Category: Uncategorized

Seriously, is anyone really surprised by this?:

The U.S. chief nuclear envoy Christopher Hill has admitted that it is improbable North Korea will shut down its nuclear facilities by a mid-April deadline due to the delayed transfer of assets frozen in the Macau-based Banco Delta Asia, AP reported. A Feb. 13 agreement reached in six-nation talks in Beijing requires the North to shut down its nuclear facilities in Yongbyon by April 14 in return for a first shipment of energy aid.

Keep in mind that the funds in question were frozen by the Chinese bank at the US’s request due to being linked to counterfeiting and money laundering of US currency.  Also keep in mind that the return of the money was never part of the Agreed Framework 2.0 that was agreed upon in February during the six party talks.  The return of the money is something that North Korea has decided on their own to add to the agreement. 

You can read more about the latest North Korea reneging at One Free Korea.

There is an interesting series of postings and comments on both One Free Korea and DPRK Studies concerning noted North Korea apologist David Albright.

Start here and here with the DPRK Studies postings.

Then read here and here for the related OFK postings.

Both of them ask some fundamental questions which Albright continues to avoid in his comments. I believe Albright’s views on North Korea are motivated more by his own personal political views than real factual analysis. He has already put himself in a position of a North Korea apologist and isn’t about to change his position no matter how much he is challenged with facts saying otherwise, thus the evasive answers. It will be interesting to see if he ever provides any real answers to the specific questions posed to him.

The North Koreans have until April 14th to shut down their nuclear reactor, which right now they show no signs of doing, while simultaneously the South Koreans are going to go ahead and send them 400,000 tons of rice anyway.   Even more appalling is that US financial negotiators appear ready to give North Korea back it’s $25 million dollars in a Macao bank that was garnered through counterfeiting and money laundering of US currency.  Unbelievably this is the condition the US negotiators put in place for the return of the money:

  "We stand ready to assist the Macanese authorities in their efforts to release the funds and with all parties to effectuate the North Korean pledge that any money received by them would be used for humanitarian purposes of benefit to the North Korean people," it said.

The US is trusting a "pledge" from the North Koreans that they will use this money for humanitarian purposes?  These negotiators cannot honestly think this money is going to be used for humanitarian purposes?  How is anyone going to verify this?  If they want to use this money for humanitarian purposes how about using the money to buy food and send the food to North Korea instead?  There is no way this money is going to be used for humanitarian purposes and I’m sure the negotiators realize that as well.  This "pledge" is just political cover to give the North Koreans back the money without the appearance of breaking the UN luxury goods ban which giving them $25 million dollars is sure to be used to buy.  What is even worse about this appeasement is that giving back the $25 million was never in the original Agreed Framework 2.0 deal signed earlier this year. 

I’m guessing the negotiators are gambling that the North Koreans will not shut down their nuclear reactor by April 14th and by giving them the $25 million now, this would deprive Pyongyang of an excuse to blame the United States for them not shutting down the reactor.  I think it is 50/50 right now if they shut down the reactor or not, but even if they don’t what is anybody going to do?  They got their money back and South Korea keeps giving them free goodies anyway, along with the inter-Korean Kaeseong and Kumgang cash cows that are still operating.  Plus their criminal enterprises is still bringing in enough money because nobody is intercepting and inspecting North Korean ships either.  Its all carrots and no stick and that is the way it always is with North Korea.  

Here is some breaking news courtesy of OFK:

Just caught this story on naver – It seems about 52 defectors have been aprehended by Thai authorities and if convicted of entering the country illegally are expected to be sent back to North Korea.  [Joongang Ilbo, Korean link]

It looks like the new Thai military government is trying to cozy up to the North Korean regime by returning these defectors.  What is the Korean government doing to stop this?  Nothing that I could find.  Ditto for the US government as well.  To echoes OFK’s sentiment what the heck is Amnesty International doing about this?  Just like everyone else, absolutely nothing. 

I went over to the Amnesty International webpage and there was nothing about North Korea, but guess what right on the front page is this story about David Hicks the Australian terrorist who went from a skinny terrorist to a fat terrorist due to his time in Gitmo and received a trial to where he was sentenced to 9 months in jail.  Here is the human rights violations Amnesty International is more concerned about, overweight terrorists receiving a trail and sentence of 9 months while at the same time North Korean refugees are being sent back to North Korea to be enrolled into a gulag or be executed.  If only Bush or Haliburton could be connected to a North Korean gulag than maybe they would care. 

