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North Korea has decided to kick out the World Food Program

North Korea has said it will no longer accept food aid from the international community and has demanded that the UN World Food Program shut its Pyongyang office and withdraw its monitors. The country’s grain production last year was about 4.2 million tons, more than 900,000 tons short of demand, which is why this year it accepted 500,000 tons of aid from the South, 150,000 tons from China and 100,000 tons from the WFP.

So why is a country that faces continuing starvation of it’s citizens kicking out the WFP? Here is why:

It appears that a country where every grain of rice is precious is turning up its nose at international aid because the scale of aid is growing smaller even as monitoring has grown stricter. At the same time, South Korean aid to the North has increased from 400,000 tons last year to 500,000 tons, but monitoring by Seoul is a mere formality. Pyongyang would thus much rather depend on the South than on the pesky international community.

The WFP, under the principle of “No Access, No Food,” mobilized some 100 staff and carried out 4,800 on-the-spot inspections last year, while South Korea carried out a grand total of 10. WFP agents even visit North Korean families, while the South Korean officials who go to the North bringing food will, at most, listen to what the officials in charge of food distribution centers have to say.

I have to commend the UN World Food Program for finally conducting stricter inspections. The WFP has been criticized in the past for not conducting enough monitoring of where the food is going. Obviously they must be doing a better job if the North Koreans have kicked them out.

I do find the fact that South Korea is handing food over to the North Korean regime with virtually no inspections reprehensible. Only a fool would think that this food is going to starving civilians. This food is going directly to the ruling class and the military in North Korea that are the ones responsible for the famine and human rights violations in the first place and South Korea knows it. They call this the Sunshine Policy of friendly engagement with the North, but it sounds more like common bribery to me.

For those wanting to see the real story on what happened in New Orleans before and after Hurricane Katrina check out this diary of photos from someone who was there and live through it.

Here is a quick synopsis of the photo diary. On Day One the hurricane did cause some damage that a storm of it’s caliber would be expected to cause. Damaged building windows, vehicles smashed by falling debris, downed power lines and trees, etc. On Day Two people were actually out barbequing and generally having a good time. There was even bars open selling beer to people on the sidewalks. At the end of Day Two everything seemed okay.

Canal Street on Day Two After the Hurricane. Some damage but not to bad. People are obeying the law and minding their own business.

On Day Three that is when the water levels started to rise. With the rising water levels that is when people began to panic. The looting started with people taking food and the police stood by and let them. Things got steadily worse as the day progressed. On Day Four the looting was out of control and no one was stopping it. Of course the media was there to further fan the flames of anger by spreading rumors and disinformation. I have alluded to this before to treat what the media puts out with a grain of salt. There not about facts but ratings.

On Day 3 the flood waters begin to rise on Canal Street and the looting began.

On Day Five the military moved in and began to get things under control and the author made his way out of town in a stolen truck because he could not evacuate out of the city by bus from the Convention Center because they were afraid the people there may harm them.

Helpless citizens of New Orleans looking for food in a Foot Locker store.

I can’t help but think if things could have been different if the New Orleans Police would of stopped the looting from the beginning. By allowing people to loot for food that only caused the next natural step to happen which is to loot for whatever you wanted because the police are not going to stop you. The mob mentality took over from there. I really don’t expect to see people wearing NOPD hats after this tragedy, like people still wear NYPD hats today after 9/11. NYPD ran into a burning skyscraper to save lives, NOPD ran into Wal-Mart to find some loot.

I also cannot help but think that if the city was so navigable on Day Two how come the local and state government was not using city buses to transport people out of the city? The flooding didn’t start until Day Three and all the buses they had for evacuating people got flooded. Why didn’t the mayor use them on Day Two? Why wasn’t any aid brought in from the state on Day Two?

I really think that there is lot more blame to go around on the local and state level after seeing this slide show. However, it is easier to blame President Bush.

Once again click here at get the real story that you can’t count on the media to give you.

Hat Tip: Greyhawk

The Chosun Ilbo published an interesting article about the growing popularity of Korean movies:

In Japan’s all-time blockbuster list, there are three films that were produced before the 1990s. In the U.S. chart, there are two. In Korea’s case, the oldest film in the Top 10 list, “Swiri,” was released in 1999. That mirrors the development of the industry in Korea, where multiplexes did not arrive until 1998. It is also related to the fact that “Swiri” was the first Korean movie that attracted the international spotlight for its commercial potential. One look at the lists shows that Korea’s film industry is hotter and more dynamic than those of Japan and the U.S. Koreans love the Korean movies that are gaining increasing recognition from international critics.

