A View From Pyongyang

The current edition of the Asia Times provides this article that might have well been written by Kim Jong Il himself. Basically this author thinks all the problems in Northeast Asia is America’s fault. You will even see that even Dokto is America’s fault too. Being an American, I can’t tell you how tired I am of hearing how everything in the world is America’s fault. North Korean nukes are America’s fault, terrorism is America’s fault, the bad economy must be America’s fault, even Dokto is America’s fault now. Heck, Ben and J-Lo’s break up that must obviously be some sinister CIA plot too.

The Asia Times is a quality publication so I’ll let this piece of poor journalism slide. Actually I won’t even call it journalism, it is more like propaganda from the Dear Leader himself. Anyway read it and make your own opinions because I have made mine.

First of all he blames the nuclear crisis on America:

Several times, the DPRK put a just demand to the US to change its hostile policy aimed at seeking “regime change” and shift its policy in favor of peaceful co-existence between the DPRK and the US. If the US does this, the nuclear issue can be resolved.

But the second Bush administration, like that of the first term, stipulated as its policy not to co-exist with the DPRK, but to “overturn” the system chosen by the Korean people themselves.

The policy is actually “regime transformation” and if the DPRK wanted peaceful coexistence why did they start secretly building nuclear weapons when they signed an agreement not too? The only peaceful coexistence Pyongyang wants is one that provides them with lots of free foreign aid. That is what the whole nuclear crisis is about, getting free money. Then to say that the DPRK system is chosen by the people is truly ridiculous. I haven’t seen to much DPRK election coverage lately.

Korea is the only place I know of where a steep reduction in troops is considered an arms build up:

The US announced in May 2003 an “arms buildup plan” with an envisaged investment of US$11 billion for south Korea. In mid-2004, it began deploying en masse its latest war hardware with an increased fund of $13 billion under the signboard of “relocation of combat forces”.

The “arms buildup plan” is justified to fill the “security vacuum” to be caused by the “reduced US troops” in south Korea. This plan [has already been more than half realized].

The majority of increased spending went into upgrading defensive weapon systems. The US Army recently upgraded the PATRIOT missile batteries located on the peninsula to a PAC-3 configuration which is a more reliable missile to defend South Korean cities with. You can’t attack Pyongyang with a PATRIOT. Other spending went into upgrading the remaining tanks and helicopters left here on the peninsula. The overall numbers of this equipment dropped thus causing a need to upgrade the old hardware left over. A division minus worth of upgraded equipment is not a threat to North Korea.

Then he makes this comment about the Foal Eagle training exercise:

The US, as it reinforces its armed forces in South Korea, commits itself to continued joint military exercises on a large-scale basis against the DPRK. Last March, the US and belligerent forces in south Korea staged in the whole area of south Korea joint military exercises codenamed “Foal Eagle”. Such military exercises are, to all intents and purposes, a nuclear war rehearsal with its eye on the north, and include massive participation of elite forces in south Korea , the US mainland, and overseas and other nuclear strike forces such as aircraft carriers.

If he only knew how unrealistic these exercises are. These exercises are mostly computer generated simulation exercises that are intended to create a joint training environment with the ROK Army and to get used to over coming the language and cultural barriers that exist between the two armies. To see how real these exercises are check out Gardener in Korea’s take on it.

Here is a passage that is really laughable:

The DPRK also took a measure to bolster its nuclear weapons arsenal in order to protect the ideology, system and democracy chosen by its people as the US disclosed its attempt to topple the political system in the DPRK at any cost.

Once again, I will say it again; they are building nukes to get more international aid since their ideology and system is a failure. To keep their own people fooled indefinitely they need international aid or in other words, free cash. Then to say that America is intent to topple Kim Jong Il at any cost is also laughable. No one would care about Kim Jong Il if it wasn’t for nukes. If it wasn’t for the nuclear threat everyone would be content to let him rot away in his crappy country. Then the writer just had to throw in once again, that the DPRK is a democracy chosen by the people. Did Kim Jong Il promise him his own Russian drinky girl if he wrote this crap?

Here is the best part where the US is responsible for the Dokto crisis:

Recently, the US fans Japan over Tokdo islet, sacred territory of Korea, and Tokyo’s bid for permanent membership on the UN Security Council. This puts a great spur to Japan in its undisguised bid to seize territories of other countries and distort history.

Yes, the writer Mr. An has found out the US’s deep dark secret. The US wants Japan on the UN security counsel so they can take Dokto! Has it ever occurred to Mr. An that the US wants Japan on the security not because of Dokto but because they are strong supporters of US policy. Does everything involving Japan always have to have a Dokto conspiracy?

This guy just doesn’t know when to stop:

The US does not like to see the Korean nation moving toward reunification hand-in-hand and tries by all possible means to put a fifth wheel in the smooth development of inter-Korean relations.

Yeah this whole reunification thing has gone real smooth, let’s see where do I start. How about North Korean spies infiltrating into South Korea and killing civilians and soldiers. Or better yet the constant naval skirmishes including the one 2002 that killed 6 South Korean sailors and injured 18 that was deliberately carried out to draw attention from South Korea co-hosting the World Cup. There must be some sinister American plot behind this too.

Now this guy begins getting into his solution to end the nuclear stand off. Guess what it is? Give the Norks all my tax payer money they want!

It is par for the course that the US should apologize and withdraw what it said about the DPRK “ending its tyranny” and gives up its hostile policy aimed at “regime change” in the DPRK. It also should make clear its political will to move toward peaceful co-existence. Through all this, the US should put its money where its mouth is.

Earlier in this post this guy talks about how great the system in North Korea is and how it is a system chosen by the people yet this worker’s utopia needs my tax payer money and to top it off an apology for telling the truth? Screw him, he wants peaceful co-existence get rid of the nukes, rot in your crappy country, and have a nice day. He need not worry about an American invasion because like I said earlier one small sized American Army Division is not enough to attack North Korea with. If the US suddenly deployed 10 Divisions to North Korea then he may have something to worry about.

Here is recommendation that is slowly happening:

Third, it is possible to ensure the security of Northeast Asia only when all aggressive forces deployed in this region are completely removed. In order to ensure regional security, US forces along with all its lethal weapons must be withdrawn from this region and US interference in the internal affairs of other countries be terminated.

Now the only aggressive forces I see in this region are the North Korean forces that continue to infiltrate and kill people in South Korean and attack South Korean patrol boats in the Yellow Sea. How come they aren’t part of the recommendation to withdraw? The US Forces have been downsizing. Not the DPRK forces. In fact the US forces are down sizing and Mr. An accuses us of an arms build up. We just can’t win.

Here is the last paragraph that summarizes the column. This may very well be the best laugh of the article:

The DPRK, as a responsible country located in Northeast Asia, will make every possible effort to ensure regional peace and security, as it did in the past.

Responsible country? He must of forgot about that whole Korean War thing. That was obviously no big deal. He must have also forgotten about the commando raid in 1968 on the Blue House, attempted assassination of President Park Chung Hee at a Seoul hotel. Then there was the terorist bombing in Burma that killed most of the South Korean cabinet. Then let’s not forget the Korea Air bombing the year before the Olympics. Then there is still the matter of spy subs, commando infiltrations and killings, plus the Yellow Sea naval battles.

Yeah, some peace loving country. Surely all these above examples are America’s fault some how too.