Category: Uncategorized

Japan is using a clever sanctions plan to pressure North Korea to end their nuclear weapons campaign.

Faced with North Korea’s declaration that it has nuclear weapons, Japan’s Prime Minister performed a deft political kabuki today, urging his bellicose neighbor to join disarmament talks, while letting the clock run on a new law that will bar most North Korean ships from Japanese ports starting March 1.

“I understand calls for imposing sanctions are growing

The New York Times wrote a nice article on the current Japanese – North Korean relationship. It is good to see someone getting serious with North Korea, finally.

An amended Liability for Oil Pollution Damage law requires that all ships over 100 tons calling at Japanese ports carry property and indemnity insurance. A seemingly bland piece of legislation, this law was drafted with North Korea in mind. In 2003, only 2.5 percent of North Korean ships visiting Japan had insurance.

“It will hurt, it will pinch, it will be felt by North Koreans who are significant,” said Chuck Downs, an American expert on Korea who wrote “Over the Line: North Korea’s Negotiating Strategy.”

Yes, hit them in the pocket book. This should eventually have the effect of restarting the negotiations. It may cause in the short term some more saber rattling and threats of war but the Norks know they cannot win a war. They want to stay in power and need international aid to do it. They will eventually have to negotiate.

President Roh Moo-hyun’s approval rating is on the rebound according to the Korea Times.

President Roh Moo-hyun’s approval rating has improved over recent months rise, reaching 39.2 percent early this month.

Thanks to the apparent turnaround in policy, Roh’s approval rating rose to 35.6 percent, according to another R&R poll released last month.

If 39.2% approval rating a normal approval rating for a sitting President here in Korea? It seems really low especially when he was sitting at 27.6% in November.

As much as people villianize President Bush with anti-Bush movies, books, songs, forgerized memo’s, etc, etc, he has always maintained at least around a 50% approval rating. I wonder if President Roh’s opposition made anti-Roh books, songs, movies, etc about him, how low his popularity would go?

North Korea has finally admitted to possessing nuclear weapons.

SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea on Thursday announced for the first time that it has nuclear weapons and rejected moves to restart disarmament talks any time soon, saying it needs the armaments as protection against an increasingly hostile United States.

“We … have manufactured nukes for self-defense to cope with the Bush administration’s ever more undisguised policy to isolate and stifle the (North),” the North Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

It appears the Norks are just positioning themselves for better bargaining position to get more free stuff from the international community before beginning the 6 party talks again. Sounds like they are getting more and more desperate. If they do a nuclear test then we know they are really getting desperate for aid. We should know more in the coming days. Stay tuned.

Korea played a great game last night in beating Kuwait 2-0 at Seoul World Cup Stadium. Currently Korea is in really good shape to qualify for the 2006 World Cup with the win.

North Korea almost pulled off a stunning upset of Japan in World Cup Qualifying action last night in Japan.

SAITAMA — Japan managed to avoid a major disaster with an injury-time winner from Masashi Oguro securing the points in a thrilling 2-1 win in a World Cup Group B Asian qualifier against North Korea at Saitama Stadium on Wednesday night.

Japan made heavy weather of what should have been a routine three points and can consider itself fortunate to come out of this media-hyped fixture unscathed.

North Korea came very close to winning this contest before Japan scored the winning goal near the end of the game during injury time.

Japan began to panic as time ticked away, leaving gaping holes for North Korea to exploit at the back and it was only centimeters that saved Japan from certain defeat when, in the dying minutes, Kim Yong Jo struck a free-kick that shaved Japan’s right post.

Takahara glanced a late header wide and Ogasawara had a low shot well-saved by Chol with the writing appearing to be on the wall for Japan.

I like this cynical comment from the Japan Times article expressing their anger at the Japanese coach:

Deep into injury time with Zico frantically scribbling down excuses to present to the Japanese media, Chol, who had shown an unwillingness to catch crosses, opted to punch a soft one straight to Oguro who accepted the gift, slotting home the winner and taking home the glory.

Coach Zico from Japan has been drawing the anger of the media in Japan recently for benching some of his best players who play in the European leagues for players that play in the Japanese J-League.

Kim Jong Il must of been really pissed off after the game to come out today and announce to everyone he has nukes. Sore Loser!

Check out Simon World’s latest Asia by Blog Round Up.

Will Japan ever get enough of this guy? Here is a picture from the Sapporo Snow Festival in Japan of Bae Yong-joon. No word yet if it won the grand prize or not.

Does anyone know how a glow in the dark chicken fights cancer?

South Korean scientists successfully produced a chicken, which inheriteda fluorescent character from its green-tinged transgenic father, opening theway to mass-producing biomedical substances.

“We confirmed the possibility that biomedical substances such as cancer-fightingenzymes can be produced en masse via chickens, which can inherit injected genetic materials,” Kim said.

Congratulations Korea, you are first in the world with glow in the dark chickens!

15 North Korean defectors were detained trying to enter the US according to the Chosun.

Fifteen presumed North Korean defectors who had settled in South Korea were arrested for trying to sneak into the U.S.
The Los Angeles-based Association of People From Five Northern Provinces said on Sunday it learned that 15 North Koreans were arrested by U.S. Border Patrol as they tried to smuggle themselves into the U.S. from Tijuana, Mexico. But the association’s president Kim Ho-jeong added it remained to be confirmed whether the 15 really were defectors.

The 15, who are being held at an immigration detention center in San Diego, California, said they intended to seek political asylum in the U.S. after previously settling in South Korea. Kim Yong, the head of another defectors’ association in Los Angeles, said that under U.S. law such individuals were usually deported.

I guess it easier to escape North Korea than enter the US? It is sad to see these defectors escape from North Korea to South Korea, only to see them try and escape the prejudice in South Korea by trying to sneak into the US. With the new North Korea Human Rights Act this incident could turn into a political football. Hopefully this story will continued to be covered so we can all learn what happens to the 15 defectors.

North Korea is making new demands on South Korea by demanding 500,000 tons of fertilizer for the upcoming spring planting season.

South Korea has been agonizing over a recent request from North Korea for an “unusually” large volume of fertilizer aid, officials in Seoul said Sunday.

“Annual fertilizer aid toward the North has never exceeded 300,000 tons,” a KNRC executive told South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency. “The one-time request for 500,000 tons, valued at about 140 billion won ($130 million), is seen as quite exceptional.”

I can’t imagine the South Korean government will turn down the request, but I can’t help but think, what the hell is South Korea getting out of this? Is the Mt. Kumgang tours worth being treated like somebodies lap dog? South Korea has serious leverage on the North with all the fertilizer they give to them. They should use this leverage to help the international community contain the North Korean nuclear program instead of just continually giving them free stuff with nothing in return. Pretty soon Kim Jong Il will be demanding Tiburon sports cars and LG flat screen TV’s. Where do you draw the line?

It is so ironic that a country with a nuclear program can’t afford to buy their own fertilizer. But then again why should you buy your own fertilizer when somebody is willing to give it to you for free?