I would have to say that Korean movies are getting better and better and I do enjoy watching them. Here is the current Korean movie all time top 10 list:

Top Ten Korean Movies at the Korean Box Office

Rank / Title / Tickets Sold
1. Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War / 11.75 million
2. Silmido / 11.08 million
3. Friend / 8.20 million
4. Welcome to Dongmakgol / 6.58 million as of Sept. 8
5. Joint Security Area / 5.82 million
6. Swiri / 5.80 million
7. Memories of Murder / 5.21 million
8. Marathon / 5.18 million
9. My Wife is a Gangster / 5.07 million
10. Marrying the Mafia / 5.02 million

The movie I have saw in that list I liked the most was, Memories of Murder. It was a suspenseful movie about Korea’s first serial killer, made more shocking by the ending. Plus like many great Korean movies, it is a true story. Some other movies in the list I have saw and enjoyed is Silmido, which is another true story about a secret South Korean commando team that wowed audiences a couple years ago. JSA and Swiri are two older but definite must sees. Taeguki, a movie about two brothers fighting in the Korean War, is the movie that has recently put Korean cinema on the map internationally. Friend is a gangster movie but has a great story line and characters that make this movie much more than just your typical gangster flick. Finally My Wife is Gangster is a fun movie to watch with its high flying martial arts action.

I was a little surprised that Old Boy didn’t make the list but the movie did take time to build in popularity in Korea. It only became more popular in Korea after the attention it received internationally. Old Boy is for people who like a really smart, plot twisting movie. Another movie I was also little surprised didn’t make the list was Musa. Musa is every bit as entertaining as Gladiator and features the beautiful Chinese actress Zhang Zi Yi.

So if you are interested in seeing Korean movies the above list gives you a good place to start. Korean video stores are scattered all over Korea and you can rent these movies on DVD that feature English subtitles. Just make sure you have an all region DVD player and you will be good to go. So go check out what the Korean cinema has to offer. I guarantee you it will be better than watching the Fantastic Four.

One of my favorite places in Korea, Ulleung-do Island located off the East Coast of Korea has been heavily damaged by Typhoon Nabi:

Scarred by Typhoon Nabi, residents in the Seo district of Ulleung Island, off the east coast, have been isolated in darkness for three days.

The most damage occurred in the villages of Namyang, Guam, and Taeha in the Seo district of the island, where 564.5mm of rain fell Tuesday and Wednesday, causing a massive landslide that blocked the 14-kilometer road that connects Namyang and Taeha villages. Rain flooded two creeks, completely destroying 35 houses and damaging 170 others.
The 450 people whose homes were damaged are currently living at relatives’ houses or in churches. At night, candles provide light, and drinking water is drawn once a day from a fire engine. Yesterday, government officials and residents began clearing torn branches and waste, but they have not been able to begin major restorations yet.

The small villages located around the island are built adjacent to very steep cliffs and hillsides. With the amount of water dropped on the island it is easy to imagine some pretty damaging flash floods.

The government has been constructing a new highway around the island but most of the existing highway is still a very narrow road perched along steep cliff sides. If the road gets washed out that is the only access by vehicle to the areas around the island. With the ferry cut off for the past six days as well, the people on the island must feel extremely isolated. The people on the island are very hearty bunch and I’m sure they will be able to handle the aftermath of this typhoon. I don’t expect the islanders to go on a looting and criminal rampage

Oh My News has an interesting interview with former South Korean soccer coach Joe Bonfrere. Bonfrere provides some really interesting insights into what has gone wrong with the South Korean soccer team. Judging by the article it appears there is more wrong with the South Korean soccer team than just the coach:

That started a long time ago. They believed that they are No.4 in the [2002] World Cup and that they can easily win all the games. And that didn’t happen. After the 2002 World Cup they started to believe and to dream and to sleep — we are good, we don’t have to do anything anymore. Until the Maldives game that was 0-0 [the former national coach Humberto Coelho’s last game with Korea in March 2004]. Then they were shaken up. But then it was almost too late, because they went and played on with the 2002 World Cup players and you know that if you don’t renew some players sometimes, some players get sleepy, get lazy, ambition goes down — like France has done — and the team collapses.

