Just how bad are things between the United States and South Korea these days? “As the talks went on, Mr. Powell stiffened. Mr. Yoon practically told him that Seoul would link the nuclear issue with the troop dispatch,” the official said. The New York Times reported that South Korea had told the United States it would not consider sending more troops to Iraq unless Washington made a concession to Pyeongyang. South Korean officials said later, however, that Mr. Yoon’s message...

Just how bad are things between the United States and South Korea these days? “As the talks went on, Mr. Powell stiffened. Mr. Yoon practically told him that Seoul would link the nuclear issue with the troop dispatch,” the official said. The New York Times reported that South Korea had told the United States it would not consider sending more troops to Iraq unless Washington made a concession to Pyeongyang. South Korean officials said later, however, that Mr. Yoon’s message...

It’s Norbert Vollertsen and his chief U.S. ally, Michael Horowitz of the Hudson Institute (in Seoul until the 11th) against Roh Moo-Hyun this week. That may have been what inspired Roh to lash out at “hard-liners” yesterday. Fresh from staring down the Pusan Migra, he has his eye-poking finger unsheathed, calling his next activities “tourist information.” He even says he’ll bring “tourist” photos of North Korea plus more newsworthy antics that seem to beg the South Koreans to deport him...

Escaping North Korea is turning into an industry. How shrewd of China to arrest all the activists so that only coyotes remain.

You’re a foreigner living in a city where it’s legal for people to discriminate against you openly, and this is what you’re whining about? For G-d’s sake–if you want clean streets and orderly traffic, go live in frigging Wisconsin! Or didn’t you realize that you were going to live in a foreign country? Please tell me this reporter just got the story wrong.

So, who’s marginalized, again?

I have been completely underwhelmed with the controversy over the USFK having missions beyond South Korea. The Workers’ Party, Southern Branch Democratic Labor Party recently leaked a classified document as support for his accusation that the USFK might actually be planning for missions outside South Korea. My reaction: So? This really comes down to the question of whether you consider the USFK to be part of the U.S. Army or a bunch of rented security guards. If you say they’re...

One wonders about the utility of the General Assembly on days like this. . . . One wonders if there can’t be a clear and direct statement on matters of basic principle, why have this building? What is it all about? . . . . And the message from the General Assembly . . . is very simple and it is, ‘You may be suffering, but we can’t be bothered.’ –U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Danforth on the General...

Bernie Kerik seems like a very good choice for Homeland Security, from what I gather of his history of doing things effectively. The BBC has the most interesting story about him, including the interesting detail that he has a half-Korean daughter from his time as an Army MP in South Korea. My time as a shink, relationship counselor, and personal consigliore to most of the USFK defense counsel has given me much understanding and acceptance of what young guys do...

Sounds fun already, doesn’t it? Now, I’m sure Kumgang is a perfectly beautiful place, as is Banff, the Olympic Peninsula, the Royal Gorge, and the Black Hills. For Kumgang, the politics are undoubtedly part of the draw, in which case, I say it’s only fair that you consider the ugly side before you subsidize that system. The Christian Science Monitor has this interesting report about a reporter’s recent visit: A Hyundai executive half-jokingly says that his company’s excursions are called...

Sounds fun already, doesn’t it? Now, I’m sure Kumgang is a perfectly beautiful place, as is Banff, the Olympic Peninsula, the Royal Gorge, and the Black Hills. For Kumgang, the politics are undoubtedly part of the draw, in which case, I say it’s only fair that you consider the ugly side before you subsidize that system. The Christian Science Monitor has this interesting report about a reporter’s recent visit: A Hyundai executive half-jokingly says that his company’s excursions are called...

It’s Norbert Vollertsen and his chief U.S. ally, Michael Horowitz of the Hudson Institute (in Seoul until the 11th) against Roh Moo-Hyun this week. That may have been what inspired Roh to lash out at “hard-liners” yesterday. Fresh from staring down the Pusan Migra, he has his eye-poking finger unsheathed, calling his next activities “tourist information.” He even says he’ll bring “tourist” photos of North Korea plus more newsworthy antics that seem to beg the South Koreans to deport him...

I have been completely underwhelmed with the controversy over the USFK having missions beyond South Korea. The Workers’ Party, Southern Branch Democratic Labor Party recently leaked a classified document as support for his accusation that the USFK might actually be planning for missions outside South Korea. My reaction: So? This really comes down to the question of whether you consider the USFK to be part of the U.S. Army or a bunch of rented security guards. If you say they’re...

One wonders about the utility of the General Assembly on days like this. . . . One wonders if there can’t be a clear and direct statement on matters of basic principle, why have this building? What is it all about? . . . . And the message from the General Assembly . . . is very simple and it is, ‘You may be suffering, but we can’t be bothered.’ –U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Danforth on the General...

Budaechigae has the absolute best analysis of Korean security issues in the blogosphere, but I respectfully disagree with his suggestion that many South Koreans would ever boycott products labeled “Made in DPRK. Me? Eat from the plates of hungry kids? Hey, whatever it takes to achieve unification . . . which we do by delaying it indefinitely.

How far apart are American and South Korean attitudes on the North? The Flying Yangban reports his observations of the LiNK Symposium at Yonsei Peoples’ Reeducation Collective University, you decide.

The wolf shall also dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and OhMyNews shall be linked by chosunjournal.com . . . .

This week’s must-read is the Chosun‘s story about how cell phones are breaking the information blockade around North Korea. The regime’s crackdown on cell phones hasn’t overcome the strong family ties inherent in Korea’s culture, and it hasn’t stopped North and South Koreans from wanting to talk to their relatives across the DMZ: As Lee talked to his brother for the first time in 50 years over a crackling line, he couldn’t stem the flood of tears. Inter-Korean projects to...