With the Bush administration on the verge of giving up on diplomacy with North Korea and pursuing economic strangulation instead, one would suspect that China might finally engage in some serious diplomacy of its own to force North Korea back to the talks. Not so. Once again, the Chinese have sent emissaries to Pyongyang, and still North Korea refuses to engage in serious diplomacy. And how has China responded? Several officials and diplomats noted that, while Mr. Pak was in...

With the Bush administration on the verge of giving up on diplomacy with North Korea and pursuing economic strangulation instead, one would suspect that China might finally engage in some serious diplomacy of its own to force North Korea back to the talks. Not so. Once again, the Chinese have sent emissaries to Pyongyang, and still North Korea refuses to engage in serious diplomacy. And how has China responded? Several officials and diplomats noted that, while Mr. Pak was in...

From the New York Times: His name, he told Edith, was Karol Wojtyla. Although she took him for a priest, he was still a seminarian who would not be ordained until the next year. Thirty-three more years would pass before he became Pope John Paul II and embarked on a papacy that would help break the Communist hold on Central Europe and so transform the world. What moved this young seminarian to save the life of a lost Jewish girl...

From the New York Times: His name, he told Edith, was Karol Wojtyla. Although she took him for a priest, he was still a seminarian who would not be ordained until the next year. Thirty-three more years would pass before he became Pope John Paul II and embarked on a papacy that would help break the Communist hold on Central Europe and so transform the world. What moved this young seminarian to save the life of a lost Jewish girl...

North Korea wants help with its bird flu outbreak, and the South should grant it. The United States should offer help, too.

Someone tell me he’s kidding: Mr. Roh also said that in regard to a future unification of the Koreas, Germany’s model is inappropriate because the economic gap between the North and South is too great. “In order to resolve the conflict and social division from such a disparity, great ability would be needed,” said the president, who suggested that a confederation-type of government similar to the European Union would be a more feasible first step for the two Koreas prior...

One word: Ewwwwwwwwwwwww.

Congratulations to my fellow NKZone bloggers on our nomination for Reporters San Frontieres’s Freedom Blog Award. NKZone and The Command Post have become the depositories for more refined compilations of my posts at this blog (this one swelled my head, too, considering the competition). Vote here, if you’re so inclined, and thank you in advance. My congratulations to Chris Beaumont at FreeNorthKorea, as well. I’m certainly glad he took my advice and didn’t quit blogging. Chris, if you’re reading this,...

North Korea wants help with its bird flu outbreak, and the South should grant it. The United States should offer help, too.

Someone tell me he’s kidding: Mr. Roh also said that in regard to a future unification of the Koreas, Germany’s model is inappropriate because the economic gap between the North and South is too great. “In order to resolve the conflict and social division from such a disparity, great ability would be needed,” said the president, who suggested that a confederation-type of government similar to the European Union would be a more feasible first step for the two Koreas prior...

One word: Ewwwwwwwwwwwww.

Congratulations to my fellow NKZone bloggers on our nomination for Reporters San Frontieres’s Freedom Blog Award. NKZone and The Command Post have become the depositories for more refined compilations of my posts at this blog (this one swelled my head, too, considering the competition). Vote here, if you’re so inclined, and thank you in advance. My congratulations to Chris Beaumont at FreeNorthKorea, as well. I’m certainly glad he took my advice and didn’t quit blogging. Chris, if you’re reading this,...

Germany, 1945. Again, the Korean government will abstain from a U.N. Resolution “expressing concern about “human rights abuses in the Stalinist country [of North Korea] such as concentration camps for political prisoners. It calls on Pyongyang to ratify the Convention Against Torture and guarantee that the UN special rapporteur on human rights in North Korea is allowed to operate freely. The special rapporteur was created by last year’s resolution.” Just consider the sheer dumfounding illogic of it. Half of this...

Germany, 1945. Again, the Korean government will abstain from a U.N. Resolution “expressing concern about “human rights abuses in the Stalinist country [of North Korea] such as concentration camps for political prisoners. It calls on Pyongyang to ratify the Convention Against Torture and guarantee that the UN special rapporteur on human rights in North Korea is allowed to operate freely. The special rapporteur was created by last year’s resolution.” Just consider the sheer dumfounding illogic of it. Half of this...

The first item in today’s installment has to do with an alleged “stealth” reduction in the Korean military presence in Iraq from 3,700 to 3,200. I’m not sure how strong my reaction is here– first, because I was under the impression that there were only 3,000 Korean troops there, so 3,200 represents a net gain of one company over my own expectations. Second and more importantly, the military value of the Korean contingent was already negligible, at least according to...

The first item in today’s installment has to do with an alleged “stealth” reduction in the Korean military presence in Iraq from 3,700 to 3,200. I’m not sure how strong my reaction is here– first, because I was under the impression that there were only 3,000 Korean troops there, so 3,200 represents a net gain of one company over my own expectations. Second and more importantly, the military value of the Korean contingent was already negligible, at least according to...

Famine Update: Despite the world’s best efforts to feed hungry North Koreans, the regime seems to be winning its class struggle against full stomachs. Incredible. The AP story doesn’t even get into the regime’s plan to expel U.N. food aid workers it says it “doesn’t need.” Well, I’m sure the regime doesn’t exactly need them.

Kim Jong-Il’s Coming Out Day? The mystery surrounding his loss of position appeared at first to have been solved when it was reported that Kim had met with a Chinese envoy in mid-February, until Doug Shin noticed that the photographs released to the press appeared to be old. Now comes word that Kim may visit Russia in May. That would certainly settle the question of whether Kim lives and retains some of his power, but in my mind, it would...