Category: Uncategorized

The 1-9 Infantry “Manchus” formerly of Camp Hovey, Korea have been working hard to get out the vote in Ramadi Iraq.

Winding through the dusty streets of Tamim, a district on the southwest edge of Ramadi, soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry handed out colorful fliers and instruction sheets Tuesday.

“Saddam will not be on the ballot this year,” he added with a laugh.

It is great to see the Manchus doing some good work in Iraq. I still find it amazing that 3 years ago I would have never dreamed the Manchus would ever deploy off the Korean peninsula to fight in the deserts of Iraq. The changes 9-11 has brought to the military are truly amazing.

We all may get chance to see President Bush in a Hanbok this November at the APEC summit being held in Pusan.

The government’s APEC summit planning committee has been deliberating what clothing to choose, to the point of convening an advisory council composed of Korea’s top seven hanbok (Korean traditional clothes) experts.

Meanwhile, Busan’s municipal government plans a hanbok-wearing campaign during the summit in order to highlight the beauty and rich cultural associations of Korea’s traditional dress.

That should be a sight to see, President Bush in a hanbok. Hopefully he uses the APEC platform to mend some fences with South Korea. Never the less November should be entertaining at the very least.

Don’t look now but there is push to introduce the metrosexual lifestyle to Korea

“Everyone has a desire to look better. But men have been just stuck in the stereotype of a strong man’s image associated with their classic suit and tie and have given up their freedom and creativity to express themselves,” Jung said.

In the book, Jung points out that Confucianism has created a male-dominated society in Korea and played a great influence on forcing men to repress their individuality. But metrosexuality can be a good starting point to break wrong standards or old customs, he said.

Judging by Korean dramas I would think the metrosexuals are already making a foothold in Korea. Jung references this fact:

Jung believes Korean actor Bae Yong-joon is a good example of a metrosexual since he is very popular in Japan not because of his masculine appearance but because of the tender side he has shown fans, and it proves a modern and globalized society needs a new paradigm of men in diversified roles.

I wouldn’t say Bae Yong-joon looked very masculine in Winter Sonata an now his tenderness is in question with the leaked celebrity X file detailing his tendencies to slap people around. I wonder if it is because of his rumored steroid usage? You got to love tabloid crap. Imagine a whole country of Bae Yong-joon’s. Oh, the horror. I like ajushi just the way he is, I have no problems with him, even though ajushi can be a little grumpy at times and try to rip me off of my cab fare. Besides that we get along great.

Brian over at Gangwon Notes has some interesting pictures of a fire escape at a Korean camp he was working at. I have seen this type locked fire escape in hotels before and thought how odd it was. I wonder if Korea has any fire safety laws in regards to this? They probably do but they are probably enforced as well as traffic laws are here.

I remember reading in the Asia Times about a brothel that burned down in Kunsan and a bunch of prostitutes were killed because of a locked fire escape.

And this is where the problem lies. As long as South Korea maintains the illegality of prostitution while turning a blind eye to one of the fastest-growing industries in the nation, the industry itself escapes regulation and the sex workers do not enjoy even the most basic of human rights. In 2002 in a red-light district in Kunsan, 15 sex workers were killed when the building where they were confined caught fire. With the doors bolted from the outside and bars over the windows to prevent escape, the girls were unable to flee the flames, all suffering a horrific death. A Seoul court ruled in favor of the bereaved families, awarding them a total of $2 million in compensation from the brothel owner.

The same judge, however, ruled that the local government and the police had no legal responsibility, even though the brothel confined the women with the likely knowledge of the local authorities.

In comparison this camp isn’t to bad. At least they had fire extinguishers at the locked fire escape. However, I wonder when the last time those fire extinguishers were checked for serviceability? At the very least you can use them to break the glass. Maybe that is what they are really there for.

North Korea continues to try and turn over a new leaf by saying they are going to change legal codes to promote human rights in the country. Yes, you read that one right, promote human rights.

North Korea has made it mandatory to issue arrest warrants in criminal proceedings to enhance human rights conditions, according to Pyongyang’s code of laws newly issued in August 2004.

“North Korea is trying to deliver a message to the world that it also is trying to adjust itself to international standards,” Paik Hak-soon, director of North Korean studies at the Sejong Institute in Seoul, told The Korea Times. “We are not in a war time, so they are trying to abide by the rule and process in punishing criminals.”

So you get a warrant before you get sent to the gulag. Big Deal. If North Korea wants to adjust itself to international standards, how about it start by feeding its people.

Why does is this report of a Korean being murdered in Kuwait given any credibility?

