Category: Uncategorized

Two adults and a child have defected from North Korea to South Korean authorities patrolling the Northern Limit Line in the Yellow Sea:

Three North Koreans, all believed to be family members, crossed the western maritime border by boat to defect to South Korea on Sunday, the military said.

The North Koreans said they left from a small North Korean port called Gumipo at dawn on Saturday to escape poverty, the military said.

I’m beginning to wonder if this is a building trend?

Friday is the third anniversary of the West Sea Naval battle. For those that don’t remember the battle let me recap it for you.

In June of 2002, one day before the closing ceremony of the World Cup the North Koreans tried to draw attention from all the glory South Korea had been receiving from their amazing World Cup performance by prevoking a naval battle in the West Sea. The North Koreans planned for and executed a premeditated ambush of a South Korean patrol boat. In the ensueing clash six sailors were killed and 18 more were wounded.

Not that this tragedy was bad enough but the government did everything possible to keep the grieving families quiet because they didn’t want to upset the Sunshine Policy. So while the government did everything possible to incite protests over the US Army accident that killed two school girls that began the Xenophobic Hatefest of 2002, they in turn did nothing to address the premeditated murder of six sailors by the North Koreans.

The government even told the families to be quiet about the incident and sent no flag officers to attend a memorial ceremony or even offer any condolescences. USFK however did send representatives to the ceremony and USFK Commander General LaPorte offered the families his condolescences.

One wife of a deceased sailor was so fed up with Korea, that she left Korea for good and went to the United States. This is what she said before boarding the plane:

“If the indifference and inhospitality shown to those soldiers who were killed or wounded protecting the nation continue, what soldier will lay down his life in the battlefield?”

Here’s a quote from one of the fathers of one of the murdered sailors that really struck a cord with me:

The father said, “My son is buried in the National Cemetery. But I’m going to take my son’s remains to my family burial site in my hometown.” Having watched the situation develop, he thought his son who was killed by North Korean soldiers was considered nothing more than a criminal.

Some parents said that they are more scared of people who consider the U.S. a bigger enemy than North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, who killed their son. We lose courage to defend the country, when we hear that a wife whose husband fell in the battle is preparing to leave this country. Reading a condolence letter from the USFK commander to mark the second anniversary, the wife said, “The Americans remember my husband and his brothers-in-arms better than Koreans… Frankly, I hate Korea.”

What has Korea learned from this incident? Really nothing because if this same thing were to happen again the Korean government would again do nothing. They would probably just increase the rice shipments to North Korea. Is it any wonder North Korea is always so provactive when they know they can get away with it?

The driver of the US Army vehicle that hit and fatally injured an elderly Korean woman is to be charged with accidental homicide by the Korean police. How a traffic accident can be defined as homicide is beyond me. Would a Korean driver be charge with homicide? Anyway what is especially strange about this is that the family has already forgiven the US soldier and does not want to press any charges:

“We hate to see the driver suffer or go through life difficulties through this accident,” he said. “Even though he was warned by the co-driver twice to be careful, the noise prevented him from hearing the warnings. We do not believe he did it on purpose. He was a young soldier, far from home and defending South Korea. The last thing we want is for the driver to be punished.”

These charges are more than likely just a show to appease the protestors and I would not expect to much to come from it. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if some kind of military legal action was taken.

Also, more details are emerging about some of the specifics of the accident:

Lee said the victim’s sister-in-law, Shun In-ja, said she jaywalked across the road in between vehicles stopped at the stoplight in front of her store. As she began cleaning the sidewalk, she heard Kim being run over. Lee said it appeared that Kim was following Shun across the street when she was struck.

It is quite obvious that the victim was negligent by jaywalking across the road especially in between cars at a traffic light. However, this is not uncommon in Korea and anyone driving a vehicle in Korea needs to be especially concious of this and be on the lookout for any threats from wayward pedestrians. It is not right but that is just the reality here in Korea. The soldiers involved in the accident will more than likely receive some kind of punishment through the military for not being vigilant enough in their duties to avoid hitting the pedestrian.

The United States Forces Japan (USFJ) has implemented a new dress code to enhance the appearance of US military personnel in Japan. This new dress code is identical to the dress code in effect for all Second Infantry Division soldiers in Korea. All 2ID soldiers are required to carry a small book called the Warrior Standard Book in their right cargo pocket that describes all 2ID policies including pictures of improper dress clothing. Soldiers like to joke that in the field the book is great substitute for not having a Maxum magazine handy because you can check out the skimpyly dressed women in the Warrior Standard instead.

