ROK Drop Weekly Linklets – 19AUG07

The Koreas
– Antti has some interesting pictures of the old Nan’gok neighborhood in Seoul that has since been knocked down to put up more apartment buildings. Scenes like these are getting harder and harder to find in modern day Korea.
– North Korea has applied to actually get an internet prefix.
– The Gangnam facelift. I hope more are to come for Korea.
– Which Korean stars showed love for liberation day?
– Not everyone liked the movie D-War.
– The Party Pooper has discovered a turning point in women’s sports.
– I agree, that is one ugly building.
– Here is a video of North Korea’s elite cheerleading squad.

Japan
– Okay, I’m now a fan of Rio Natsume. If you are wondering, they are natural.
– Many people saw and read about this image from the Yasukuni shrine this week, but no one probably read about what else was going on at the shrine that day. Just another example of the media looking for images to fit the story they want to tell and not what actually happened.

China
– These are some amazing Chinese acrobats.
– Chinese authorities caught trying to cover up bridge disaster.
– China’s war on bloggers continues while they advocate others.
– My wife has had to put up with the same dumb comments.

Milblogs
– Michael Yon has a must read post on the so called lack of political progress in Iraq.
– If there was ever the show Presidential Death Match, my money is on Putin.
– Pentagon funds more development of vehicle mounted laser systems.
– The Iranian Quods Force is set to be designated a terrorist group. Some good analysis here of what that may mean.
– It looks like the Canadians may have to defend America’s northern flank from an old threat.
– This is cool the British are getting back into the aircraft carrier business.

Forward Deployed
– Politicization of the Military Continues
– The Second Surge in Iraq
– Petraeus Announces Expected Troop Withdrawals