Category: Uncategorized

Sanctions Update: This is absolutely the wrong approach for Japan to take if it ever wants to see its citizens alive again. Remains, you say? Why, I’m sure we can arrange that . . . .

If you’re following the diplomatic maneuverings leading up to the next (and possibly, last) round of six-party talks, here’s the latest. Regular readers know that I find the talks useful only to the extent that everyone sees that we’ve shown up and been reasonable, and because it usefully disguises the fact that we probably reached an impasse over the insurmountable issues of inspection and verification many months ago. Of course, even keeping up appearances is of little use when China...

Would thisMaybe I should just stop there, and that goes for you, too. Umm, this is a hoax, right? But you absolutely must see this to believe it’s actually a story on BBC.com. UPDATE: I heard on television (can’t find a link, sorry) that this idea never went further than the back of a bar napkin and somehow got just as far as a cursory description in a Pentagon report. Based on early descriptions of this, the BBC reported that...

Would thisMaybe I should just stop there, and that goes for you, too. Umm, this is a hoax, right? But you absolutely must see this to believe it’s actually a story on BBC.com. UPDATE: I heard on television (can’t find a link, sorry) that this idea never went further than the back of a bar napkin and somehow got just as far as a cursory description in a Pentagon report. Based on early descriptions of this, the BBC reported that...

Korea’s “Private diplomats?” Hypersensitive cyber-punks would be more like it. Since we’ve already discussed the pitfalls of private diplomacy this week, might I instead suggest these people grow up and find some more productive way to enhance their nation’s image?

Well, in retrospect, it may have been a mistake for China to piss these guys off. The folks at Reporters Without Borders are journalists who advocate for other journalists, which means that if you mess with them, they’re going to smear you with a lot of very black ink. That’s exactly what’s happening: Washington Post L.A. Times Washington Times New York Times I especially recommend the WaPo story. The lesson? If you really want to give someone a royal P.R....

Here’s the latest message from Norbert with the Korean Medical Association volunteers in Aceh, Indonesia. Scroll down for previous entries and information about Dr. Vollertsen’s sometimes controversial (and in my view, effective) activism for human rights in North Korea. You can see more on the Korean team’s activities here and here. The second KEMAT left Jakarta on a Garuda Indonesia flight at 7:30 this morning and arrived at Banda Aceh airport at 11 AM. It looks like the air-transportation bottleneck...

Kumgang Update: Up on felony charges? That’s no reason to deny you a ticket to the worker’s paradise. On the positive side of the ledger, prison might not seem all that bad after you’ve been to North Korea.

The presses are cranking out more han for China. Grammar aside, here is the week’s best headline . . . “Passive Korean Diplomacy Responsible of Chinese Arrogance” It also goes nicely with what must be the Chosun Ilbo’s best graphic ever–a cynical, nationalistic, manipulative bit of propaganda, to which I hasten to give my enthusiastic approval. Just as paranoid people have real enemies, good propaganda needs a basis in something that at least appears to be true. In this case,...

The Envelope Please: And the award for “most repressive” goes to . . . I have to tell you these things because the U.S. media appear not to have heard. Apparently, the word “Guantanamo” was uttered somewhere.

Kumgang Update: Up on felony charges? That’s no reason to deny you a ticket to the worker’s paradise. On the positive side of the ledger, prison might not seem all that bad after you’ve been to North Korea.

The presses are cranking out more han for China. Grammar aside, here is the week’s best headline . . . “Passive Korean Diplomacy Responsible of Chinese Arrogance” It also goes nicely with what must be the Chosun Ilbo’s best graphic ever–a cynical, nationalistic, manipulative bit of propaganda, to which I hasten to give my enthusiastic approval. Just as paranoid people have real enemies, good propaganda needs a basis in something that at least appears to be true. In this case,...

The Envelope Please: And the award for “most repressive” goes to . . . I have to tell you these things because the U.S. media appear not to have heard. Apparently, the word “Guantanamo” was uttered somewhere.

Here is what happened to the “Chinese Gorby,” in case you’re interested.

Dear Mr. President, It’s damned hard to concentrate when your helicopter is constantly buzzing outside my window. I voted for you, so I think you owe me this one. Thank you in advance for your consideration. Respectfully, O.F.K.

This just in: China won’t apologize. No, seriously. But give credit where it’s due. At least the South Korean government isn’t kowtowing before the emperor’s throne.

South Korea is already paying for the cost of reunification.

Even Jack Pritchard thinks the South Koreans’ support for the North has gone too far, and that they’re isolating themselves. He also thinks China is more likely to absorb North Korea than South Korea. Test your Washington think-tank trivia by guessing who else has suggested the same result (subscription required, but you’ll see the answer). It’s a horrible idea, no matter who’s discussing it, even if Pritchard doesn’t actually support idea. To publicly discuss such an idea risks legitimizing the...