Here is the slideshow that depicts the new USFJ dress code. These dress codes are very unpopular with soldiers but I tend to agree with them because some soldiers dress like absolute slobs as evident by these pictures:

Why some people feel like they got to show their underwear to everyone is beyond me. However, some of the things prohibited I really don’t find to offensive:

The above clothing is not something you uncommonly see here in Korea or Japan by the civilian population. Just take a look at the people out on a weekend in Kangnam in Seoul or go to Roppongi in Tokyo. So if soldiers are to dress like this I don’t see why the surrounding population would be offended by it?

A dress code is definitely needed but maybe it can be fine tuned to accomodate the soldiers and still give a positive image to the surrounding population.

Big hat tip to Mark for this link to this funny video of Danish soldiers in Kosovo.

This is even funnier than the famous British soldier video shot in Basra, Iraq which is a good laugh too.

It makes me wonder what song would be good to spoof for the US Army in Korea?

The Korea Times is reporting on the debate currently going on throughout Korea about the mandatory service obligation. Below is a picture of female college students training in Changwon that was included with the article. Does anyone know why the females are conducting military training?

The US has decided to send 50,000 tons food aid to North Korea. However, it is not as much as the World Food Program wanted:

In an exclusive interview with CNN, WFP Asia Director Anthony Banbury called the donation “an important contribution but it is not enough.”

“If no new donations come in, 80 percent of the 6.5 million people we are trying to help will be without our assistance and they will be in a desperate situation,” Banbury told CNN.

What I find interesting is that the UN’s World Food Program makes it look like it is America’s fault that North Koreans are starving because we only gave 50,000 tons of food. I’m sure if the North Koreans would allow American or WFP authorities to distribute the food the US government would send more, but how come the UN doesn’t go ask France to buy a bunch of food for North Korea? Why is it that every time a country has a problem it is suddenly America’s problem? It seems like often that the same people who bash America are the same ones getting a free ride off the global security our military provides and the generosity of our citizens and government. Even North Korea.

The cost for the recent North-South talks in Seoul at the Walker-Hill Hotel have been extremely expensive. The overall cost for the four day talks was 400 million won. Take a look at some of these costs reported in the Joong Ang:

In contrast with past talks, Pyongyang’s chief negotiator, on this occasion Kwon Ho-ung, is staying not in a luxury suite but in a relatively modest guest room on the seventh floor, which costs 430,000 won per night. The other North Korean delegates are sharing rooms on the same floor.

South Korean Minister Chung Dong-young, however, is staying in a special suite on the 17th floor at a cost of 3.5 million won a night. Seoul said the room is necessary for Mr. Chung to hold private meetings with the North Koreans.

Modest room for 430,000 won a night!? Minister Chung needs a room that costs 3.5 million won a night for private meetings? Doesn’t he live in Seoul? So why does he need a hotel to stay in? If it is just to hold meetings in then why can’t he use a government office building instead? What a waste of money for a set of talks that accomplished nothing. I’m sure the Walker-Hill Hotel isn’t complaining though.

I heard some interesting information from a ROK Army source concerning last weekends shooting in Yoncheon. What I was told was that after the shootings the ROK Army moved the dead and wounded soldiers bodies to separate hospitals to prevent families members of the dead and wounded from bonding together after the incident and to also limit the media impact of the incident. Small groups of families crying on TV look better than all the families together grieving over their losses.

Plus five of the dead soldiers were the only sons of those parents. It is horrible to think that families lost their only sons due to something as pointless as this. Feel free to comment if anyone else out there has heard similar information.

Some very disturbing details are beginning to emerge from the ROK Army shooting rampage. The soldier named PVT Kim apparently planned the attack 2 days prior due to bullying from senior soldiers. After he got off his guard shift on the DMZ he didn’t turn in his weapon. He instead decided to take his weapon to his barracks and attack his own platoon.

With guys like this pulling border guard is it any wonder whyrefugees have been able to sneak through the DMZ? Does this sound like anybody you know?:

“Kim is a very timid person who is easily hurt by trivial words,” the investigator said, adding the private was found to be allegedly addicted to a computer game, including online gun-shooting games.

