Category: Uncategorized

South Korea’s president Roh Moo-Hyun may have entered office with the hope of a multifaceted agenda, but that agenda has only one surviving facet. His moves to create a more redistributive economy has sufficiently damaged the economy that Roh’s allies would dream of running on that record in the 2006 elections. The attempt to move the capital out of Seoul was a political disaster; it was blocked in the courts, and mostly succeeded in creating a dangerous new political enemy...

Thanks to the reader who sent me the link to this piece in the IHT: Now there are disturbing signs of a return to the command economy, with the revival of food rationing and a ban on trade in grain. There is evidence that the revived public distribution system is again being used as a tool of control, with favored state employees provided with enhanced access to food in preference to the vulnerable populations targeted by the WFP. The government...

(by guest blogger Andy Jackson) This the last of a series of posts on the Seoul Summit: Promoting Human Rights in North Korea and related events. Signing up When Joshua and I had talked about my guest-blogging at One Free Korea last summer, I ultimately decided against it for a couple of reasons. First, I was already writing for my blog, the Marmot’s Hole and (rarely) TCS Daily. Between those commitments and my day job, I just didn’t think I...

Joongang Ilbo: Seoul not buying U.S. case against North’s $100 bills Chosun Ilbo: Seoul Swings Behind U.S. in N.Korea Forgery Charge I report, you decide. Meanwhile, our Ambassador, envigorated by his new congressional attaboy and one-up, is making the case. Predictably, some Chinese and South Korean officials are raising the standard to “beyond a reasonable doubt,” (or even “absolute proof,” a standard that does not exist under the law) which only works when investigators have the option of getting a...

Influence Over Principle. This story mainly seems like a thinly sourced exercise in wishful thinking, but this sort of language just grates on me for the idea that all of the problems in the U.S.-South Korean relationship can be solved if the latter did more to “influence” us. To resolve the discord, Mr. Kim recommended that Seoul assure Washington of its position as a firm ally. “It is most important that South Korea earns U.S. trust on matters that Washington...

If an even temper and openness to opposing views are qualifications for a job at the U.N., you have to wonder if a hypothetical (shudder) Global Senate would confirm Kofi Annan after this freak-out: [Annan] scolded James Bone of the Times of London for saying, “Your own version of events don’t really make sense.” Annan responded: “I think you’re being very cheeky. Listen James Bone, you’ve been behaving like an overgrown schoolboy in this room for many, many months and...

A little more balance for all those GI-versus-cab driver stories, courtesy of a friend with access to the Yongsan (U.S. Army garrison) police blotter: [R] BECAME INVOLVED IN A VERBAL ALTERCATION WITH AN UNKNOWN KOREAN NATIONAL THAT TURNED PHYSICAL WHEN THE UNKNOWN KOREAN NATIONAL AND NINE (9) TO ELEVEN (11)OTHER KOREAN NATIONALS BEGAN PUNCHING AND KICKING [R] . . . . [R] WAS TRANSPORTED BY TAXI TO YONGSAN GARRISON WHERE HE REPORTED TO HIS UNIT. [R] WAS TRANSPORTED BY GOV...

(by guest blogger Andy Jackson) This a part of a series of posts on the Seoul Summit: Promoting Human Rights in North Korea and related events. The portions in the blockquotes were taken from my notes. I apologize for any inaccuracies. The third and final session of the Seoul Summit on Friday, December 9 was an NGO conference. As you would expect from an NGO meeting, there was a wide range of opinions and priorities. Below is a small sample...

(by guest blogger Andy Jackson) This a part of a series of posts on the Seoul Summit: Promoting Human Rights in North Korea and related events. The portions in the blockquote were taken from my notes. I apologize for any inaccuracies. Joel Charny, Vice President for Policy at Refugees International, spoke during the third session of the Seoul Summit: My trip to China to talk to North Korean refugees was one of the most difficult in years of humanitarian work....

Negligent Homicide: When a government seriously considers buying Russian destroyers instead of feeding its 6.5 million starving people, you know that it’s long past time for that nation to be slapped with an arms embargo. When you realize that the U.N. isn’t even considering it, you can see how worthless the United Nations has become.

North Korea’s “other” abductees aren’t Korean or Japanese.

U.S. Ambassador to Korea Alexander Vershbow recently drew some shrill responses from North Korea and its friends in the South for calling the North a “criminal regime” when commenting on the latter’s counterfeiting of U.S. currency. The ambassador may create a degree of discomfort in the South Korean government, but he’s certainly doing a far better job of carrying the American message than his predecessors. In the process, he’s won some fans, and not just on this blog. All emphasis...

OFK’s posts from Freedom House’s July 2005 North Korean human rights conference in Washington: Freedom House Washington Conference Pt. 1, General Observations Pt. 2, Sharansky Speech Pt. 3, Q&A with Sharansky, Kang & Brownback Pt. 4, LiNK Protest at S. Korean Embassy Pt. 5, The NK Gov’t Reacts Pt. 6, Media Roundup Pt. 7, Interfaith Panel Pt. 8, Were Liberals Underrepresented? Pt. 9, Bleat the Press Andy Jackson’s posts from Freedom House’s December 2005 Conference in Seoul: Overview and opening...

(by guest blogger Andy Jackson) This a part of a series of posts on the Seoul Summit: Promoting Human Rights in North Korea and related events. The portions in the blockquote were taken from my notes. I apologize for any inaccuracies. The following are small samples of the presentations during the second session of the Seoul Summit on Friday, December 9, 2005: Conference on Strategy for North Korean Human Rights Improvement (more on the session see here). I have provided...

(by guest blogger Andy Jackson) This a part of a series of posts on the Seoul Summit: Promoting Human Rights in North Korea and related events. The portions in the blockquote were taken from my notes. I apologize for any inaccuracies The following are small samples of the presentations during the second session of the Seoul Summit on Friday, December 9, 2005: Conference on Strategy for North Korean Human Rights Improvement. I have provided links when I could so you...

The Senate has joined the House in introducing a resolution declaring Korean-American Day. I also have a copy of the floor speech introducing the resolution, which actually mentions Michelle Wie by name, but because Dick Durbin gave it, my fingertips abruptly developed bleeding sores when I tried to cut and paste it. The resolution is better reading anyway. Whereas on January 13, 1903, the arrival of 102 pioneer immigrants to the United States initiated the first chapter of Korean immigration...

The Treasury Department’s enforcement actions against Banco Delta Asia, North Korea’s money-launderer of choice, has caused quite a disruption: North Korea has moved what to all intents and purposes was its representative office in Macau, the Zokwang Trading Co. The office sign is gone, and North Korean staff of Zokwang Trading across the street from the Macau Department of Transport have disappeared. Most appear to have headed for mainland China, where the next round of sanctions could have some delicious...

The general trend is that North Korean defectors are drawn to Christianity, but the New York Times reports that this trend is far from universal: After the service, the North Korean said, “Even when I pray, I’m not sure it comes naturally.” Perhaps realizing that the South Korean missionary, Peter Jung, sat within earshot, the North Korean softened his words. “When you’ve had the kind of life I’ve had, it’s difficult to believe in anything,” said the North Korean, who,...