So then I came and I had to start over, build up the team, look for new players, play a new system and do the qualification games. Then if you had seen 2002, Korea played [defensively] against Portugal, against Germany, which is normal when those teams are stronger. Then Korea can do the counter attack. But we cannot play counter-attack against Lebanon, against Vietnam, against Kuwait — which was playing 10 players in defense [the Asian teams mentioned are relatively weak and when playing Korea, often defend in great numbers] — so we had to change the system. And then they say, yeah, but this is not our philosophy, because our philosophy is counter-attack.

Basically Bonfrere was trying to bring in some different players then what was used in the 2002 World Cup and create a system suitable for those players. His changes ruffled feathers with the KFA who wanted to keep the system and players Korea used in the 2002 World Cup. Eventually the KFA wanted Bonfrere gone and may have according Bonfrere interfered with game preperations by not giving him up to date video tape of opponents.

Bonfrere also discusses the the weak state of the K-League in Korea and how players for the national team would show up for practice two days before a game and then expect to compete at a high level.

Once again interesting reading worth checking out. However, I don’t envy the next South Korean soccer coach.

Korea has opened their own version of the US military’s National Training Center located in Ft. Irwin, CA.:

The Korean Army’s advanced Combat Training Center (KCTC) in Gangwon Province opened shop, which is a “masterpiece” that was completed within five years after the Korean Army bench marked the NTC of the United States. Forces there are engaged in virtual battles equipped with laser shooters and detectors, and the central control system receives detailed portrayals of battle scenes and evaluates them. Thanks to the KCTC, Korean troops may participate in the same training for real situations, while reducing training budgets to a great extent, resulting in double benefits.

Training in Korea is extremely difficult due to the lack of land and fear of traffic accidents. The KCTC is located in Kangwon province which is far from any 2ID installations so I am assuming the US military will not be using it.

I do suspect that the ROK Army probably still has a lot more work to do on the facility to get it up to NTC standards. The NTC in California is still the best training experience I have been through since joining the Army. Every soldier and piece of equipment wears what is called MILES gear which is sensors that pick up laser beans fired from real weapon systems. Every M16, tank, helicopter, etc. is equipped with the MILES gear on their barrels and when fired the laser beam will fire at the targets. Laser will then hit the sensors setting off a beep sound on the MILES gear meaning you are dead.

The opposing force at the NTC is world class and very professional. The planning process and actual engagements are all monitored by observer controllers that provide recommendation and feedback after battles to train leaders and soldiers. If Korea can match this level of training they will take a huge leap in further strengthening the ROK Army.

Hat Tip: Budaechigae

Thanks to Nomad for pointing out this great read.

If anything make sure you check out the looting police video here.

So what tribe are you in?

The world’s oldest fishing boat has alledgedly been found in Korea:

An unprecedented excavation was made in the southern part of the peninsula, where archaeologists unearthed a fishing boat believed to be the world’s oldest, dating back to 6,000 B.C.
A fishing boat, presumed to be 8000 years old, has been dug out of the ground at Changnyeong County in South Gyeongsang Province. Archaeologists believe the boat, made of pine trees, is the oldest of its kind ever discovered in the world. The Gimhae National Museum has been digging in this area since November last year.

Judging from the picture this “boat” looks more like a canoe. I guess world’s oldest cane doesn’t sound as good as the world’s oldest fishing boat. Still even for a canoe, 8000 years is one old canoe. I wonder if Nomad or Gar would of fished out on one of those boats back then?

Speaking of Gar it looks like Daecheon Beach was the place to be this past holiday.

The Six Party Talks are about to begin again with North Korea on September 13th:

The talks will start again after a 37-day recess called on Aug. 7 when the U.S. and North Korea failed to agree on Pyongyang’s right to a civilian nuclear program. During the recess, Washington and Pyongyang held direct and indirect contacts but have not significantly narrowed their differences. A South Korean official said there was no cause for optimism about the coming talks.

Is there ever a cause for optimism with North Korea?

Then:

Notice the absence of buildings outside the fortress walls.

Now:

Today the densely populated city of Suwon features many high rise apartments near the fortress.