I have felt that the country’s youth has slowly been becoming softer and softer. Next time you are in a Internet Cafe look around. Those mindless drones playing Starcraft for 18 hours a day are who are going to be defending this country. Plus you add this inactivity with the current mind set that North Korea is not the enemy and this is causing the youth here to question why they have to do their mandatory service and it is making them bitter. Why should they be drafted if North Korea is not a threat according to their own government? With the USFK forces slowly withdrawing that is only causing the youth here to further judge North Korea as not being a threat if even the Americans are leaving.

I have been chronicling the generational problems with the ROK Army for sometime now. You would think the corruption scandals, draft dodging, and increasing suicide rates would tip people off to the problem. The conscription system is slowyly faltering due to the cultural change in the youth. This incident has finally gotten the Korean media to take notice. This from the Korea Times:

The ideals of the young generation, with high value on freedom and individuality, conflict greatly with the military culture that gives priority to discipline and regulation.

Imagine that discipline and regulations in the Army!

The younger generation, with fewer siblings and many of them being the only children in their families, feel less comfortable with group life than older generations. Soldiers have to share a single room with many others for 24 hours a day, sleeping and eating together, and they are simply not used to it, Lee said.

To young people who are used to a variety of activities, the military’s simple routine, such as getting up and going to sleep at set times, is also stressful. Their freedom is limited and they are even punished if they do not eat their meals.

So in other words they are not allowed to play Starcraft 18 hours a day and eat junk food while doing so.

In the case of privates, they have to study the subtle communication of a senior’s face to avoid being punished. Many young people have never experienced harsh punishment or insults from their parents or teachers.

Just go to a elementary school here and watch the kids run wild.

But he also pointed out that inordinate hierarchy and abusive language still prevail in the army, even among young soldiers.

Cursing in the military? Say it ain’t so:

Critics say commanders should change their approach and recognize soldiers as their partners, not as those who must passively follow their command.

“Leadership is required for officers and ordinary soldiers so that senior soldiers can make junior soldiers follow their command without physical violence or abusive language. Soldiers have to learn better communication skills and build respectful relationships with others,’’ Lee pointed out.

If the ROK Army follows this advice they are even in bigger trouble. Trying to be buddies with all the soldiers is not how to run a military thats got a legitimate threat just 30km North of Seoul. Any war on this peninsula will be fought primarily by the ROK Army in a tough infantry fight focused on capturing hills. It takes strict discipline to get a soldier to run up a hill under machine gun fire. Being buddies with the soldiers will not a way to enforce strict discipline. Neither is beating the soldiers or making them eat feces.

More analysis on today’s Korean youth from the Chosun:

The armed forces don’t exist outside the flow of social change. Above all, the young who join the military today are not the young of the past. There exist some fundamental differences that cannot be glossed over with conventional reference to the generation gap. These are new people: their thinking is quite different from their parents’, as are their patterns of behavior and values. Most of them, for instance, are only sons who lack the socialization larger families provide. Though they have enjoyed parental love, they have never shared the love of brothers and sisters. Such youngsters put themselves above anything else in setting their values, and they are that much less likely to think of sacrificing themselves for an organization. By the same token, they are less skilled in resolving conflicts with their comrades-in-arms.

Korea at some point is going to have to swallow the pill and look at an all volunteer force though the amount of money to raise on volunteer force would be sizable. However, soldiers that want to be there are how you can enforce strict discipline without abuse in a generation of youth that have been raised to not want to defend their own country. This from thethe Chosun:

Our military is now unable to explain against whom the soldiers should defend the state. Last year a Navy boat was reprimanded after repulsing a North Korean naval vessel that had crossed the Northern Limit Line into South Korean waters. Last week, meanwhile, a sizeable South Korean delegation took part in what was touted as a festival of “national unity” in Pyongyang.

Is it any wonder, under these circumstances, that no order to carry out their sentry conscientiously can appeal to the frontline soldiers? Outside the military, it is not uncommon to hear that the U.S. is a greater threat to our national security than North Korea. Many of the frontline soldiers must feel that what they are doing is pointless.

I find it funny that people are more upset by this than when the North Koreans attacked and killed nearly as many ROK sailors in the Yellow Sea. No wonder the youth doesn’t want to defend the country in anymore.