As usual it looks like the grassroots groups will have to be the ones to fight for the lives of the defectors.  In South Korea one Christian North Korea human rights group is already protesting at the Thai embassy. 

One Free Korea has a list of embassy contact information for people to contact these embassies in order to express displeasure with the return of these refugees to North Korea. 

Just another reason why I will not visit Thailand. 

From the Chosun:

According to PopNews, a study on body mass index (BMI) released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in 2005 shows that only 3.2 percent of Koreans and Japanese have a BMI higher than 30.

A person with a BMI figure higher than 25 is considered overweight, while a reading above 30 means obesity.

The U.S. is the fattest of the OECD member nations with 30.6 percent of its population having a BMI higher than 30. It is followed by Mexico, Britain and Slovakia.

Towards the bottom of the list are Italy where 8.5 percent of the population is obese, Norway with 8.3 percent and Switzerland with 7.7 percent.

It will be interesting to see if Korea will be able to maintain this status because the younger generation of kids in Korea are definitely getting heavier, however they have a long ways to go to catch us Americans. 

So what do you do when you are a deserter of two different militaries and on the run? Go to the sauna of course:

South Korean officials captured a man Sunday who they say deserted both the U.S. and South Korean militaries.

The 26-year-old, identified as Pvt. Kim, was nabbed in a public sauna in the Hongdae neighborhood of Seoul, a Ministry of National Defense spokesman confirmed Monday. The spokesman said they received a tip about Kim’s location.

I wonder if they can get him as well for violating an off limits order as well?

This just goes to show once again, it isn’t just 2ID who has taxi cab related incidents:

Park, interviewed by phone on Monday, said he picked up the boys near the main gate of Camp Carroll at about 2 a.m. and took them to downtown Waegwan — about a $2.50 fare.

When they arrived, the teens bolted without paying, Park said. He gave chase and managed to catch them with the help of a bystander.

They began to scuffle and Park said he saw that one teen was wielding something in his hand before striking the driver in the stomach.

“At first I didn’t realize what happened,” said Park. He grabbed his midsection and his hands came away bloody.

“The blood was coming out of my jacket, it was dripping on the street,” he said. “It was then that I realized I had been stabbed with a knife.”

This is actually one of the most vicious attacks on a cab driver yet in Korea.  Truly despicable to stab some in the gut for a $2.50 taxi fare.  It will be interesting to see how Korean law is applied to these two dependents of US servicemembers, but hopefully the new taxi cab law applies to them as well and they see some jail time. 

Additionally, why were they out at 2AM to begin with?  Their parents will probably have a lot of explaining to do this week.

You can read more over at Lost Nomad and the Marmot’s Hole.

Courtesy the Metropolitician, comes news of a dance this weekend to raise money and support the farmers of Daechu-ri.  Daechu-ri is the village that was annexed by the Korean government as part of the agreed upon USFK transformation plan to expand Camp Humphreys in order to consolidate both Area 1 and Yongsan Garrison forces on one camp.

No word yet when a dance is going to happen in support of the people in Uijongbu and Dongducheon who were forced to relocate for such things just as equally important to national security, such as a new Home Plus, high rise apartments, shopping centers, a four lane highway, and a subway expansion.

Maybe someone can tell me what the difference is after watching this great video courtesy of USinKorea.

USinKorea has an additional North Korean human rights video posted that is must see viewing as well. 

The weird deserter case involving a Korean national who enlisted in the US Army and then deserted and then was drafted by the Korean Army has now gotten even weirder:

The 26-year-old man, identified only as Kim, joined the U.S. Army in 2003 in a bid to become an American citizen, South Korean Ministry of National Defense officials confirmed earlier this month.

After deserting the U.S. Army in 2005, he returned to South Korea and began his mandatory military service in November 2006, officials said.

With the knowledge of his South Korean unit, he turned himself into the U.S. military earlier this month but was released back to South Korea’s 25th Infantry Division so officials could investigate the sticky legal matter, the MND said.

But Kim deserted his post in northern Gyeonggi province early Friday morning, South Korean officials confirmed.

Officials believe the unarmed Kim is hiding in mountainous terrain surrounding the camp and have launched a search.

Maybe he can pull a trifecta and defect and join the North Korean army? 

The Marmot has more on this as well.