Korea. Vollertsen, who admits allowing his South Korean visa to expire, had been in South Korea on a series of tourist visas, which require holders to leave and reenter South Korea for extensions. On a previous reentry, Vollertsen had been detained and asked to sign a statement agreeing to discontinue his political activities; he was released...

An Alternative to Yasukuni? For once, Ban Ki-Moon has let a sensible idea escape his lips–Japan needs an apolitical, fascism-free place to remember its war dead. For my thoughts on Yasukuni, see this post. And of course, don’t miss Dennis Halpin’s extensive discussion of the subject.

Why James Lileks is my favorite blogger. I mean, just read.

Dr. Norbert Vollertsen, the man who brought the horrors of North Korea to the world’s attention, reports that he has been expelled from South Korea. Vollertsen, who admits allowing his South Korean visa to expire, had been in South Korea on a series of tourist visas, which require holders to leave and reenter South Korea for extensions. On a previous reentry, Vollertsen had been detained and asked to sign a statement agreeing to discontinue his political activities; he was released...

An Alternative to Yasukuni? For once, Ban Ki-Moon has let a sensible idea escape his lips–Japan needs an apolitical, fascism-free place to remember its war dead. For my thoughts on Yasukuni, see this post. And of course, don’t miss Dennis Halpin’s extensive discussion of the subject.

Why James Lileks is my favorite blogger. I mean, just read.

From the Chosun Ilbo: A defense expert warned Thursday that North Korea’s small army of computer hackers has capacity equal that of the U.S. CIA. He said North Korea also operates some 39 bugging and surveillance posts from where it eavesdrops on communication and signals from all across South Korea. . . . . In a lecture on Defense Ministry responses to information warfare, Byeon said, “Simulations on North Korea’s information warfare capabilities reveal that Pyongyang could damage the command...

June 4th is Coming Up this Weekend, and Hong Kong doesn’t want anyone in Beijing to think it has forgotten. Li Peng may die in his bed before he stands trial, but history will eventually absolve and remember those he murdered.

Count me in, for the reasons Dr. Zin at Regime Change Iran explains here: —————— The next few weeks in Iran may prove critical to the efforts of the pro-democracy forces there. On June 17th, Iran has scheduled its Presidential elections and as the LA Times said recently: It was already one of the most important elections in the world this year. It now also promises to be one of the most watched. This time the world will see for...

This was in my in-box from Adrian Hong today. I quote from his press release: “The opening of this office signifies the maturity of LiNK into a credible, serious organization, ready to take the next step and engage in a more consistent, forceful activism,” said Adrian Hong. The new office will have four full-time staff members, and constitute the first full-time office devoted solely to North Korean human rights outside of Seoul, Korea. It will also boast significant support by...

Still No Respect: In America, Kim Jong Il is both villified and ridiculed. The Chosun Ilbo’s experts make their best effort to turn this into a Rovian conspiracy, but it’s hard to imagine an easier person to villify or ridicule.

Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think that saying the chances of something are “lower than the past” is the same as saying it was “hot air.”

“Fishing Boat Incident Ends Quietly“

Story here, regarding the mass-mobilization of city-dwellers to the countryside. And yes, the floor is open for suggested captions. [S]oldiers and other citizens have now been mobilized to help out in rural areas, with armband-wearing police officers going around towns and cities hauling off to the farms anyone who appears to have nothing to do. Those taken to the farms are freed only after they secure a certificate that records how much work they have done. This is starting to...

From the Chosun Ilbo: A defense expert warned Thursday that North Korea’s small army of computer hackers has capacity equal that of the U.S. CIA. He said North Korea also operates some 39 bugging and surveillance posts from where it eavesdrops on communication and signals from all across South Korea. . . . . In a lecture on Defense Ministry responses to information warfare, Byeon said, “Simulations on North Korea’s information warfare capabilities reveal that Pyongyang could damage the command...

June 4th is Coming Up this Weekend, and Hong Kong doesn’t want anyone in Beijing to think it has forgotten. Li Peng may die in his bed before he stands trial, but history will eventually absolve and remember those he murdered.

Count me in, for the reasons Dr. Zin at Regime Change Iran explains here: —————— The next few weeks in Iran may prove critical to the efforts of the pro-democracy forces there. On June 17th, Iran has scheduled its Presidential elections and as the LA Times said recently: It was already one of the most important elections in the world this year. It now also promises to be one of the most watched. This time the world will see for...

Count me in, for the reasons Dr. Zin at Regime Change Iran explains here: —————— The next few weeks in Iran may prove critical to the efforts of the pro-democracy forces there. On June 17th, Iran has scheduled its Presidential elections and as the LA Times said recently: It was already one of the most important elections in the world this year. It now also promises to be one of the most watched. This time the world will see for...