The government is examining a Reuters report that a group calling itself the “Kuwait Mujahideen” killed a Korean national in Kuwait.
Reuters reported on Saturday that the group claimed in a statement on a website it killed several Kuwaiti soldiers, three U.S. soldiers and a Korean in a shootout. But in a follow-up report Reuters quoted a Kuwaiti security official as saying that one militant had been killed and only two Kuwaiti policemen hurt in a gun battle with members of an armed Islamic group.

If this was true wouldn’t it be all over Fox and CNN by now? Shouldn’t the Korean media wait to see if a report is true before reporting it. I could start my own extremist website today and post claims of killing Koreans. Would the Korean media report that too? This is an old terrorist tactic to put out false claims of killings to add to the perception of chaos in the country. It is the same as civilian casualties. Claim as much civilian casualties as possible even if they are not true just to create the perception. Look at the threats made against the Korean soldiers in Iraq. Has anyone actually made an attempt yet to kill any Korean soldiers? No, but they are going to keep making threats to add to the perception that the Korean soldiers are under immediate danger and shouldn’t be in Iraq though they are in a peaceful area of Kurdistan. With news media like the Korean media ready to report anything no matter how unvalidated, it plays right into the hands of the terrorists. Perception is greater than reality. A little Terrorism 101 for you.

Koreans are by far the biggest educational spenders in the world according to the Korea Times.

South Korea topped the list of household educational spending to total consumption expenditure among the 30 OECD countries, with a ratio of 5.8 percent in 2003.

“Contrary to heavier spending on educational and medical purposes, Koreans are reducing their expenses on public service fees, including transportation fares,” the BOK official said.

This is no surprise with the amount of money Koreans spend to send students to private academies (hagwons) in the evenings and weekends to learn bad English.

My post last week about if North Korea really cheated in regards to its nucear weapons program which was based on an article in Foreign Affairs magazine by Selig Harrison who believes the US may be manipulating or misreading intelligence about the North’s nuclear program in order to create a crisis on the peninsula so the US can continue to control North Korean policy instead of South Korea or Japan.

I don’t agree with everything Mr. Harrison says and Charles Tustison at Korea Watch offers his own rebuttal of the Foreign Affairs article.

Fisking this article is a challenge because there is so much that is inaccurate or misleading. This is not the fault of Mr. Harrison. He is an expert on what is taught and reported about north Korea. However, much of what is reported and taught is based on an inaccurate views pushed by the Korean right and left. These are the views that caused the Clinton administration to underestimate north Korea’s staying power, the views that put south Korean President Kim Dae Jung and later US Secretary of State Albright in meetings with Kim Jong Il under the mistaken impression that he was unable to speak, mentally deficient, or even “delusional.” It is this set of views that caused the Bush administration to offer north Korea’s military aid for removing Kim Jong Il, when it is Kim Jong Il holding north Korea’s military back.

Read rest of the article here, it is an interesting read.

I don’t see this one happening but who knows. The Chosun Ilbo is reporting that Kim Jong Il and President Roh Moo-hyun have been invited to Moscow to attend the 60 year end of World War II memorial.

Both President Roh Moo-hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il have been invited to attend a celebration marking the 60th anniversary of the Allied victory in World War II to be held in Moscow on May 9.

Will Kim Jong-il attend? During gathering such as these, North Korea has usually sent its nominal head of state, President Kim Yong-nam of the Supreme People’s Assembly Presidium, or simply failed to attend. Korea Institute for National Unification researcher Chon Hyun-joon said that because Kim Jong-il has never attended an international event attended by foreign heads of state, the possibility that he might attend the upcoming one in Moscow was currently low. He said, however, that because Kim has broken with expectations before, it was premature to completely rule out his attendance. A Cheong Wa Dae official said all measures were being considered, including ones based on the presumption of Kim’s attendance.

I don’t think Kim Jong Il will attend this gathering because he likes to portray the image of the crazy mad man and man of mystery. Rubbing elbowes with world leaders does not help that persona. Could you imagine if him and President Bush ran into each other much less Roh Moo-hyun?

The New York Times is reporting that North Korea is prepared to rejoin the six party talks soon.

SEOUL (Reuters) – Negotiations on North Korea’s nuclear programs can and will resume in weeks rather than months, a U.S. congressman said on Friday after rare talks with the North’s number two leader appeared to break a logjam.

“I am convinced, as are my colleagues, that if in fact we move along the process we are moving along today, the six-party talks can and will resume in a manner of weeks as opposed to months or years,” said Weldon, whose delegation also held talks with other North Korean officials.

Good to see they got those Kim Jong Il portraits back up for the congressional visit.