The NYT thinks North Korea rejected Bush’s offer to reward bad behavior, er, offer inducements in exchange for ending their missile program, but isn’t sure. Normally, I’d say the “sham offer” sounds like a definitive rejection, but I’m willing to play along because David Sanger understands Korea reasonably well. His colleague, meanwhile, is suggesting that the Pentagon isn’t really pulling out 12,500 troops after all, which would be bad news for our Korea policy, if it’s true.

The Korea Herald is now reporting that ROK government auditors don’t see how the Korean Multipurpose Helicopter will leave the ground, financially speaking. [The auditors] also expressed concern that the project may have been preceding without an exact figure for the price of production. According to the BAI, the ministry said it would cost 15 trillion won, but Korea Development Institute expected it to be 30 trillion won. Also, the BAI and the ministry believe that future procurement of other...

AP is reporting that the first 200 North Koreans have arrived in Seoul. Another 260 are coming tomorrow, for a total of 460, more than previously reported.

Don’t miss this must-read commentary by Lee Seon-Min, posted on the Marmot’s site: The North Korean human rights issue has become the �litmus test� for differentiating real and fake progressive in our society. We can guess as to why some �progressive� forces that are servile to the North Korean regime would work so hard to avoid this issue. Excluding them, if other �progressive� forces cannot sincerely respond to the North Korean human rights issue, they could no longer be called...

That’s the claim of at least one defector in today’s Chosun. Its lack of detail is frustrating, but given the obvious safety considerations, understandable. If it’s true, may God protect them.

The NYT thinks North Korea rejected Bush’s offer to reward bad behavior, er, offer inducements in exchange for ending their missile program, but isn’t sure. Normally, I’d say the “sham offer” sounds like a definitive rejection, but I’m willing to play along because David Sanger understands Korea reasonably well. His colleague, meanwhile, is suggesting that the Pentagon isn’t really pulling out 12,500 troops after all, which would be bad news for our Korea policy, if it’s true.

The Korea Herald is now reporting that ROK government auditors don’t see how the Korean Multipurpose Helicopter will leave the ground, financially speaking. [The auditors] also expressed concern that the project may have been preceding without an exact figure for the price of production. According to the BAI, the ministry said it would cost 15 trillion won, but Korea Development Institute expected it to be 30 trillion won. Also, the BAI and the ministry believe that future procurement of other...

It was resolved peacefully, but the bidding has probably begun for the hijacker’s organs (and you thought that was just an urban legend?). Behind the usual ChiCom statement that he had a history of mental illness, one can’t help wonder who but a North Korean would want to hijack a flight to South Korea. Stay tuned. UPDATE: The Chosun quotes Chinese officials who identify the hijacker; his name sounds Chinese. While it’s always possible the China forces ethnic Koreans to...

It was resolved peacefully, but the bidding has probably begun for the hijacker’s organs (and you thought that was just an urban legend?). Behind the usual ChiCom statement that he had a history of mental illness, one can’t help wonder who but a North Korean would want to hijack a flight to South Korea. Stay tuned. UPDATE: The Chosun quotes Chinese officials who identify the hijacker; his name sounds Chinese. While it’s always possible the China forces ethnic Koreans to...

A poster at OhMyNews actually offered this excuse for opposing the North Korean Human Rights Act: Considering the negligent reaction of the US Congress on the crushed “human rights” of the abused prisoners in Abu Graib, however, it is very difficult to trust the humanitarian motives of the US Congress. If the US Congress succeeds in letting the US Administration repent its evil war crimes and if the United States shows sincere efforts to help the abused prisoners restore their...

A poster at OhMyNews actually offered this excuse for opposing the North Korean Human Rights Act: Considering the negligent reaction of the US Congress on the crushed “human rights” of the abused prisoners in Abu Graib, however, it is very difficult to trust the humanitarian motives of the US Congress. If the US Congress succeeds in letting the US Administration repent its evil war crimes and if the United States shows sincere efforts to help the abused prisoners restore their...

A poster at OhMyNews actually offered this excuse for opposing the North Korean Human Rights Act: Considering the negligent reaction of the US Congress on the crushed “human rights” of the abused prisoners in Abu Graib, however, it is very difficult to trust the humanitarian motives of the US Congress. If the US Congress succeeds in letting the US Administration repent its evil war crimes and if the United States shows sincere efforts to help the abused prisoners restore their...

It’s probably too early to compare this to the mass exodus that brought down East Germany in 1989, but it has to make the power structures in both Koreas pretty nervous.   Four hundred North Korean defectors are coming to Seoul from an undisclosed country in Southeast Asia.  South Korea apparently decided it was worth going to some effort to strike this deal. This is good news in itself. While I give the South Koreans credit for making the right decision–regardless of their motivation–the...

It varies from positive to despondent, to seeming ignorance at the Korea Herald, which has had next to nothing to say on the subject.  The cumulative effect is moral and political paralysis. OhMyNews is especially entertaining as it tries to make the case that doing nothing for the North Koreans is–in spite of all appearances to the contrary–somehow the compassionate thing to do.  You could get a migraine trying to follow some of the “logic.”  In one breath, they suggest that American soldiers and...

I’ve googled around for some intel on Christopher Hill, the new U.S. ambassador in Korea.  His official bio doesn’t tell you much, other than the fact that he has Korea experience.  The CNN version is of little help, either.  This Seoul Times piece has a few hints behind a great deal of very diplomatic words for his new hosts.  One is his support for the Iraq war, which was unpopular with many in the State Department establishment. Ambassador Hill worked with Richard...

The Koreans must think Americans don’t read their papers. The U.S. side pressed us, saying that additional troop reductions would be inevitable if the amount of land were reduced, so the atmosphere of the talks was cool at one stage,” Ahn Kwang-chan, the chief South Korean delegate, was quoted as saying by Yonhap News Agency. “But we succeeded in getting a compromise after raising worsening public sentiment following the government’s decision to send additional troops to Iraq,” Ahn added. So...

Speaking of package deals, I’ve just about had it holding my head in my hands every time one of our guys in Korea screws up again.  I’m not apologizing anymore.  The fact is, if you invite 37,000 young, horny people into your country, and they happen to earn enough money to drown in soju, some of them are going to do stupid things.  And no, recognizing that fact as inevitable is not excusing it.  I’ve personally jailed my share of them.  Korea has...

It’s probably too early to compare this to the mass exodus that brought down East Germany in 1989, but it has to make the power structures in both Koreas pretty nervous.   Four hundred North Korean defectors are coming to Seoul from an undisclosed country in Southeast Asia.  South Korea apparently decided it was worth going to some effort to strike this deal. This is good news in itself. While I give the South Koreans credit for making the right decision–regardless of their motivation–the...