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...

Update on Congressional Delegations to P’yang: So Lantos and Weldon weren’t actually traveling together. That’s interesting. I wonder if the White House sent Lantos to show the regime a bipartisan hard line. I also wonder if Weldon will actually see Kim Jong Il. If not, it’s time to dust off this theory again.

The Chosun Ilbo‘s columnist Kim Dae Joong is worried, and he should be. The South Korean government has had it in for the “conservative” newspapers for years, using the state’s power to drive them either to acquiesence or bankruptcy. Once again, the Grand National Party is AWOL when a principled stand is essential. Where is there still a constituency for free speech in South Korea–even speech that goes against one’s own beliefs? I’m not a Korean, but I oppose the...

Yes, I still think it was a stunt. But why, specifically, does that make it wrong? For one thing, there’s the false drama of feigned outrage, but there’s plenty of reason for real outrage at China’s treatment of the North Koreans, its arrogance toward its neighbors, and its dictatorial quashing of free speech (but not for shock that the Chinese cops blundered in the way they did). There’s the Grand National Party’s own hypocrisy on the North Korea issue, but...

Dr. Norbert Vollertsen writes to report yesteday’s events as part of the Korean Medical Association medical relief team in Aceh, Indonesia: Having completed our tour, we (the first KEMAT) left Banda-Aceh and arrived at Hanlim(?) military airport near Jakarta at around 6 PM today on an Indonesian military plane, fatigued but thankful. The return trip from Banda Aceh was equally dramatic as the trip to it. We were scheduled to leave at 8 AM, but when we actually took off...

Another e-mail report from Norbert with the Korean medical team in Aceh, Indonesia: Today, we were again divided into three units with the first unit at the ER of Fakinah Hopsital of Matai refugee camp treating about 50 patients with internal and dermatological symptoms. Aspiration pneumonia, for one thing, is under control with ample supply of right medicines brought from Korea. The second unit worked also inside the Matai refugee camp treating about 100 people. Many were with external wounds...

Surgeon General’s Warning: Holding your breath while awaiting apologies from nuclear-armed Asian septuagenarians may be hazardous to your health. Insert your own “hey, what are you smoking?” reference here. Say the Grand National Party’s own Beijing Four ©: We demand apology and punishment of those responsible for the sabotage of South Korean lawmakers’ press conference with the int’l media. On Jan. 12 (Wed), 2005, at a conference room on the 2nd floor of the Great Wall Sheraton Hotel in Beijing,...

Another e-mail report from Norbert with the Korean medical team in Aceh, Indonesia: Today, we were again divided into three units with the first unit at the ER of Fakinah Hopsital of Matai refugee camp treating about 50 patients with internal and dermatological symptoms. Aspiration pneumonia, for one thing, is under control with ample supply of right medicines brought from Korea. The second unit worked also inside the Matai refugee camp treating about 100 people. Many were with external wounds...

Another e-mail report from Norbert with the Korean medical team in Aceh, Indonesia: Today, we were again divided into three units with the first unit at the ER of Fakinah Hopsital of Matai refugee camp treating about 50 patients with internal and dermatological symptoms. Aspiration pneumonia, for one thing, is under control with ample supply of right medicines brought from Korea. The second unit worked also inside the Matai refugee camp treating about 100 people. Many were with external wounds...

Surgeon General’s Warning: Holding your breath while awaiting apologies from nuclear-armed Asian septuagenarians may be hazardous to your health. Insert your own “hey, what are you smoking?” reference here. Say the Grand National Party’s own Beijing Four ©: We demand apology and punishment of those responsible for the sabotage of South Korean lawmakers’ press conference with the int’l media. On Jan. 12 (Wed), 2005, at a conference room on the 2nd floor of the Great Wall Sheraton Hotel in Beijing,...

So what was I-just-saying? This was in my in-box from Norbert Vollertsen and Douglas Shin today: FOUR SK PARLIAMENTARIANS FROM THE OPPOSITION PARTY WERE TO SPEAK ON NK HUMAN RIGHTS AND NK REFUGEES AT A FIVE-STAR HOTEL MEETING ROOM IN BEIJING. (See the bottom for press head-up.) Before 2PM, several men in plainclothes demanded that the press conference be stopped as it did not receive [Ministry of Foreign Affairs] approval. They refused to identify themselves. Right after Rep. Kim Moon-soo...

So what was I-just-saying? This was in my in-box from Norbert Vollertsen and Douglas Shin today: FOUR SK PARLIAMENTARIANS FROM THE OPPOSITION PARTY WERE TO SPEAK ON NK HUMAN RIGHTS AND NK REFUGEES AT A FIVE-STAR HOTEL MEETING ROOM IN BEIJING. (See the bottom for press head-up.) Before 2PM, several men in plainclothes demanded that the press conference be stopped as it did not receive [Ministry of Foreign Affairs] approval. They refused to identify themselves. Right after Rep. Kim Moon-soo...

Hu Jintao is a fascist tool, and yes, those are official results. I’d hoped to offer you comments that are more, umm, reasoned and nuanced, but my kids have other plans. If you want the long version, check out this must-see series in the New York Times, called China’s Great Divide (registration required but free). I love it–the New York Times pushing class warfare against the plutocratic Maoist mandarins. Delicious.

Dr. Norbert Vollertsen, who is volunteering his services to help the Acehnese as part of the Korean Medical Association contingent, writes to update us on his activities. He includes contact info if you want to assist or donate–and he has pictures! Hope they won’t crash my site, but here goes: Contact info of Korean Medical Association relief team in Banda-Aceh/Jakarta whom Dr. V is with: +82 11 792 6908 (mobile roamed from Korea) (Maybe +62) (0)868-1212-7826 (satellite phone) Ms. Yoon...