Lawmakers of the ruling Saenuri Party visit Rep. Lee Jung-hyun, the party head who has been carrying out a hunger strike, at the National Assembly headquarters in Seoul on Oct. 2, 2016. Lee has said he will end the strike after National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun resigns over backing the opposition bloc’s move to sack a Cabinet minister. (Yonhap)
Here is yet another example of China allowing North Korea to evade sanctions to purchase aircraft with military utility:
One of the planes displayed during North Korea’s first air show last month was made in New Zealand with American parts, underscoring the difficulties of implementing sanctions when North Korea’s long border with China remains so porous.
North Korea put on quite the display at the Wonsan International Friendship Air Festival, held at the recently upgraded Kalma airport on the country’s east coast. Planes featured included a one-sixth size version of an American F-16 fighter jet and Soviet-era MiGs flown by female pilots known as “flowers of the sky.” There also was a two-hour-long aerobatic display by North Korea’s air force.
The air show is thought to have been inspired by Kim Jong Un’s fascination with all things aviation. The North Korean leader has been featured in state media piloting light aircraft and has a summer residence in Wonsan, where the renovation of the airport is thought to be linked to his love of flying.
Aviation enthusiasts have now traced one of the planes on display – a white, 10-seater P-750 XSTOL with a North Korean flag on its tail — to Pacific Aerospace, an aviation company based in Hamilton, New Zealand.
New Zealand’s Foreign Ministry is investigating how the plane ended up in North Korea, the New Zealand Herald reported.
Pacific Aerospace sold the plane last December through its Chinese agent, Beijing General Aviation Company, to a Chinese company called Free Sky Aviation, Damian Camp, the company’s chief executive, said in a phone interview. It remains registered with the Chinese civil aviation authority, he said.
Camp said he was “completely mystified” to learn that the plane had shown up in North Korea with a North Korean flag on it. [Washington Post via a reader tip]
You can read more at the link as well as view video of the aircraft at this link.
Here is the latest supposed activism from a sports athlete:
New York Knicks center Joakim Noah chose to sit out a dinner with West Point cadets during the team’s training camp this week, citing his pacifist viewpoints and the fact that it was hard for him to “understand why we have to go to war, why kids have to kill kids around the world.” [USA Today]
Here is an awesome response from a former West Point graduate, Captain Nick Palmisciano:
“Whenever one of these types of things pop up, I kind of have an eye roll moment. I see this kind of stuff as self-aggrandizing. This doesn’t solve anything, it shows a lack of understanding about what it is that the military does, and really only calls attention to the individual. I see them as publicity stunts by people who think too highly of themselves.
He judged an entire group of people based on their chosen profession. This is no more ignorant than judging all police because of one bad shooting or all black people because of one criminal. As soon as you start generalizing people, their motives, their beliefs, you are part of the problem.”
“There are plenty of people in the U.S. that are strong supporters of the military. That isn’t present in a lot of countries, and we are very fortunate. Is it irksome when someone takes the national stage to talk down to the military? Yes. But does anything change because of Noah? No. Guys still deploy tomorrow. National policy doesn’t change.
There is still a job to do. And the men and women in uniform rely on each other to get that done, not a guy who plays a game for a living.
And again, it’s their right. I think both of these guys, Kaepernick included, think they are doing the right thing and they think that what they are doing is important, so I can’t really judge them for that. But the reality is that these pseudo-stands are just as worthless as the hashtag of the day. #bringbackourgirls” [IJR.com]
It is great to finally see a South Korean leader openly advocate for North Korean citizens to stand up to the Kim Jong-un regime by voting with their feet:
President Park Geun-hye issued a blunt message to urge North Korean soldiers and citizens to defect to the South, inviting criticisms from liberal politicians over her provocativeness while fueling speculations about conditions in the reclusive communist regime.
Park made the comment in a speech at a ceremony to mark Armed Forces Day on Saturday. In the speech, she addressed the latest security crisis caused by the Kim Jong-un regime’s nuclear and missile development and the South’s determination to counter it.
Park made perhaps the most provocative proposal by far to North Koreans. “Today, I want to clearly tell the reality that the North Korean regime is facing to the North Korean authorities, military and people,” she said, stressing that it is a misunderstanding and miscalculation of the young North Korean ruler to expect to achieve security and internal unity by demonstrating its nuclear and missile capabilities and escalating military tensions.
She noted that the international community is reacting differently from the past to the North’s provocations and the North is facing strengthened pressures and sanctions, while the negotiation stage has ended.
She, then, directly addressed the North Korean people. “We know the brutal reality that you are facing now. The international community is also seriously concerned about the North Korean regime’s human rights abuses.”
Promising that the South will do its best to end the North’s provocations and inhumane rule, Park said, “We will leave the path open for the North Korean people to find hope and life. Come to the free land of the Republic of Korea at any time.” [Joong Ang Ilbo]
Participants pay condolences to three soldiers, who were killed in a recent helicopter crash, at their funeral in Seongnam, south of Seoul, on Oct. 2, 2016. The crash occurred off the country’s east coast during joint drills with the United States on Sept. 26. (Yonhap)
I saw this story posted over at Reddit Korea about a Korean man caught illegally dumping pig carcasses into the Han River:
Apparently since October of last year, he would dispose of pigs he had used for jesa(제사) by dumping them into the Han River. In total he discarded nearly 100 pigs, amounting to 13 tons of illegal dumping in a public waterway! [Reddit Korea]
Long time ROK Heads may remember the large protests that happened when a USFK mortician poured 20 gallons of formaldehyde down a drain that was diluted first of all by running water, then was processed through the Seoul waste treatment system, and finally through the Nanjido central metropolitan treatment plant along with 1.9 million gallons of other sewage and waste that was processed through those facilities that day.
Does anyone think this farmer will face mass protests and massive media demonization for what he did to pollute the river?
I wonder if this would be like the joint patrols the US military and the ROK police conduct near US military bases?:
South Korea and China will discuss the possibility of stationing Chinese police officials on its southern island of Jeju if the relevant authorities here consider it necessary, Seoul’s foreign ministry said Thursday.
The idea was raised by a South Korean opposition lawmaker earlier this week amid an increase in crimes by Chinese tourists on the popular resort island.
“The issue of stationing Chinese police (on Jeju) will be actively discussed with China after talks with our relevant departments, including the police, and if they so wish,” the ministry said. “Even if the Chinese police are stationed here, they would not be involved in our public safety activities, but only work with us in terms of sharing information on criminals and cooperating on safety issues.” [Yonhap]
South Korea is planning on developing a laser system to counter North Korea’s drone program:
This photo captured from North Korea’s state-run TV on Sept. 14, 2016, shows its newly developed 1-meter wide unmanned aircraft. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution.) (Yonhap)
South Korea will develop or purchase a new laser air defense weapon to bring down small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) sent by North Korea, military officials said Wednesday.
“Amid growing worries about possible terror attacks by North Korea’s unmanned drones, we are planning to secure a high-precision weapon which can detect, trace and hit a small aircraft,” a defense official told Yonhap News Agency.
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has entered into a project to develop core technologies for a laser weapon. The Agency for Defense Development (ADD) has designated Hanwha Defense Systems as test product developer, according to the agencies.
“Depending on research and development (R&D) results, it will be determined whether the country can produce and deploy its own air defense system,” said an ADD official. “If not, the military plans to import a foreign air-defense system to counter North Korean unmanned aircraft.” [Yonhap]
